Sports Betting App Expands to Politics After Covid Disruptions
- BallStreet also offers markets in e-sports in pandemic era
- Many new games target casual fans with betting alternatives
An election official sits in a chair while waiting for voters to arrive at a polling station in Miami, on March 17.
Photographer: Jayme Gershen/BloombergBallStreet, an app that aims to make wagering on sports feel like day trading, is turning to politics and competitive video games after the global pandemic led to the cancellation of many of the athletic contests that made up its main business. The startup’s experiences illustrate several larger trends in the rapidly evolving world of smartphone-based sports gambling.
Former financial trader Scott San Emeterio came up with the idea for BallStreet as a way to bring the rush of trading to a recreational activity. “We want to be that bridge between finance and sports,” he said. The app has attracted a modest 16,000 people, but users spend about 45 minutes a session, suggesting they like it.