Q&A: How Betr plans to change the sports betting market

by David Purdum, ESPN Chalk

Joey Levy, the co-founder of micro-betting app Betr, doesn’t believe the legal sports betting market that’s taking shape in the U.S. is sustainable.

Levy believes today’s bookmakers are tailoring their products for experienced bettors and not the mass-market consumer. He says the long-term success of the betting market hinges on providing entertainment value.

“This isn’t going to work over time if we’re just trying to extract as much money from people as possible when they’re betting on sports,” says Levy, who co-founded Betr with celebrity boxer and social media influencer Jake Paul.

Betr focuses on wagering on small in-game events like the result of the next pitch in baseball, a free-throw attempt in basketball or the next play or drive in football. The company has partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio and is planning to launch Jan. 1, the targeted opening day of the state’s betting market.

Levy made news last week at G2E, a prominent gaming conference in Las Vegas, by announcing that Betr would prohibit the use of credit cards for deposits and would impose deposit limits on customers ages 21-25.

He visited with ESPN recently to discuss his vision of the future of sports betting in the U.S. and how Betr will look to differentiate itself. The interview was conducted last week over the phone, and has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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