Sony Files Patent on an Esports Betting Platform
Sony Files Esport Patent: Esports have become very prominent in the betting industry since COVID-19 swept the world, leaving in-person sports leagues on the sidelines. Sony, a worldwide video game leader, has been a proponent for Esports betting, and they are now entering the gambling market.
According to Vida Extra, Sony has filed a patent for an Esports betting platform. With the support of a respected company like Sony, this Esports wagering platform could be revolutionary in the industry.
Sony Entering Esports Betting
Esports betting and Sony have been connected in the past year. Earlier in 2021, Sony acquired the Evolution Championship Series, which is known to gamers as EVO. EVO is the largest and longest-running fighting game tournament in the world.
This acquisition made significant headway in the Esports industry, but Sony is continuing to make noise. The company patented its own Esports betting platform this week. The patent was filed by Michael Chow, a Machine Learning Engineer at PlayStation Research & Development.
His team is believed to be the innovators behind the Esports betting technology and platform. However, this is not proven. Vida Extra recovered the information about Chow from his LinkedIn profile.
Here is the abstract from the patent.
“Odds for various propositions concerning the play of a computer simulation are determined and presented to a viewer for pecuniary or non-pecuniary wagering purposes. The odds may be determined using past game analytics, or may be determined parimutuelly.”
This abstract has created a vast amount of excitement in the Esports betting industry. Sony would develop the first legal sports betting app that’s solely focused on Esports wagering. Since professional sports returned, Esports betting has been pushed aside on sportsbooks.
Sony would give bettors a place to solely focus on Esports, which would benefit bettors and the gaming industry.
Expectations for the Future Sony Platform
The patent has caused excitement, but the industry is wondering what the platform will provide for bettors. The abstract is the only evidence to make assumptions, but it’s a detailed paragraph, so we can make reasonable predictions.
The platform will give players odds to win a particular bet. This betting data will be driven from the past. Sony will have to enter this information in some way. This will most likely be done directly through technology in the gaming console. However, this could also be done manually depending on the markets that the company is offering on the platform.
Odds can also be determined parimutuelly, but this will require the platform to be operating. There is also a chance that in-play wagering is included in Sony’s app.
The part of the abstract that says, “non-pecuniary wagering purposes” gives a hint that live betting could be a focus of the software. Sportsbooks have done this for games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
If Sony emphasized live betting with realistic odds, they could revolutionize the industry. Many patents do not get certified, so do not get too excited about this gaming idea from Sony. Companies that have tried to emphasize wagering in Esports have been scrutinized. With Sony’s arrival into this market, the organization will undoubtedly receive backlash.
