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The Gambler’s Fallacy is a Crutch for Bitcoin Adoption

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By Ray Sze, Head of Games at Bitcoin.com, who has extensive experience in the gaming industry that stretches back more than a decade. 

 

Gambling is a human institution and has been for millennia. It has been there along the way with religion, relationships, and sports as a regular institution in our lives. Many hopes and dreams have been validated and destroyed on the whims of a game of dice or roulette wheel. There is an explanation though – The Gambler’s Fallacy. This logical premise is cemented in the human psyche and is why gambling continues to thrive as an industry today — the same as it did in Babylon.

Today however, gambling is a much different phenomenon than its ancient predecessors. Americans bet $149 billion illegally on sports in 2015, and digital casinos rake in profits that compete with their physical counterparts on the Las Vegas strip.

Internationally, gambling havens like Monaco and Macau thrive on the same predilections for gambling that enabled hotbeds of underground casinos to emerge in the first place.

But the digital world is where gambling is poised to continue its rapid growth. No longer can fortunes explicitly be made and lost at a physical card table. Poker celebrities continually arise out of vaunted online poker circles to hit the floor at world championships hosted by the likes of MGM and The Venetian.

And cryptocurrencies are positioned to become an integral component of the proliferation of digital gambling.

An Already Changing Landscape 

A cursory glance at some of the leading online gambling venues (e.g., Bovada), reveals that these platforms are already embracing cryptocurrencies.

For example, before the emergence of bitcoin, online gambling platforms typically had to pay out winners via cashier’s checks (delivered by snail mail) or chargebacks to the user’s credit/debit card. A cashier’s check is about the slowest route to pay someone and is, obviously, not ideal in 2020. Chargebacks to cards were admittedly popular for a while, but they exposed Americans (illegally online gambling) to the whims of their banks and formed a trail of breadcrumbs for authorities investigating online platforms.

Enter bitcoin.

Nearly every popular online gambling site that earned its stripes in the early 2000s is embracing bitcoin. It reduces regulatory exposure on the part of the bookie (i.e., the platform), and makes payments quicker, more anonymous, and less costly. Bitcoin is naturally congruent with digital gambling.

And the second-order effects on bitcoin’s adoption are important to recognize.

Gambling is an Adoption Crutch for Bitcoin

People who gamble, and are not familiar with bitcoin, will progressively be exposed to the legacy cryptocurrency as their presence on digital gambling platforms increases. It will progress out of necessity and convenience too, not out of some ideological loyalty to bitcoin.

If you’re gambling on an online platform, what’s the better option?

  1. Risk problems with your bank and not receive your payout by using the card chargeback method.

  2. Wait for 2 – 4 weeks to receive a check in the mail.

  3. Download a bitcoin wallet and use that for instant payouts for the remainder of your gambling voyage.

Option 3 is clearly the most convenient.

Bitcoin adoption based on convenience is also a unique adoption curve for the cryptocurrency. Outside of online gambling, bitcoin is primarily “convenient” in the context of stashing funds from oppressive governments, circumventing capital controls, or sending lucrative sums to another person/entity with strong security and speed assurances. Outside of those contexts, bitcoin is not well understood by the public and is inconvenient to use.

The user-experience of wallets in the bitcoin market is rapidly improving, but gambling may be the crutch it can lean on in the near future.

For example, digital casinos aren’t solely emerging as competitors to Las Vegas casinos, they’re arising exclusively as bitcoin casinos — like Bitcoin Games. These digital gambling platforms emphasize the speed of payouts, transparency, and privacy. Not to mention they’re populated with new types of games and (in many cases) open-source code on a blockchain to enable gamblers to verify that they’re not being taken to the woodshed by the house.

And once these casinos start embedding more advanced sportsbooks? Lookout. Especially considering the NBA’s recent warming to the idea of enabling legal gambling on its games.

Digital global gambling statistics are challenging to coalesce due to fragmented regulations and the illegal nature of its existence with many private bookies, but what’s evident is the massive scale of the industry. Online gambling has grown virtually linearly over the last decade and the industry as a whole is projected to expand by a CAGR of 8.7 percent through 2024.

With an estimated 26 percent of the world’s population gambling at some point, that’s an enormous opportunity to onboard more users to bitcoin — an adoption crutch often overlooked as we enter the 2020s.

Australia

Elections, Bitcoin, and the Australian Open: Slotegrator breaks down prediction markets in new ebook

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elections,-bitcoin,-and-the-australian-open:-slotegrator-breaks-down-prediction-markets-in-new-ebook

Annual trading volume in the prediction market vertical grew from $500 million to $64 billion in only three years. What’s behind their explosive popularity? In a new ebook, Slotegrator lays out why this latest evolution in betting has so much appeal for players and what operators need to consider before launching their own prediction market.

Why have prediction markets captured so much attention? In a new downloadable ebook, Slotegrator lays out the factors behind the vertical’s popularity, analyzes how prediction markets are disrupting the modern betting landscape, and provides a checklist to help readers decide if
the time is right for them to add a prediction market to their platform.

In the ebook, Slotegrator highlights generational shifts in preferences and behavior, such as the increase in younger players who are familiar with trading and financial markets, as one of the main drivers in the rise of the format. There’s also a widespread change in values; players view the P2P exchange mechanic, in particular, as a more transparent form of betting than wagering against the house.

“Today, the audience’s attention shifts in real time across platforms, and digital experiences evolve constantly. If you’re not actively tracking where engagement is moving, you’re not just behind the trend — you’re already losing relevance in the market,” comments Olga Ivanchik, COO of Slotegrator.

Opinion-based betting allows users to trade literally any event from politics to current events. The pursuit of getting a more interactive, dynamic, and fair experience is reflected in prediction market mechanics: the odds in this type of betting are not set by the house but fluctuate in accordance with supply and demand — players bet against each other, and the platform generates revenue on commissions based on the amount of bets.

“This transition eliminates the old conflict of interest and gives us a more transparent, equitable, and stimulating experience where value is defined by the market itself”, says Maksym Shtun, Product Owner at Slotegrator.

The report provides analytics with key figures, regulatory notes, expert comments, and an explanation of the mechanics involve. It also includes useful tips for readers:

  • A checklist that will help operators understand whether they need prediction markets on
    their platform
  • Tips and recommendations on the events for betting by region
  • Comparison of prediction market mechanics with classic sportsbooks
  • Analysis of relevant psychological factors
  • Breakdown of how exactly how prediction markets generate revenue

Download the guide and get a full understanding of the prediction market phenomenon. Be among the first operators to make the most of the quickest growing opportunity in iGaming.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

The post Elections, Bitcoin, and the Australian Open: Slotegrator breaks down prediction markets in new ebook appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Australia

Elections, Bitcoin, and the Australian Open: Slotegrator breaks down prediction markets in new ebook

Published

on

elections,-bitcoin,-and-the-australian-open:-slotegrator-breaks-down-prediction-markets-in-new-ebook

Annual trading volume in the prediction market vertical grew from $500 million to $64 billion in only three years. What’s behind their explosive popularity? In a new ebook, Slotegrator lays out why this latest evolution in betting has so much appeal for players and what operators need to consider before launching their own prediction market.

Why have prediction markets captured so much attention? In a new downloadable ebook, Slotegrator lays out the factors behind the vertical’s popularity, analyzes how prediction markets are disrupting the modern betting landscape, and provides a checklist to help readers decide if
the time is right for them to add a prediction market to their platform.

In the ebook, Slotegrator highlights generational shifts in preferences and behavior, such as the increase in younger players who are familiar with trading and financial markets, as one of the main drivers in the rise of the format. There’s also a widespread change in values; players view the P2P exchange mechanic, in particular, as a more transparent form of betting than wagering against the house.

“Today, the audience’s attention shifts in real time across platforms, and digital experiences evolve constantly. If you’re not actively tracking where engagement is moving, you’re not just behind the trend — you’re already losing relevance in the market,” comments Olga Ivanchik, COO of Slotegrator.

Opinion-based betting allows users to trade literally any event from politics to current events. The pursuit of getting a more interactive, dynamic, and fair experience is reflected in prediction market mechanics: the odds in this type of betting are not set by the house but fluctuate in accordance with supply and demand — players bet against each other, and the platform generates revenue on commissions based on the amount of bets.

“This transition eliminates the old conflict of interest and gives us a more transparent, equitable, and stimulating experience where value is defined by the market itself”, says Maksym Shtun, Product Owner at Slotegrator.

The report provides analytics with key figures, regulatory notes, expert comments, and an explanation of the mechanics involve. It also includes useful tips for readers:

  • A checklist that will help operators understand whether they need prediction markets on
    their platform
  • Tips and recommendations on the events for betting by region
  • Comparison of prediction market mechanics with classic sportsbooks
  • Analysis of relevant psychological factors
  • Breakdown of how exactly how prediction markets generate revenue

Download the guide and get a full understanding of the prediction market phenomenon. Be among the first operators to make the most of the quickest growing opportunity in iGaming.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

The post Elections, Bitcoin, and the Australian Open: Slotegrator breaks down prediction markets in new ebook appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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ABCripto

ABcripto announces Diego Perez as VP and strengthens bridge with fintechs

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The Brazilian Crypto Economy Association (ABcripto) announces Diego Perez as its new Vice President and Director of Institutional Relations.

The appointment reflects the current stage of Brazil’s digital assets market, now focused on consolidation, regulatory architecture, and integration with the traditional financial system.

Perez joins ABcripto after serving as President of ABFintechs for the past six years, following an eight-year trajectory within the organisation, including earlier board roles.

Who is Diego Perez

He now joins the association’s council, maintaining proximity to both ecosystems and contributing to the advancement of integration between financial innovation and digital assets.

A lawyer with an LL.M. in Financial and Capital Markets Law from Insper, Perez has worked for over a decade at the intersection of financial innovation and regulation.

He is co-founder of SMU Investimentos, with experience in asset tokenisation initiatives, including participation in the CVM regulatory sandbox, and Vice President of Fintech Iberoamérica (FIA), where he follows regulatory harmonisation agendas across Latin America.

At ABFintechs, he led industry dialogue with the Central Bank, CVM, Ministry of Finance, COAF and the National Congress on topics such as Open Finance, Pix, Drex and digital asset regulation.

He also contributed to public consultations and regulatory proposals.

This experience in managing complex agendas involving innovation, competition and regulation is now being brought to ABcripto.

“Taking on the vice presidency of ABcripto is an opportunity to contribute even more directly to the consolidation of a balanced regulatory environment, one that fosters innovation without compromising legal certainty and the integrity of the financial system,” said Perez.

“The crypto asset sector in Brazil and Latin America is going through a decisive moment, where the development of well-calibrated public policies will be essential for its sustainable growth.

ABcripto plays a central role in this process, acting as a qualified interlocutor between the market and regulators, and as a coordinator of an agenda that combines competitiveness, financial inclusion and the fight against illicit activities.”

In his new role, Perez will focus on regulatory framework implementation for virtual asset service providers, integration with financial infrastructure such as Open Finance and Pix, and the advancement of the stablecoin agenda.

He will also engage with tax authorities and coordinate regional efforts toward regulatory convergence in Latin America.

His appointment reinforces ABcripto’s positioning as a technical and representative association capable of translating sector complexity into qualified dialogue with government, regulators and the press.

“Diego brings experience from a sector that has already gone through a regulatory transition, which will be essential for us over the coming years.

His arrival, together with the new directors of Management and Finance (Flávio Bindandi) and Legal and Projects (Julia Martinelli), who also bring expertise from regulated markets, completes the association’s Executive Board, which is expected to announce new projects and partnerships soon,” said Julia Rosin, Executive Director.

About ABcripto

The Brazilian Association of Crypto Economy (ABcripto) represents the digital asset sector in the country (Bitcoin being the best known of these).

It works to organize and develop the business environment, represents the interests of market participants, and collaborates in the construction of public and private policies that foster innovation and guarantee investor rights.

Its mission is to bring Brazilians closer to the crypto market and bring together the agents responsible for the development of this new financial services infrastructure.

The post ABcripto announces Diego Perez as VP and strengthens bridge with fintechs appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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