UK sports betting operators are always pushing the envelope when it comes to finding new ways to wager on existing sporting matches. That sentiment could definitely be used to compliment the marketing acumen of UK operators. Unfortunately, it’s also being used to help deride a bold new betting category that’s been mocked and criticized by both punters and politicians alike. The name of that most maligned new wager is Commentator Bingo.
Commentator Bingo was a new sports betting category offered by Sky Bet that allowed punters to wager on whether commentators on a Manchester United vs Liverpool match would utter certain phrases. While it seems innocent enough to the layman, critics pile derided the new category on Twitter, which isn’t so much of a problem, really. Unfortunately, Commentator Bingo also caught the attention of some powerful British politicians who were not very impressed with it.
In a statement reported on by SBC News, Labour MP Carolyn Harris, chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group deried Commentator Bingo as sports betting saying, “Where are the limits? What are the boundaries on what these companies are going to take a bet on? I am aghast that they try to find a betting opportunity in every minute of the day.”
This is a classic example of how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. For their efforts in pusing the frontier of sports betting, Sky Bet’s marketing team may have actually nudged politicians into seriously considering new regulations on novelty markets. For the record, Commentator Bingo is not such a terrible idea.