SONY PLANNING TO BRING ESPORTS CRYPTO BETTING TO CONSOLES?

According to US patent filings, Japanese tech superpower Sony may be planning to enter the esports betting space. 

Recently disclosed US Patent Office filings reveal that, in 2019, Sony secured a patent for a comprehensive cryptocurrency friendly esports betting platform.

It seems Sony is developing a real-money, real-time betting platform that can be accessed via its devices, including PlayStation, along with PCs and consoles from other brands. 

Interestingly, the patent also suggests that users of the platform would be able to wager using NFT’s in addition to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), and that odds would be determined via machine learning.

Though there has been no official word from Sony itself, it’s clear that any move by Sony to bring gambling to consoles would be controversial, prompting alarmist headlines and a populist political backlash. 

However, it’s also obvious that if Sony, which wields so much power and influence in the video gaming world, does enter the esports wagering space, existing platforms will have a new, and very powerful competitor. 

Staying with Sony, earlier this month the company entered an agreement with gamer-focused social and voice chat platform Discord.