NBA to Provide Data for In-Play Betting

The NBA will become the first major American sports league to provide official data to generate in play betting odds.

In a deal announced on Wednesday, the live betting odds will be distributed to licensed US sportsbooks through multiple partners.

The initiative will begin this season through sports data providers Genius Sports and Sportradar. These two companies already provide data to US and international sportsbooks and have worked closely with the NBA.

They will distribute official data from the NBA as well as WNBA for the purposes of live betting.

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“We feel strongly that official NBA betting data provides the best experience for our fans,” NBA vice president and head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross told ESPN.

“We want all legal operators to be using official data, and this framework ensures that there is a competitive marketplace for it.”

American sportsbooks are taking their lead from UK bookmakers, who make more money during games than before them. They clearly see live betting as a growing market that is growing in the US.

A FanDuel executive said that in-game betting amounts to around 40% of the money wagered on its sportsbook.

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“We see the market evolving more and more toward live betting, and having the ability of providing reliable, accurate and timely information to the [bettors] is absolutely crucial,” Sportradar U.S. president Matteo Monteverdi said.

“Sportradar and Genius Sports are proven leaders in data distribution and will deliver unparalleled, real-time official NBA betting data,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a release announcing the deal. “As the sports betting landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, these new partnerships will provide robust and reliable data to ensure the best possible gaming experience for our fans in the U.S.”