Twitter indicates potential future involvement in sports betting partnerships
Social media giant looking to “enhance the user experience” as it ponders official sportsbook partners
Twitter has revealed it would be open to teaming up with official sports betting partners with the view to offering wagering capabilities on the social media platform.
Speaking to Front Office Sports, David Herman, a senior partner manager for US sports at Twitter, said sports betting was a growing topic of conversation on the platform and that the San Francisco-based tech firm was exploring how to tap into the vertical.
Posts relating to NFL betting and daily fantasy sports are up 22% and 11% year-on-year for the first nine months of 2021, representing a growing active customer and fanbase in the US.
Herman drew parallels between the fast-paced nature of sports betting and Twitter and how new partnerships would make sense to develop.
He said: “We think Twitter is a platform that plays well into gambling-related conversations. We’re live. We’re real time. That’s what betting is. Betting and gambling have long been a core component of sports conversations on Twitter.
“Now things are legalised, more sports betting brands can be advertisers on Twitter than in the past and as leagues are partners with official betting operators, it’s getting more visibility and exposure on a daily basis,” he added.
Twitter does not currently have an official sports betting partner but when questioned on the matter, and the possibility of having the option to place wagers via a partner directly on the platform, Herman said Twitter was “evaluating” that prospect.
He said: “We are consistently looking for new ways to enhance the user experience and at some point as it relates to betting, that could be great.
“There are a lot of complicated components for us. There are only certain states where it’s legal so far, so we are still evaluating the space as a whole,” he added.
As things stand, there are 29 states plus Washington DC with live sports betting. Another three states – Maryland, Wisconsin and Nebraska – have passed sports betting legislation.