Jake Paul’s Betr Adds Traditional Sports Betting to Microbetting Platform

Microbetting operator Betr revealed Wednesday that it is expanding into traditional sports wagering.

Betr, co-owned by industry veteran Joey Levy and internet superstar-turned-boxer Jake Paul, originally launched as a substitute for regular online sportsbooks. Instead of betting on which team would win a game or the final score, players could guess small outcomes such as the result of the next shot, pitch, or play.

The expansion comes just in time for March Madness, the annual college basketball tournament that culminates with a national championship. Four play-in-style games known as the “First Four” were played the day before and the day of the announcement.

According to the company’s website, Betr exists to allow players total immersion into the sports and events they are watching.

“Microbetting introduces instant gratification to sports betting, enabling you to bet on every moment of every live sporting event for the first time,” reads a line on the front page.

Despite the “micro” branding, however, Levy said that the intention to grow into traditional legal sports betting was always on his and Paul’s minds. That would give sports bettors the ultimate one-stop shop for their gambling ventures.

"We deliberately launched with only microbetting to one, launch as soon as possible… and to two, establish ourselves as the company, product, and brand synonymous not just with instant gratification betting, which we believe will be the future of this industry, but to also be synonymous with doing things differently and being the first direct-to-consumer operator in the category to actually differentiate its product experience in an industry dominated by commoditized product experiences," said Levy, who is also Betr’s CEO.

Betr is already live in Ohio, which launched its sports betting market on January 1, is soon joining Massachusetts, which opened retail sports betting outlets on January 31 and online sportsbooks on March 10, and was recently approved in Virginia. The Ohio launch marked the quickest turnaround time that a company has taken to go from a newly-formed business to becoming a licensed sports betting outlet.

While Betr will soon have a new component to its interface, it is sticking with Simplebet, the technology company that helps power live sports betting, which is a necessity for microbetting and traditional in-play betting.

"I am also happy to share that this initial set of core markets will be powered by Simplebet, who has been a key technology partner to Betr to date," Levy said. "The core markets on Betr will be the first launch of Simplebet-powered core markets on any platform, so we are excited to be at the forefront of their innovation efforts as they continue expanding their suite of product offerings."

To celebrate the addition of traditional sports betting, Betr is putting 0% “juice” on its lines. Most sportsbooks set outcomes in markets such as spreads and totals at -110 odds to ensure they take home a profit in the long run, which is why players have to win roughly 52.4% of their bets in those markets to break even. Betr’s 0% margin means that going 50/50 will allow users to break even (if all odds are 1:1) and take home a profit if they hit more than 50% of bets.

Bettors can also compete in the “Beat Derek’s Bracket” challenge, where they can win a $1,000 prize if they have the best bracket and beat the “Fade God,” a sports bettor known for his terrible betting record.

Prospective customers can access Betr via the web with an Apple or Android product and app.

The company is also preaching responsible gambling and enforces deposit limits for younger audiences. It hopes to create a safe space for gamblers that eventually blossoms into one of the leaders in the industry.