Poll: Do operators need more in-play protection?

Punters courtsiding or using technology to get the better of delays in market suspensions or price movements has long been an issue for the online betting industry, with operators continually battling against those looking to capitalise on any latency issues.

While the industry has done much to reduce this risk though improved technology, quicker pictures and in-play time delays, money is still being lost each year to fastest finger first customers able to beat operators to the punch.

This can also be a problem on exchange platforms with fastest finger customers mopping up prices put up by genuine punters who are unknowing at a time disadvantage.

This week Great Britain’s Gambling Commission released a report in which it said it would not be implementing any new regulatory measures around in-play, such as banning the use of bots, with operators deemed to already have sufficient tools at their disposal to defend themselves from such activity.

The regulator also concluded that courtsiding was not an offence, although it is often prohibited on a tournament by tournament basis depending on the organiser – tennis is one sport on which it has taken a tough stance on courtsiding.

With this in mind, this week’s poll asks whether you feel regulation is needed to help with this issue, or if the Gambling Commission was right to put the onus on operators in the form of in-play time delays. Have you say on the right-hand side of the page.