UK sportsbook joins the US mobile sports betting market with Colorado launch

The SBK sportsbook app, powered by Smarkets betting exchange, launched in Colorado on Thursday after partnering with casino operator Full House Resorts last year, making its first entrance into the United States.

The mobile sportsbook says it provides customers with market-leading odds from the Smarkets exchange and possesses an intuitive interface that includes a social network for the community of users.

“10 years after the Smarkets exchange went live in the UK, this is another massive landmark for us as a business,” Smarkets founder and CEO Jason Trost said in a release. “It is our mission to upend this old-fashioned industry, so I’m excited for Americans to enjoy some of the best odds in the world, as well as the carefully crafted customer experience we provide compared to the big sportsbooks.”

Smarkets initially struck its deal with Full House before sports betting was legalized in the state. The company, which is headquartered in London, launched in the UK in 2019. After making itself available in Colorado, Smarkets plans to enter the Indiana sports betting market as part of its deal with Full House, and it’s currently seeking to enter that state in the “near future,” as reported by The Action Network.

The soft launch in Colorado is intended to garner feedback from users before making a larger push in the future. “As an American myself, I’m thrilled to bring our world-leading technology to Indiana and Colorado, as well as more states across the country,” Trost said in a previous release. “I truly believe that an agile company like ours can make a huge impact against some of the bigger players thanks to our superior technology and focus on providing the best prices.”

Outside of the US, Smarkets is also set to institute its betting exchange in Sweden after receiving approval from the country’s national regulator.