The Sacramento Kings are further embracing the future of sports betting in California with the launch of another new gaming app.
Barely a week after revealing an upgrade to Call the Shot—created by Xperiel with sponsorship from MGM Resorts—the Kings announced the creation of the Skyloft Predictive Gaming Lounge in their home venue, Golden 1 Center. There, iPads and other monitors will host a predictive gaming experience called BetRush and created by Swish Analytics.
Kings owner and chairman Vivek Ranadivé was set to discuss the team’s plans further at the league’s Tech Summit in Charlotte on Friday morning.
“Basketball fans across the country are clamoring for gaming options, and we’re thrilled to be the first NBA team to bring this unique experience to Sacramento,” Ranadivé said in a statement. “Predictive gaming is incredibly disruptive and will only continue to gain popularity in the NBA and beyond. Working with industry leaders like Swish Analytics allows us to test and perfect this technology to give fans the best experience in future seasons.”
BetRush will be available in the lounge for four Kings games from Mar. 17 through 23. Swish Analytics will provide betting-themed stats, odds, and visualizations. Among the predictions fans can make are for the number of points and rebounds players might pick up, or the team points scored in a certain quarter or the entire game.
Players receive free credits to start playing BetRush and can earn extra credits that can be redeemed for raffle tickets for prizes such as Kings tickets and autographed merchandise.
“We’re proud to bring this gaming technology to the NBA with a forward-thinking and creative organization like the Sacramento Kings,” said Swish Analytics co-founder Bobby Skoff in a news release. “Nobody is better than the Sacramento Kings at building best-in-class fan experiences utilizing technology. The popularity of predictive gaming shows no signs of slowing down and we look forward to continuing to build and iterate the BetRush platform in Sacramento.”
SportTechie Takeaway
As Sacramento Kings CTO Ryan Montoya told SportTechie earlier this month, referring to the seeming inevitability of legalized sports betting, “We know where this is going and we want to be prepared.” The Kings envision BetRush as a complement to Call the Shot, and another opportunity to provide a game that keeps fans more engaged now while also educating them on sports betting for the future.