27th August, 2026: BETBY, the leading Tier 1 sportsbook provider, has launched User Chat, a social betting feature that allows players to communicate and interact with one another directly within individual sportsbook event pages.
Designed to make the live betting experience more social and engaging, User Chat enables players following the same sporting event to exchange messages, reactions, pictures and stickers in real time while browsing markets, watching the live stream or placing bets, bringing the conversation around sports directly into the sportsbook.
The feature responds to growing operator demand for more interactive sportsbook experiences that extend beyond the transactional act of placing a bet. By introducing a dedicated social layer around individual events, BETBY gives players more reasons to remain within the sportsbook throughout the action, supporting longer sessions, stronger retention and a greater sense of community around live sports.
User Chat also brings the sportsbook experience closer to the digital entertainment platforms shaping modern content consumption. Across video, streaming and social platforms, users increasingly expect to watch, react and communicate at the same time. By introducing these behaviours directly into the event page, BETBY allows players to follow the action, interact with others and place bets within one continuous experience, without moving to external messaging or social platforms.
The feature incorporates familiar social mechanics including reactions, replies, threaded conversations, stickers and image sharing, while automatic translation helps users communicate across languages. Together, these tools make the experience intuitive and accessible, while adding another layer of entertainment around live sporting events.
For operators, this creates an additional engagement channel around the moments when player attention is highest. Conversation can continue between betting sessions and throughout quieter periods of an event, helping extend session duration, support retention and keep more of the engagement generated by live sport within the sportsbook itself.
Operators can also participate directly in the conversation through administrator and pinned messages, opening further opportunities to communicate relevant information and content to highly engaged audiences. Chat functionality can also support promotional campaigns, including the distribution of promo codes and rewards for active users. Built-in moderation capabilities allow conversations to be managed effectively while maintaining a controlled environment for users.
Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Innovation and R&D at BETBY, said: “Sports have always been social, and users are already accustomed to watching, reacting and communicating simultaneously across streaming and entertainment platforms. User Chat brings that same behaviour into the sportsbook, giving players more reasons to stay engaged throughout an event while providing operators with another powerful tool to increase session duration, strengthen retention and build a more active community around their product.”
The launch forms part of BETBY’s continued focus on evolving sportsbook UX beyond traditional betting mechanics, introducing features that reflect the way modern audiences already consume and interact with live sports and entertainment content.