NBA to Introduce New Virtual Betting: “NBA Last 90”

• New virtual betting contest ushered in by the NBA
• The competitions will use actual NBA footage to generate possible outcomes
• NBA cannot expand but continues to diversify

The NBA will introduce a new simulated virtual race for sports fans to bet on. The solution is developed with the help of the NBPA and Highlight Games.

A New Virtual NBA Game Reveals New Betting Opportunities

North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have joined hands together with Highlight Games to develop a virtual competition that can be bet on, inspired by the the national league.

The Associations are pushing for an imminent large-scale launch in both the United States and Europe. The game, dubbed “NBA Last 90”, will be all up and ready for the 2019/2020 NBA season, and fans will be invited to wager on various possible outcomes, including:

• Match winner
• First player to score
• Most points per player & more

The name of the game has to do with the main concept of this new product. A simulated match will be played between two virtual NBA teams. All betting contests would take place in the last 90 seconds of the simulated match game.

“THE nba CANNOT EXPAND, BUT IT CAN dIVERSIFY”

Simulated Games in NBA Last 90 – How Does It Work?

While the NBA has the data, Highlight Games will have to work their magic to make things stick. NBA highlights and footage would be pulled off by the game to produce “millions of possible outcomes” for players to bet on.

This is an interesting approach and an expansion attempt at a time when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said that expanding the traditional NBA will be impossible at the moment.

NBA Last 90 won’t be restricted to any particular platform, and players who are willing to try their luck would be able to wager via desktop computers, smartphones and even in-person. Here is what NBA Boss for Fantasy and Gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross had to say:

“Virtual sports betting is incredibly popular in regions around the world and we’re looking forward to giving fans another innovative way to engage with the NBA. With NBA Last 90, Highlight Games has created a new spin on virtual sports basketball and delivered an authentic gaming experience utilizing real NBA content.”

The NBA has been trying to position itself better in the newly revealed landscape for sports betting in the United States. After failing to negotiate integrity fees with sportsbooks, the NBA has tried to sell data and odds, but this has again been met with skepticism.

Sportsbooks have argued that they have been crunching their own numbers for decades and would not need to pay to an external supplier to do any of that.

Meanwhile, Highlight Games Chief Executive, Tim Green, communicated the developer’s ambitions to be part of the quickly-expanding sports betting climate. It is the highlights, Mr. Green believes, that will set NBA Last 90 from any other type of virtual competition that is available out there.

The NBA has been actively trying to diversify its revenue streams. One of those verticals associated with success has been esports in which the NBA has been involved since 2017.