Fans today care more about star athletes than the teams they play for. As a result, sports betting is evolving to keep up with this change. Platforms like 22Bet are adapting to this shift. Player-focused bets and micro markets now drive engagement, customization, and revenue.
“Sports have become centered around people,” says Karl Danzer, SVP of Odds Services at Sportradar. “It gives players more power, and that changes how people bet.”
Younger audiences and new tech are pushing sportsbooks to adapt. They’re putting money into micro-betting, bet builders, and same-game parlays. This helps them connect with a player-focused world.
Micro-markets and Personalisation
To keep pace, Sportradar is investing strategically in player-driven betting products.
“We design markets around individual players and their unique qualities,” Danzer explains. “It’s what attracts fans who follow their favorite athletes.”
Danzer views this as more than a product change. He views this shift as a major opportunity for sportsbooks to expand and grow.
“People are much easier to engage in sports betting when they already follow a favorite player,” he explains.
The SGP Surge
Tom Daniel, Huddle’s SVP of Trading, shares a similar perspective. He notes that US sports have clear structural features. This includes measurable events like pitches, plays, and possessions. These traits make it easy to focus on player betting.
“Our data clearly shows how dominant player props have become,” Daniel says. “Nearly three-quarters of SGP wagers now center on individual player stats and performances.”
“Take baseball, for instance. “Baseball analytics have been part of the culture since the 1970s,” Daniel points out. “Fans have always loved dissecting every detail of a player’s game.”
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) have been a major influence in shaping this trend.
“Many of today’s sports bettors have played DFS, so they know how to assess player performances,” Daniel says. “That experience naturally translates into wagering on real-time player metrics,” he adds.
A European Shift
Daniel also highlights the growing appetite for player-focused markets across Europe. He highlights football’s shift to focusing more on players.” “Players are now brands with huge social media followings and influence.”
Marc Thomas, managing director at Algosport, agrees. “Player props have grown fast in European football, especially in recent years,” he says.
He notes that the 2024 Euros and Copa America accelerated this movement. “Those tournaments were perfect showcases for in-play bet builders,” Thomas says. “We expect in-play bets to soon overtake pre-match as the main revenue driver.”
“At Algosport, we help users turn their insights about matches or players into bets. This lets them test their knowledge against the odds,” he adds.
Sports Betting Innovation at the Edge
Many operators are moving past standard prop bets. They’re now offering deeper and more dynamic experiences. Tomash Devenishek, CEO of Kero Sports, believes the future lies in AI-powered, context-driven betting. “Picture a player on a scoring streak. “Imagine a player on a hot streak,” Devenishek says. “The platform instantly offers a new market — ‘Player X has 14 points in four minutes. Will he hit 25 by halftime?’ That’s exactly the kind of real-time, contextual betting we’re building at Kero.”
He views this as the next natural step for sportsbooks. “It makes betting more personal, relevant, and effortless for the user,” Devenishek explains.
The Road Ahead
Danzer predicts player props will only continue to rise. “Parlays remain attractive to operators because of stronger margins,” he says. “That’s what makes player props so valuable.”
The future of sports betting may shift away from the final score. Instead, it could center on who scores, how they do it, and when it happens. This change is driven by technology, personalization, and fan behavior.