Before joining PointsBet last fall, Kyle Christensen broadened his resume through stints with some of the most prominent companies in Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Christensen, who serves as the U.S. chief marketing officer at PointsBet, spearheaded Facebook’s first brand marketing initiative in his previous role as the company’s head of consumer marketing. At FOX Sports, Christensen handled numerous duties as a producer for high-profile events, including writing scripts for on-air talent at the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Christensen also spent more than 30 months at Netflix, where he oversaw marketing efforts for Narcos and the Marvel Universe series.
“I’ve been in some amazing places with some amazing products,” Christensen told Sports Handle. “PointsBet really stands up to the industry leaders in different capacities. I’m lucky enough to be a part of each one of those journeys. This is no different.”
PointsBet rolled out several new in-game betting products this week in time for Thursday’s Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. The new offerings through PointsBet’s “OddsFactory” proprietary technology include lightning bets that allow customers to wager on which team will score the next point, along with next-minute and next-four-minute markets. PointsBet is also launching expanded offerings for live, same-game parlays.
I’ve watched this 100 times so far todaypic.twitter.com/QLHXUVI6TW
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) March 15, 2022
“PointsBet has become the home of live betting, and there is no other sportsbook that can approach the number of live, in-game betting markets we are offering,” Christensen asserted.
Reduced delays
The rollout comes on the heels of PointsBet’s zero-latency trial in January’s AFC wild card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders. Powered by quant-driven trading models from Banach Technology, PointsBet’s proprietary technology facilitated in-game betting for moneyline and spread markets with zero suspensions. The test run went “extremely well,” Christensen told Sports Handle, while adding that PointsBet anticipates ramping up in-game betting with fewer delays for the 2022 NFL regular season.
As in-game betting proliferates, few things are more vexing for hardened bettors than the dreaded “spinny wheel” that can oscillate for minutes before a bet is accepted. To be clear, numerous sportsbooks beyond PointsBet have been accused by bettors on social media of using the wheel to their advantage before taking an in-game wager. Prior to bet acceptance, a customer may be limited in the size of their wager and may receive less favorable odds from their initial bet, as US Bets noted in a feature last month.
While Christensen did not comment on the spinny wheel specifically, he did give the Banach team a pat on the back for advancing the in-play technology during the NFL playoffs trial. As it relates to March Madness, PointsBet will offer 50-plus markets on college basketball for the tournament. Christensen likened the March Madness offerings to his work with Narcos in delivering unique content that is not available elsewhere.
Notable bets
Ahead of the first full day of the NCAA Tournament, PointsBet accepted a bevy of notable bets. Former Duke center Carlos Boozer partnered with the sportsbook operator to place a futures bet on the Blue Devils to win the national championship. Boozer, a two-time NBA All Star, wagered $50,000 on Duke to capture the title at odds of 12/1.
Other notable NCAA Tournament wagers at PointsBet:
- Duke, outright winner, $30,000 (+900)
- Baylor, outright winner, $3,315 (+1500)
- Gonzaga, outright winner, $6,600 (+350)
- Kentucky, outright winner, $3,029 (+800)
- Villanova, outright winner, $800 (+2000)
- Purdue, to reach the Final Four, $2,500 (+225)
- Auburn, to reach the Final Four, $2,000 (+175)
Pursuant to local betting guidelines, not all of the in-game features will be available in every state, PointsBet said. There are limitations on lightning bets in New York, along with restrictions on betting on Illinois colleges while a customer is located in the state. PointsBet’s OddFactory technology will also be limited in Virginia and will not be available in Iowa, the company said.
