What New Features Will Come to Prominence on Horse Racing Betting Sites in 2020?

The current decade has seen plenty of changes in the way that we bet on horse racing. It’ll be interesting to see, therefore, what will happen in 2020. Will the changes help or hinder those who use these sites?

Innovative Promotions

One thing you can be sure of with the online gambling industry is that it doesn’t like standing still. Recent years have seen the introduction of the Best Odds Guaranteed feature, and also Cash Out.

These introductions have helped punters earn more from their bets. They can get better prices on selections, ending the days when you bemoaned the fact a horse’s starting price was better than the one you’d taken. The cash-out feature sees you able to end bets before the race ends, excellent if you cash out and then your selection gets beaten.

Welcome offers and promotions have become a major factor in the bid to entice people to join their sites. New methods have been introduced in recent years. For example, you could be offered enhanced odds on Saturday’s big race if registering with the site. Risk-free bets are another method, and it will be interesting to see what 2020 brings in new ideas. You can see what’s already on the market – there’s more than you might think.

With the gambling industry so competitive, there is one bet that looks bound to be a winner. 2020 and beyond will see more innovation as sites do their best to attract new customers.

ICE on its way in February

We might not have to wait too long to discover just what innovative ideas are on their way in 2020. February sees the ICE Conference take place in London. Now, this is nothing to do with climate change but is, in fact, a “global gathering for gaming professionals”. Initially, ICE stood for International Casinos Exhibition, but it now covers all areas of the gaming industry. This includes everything from betting to bingo and casino games to the lottery.

Over 36,000 gaming professionals will be heading to the Excel for the event that takes place from February 4-6. The conference will allow its visitors to “discover the present and future of gaming” while holding meetings and networking.

With so many members of the industry being present at Ice London, there are bound to be some exciting ideas discussed that could change the future of the industry.

Even more Advanced Apps

Apps have been a recent introduction offering a wide range of services to their customers. 2020 is likely to be another year where new features for these apps are introduced. More and more information is likely to be made available to customers as the service offered continues to improve.

Live Streaming Changes

Live streaming is something that may see changes in 2020. Being able to bet on racing is exciting enough, seeing the actual race is even better. Hopefully, more will become available in 2020. That’s looking likely with the UK’s At The Races recently signing a multi-year turnover based streaming and data deal with Betfred.

This will see the latter having more access to live streams and helpful data that could help you pick a winner or two. The streaming relationship between racetrack operators and online sites has been a subject for discussion. More talks are likely in 2020, but there seems to be a lot to talk about with worries over margins and the provision of the Best Odds Guaranteed feature.

Political Change

With a new UK government elected in December, it will be interesting to see how will affect the gambling industry. There is likely to be more calls for help re responsible gambling. A review of the 2005 Gambling Act is likely and is in the Conservative Party manifesto. Labour has also pledged action to bring in a gambling act “fit for the digital age.” The likely changes come against a background of a rise in the number of people gambling in the UK.

Peter Hannibal, chief executive of UK industry organisation the Gambling Business Group (GBG), spoke about this recently. His view is that there will be an “inevitable” overhaul of national legislation regardless of which party is in power, though changes might take time to become law.

The shifting political and legislative sands are also prevalent in the US, where individual states are working toward online sportsbooks being allowed. Starting in New Jersey, there are already now online sportsbook services in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Oregon and Indiana. The year 2020 will undoubtedly make betting more accessible for key horse racing betting events like the Kentucky Derby.

Final Words

As you can see, 2020 maybe another year of change for online horse racing sites. More promotions could be introduced to gain extra customers, more live streaming and even more advanced apps. It all promises to be an interesting start to a new decade for the industry and its customers.