If you like to place live bets during NFL and NCAA football games, you know that sometimes, you have to wait for the odds to be reset.
But a new study found that DraftKings and FanDuel have the shortest suspension times during NFL games, but there’s still some room for improvement when it comes to college football.
What is Suspension in Sports Betting?
Suspension is when a sportsbook periodically shuts down betting lines in a sporting event to readjust the odds based on activity within the event. Uptime is the amount of time they accept live wagers during the game.
What Did The Bettormetrics Study Find?
Researchers at the sports odds intelligence firm Bettormetrics wanted to know which sports betting operators had the shortest suspension rates. So, they did a one-week comparison of suspension times between top operators during week eight of the college football season and week nine of the NFL games.
Bettormetrics’ analysis found that DraftKings and FanDuel were suspended for the least and second least amount of time during NFL games, respectively. The two operators flipped regarding college football, with FanDuel leading the operators analyzed.
The results revealed that DraftKings experienced the shortest suspension time during NFL games, followed by FanDuel.
Caesars, BetMGM, bet365, BetRivers, and Fanatics round out the top 7.
It’s not entirely surprising, given that DraftKings led among the top operators with a 96.1% uptime last season.
FanDuel Has Best NCAA Football Suspension Time
But the college football findings tell a different story. Those results show FanDuel had the lowest suspension time among the operators analyzed, switching places with DraftKings.
However, a closer look at the numbers reveals that although DraftKings came in second overall, it experienced the largest decline during college games compared to its NFL suspension times. Hard Rock recorded the smallest drop in performance.
But none of the operators fared exceptionally well. On average, operators' suspension times were 8.7% worse during college games.
Suspension Times Cost Sports Betting Operators Money
Operators are paying close attention to suspension times because they cost bettors opportunities to wager, which in turn leads to potential losses for the operators.
Last year, Bettormetrics conducted a similar study that revealed that the leading four US sportsbooks potentially lost nearly $161 million in revenue during the 2023 NFL season due to extended suspension times and suboptimal pricing strategies.
On average, BetMGM and bet365 experienced 5-10% more in-game betting suspensions per game than the market leaders (according to last year’s study).
But if the 2024 American Gaming Association's estimated $35 billion in legal betting for the current NFL season is accurate, the top four out of five sportsbooks could face suspension losses exceeding $220 million.
DraftKings Makes Move to Decrease Suspension Times
In August, DraftKings announced plans to merge with Simplebet Inc., so that it could integrate the company's machine-learning models into its platform. The goal was to allow for more precise betting options at every game moment. They wanted a faster and more frictionless experience for the Company’s customers. It appears to be working.
“The NFL is clearly the American bettor’s favorite competition so it is only a matter of time before sportsbooks shift their focus to its younger sibling, college football, seeking improvements in suspension, uptime and overall trading performance,” Sabin Brooks, Bettormetrics’ Chief Revenue Officer said in a statement. “Those who master suspension in college games will ultimately come out on top,” he added.
According to Bettormetrics CEO Robert Urwin, live betting represents an area for potential growth for online sports. Because there are significantly more college games each weekend, operators will continue to lose out on potential revenue unless suspension times are addressed.
It shows that, despite its significant growth in a relatively short time, sports betting operators and casino owners still have some things to figure out.
