Tipico Sportsbook ‘Fair Play Pledge’ Hopes to Change Sports Betting

Posted on: February 27, 2024, 06:13h. 

Last updated on: February 28, 2024, 11:42h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Tipico Sportsbook hopes to revolutionize the U.S. sports betting industry with the rollout of its “Fair Play Pledge,” a “holistic” program geared toward educating, rewarding, and protecting bettors.

Tipico Sportsbook Fair Play Pledge
The Tipico Sportsbook has been updated with the company’s “Fair Play Pledge.” The initiative seeks to present bettors with a more straightforward sports betting product. (Image: Tipico)

Malta-based Tipico entered the U.S. online gaming landscape amid the pandemic in 2020. The company says its Fair Play Pledge will modernize online sports betting to better establish trust with customers.

The sportsbook industry is criticized for misleading users with vague language and a lack of protective safeguards,” said Adrian Vella, Tipico US CEO. “The Fair Play Pledge is much more than just an app upgrade or generic customer service commitment. It is a repositioning of our business, reimagining the relationship with players by putting safety and clarity at the heart of everything that we do.”

The Tipico Sportsbook is licensed in New Jersey, Ohio, Iowa, and Colorado. Tipico also runs an online casino in New Jersey. Its Fair Play Pledge went live on Monday, February 26.

Responsible Play at the Forefront

Tipico’s release announcing the Fair Play Pledge says responsible gaming, through education, is a pillar of the initiative.

The Tipico Sportsbook now has integrated information on the app. It hopes that makes it clearer to bettors what they’re betting on and the wager’s associated risk through easy-to-understand odds. Responsible gaming tools like cool-off periods, betting limits, and educational resources are accessible via the app and online sportsbook.

Customer support is available 24/7 with real people, not robots or AI, fielding the questions in real-time.

Tipico Sportsbook has additionally simplified its rewards program. Straight bets, regardless of whether they win or lose, now receive 3% cash back. The reward increases to 5% cash back on parlay bets.

A Tipico spokesperson told Casino.org that the goal of the Fair Play Pledge is to “make safety and clarity as unified as burgers and fries.”

Industry Standard

Tipico Sportsbook’s campaign to deliver bettors a more transparent product is noteworthy and will likely be embraced by responsible gaming advocates.

The sports betting industry has faced plenty of scrutiny from the public and those against such gambling ever since its rapid expansion began in 2018. The incessant sports betting ads — seen since the Supreme Court gave states the right to set their laws on sports gambling — followed the onslaught of similar commercials run by DraftKings and FanDuel during their daily fantasy sports days.

Just this past weekend, Saturday Night Live spoofed the sportsbook market with a parody commercial for a fictional sportsbook called Rock Bottom Kings, an obvious play on DraftKings. In the sketch, SNL cast members bet on when their friends will hit rock bottom from gambling on sports.

The many sportsbook ads in recent years have often promised free bets, little or no-risk bets, and an assortment of free money that seemingly makes it easy to win. State regulators have since cracked down on some of that language. But Tipico seeks to provide a more straightforward sportsbook offering without regulatory mandates.

“The Fair Play Pledge is Tipico’s promise to put the customer first with its clear communication and accessibility of odds, rewards, and safety resources so that they fully understand what they’re betting on,” the company statement explained.

In a market dominated by DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, Tipico’s commitment to fair play and heightened transparency could be a winning bet in gaining some of that market share.