Texas sports betting isn’t legal, but that hasn’t stopped Texas-based sports betting companies from continuing to add new offerings to customers outside their home state.
That is what Dallas-based SB22 is doing with its new Lucky22 sports wagering kiosk introduced on Sept. 14. SB22 is calling it a “first of its kind wager placement streamlining system.”
SB22 says the goal of the new Lucky22 system is “casino-fying” the retail and online sports betting experience.
Details of the new Lucky22 gaming kiosk offered by SB22
Even though polls show most Texans are in favor of Texas sports betting, efforts at the statehouse to legalize betting on sports continue to fall short. The next chance is in 2025.
This new method of sports wagering is completely housed within the Lucky22 sports wagering kiosk. It does not rely on any legacy technology and is fully immersive, according to the company. It requires no overhead outside of the kiosk itself.
The reason this new system was created was because SB22 felt that sports wagering was not nearly as accessible to those without experience. The overwhelming number of sportsbooks, bet types and different markets makes the learning curve steep for beginners to sports betting.
The Lucky22 kiosk makes the experience available to bettors of all types of experience, said Pavle Milosevic, vice president of technology for SB22.
“Sports wagering has today evolved to the point where a player has dozens of sports, hundreds of games and thousands of markets under their fingertips. We recognized navigating this sea of options to make a selection may not be everyone’s cup of tea. For the first time, we are offering a system which can be used by every type of sport bettors: from novice players learning how to place their first bets, to experienced veterans of the game looking for new offers and wagers.”
To achieve their goal, they needed a clear picture in their mind of what this new system would look like. The answer they landed on was a slot machine-feel to the Lucky22 sports wagering kiosk. Milosevic wanted the process to be as easy as just hitting a single button.
“Finally, placing a sports bet is as simple as sitting down at a slot machine and pressing a button. Until the sports betting experience is made fun and accessible to all players, it will continue to be a marginalized part of the larger gaming industry.”
SB22 is not done looking into new ways to immerse its players into its offerings. It recently partnered with San Francisco-based PICO to develop new offerings using PICO’s virtual reality devices.
Marko Savkovic, chief technology officer of SB22, spoke of his excitement at adding new interactive experiences through virtual reality technology to its offerings.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with PICO to create the next generation of VR entertainment experiences. By combining our expertise in interactive sports entertainment with PICO’s industry-leading technology, we’re poised to deliver unprecedented VR experiences that will captivate users like never before.”
SB22 brought in former FanDuel executive to help
In order to branch out into the sports wagering marketplace, SB22 turned to former FanDuel Sportsbook executive Keith Wall, who was the vice president of sports betting commercial at FanDuel. With over 15 years of experience, Wall was brought in to fill the position of strategic advisor.
Chief executive officer of SB22 Asher Thompson pointed to Wall’s relationships in the industry and his experience as key factors in bringing him into the fold.
“As SB22 continues to roll out its sports betting platform and related offerings, Keith’s experience, key relationships, and strategic insight will be instrumental in helping us reach our goals. Also of critical importance, given our emphasis on culture and integrity, is the fact that Keith is a person of utmost character and sterling reputation. We are fortunate to have him.”
For Wall, he is excited about getting involved with a company like SB22 and working out how to push the company forward.
“Despite being a relative newcomer, SB22 has already established itself as one of the most innovative sports betting companies anywhere, with multiple industry-first solutions. I’m really looking forward to being a part of such a seasoned group of talented people who are clearly taking SB22 to major player status in this dynamic industry.”
