Minneapolis Data Firm Ready To Develop Safeguards For Sports Betting In MN

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - With a sports gambling proposal gaining bipartisan backing and tribal support, the Minnesota state legislature is coming closer to legalizing betting on games.

Sportradar's downtown Minneapolis is in a position to help develop safeguards, should that day come.

The firm partners with professional leagues and gathers data from computer tracking systems, putting statistics in context. Their clients are mainly broadcasters, but their insights might end up in the Timberwolves' hands to help coaches make more discerning decisions.

"Almost anywhere that you're going to consume your sports score, other than ESPN, it's probably coming from us," said Sportradar's Managing Director of Sports Media Dave Abbott.

But the data could also serve as a set of guardrails as sports betting gains momentum in the legislature.

"We want to take folks, getting them out of the black market, get them playing in a regulated market that's safe and secure," said Head of U.S. Government Affairs at Sportradar Brandt Iden.

They already help analyze betters in other states, because as the sports industry continues to embrace gambling, that data can promote responsible betting.

"We invest a lot in, number one, the integrity of the game - making sure that, as money moves on the game that it's moving correctly and that it's as expected and two, responsible gaming is an important part of the industry as well and we put a lot of energy into that too," Abbott said.

All of Minnesota's neighboring states have legalized sports betting.