The next generation consoles, Xbox One and PS4, have both been brilliant. We can now watch TV and play games at the same time, browse the web, speak to it, and now even revel in the fact that in computer games the computer controlled players have artificial intelligence. This makes them even more realistic and all the more challenging.
But one thing that was amiss from the total experience was the inability to gamble via them. Here in the UK gambling is legal so it shouldn’t be too problematic to have allowed for it.
It would have been good for numerous reasons. As aforementioned, the ability to do two things at once would have made using next-gen consoles an extremely popular way to gamble. As with the phone, it means you do not have to break off from something.
Betting apps on mobile, such as Unibet, offer up to 10,000 live action sports event each year (unibetmobile.co.uk). Surely if they were on a console they would have been able to do something of the same – which in effect turns your console into a sports packed platform, allowing for hours of home viewing and bettering your overall experience tenfold.
In the modern age a significant proportion of the people who own a next-generation console are the same people who like to have a bet on their smartphone. So, as a business move it seems a little stupid. Both Xbox and PS4 could have made some decent money due to there being an obvious demand for a betting service on their consoles.
To conclude, it is a shame that there is no betting on these next-generation consoles. For those who use their console to watch Sky Sports could you imagine how good it would be to have 50/50 with your in-play betting? Being able to do both simultaneously would have been amazing!