UKGC to Give “Serious Thought” to Rise in Micro-Betting

The UKGC believes that the gambling sector should give the growth of micro-betting serious thought due to rising numbers of disputes. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

No shortage of choice

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is taking notice of the rise in levels of micro-betting and believes that the topic needs “serious thought.” These types of markets allow people to wager on the smallest events during a sporting event.

opens up a typical sporting event to more betting options than ever before

For example, someone might bet on the next serve in a tennis match being in or out, try to predict if a golfer will hit the fairway or land in the rough with their tee shot, or bet on the outcome of a penalty in a soccer game. Micro-betting opens up a typical sporting event to more betting options than ever before.

A hot topic

The UKGC has noted that many disputes between bettors and sportsbooks arise from micro-betting markets.

One related to a bettor who bet that Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah would have two shots on target during a game last season in the English Premier League against Manchester City. After one clear shot on target, a second shot was controversially deemed to be wide despite the goalkeeper touching the ball. The sportsbook didn’t pay out the £370 ($473) profit.

The BBC investigated inaccurate reporting of stats earlier this year and found numerous mistakes that impacted bettors.

The UKGC has met with operators in 2024 to discuss these matters. UKGC Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner was speaking at the KPMG Gibraltar eSummit when she noted that micro-betting markets are “ultimately more subjective” than traditional markets. This is where debate and argument come in despite independent sports data companies usually dictating the final stats of a game and not the operators.

Tailoring the gambling experience

Another hot topic for the UKGC is that of personalization. Operators are starting to tailor the products placed in front of individual users when they visit a platform and suggest bets based on their previous gambling behavior.

potentially leading to excessive gambling in some cases

The UKGC deputy chief executive believes that while personalization has clear advantages, it also raises the question of potentially leading to excessive gambling in some cases. She emphasized that she doesn’t have a clear position or view on personalization and micro-betting, but she does think that these are topics that necessitate “serious thought by both the industry and its regulators.”