SmartRadio To Allow Drivers To Place Bets In-Car

As sports wagering grows, Connected Travel, Radioline and Simplebet have collaborated to launch SmartRadio, a technology which allows sports fans to safely place bets by voice activation when driving, reports Forbes.

For example, drivers and passengers can bet during a live baseball game on every at bat and pitch. In addition, the interactivity allows for users to engage with other fans, earn points and win prizes from game sponsors.

SmartRadio uses Google’s Android Automotive System, the app is available in over 100 million vehicles including; General Motors, Ford, Stellantis Honda, Nissan and Volvo.

A recent study from Edison Research found there are 282 million licensed drivers in the country spending an average of 55 minutes each day driving. Drive time accounts for more than 70% of the total broadcast radio listening time. Buzz Knight, Founder Buzz Knight Media notes, “As drivetime continues to be a crucial beach- head for the radio industry, SmartRadio is an important innovation to maximize audience engagement and create new revenue opportunities.”

The potential of in-vehicle voice interactivity also allows for greater socialization via gamifying and shopping for advertised products. In a statement, Bryan Biniak, CEO of Connected Travel said, “The integration of emerging technologies like voice, payments and ecommerce in vehicles, unlocks drive time empowering drivers to instantly and safely interact with audio programming. Drivers can play with and buy what they hear and engage at the moments they are most inspired. Making radio transactable will inspire a new generation of innovative in-vehicle infotainment and measurably opens the $40 billion global broadcast radio marketplace for growth.”

At present, SmartRadio and in-vehicle sports wagering is in consumer testing and expected to become more widespread this fall.

The introduction of SmartRadio comes as legalized sports wagering shows no signs of slowing down. Last week the NCAA announced that college conferences and individual schools will be allowed to provide statistics and other data points to sports wagering companies, provided it is also available to the general public.