Hot Choice

What is Hot Choice?

Strip away the language of contracts, order books and event trading and Bernard Marantelli has a blunt description of what is happening inside US sports prediction markets. “Kalshi is a sportsbook that’s just not allowed to have an in-house risk team,” says the founder of White Swan Data, one of the specialist firms now making markets on prediction exchanges.

The difference is all about the risk function. A sportsbook employs traders to price bets and manage its exposure. An exchange provides an API through which firms compete to quote prices and supply liquidity.

“Here’s an API. Bernard and 88 other people can market-make all these request-for-quotes (RFQs),” Marantelli says. “Some people might come in and just do esports because they’re esports experts. Others do everything. Some focus on same-game parlays. But it’s a sportsbook.”

How to play Hot Choice

According to Nally, approximately 70% of online gambling in Alberta occurred through unregulated operators prior to the July 13 launch, with the remaining 30% flowing through Play Alberta, the province’s sole legal platform at the time.

As of Sept. 17, 31 licensed iGaming operators are officially live and accepting wagers across the province.

Oxibet is not among the licensed entities. Furthermore, Alberta’s regulatory standards strictly prohibit active commercial athletes like Davies from appearing in gambling advertisements, with narrow exceptions reserved exclusively for responsible gambling public service announcements.

What is Hot Choice?

Sportsbook operators have an inherent advantage over prediction markets in that the former can offer significantly larger sign-up and retention bonuses and gaming companies are leaning into those expenditures this football season.

Promotional spending is nice and has proven to be an effective customer acquisition tool, but both sportsbooks and prediction markets would do well to emphasize bespoke experiences for clients because they’re looking for customization.

“Twelve percent of respondents have switched platforms because another offered personalization aligned with their interests, while 9% said recommendations based on their interests would make them more likely to try a prediction market,” concludes Fullstory.