Smarkets preps public launch of SBK app
New sportsbook app to go live on Friday featuring Instagram-style news feed
Smarkets will launch its new sportsbook app to the public on Friday, the London-headquartered operator announced this morning.
The SBK product has been in a private test mode, with a waiting list to join, for the last 12 months, as the operator ironed out various bugs.
Smarkets CEO Jason Trost said SBK would help the firm tap into the wider recreational market, with an estimated 20 sportsbook punters for every one exchange user.
The app also includes a social media-style news feed where users can share their bets and their reasoning.
“If you open up bet365 or Sky Bet, you get your bet on but there is no rich experience,” said Trost at a launch event at Smarket’s London office on Wednesday.
“We’ve built an Instagram-style network for punters to share bets and we think we’ve been very successful in building a rich experience.”
The concept was inspired in part by Trost’s experience as a day trader where he said all traders want to talk about is their trades and opinions.
Trost also reiterated that the company was not deprioritising the exchange, but simply presenting a more user-friendly interface for bets to be placed into the same liquidity.
The app will also includes a SBK Price+ feature, which shows how available SBK odds compare with the wider market.
“We are extremely excited to fully launch SBK having made substantial improvements since the beta introduction last year,” Trost said.
“By combining innovative technology with transparent and fair odds, I believe we are able to offer a product like no other in the market, which will help us continue to have an impact in an industry dominated by a few big players who don’t seek to give customers the best value.”
SBK was built in-house, predominantly by the company’s engineering team in Los Angeles, and will initially be launched in the UK, with Smarkets also expecting to introduce the product to the developing US betting market in the near future.
Trost added: “While some bettors prefer the advanced features of Smarkets, we created SBK for those customers who want the better pricing of an exchange with the cleaner interface of a sportsbook.”