Pennsylvania’s sports betting industry is yet to officially go live but already, the sports betting operators are already working on the implementation of a few vital components that are reminiscent of online poker operations. This is through the use of sports betting kiosks which offer the sports bettors the ability to access sports betting services without necessarily having to interact with other human beings.
Needless to say, the betting kiosks have been a huge component of the Keystone State’s sports betting industry – they are available at a good number of properties in the state. As such, in gaming facilities like Parx, sports bettors don’t have to enter the sportsbook to get some sports betting action. Kiosks are really making their mark in the industry and the result, believe it or not, is mind-boggling.
As it turns, more sports wagers are being done through the kiosks than any other existing avenue. According to Kambi, which is known to provide sports betting kiosks for Rivers, SugarHouse, and Parx as well as its two OTB parlors, an estimated 75 percent of the sports bets that are placed on those facilities are done on the kiosks. In essence, this implies that human interaction at sportsbooks definitely will not be a selling point in the near future.
What Does This Really Mean?
Apparently, even the top officials and policymakers at Kambi and other kiosk providers did not expect the kiosk revenue figures to be where they currently are. Perhaps this has something to do with the growing presence of kiosks in other facets of life which has made people less intimidated to try them out – they can be found at grocery stores, airports and even banks where they are meant to save the consumers both time and effort. They are also quite appealing for people who prefer little to no human interaction as they go about their business.
Another factor that supposedly makes these kiosks such a big deal for sports bettors in the state is the fact that they can be used 24/7, unlike the retail sportsbooks which have posted hours. One of the additional perks of this is the fact that during the off hours, the bettors will be able to use the winning paper ticket of another bet to fund new ones via the kiosk. In addition to that, some betting kiosks, such as the ones delivered by Kambi, allow the players to fund bets with winning bet slips.
Preparing Bettors for Online Sportsbooks
Pennsylvania is set to finally launch its much-anticipated online sports betting industry and it is very likely that the kiosks are offering a glimpse at what players can expect from the online sportsbooks especially in terms of the user interfaces (UI) and the user experience (UX).