Altenar Analyses the Trends Transforming the US Sportsbook Market

From Core Markets to Same-Game Parlays

The US sportsbook market has evolved beyond the traditional spreads, totals and parlays that once defined the American betting experience.

Against this backdrop, Giannis Papakonstantinou, Altenar’s Sportsbook Product Director examines the key trends that are transforming sportsbook development in the US and explains how changing player expectations are influencing product priorities.

According to Papakonstantinou, a few years ago, a sportsbook could be considered competitive if it offered the main US betting markets, such as spreads and totals, together with a presentation adapted to local expectations. More advanced platforms also offered features such as parlays and teasers.

However, the landscape has changed. Player props and same-game parlays have become central components of the US betting experience.

“Some of the most important additions relate to the addition of the player special markets and the same game parlay functionality.”

The executive also highlights the growing importance of micro-betting, which allows users to place live bets on events that are about to happen during a game.

“We can add to this the micro-betting markets which allow players to place live bets on what's going to happen next.”

Local Content and Different Betting Patterns

Altenar identifies three key differences when developing a sportsbook for the US compared with other regulated markets: local content, content presentation and betting patterns.

US bettors focus heavily on competitions such as the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL, as well as local college leagues and markets.

“US bettors focus on specific competitions like NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL and of course local college leagues and markets.”

The second factor concerns the way content is presented. While a traditional European sportsbook may display a large list of events, US platforms tend to prioritise the content that is most relevant to their customers.

In this model, US sports and player special markets are given prominent positions within the sportsbook interface.

The third element relates to betting patterns. Papakonstantinou points to differences between European and US bettors.

“European bettors, they prefer to place bets on the winner markets [...] and create accumulator bet slips, while the focus of the US bettors strictly relates to same game parlays.”

Why Player Props Resonate with US Bettors

Player props continue to play a major role in the US market and, according to Papakonstantinou, the trend is also gaining traction in other jurisdictions.

The Altenar executive links this development to generational changes in the way sports fans connect with athletes and teams.

“The young generation doesn't have strong connections with clubs and teams. They connect though with specific individuals such as athletes.”

According to his analysis, this connection with individual athletes is also reflected in betting behaviour and helps explain the popularity of player-specific markets in the US.

Personalised Content and More Interactive Experiences

Beyond player props and same-game parlays, Papakonstantinou identifies several other trends that are becoming increasingly important for sportsbook development.

One of them is personalised content based on individual betting patterns. This approach seeks to bring into sportsbooks a recommendation model that consumers are already familiar with from other digital platforms.

“One of them, and probably the most important one, is the personalized content, based on user-bending patterns.”

The aim is to provide content and betting markets that are more closely aligned with each bettor’s interests and behaviour.

Another emerging element is the social aspect of betting. Platforms can incorporate tools that allow users to interact with each other, share selections, follow friends or influencers and participate in a more community-driven experience.

“Then it's the social community aspect, which allows players to chat within the platform, copy-paste from friends, or follow influencers.”

Gamification and Loyalty

Gamification and loyalty programmes are also among the trends highlighted by Altenar’s Product Director.

These tools are designed to increase engagement and can support player acquisition and retention strategies.

“The gamification and loyalty programs [...] are more engaging and help with acquisition and retention of the players.”

As a result, the evolution of the US sportsbook market is not limited to the introduction of new betting markets. It also involves changing how content is presented, personalised and shared with users, as sportsbooks seek to respond to increasingly interactive and individualised betting behaviours.

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