The world her father attributes to Ms. Coates for creating is reflected in a television commercial for bet365 that ran ahead of the Stoke-Watford game. It featured pitchman-turned actor Ray Winstone, in the back of a luxury limousine, wearing a dark suit, idling in traffic, exuding ease and control.
“At bet365 we are always innovative and creative,” he said with a Cockney accent, staring into the camera. Cell phone in hand, apparently ready to place some wagers, he flipped through a list of these additions, including something known as “in-play betting.”
With in-play betting, customers can bet on little things during a sporting event that have little impact on the outcome. How many corners will there be in the first half of a football game? How many players will be kicked out? What happens first in a 10-minute step – a throw-in, a free kick, a goal kick, something else? When those minutes expire, the site continues to the next 10.
“It’s very much like going to a casino,” said Jake Thomas, a former gambling industry manager who telephoned a reporter through the website during the Stoke-Watford game. “Why wait 90 minutes to find out if your team will win? Why not place some buzz bets on the next corner? “
As Mr. Thomas spoke and the minutes passed, the odds of dozens of bets were constantly recalculated. A bet that Stoke would score in the first 30 minutes paid 9 to 1 in just over 25 minutes after the game started. A moment later, when that outcome seemed a little less likely, the same bet paid 19 to 2.
The company has announced that it will take action on 100,000 events during the year, sports and races around the world – greyhounds in New Zealand, table tennis for women in Ukraine, golf in Dubai. There’s even a section on politics. (George Clooney is currently 100-1 to win the American presidency in 2024.)
If no live events appeal, virtual events beckon. These are video-generated simulations of tennis games. Football, soccer, basketball and cricket games; and on and on. One afternoon there were bike races every three minutes in a virtual velodrome, each lasting about a minute.
