How extra time just became sports betting's new battleground

Historically, extra time might just have been the worst time to place a football bet.

Once a match went to extra time, all pre-match and in-play bet builders were cut and settled. Bettors needed to start again if they wanted skin in the game.

Ninety minutes only.

But note our use of past tense, as bet365 has just moved the goalposts.

Indeed, the operator extended individual bet builder markets into extra time during last week's Coppa Italia and FA Cup finals.

Speaking to Global Gaming Insider, bet365 PR Operations Manager Jon Riley confirmed it is a feature the operator will roll out during the World Cup, too: “Football’s biggest moments often happen beyond 90 minutes, especially in knockout football, and we want our customers to be able to enjoy every second of the action.

“Reflecting our commitment to product innovation and delivering a premium betting experience for our new and existing customers, we’re delighted to announce that selected player markets will now also apply during Extra Time on eligible matches, including the UEFA Champions League Final, the EFL Play-Offs and the FIFA World Cup.

“Customers can now back a wide range of player selections – including goalscorers, assists, shots on target, bookings and more, with their bets remaining live into Extra Time where applicable.”

How extra time was traditionally traded

Compared to the rich variety of markets available in 'normal' time, extra time has over the years proved a frustrating experience for sports bettors. AI modelling is increasing trading speed all the time, yet creating whole new markets quick enough to give bettors the requisite amount of choice remains a challenge.

Even the betting experience during a penalty shootout is superior, when players can bet kick by kick on who scores, who misses – and how.

Extra time, however, has remained a skeleton experience. Some in-play specials are offered, some markets are still live. The opportunities to grab a player's attention are minimal.

The Extra Time markets in action on bet365's sportsbook, as well as examples of its "Last 5" data, where bettors can see how players performed in goal, foul, card, shot and tackle markets in their last 5 games

Why including extra time is sustainability in action

But including extra time in bet builder markets solves this problem quite comprehensively. Much like the 'super sub' feature, which keeps a specific bet alive even if a player is substituted, players now know their bet builders will last longer.

An immediate counterargument? Extending into extra-time eligibility may reduce the volume of new bets placed at full-time.

But, strategically, that is worth sacrificing. In that scenario, bettors – especially casual ones during the World Cup – are going to come away with a far inferior experience.

They may have lost their bet, rushed to placed a new one at full-time (with the limited offering we just discussed) and lost that one too. Plus, what if their original bet would have then gone on to win in extra time?

The experience is much less likely to bring them back to the sportsbook – whereas a bet builder that extends into extra time may even make a player comfortable enough to stake more or place a greater number of pre-match bet builders.

Really, this is everything our industry needs to be doing: winning players by giving them a better experience. It'll be paid back in kind by greater player stickiness and higher market share.

What this means for the World Cup

The shift from results betting to bet builder markets has been a notable one in recent years, emphasising the entertainment factor and the need to keep players engaged for the whole 90 minutes (and now potentially beyond).

Underpinning that trend this whole time, though, is the fact that more player choice does not leave the sportsbook less profitable. We've always said it's a win-win: the player has more markets to choose from but, with the correct pricing and risk management, a better experience does not mean a guaranteed player win.

Because, whatever the Austrian Supreme Court might say, there is still the element of chance in sports.

This is the wider industry play ahead of this World Cup: giving the bettor more to get them on your app or website in the first place.

Global Gaming Insider recently looked into the perfect bet builder product and features like this, including a wide breadth of markets, availability of data and profit-boosting promotions, will give operators a leg up during an extremely competitive period.

Of course, bet365 is not alone. The World Cup has prompted industry-wide innovation, while other brands have their own features that stand out.

Virgin Bet's Kambi-powered sportsbook offers users the option to bet on whether the woodwork (post or bar) will be hit. Flutter Entertainment offers 'foul involvements,' for example on Sky Bet (combining how many times a player will foul or be fouled).

Meanwhile, Betby has been innovating with fixed-odds prediction markets, which is an area Data.Bet has also upgraded in this summer.

While sports themselves are not changing, the sports betting product requires subtle tweaks over time – especially in a World Cup year. Unlike busy domestic weekends full of Premier League, La Liga and Serie A action, all the focus during games will be on one single match (a stress test for systems).

How the quality of a bet builder offering is the crucial differentiator

All this means that, while prediction competitions, quizzes, free-to-play games and sports-themed casino content are viable retention strategies in between matches, the biggest traffic spikes will occur in the lead-up to and during games.

So, while bet365 was not the first operator to offer a 'super sub' feature, nor was it the first to offer a 'fouls won' market, it did ultimately incorporate both to bolster an already resounding bet builder offering.

With its new extra time feature, bet365 has set its World Cup stall out early. It boosts engagement, solves practical problems and is scalable too: this is easily something that can be added to other sports, particularly 'overtime' in the US.

But how will others respond?

During the 2022 World Cup, five matches went to extra time – but no one knew that going into each game. It is a theoretical possibility in every knockout game. And that's exactly why sports bettors will choose a bet builder with extra time over a bet builder without it.

Extra time, therefore, may just have become sports betting's new battleground.