One of the biggest global online influencers, Jake Paul, has confirmed he is moving into the world of online betting.
Backed by a fiercely loyal following, Paul has collaborated with Joe Levy for the launch of Betr – a site focused micro-betting – and will be working with Levy’s Simplebet firm.
Paul stated: “I wasn’t into sports betting until I was introduced to micro-betting. Micro-betting is the TikTok-ification of sports betting and I am excited to bring it to the masses through Betr.
“We are in this for the long haul and are focused on doing things the right way. We are getting licensed state-by-state, adhering to each state’s regulatory framework while advocating for important consumer protections and responsible gambling. We want to be the category-defining consumer company in both sports betting and sports media by the end of the decade and are confident we will achieve that goal.”
The app will commence operations as free-to-play, but eyeing up licences in regulated markets across the US, Paul also revealed that in making the move he turned down a $40 million offer from a crypto-casino.
“I co-founded Simplebet to simplify the sports betting user experience – to reconsider why sports betting products felt uninterpretable to the casual fan who had never bet on sports before,” said Levy.
“In doing so, we discovered that the technology required to enable a scalable micro-betting platform around the moments that drive U.S. sports did not yet exist, given the global market’s focus was on soccer, a fluid sport without a natural start and stop cadence. So we decided to build it ourselves at Simplebet; however, years later, the user experience remains unintuitive for a mass-market consumer.”
Simplebet CEO Chris Bevilacqua added: “We’re thrilled to be Betr’s technology partner, powering unique in-play betting experiences centered around micro-betting and transforming the way consumers engage and wager on sports.
“The combination of our best-in-class technology together with the reimagined user experience, reach, and influence of Betr’s distribution channels will be a powerful force in the market. This partnership features many of the best elements of the rapidly increasing convergence of sports, media, and technology and we are excited to be in the centre of it.”