SMS Wagering on the Betting Market in 2024: Key Features

Betting
Updated 19 july 2023

SMS is a powerful business tool. It plays an important role in the development of relationships with clients, the attraction of new gamblers, and the growth of the profitability of the bookmaker’s office.

SMS wagering in sportsbooks

Specialists of the Online Casino Market company will tell you about SMS betting, a popular way of interacting with the audience. You will also find out about the advantages of this method of communication and why it is so in demand in the modern market.

Global Popularity of SMS Bets
The Short Message Service began its operation in 1992.
For more than 30 years, the product has managed to become:
the world's leading communication channel
a tool for exchanging messages without limits
springboard for the launch of innovative advertising campaigns
Today, other messaging methods have come to the fore (Facebook, VKontakte, and Viber) but SMS remains extremely in demand:
65%
5 billion people in the world send and receive SMS messages at least once a day.
This is 65% of the global population.
Asia is a region whose inhabitants talk to each other using SMS more than anyone.
In China, they are sent by 1.081 billion people, and in India by 730 million.
80%
80% of the North American population exchanges short text messages.
It is the main channel of communication in the region.
The number of people who receive and send text messages is expected to increase to 5.9 billion by 2025.
57%
Most people use Android smartphones to send messages.
They are owned by 57% of the planet’s inhabitants. The second place is taken by Apple technology and the third place — by push-button phones of Nokia, Samsung, and LG brands.
SMS is widely used, so it is rather short-sighted to ignore this business tool.

How the Service Works

To place a bet with favourable coefficients, players need only a mobile gadget. The sportsbook software must be adapted to receive bids via SMS.

Methods of operation of the solution:

  1. Sending messages to gamblers. The text may contain information about profitable pairs of odds, new special offers, seasonal forecasters’ tournaments, etc. The main thing is to attract the attention of users and encourage them to deposit funds to the betting platform.
  2. Acceptance of bids from clients. The message should be laconic: enough to indicate the sports event, the selected quote, and the size of the bet.
  3. Reception and processing of data. An additional module is built into the bookmaker's software. Its main task is an automatic reading of information and its handling without delays and technical failures.
  4. Calculation and payment of prize money. The funds are instantly credited to the gamblers’ accounts on the betting site or to their mobile accounts. The results of the draws are also sent in the form of an SMS message.

Bookmakers can modify the operation of the service at their discretion. One of the most popular options is to create a daily or weekly newsletter with data about upcoming competitions or top events. It is also possible to insert a link in the text to replenish the user account and make a deposit.

Why It Is Profitable to Offer SMS Wagering in 2024

SMS in betting: key features

The main advantages of this type of communication:

Broad coverage

The method improves the interaction of bookmakers with their target audience and is considered the most in-demand in India, a country with a well-developed casino industry and a high population density. Residents of North America and Africa are also happy to place bets via mobile messages.

Africa is a region where SMS outperforms other ways of interaction between operators and customers by a significant margin. Those entrepreneurs who want to enter this market should definitely add this tool to their platforms

High speed

The time for delivering a text message is 5 seconds. The speed does not depend on the location of users or the quality of the Internet connection.

The SMS open rate is 98%. This is more than the indicator that can be seen in the case of email or direct phone calls.

Players reluctantly answer electronic letters but they are happy to view the messages in their spare time

Individual approach

SMS is an effective tool for personalising the user experience and building friendly relationships with each client based on trust.

Using the service, operators can send unique sets of odds, quotes with reduced margins, free bids, promotional codes, invitations to VIP tournaments, and other rewards

Security

Information is transmitted via encrypted channels, making hacking and theft of user data impossible.

The personal identifier of players is their mobile numbers.

Their providers are responsible for the security of private information. They use powerful anti-fraud systems and are constantly working on the improvement of their services

Low competition

Only 39% of marketers in the world use SMS to interact with customers. In the gambling sector, this percentage is even lower — 7%.

The niche has not yet been filled. Each entrepreneur has a great chance to launch an effective communication channel

Bids via SMS contribute to the growth of conversion. A few minutes pass between reading the message and sending the money. Players only need to familiarise themselves with the available options for quotes and confirm their choice. Everything is very fast and convenient for the customers.

How to Set Up the Acceptance of Bets on the Sportsbook Platform

The relevant software can be supplied with an SMS module or gateways for the installation of additional components. The main thing is the good adaptability of the solution. This feature helps the installation of external programs to be quick and hassle-free.

Characteristics of the betting script:

  1. Cross-platform support. The system should work flawlessly in different operating systems: Android, Windows Phone, iOS, and others.
  2. Multicurrency. Most often, bids are accepted in the national currency of the country where the bookmaker has received a licence. On websites based on the blockchain, it is possible to send quotes in Bitcoins or Litecoins. Platforms with offshore permits prefer to work with US dollars. In the SMS script, all these aspects must be taken into account.
  3. Personal settings. It is good if the product includes the function of tracking the reactions of gamblers to bonuses, promotional codes, and profitable sets of coefficients. An excellent solution would be audience segmentation depending on the features of the game (limits, frequency of wagers), preferred sports, and personal characteristics (age, gender, and country of residence).
  4. High security. The module for receiving SMS bets is a modern and safe product.

Why SMS Is Considered An Effective Communication Channel

SMS in sportsbooks: communication channel

Impeccable statistics speak in favour of the business tool:

  • 85% of customers prefer to receive messages by phone. It can be either plain text with profitable quotes or a message created based on artificial intelligence algorithms.
  • 70% of players rely on SMS in cases of troubleshooting. This is where multifunctional chatbots come to the fore. They help operators save time, money, and nerves.
  • 64% of customers believe that bookmakers who send text messages value their time and recommend them to other gamblers.

In 2024, more than 50% of bets on sports events will be accepted via mobile devices. By 2027, the percentage will grow even more. Analysts predict that in 2030, wagering via smartphones will completely replace interaction through other communication channels.

Content created using SMS is generated in conversion in 70% of cases. We are talking about sending quotes, informing about new tournaments, sending out personal promotional codes, and conducting surveys. As for the passive messages (banner advertising and articles on specialised portals), they lead to an increase in conversion by only 36%.

Acceptance of SMS bets allows business owners to attract millennials. This category of clients prefers instant wagering and is actively interested in eSports.

Alternative Methods of Interacting with Gamblers

SMS is an excellent channel for communicating with the audience, driving traffic, and increasing the turnover of the bookmaker. However, it is important not to ignore other options.

Bookmakers can accept bids in the following formats:

Personal account

Almost all betting resources offer live and pre-match odds. Visually, they can be distinguished thanks to colours, blocks, and highlighting.

The personal account stores the history of moves, a table with winning odds, announcements of upcoming events, and balance

Mobile application

This is a convenient and fast method of depositing money, placing bets, and receiving prizes.

In the solution, the main menu is adapted to the parameters of the device used (screen size and RAM). Only a few commands are located on the main page, and the rest of the buttons pop up when necessary

Social messengers

They are suitable for the creation of a chatbot — a universal assistant for accepting bets, communicating with players, and providing technical and legal support to clients.

To launch virtual bots, Viber, Telegram, and WhatsApp are most often used

The Main Things about the Work of SMS Services in Betting Shops

SMS is a useful business tool for the owners of sportsbook platforms.

  • The solution is characterised by an easy way to send and receive text messages, quickly process data, and manage the gambling project without additional costs.
  • Global coverage is a key advantage of the SMS service. The product is extremely popular with users from Africa, Asia, and North America.
  • The advantages of SMS rates include excellent reach, individual approach, low competition, and high security.

From the Online Casino Market studio, you can order a turnkey bookmaker’s office. This is a full-fledged platform for accepting bets, calculating quotes, paying out winnings, and organising draws and tournaments.

The ready-made website is equipped with a powerful anti-fraud system, a multi-currency settlement method, and a convenient administration panel.

We also provide the following useful gambling services:

  • creation of an exclusive online sportsbook site;
  • connection of programs for accepting bids on sports events;
  • launch of a betting shop under a franchise agreement;
  • assistance in obtaining a licence;
  • business promotion, and much more.

For all questions, please contact our managers.

Do you have any questions?
Contact an expert
Request via Telegram
Attention!

Check the information used to contact us carefully. It is necessary for your safety.

Fraudsters can use contacts that look like ours to scam customers. Therefore, we ask you to enter only the addresses that are indicated on our official website.

Be careful! Our team is not responsible for the activities of persons using similar contact details.

Karen Fill

Author

Karen Fill

Gambling business expert at Online Casino Market

Updated 19 july 2023