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A practical guide for Australian pubs, bars and clubs on how trivia, poker, sports tipping and entertainment can build community to start 2026 strong.
Detailed guide to set up your In-venue footy tipping competition in SportsPick
The Problem: Sports Tipping Was Stuck
Time to get your Competition ready for the big finish! There are a few steps you can take now, and a few to complete once the final results are in.
Being The Community's Hub: The Morphett Arms Hotel Story Local pubs have always been about community and at the Morphett Arms Hotel, they've discovered how to take that community spirit to the next level. In an era where digital convenience often wins over social connection, this Adelaide venue has found a way to make their sports community even stronger and more engaged. The challenge wasn't about empty seats or silent screens - it was about creating something special that brings people together in new ways. As streaming services make home viewing increasingly convenient, venues need fresh approaches to enhance their community experience. A Platform to Increase Patron Engagement - Enter SportsPick The Morphett Arms found their answer in SportsPick, transforming their already vibrant venue into an interactive hub where every sports fan can be part of something bigger. What happens when you give an engaged sports community more ways to connect? You get an even more dynamic social atmosphere. At Morphett Arms Hotel, SportsPick isn't just another tipping platform - it's become a catalyst for deeper community connections. "People just like the social aspect of it. They come in and compare their tips... they all like to have a bit of chat about who they picked, and you know a bit of banter," says Aimee Barnett, the venue's Front Bar Manager of three years. The Secret Sauce 1. COMMUNITY FIRST, COMPLIMENTED BY TECHNOLOGY This isn't a story about filling empty seats - it's about enriching the experience for everyone who walks through the door. From regular AFL tippers to casual NFL fans, SportsPick has created new ways for their patrons to engage, compete, and celebrate together. Morphett Arms Hotel has used SportsPick to enhance its ability to be a social hub for the community. Through SportsPick's automated tipping competitions and national prize pools, Morphett Arms Hotel has enhanced the ability for patrons to share moments to enjoy sports and racing action with fellow enthusiasts. People in their community can win big, like Jimmy, a 20-year regular who hit the big-time winning the Punters Challenge Championship "Oh my God, I've got this Aimee's, I've got this!" Although Jimmy was ecstatic, the entire venue erupted in celebration. Why? Because at Morphett Arms, everyone's win is everyone's win. Jimmy took home the $20,000 National Prize Pool for winning SportsPick’s Punters Challenge Championship, and a local legend was built in the community. 2. SUPPORT THAT GETS IT With over 20 years of industry expertise, SportsPick's expert team gets it, providing support and resources for customers like Morphett Arms Hotel. If I've got any problems, I can just quickly send him a quick email, or a text and he'll get straight back to me The Result The Morphett Arms has been able to cultivate a range of local tipping competitions that had their patrons coming back repeatedly for competitions throughout the year, their numbers tell part of the story, with: 60 passionate AFL tippers 30 dedicated NFL fans 15-20 weekly Super Seven players In an era where technology can isolate, the Morphett Arms has found a way to use it to connect. To discover the SportsPick difference for your venue, contact us today.
As we close out 2024, I find myself reflecting on what has been a transformative year for both our business and the hospitality industry at large. When we launched our sports broadcasting platform in July, we saw an industry crying out for change – venue operators struggling with fragmented content delivery, rising costs, and complex operational demands. What we didn't anticipate was just how quickly the market would embrace our vision for a simplified, unified approach to sports entertainment. OUR JOURNEY SO FAR In just eight months, we've witnessed a remarkable evolution. We've secured partnerships with premium content providers including DAZN's Global championship boxing, and Power Slap's viral sensations. But more importantly, we've seen first-hand how these partnerships have helped venues transform their operations and enhance their patron experience. The problem we set out to solve was clear: the fragmentation of sports content was creating unnecessary complexity and cost for venues. What was identified was "It's a significant pain point for how to get sports into a venue." Our solution needed to be more than just another service – it needed to be a complete reimagining of how venues access and deliver sports entertainment and our partnership with Nightlife is instrumental in solving this challenge. LOOKING AHEAD: SPORTSPICK LIVE As we move into 2025, I'm excited to announce perhaps our most significant development yet: the evolution of EV Live into SportsPick Live. This isn't just a rebranding exercise – it's a natural progression that reflects our commitment to delivering an all-inclusive sports bar solution and connecting sports fans with their local venue. The integration with SportsPick represents everything we believe the future of venue sports entertainment should be: seamless, engaging, and profitable for our partners. By bringing together premium sports content with comprehensive engagement tools under one brand, we're creating what I believe will be the new standard in sports entertainment. OUR VISION FOR 2025 Looking ahead, our focus is clear: Content Expansion We're focused on adding additional content partners who share our vision for accessible, high-quality sports entertainment. Our goal is to ensure venues never have to look elsewhere for premium sports content. Technology Integration The SportsPick Live platform will continue to evolve, with new features designed to help venues maximise their entertainment offering while minimising operational complexity. Venue Support We're expanding our support infrastructure to ensure venues have everything they need to succeed – from marketing materials to operational guidance. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE INDUSTRY The challenges facing hospitality venues today are complex, but I believe they also present unprecedented opportunities. The cost-of-living crisis has made it more important than ever for venues to differentiate themselves and maximise operational efficiency. Our evolution into SportsPick Live reflects our commitment to helping venues not just survive but thrive in this environment. To our existing partners: thank you for your trust and collaboration in 2024. To those considering joining us: there's never been a better time to be part of this revolution in venue entertainment. As we look to 2025, I'm more convinced than ever that the future of the industry lies in simplified, unified solutions that put venues first. The early adopters of our platform have already seen the benefits of this approach, and we're committed to ensuring that more venues can share in this success. The hospitality industry has always been about bringing people together. With SportsPick Live, we're making it easier than ever for venues to create those memorable moments that keep patrons coming back. That's not just good for business – it's good for your communities. 2025 promises to be an exciting year of growth, innovation, and transformation. I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you.
The Challenge Every Pub Owner Knows
In the competitive in-venue entertainment industry, customer retention is a key factor for success. Venues often seek effective ways to encourage patrons to return. While broadcasting popular sports like AFL or NRL attracts initial visitors, additional engagement strategies can help create a more loyal customer base. One such strategy is in-venue tipping. This activity adds an interactive element to sports viewing, potentially increasing customer engagement. Sports tipping is accessible to many venue operators, as it is straightforward to understand and can greatly impact ROI. This broad appeal makes it a consideration for venues looking to enhance their sports-watching experience. This blog will explore in-venue tipping, its potential benefits for venues, and how it can be implemented as a tool for customer attraction and retention throughout the year. What is Tipping? Sports tipping is a popular form of engagement that adds an extra layer of excitement to watching sports. At its core, tipping involves predicting the outcomes of multiple matches within a specific sports competition. Here's how it typically works: Participants are presented with a list of upcoming matches for a particular round in a sports competition. For each match, they predict the winning team. To enhance interest, many tipping competitions also include predicting the winning margin (the number of points by which the chosen team will win.) These predictions, or "tips", are then compared against the actual results. Correct tips can earn points, with participants often competing for prizes, bragging rights, or simply for the thrill of the game. This simple yet engaging format makes tipping accessible to both casual viewers and die-hard fans alike. It encourages deeper involvement with the sport, as participants often find themselves more invested in the outcomes of matches they've tipped on. For venues, offering tipping competitions can transform passive viewers into active participants, potentially increasing both engagement and return visits. Operators can choose to make tipping competitions free to enter or charge an entry fee. Generally, the entry fees are pooled together and offered as an end-of-season prize for the participant(s) with the highest number of correct tips in a sporting season. Once a round ends, each participant's number of correct tips is tallied, and a leaderboard ranks the participants. The best tipping competitions will often have rewards provided for the best players of a round, and a grand prize on offer for the person at the end of a season with the most successful number of tips. Benefits of In-Venue Tipping for Your Venue Implementing a sports tipping competition in your venue offers several advantages Broad Appeal: Sports tipping has a low barrier to entry and simple mechanics, making it accessible to a wide range of patrons. From newcomers to seasoned fans, anyone can participate and enjoy the experience. Increased Customer Retention: A tipping competition can create a feedback loop that encourages patrons to return regularly. This recurring engagement helps build stronger relationships between your venue and its customers. Community Building: As participants return week after week, your venue can become a more integral part of the local community. This increased sense of belonging can lead to more frequent visits and a more loyal customer base. Social Catalyst: Tipping competitions can spark conversations and friendly rivalries among patrons, enhancing the social atmosphere of your venue. This improved social environment can make your establishment more attractive to both new and returning customers. Increased Dwell Time: Patrons engaged in tipping competitions may spend more time in your venue, potentially leading to increased food and beverage sales. Regular Attendance: The ongoing nature of sports seasons and tipping competitions can drive regular, predictable attendance, helping to stabilize your venue's customer flow. By fostering this engaging and social atmosphere, sports tipping can help transform your venue into a destination where people not only come to watch sports but also to connect, compete, and enjoy a ore interactive entertainment experience. Why Choose SportsPick For In-Venue Tipping SportsPick is the all-inclusive Sports and Race engagement platform designed to help you attract and retain patrons across a variety of channels. Unlike other services, our approach is venue-focused with a focus on driving patron visitation to your venue. SportsPick’s Tipping Solution gives venues access to the SportsPick terminal, a touchscreen designed for tip entry and engaging competitions, a digital screen for venue and competition promotions, and a mobile app offering a streamlined tipping process to get patrons returning to your venue. As a SportsPick Venue, you will have access to weekly tipping comps across a variety of sports and racing services. Our tipping product is all year-round*, enabling your patrons access to the thrill of tipping each week at their local. SportsPick provides all venues participating in tipping competitions access to SportsPick-funded National Prize Pools, valued at more than $1 Million. This promotional headline helps you attract and engage patrons with life-changing prizes that can be won by playing in your venue. Managing a tipping competition in-house can be time-consuming and potentially contentious. This is where SportsPick comes in as a trusted third-party facilitator for your venue's tipping competitions. Our automated platform eliminates the need for manual tip collection and tracking, freeing up your time to focus on other aspects of venue management. By outsourcing the tipping process, you can ensure fairness and transparency, reducing the likelihood of disputes or questions about the integrity of the competition. Key benefits of using SportsPick include: Automated tip collection and processing Impartial management of the competition Time savings for venue staff Increased credibility of the tipping competition Moreover, our dedicated support team is always on standby to assist with any issues or questions that may arise, ensuring a smooth experience for both your venue and your patrons. By leveraging SportsPick's expertise and technology, you can offer a professional, hassle-free tipping experience that enhances your venue's appeal and keeps patrons coming back for more. How to get started with SportsPick Whether you are looking to refresh along-standing tipping competition or introduce a new one for the upcoming season, SportsPick offers a comprehensive solution designed to increase patronage and encourage repeat visits. SportsPick enhances sports and racing entertainment available in your venues with our all-inclusive simple-to-use venue tipping product. With additional marketing to get people in your venue, a best-in-class mobile app for users, and massive national prize pools. By incorporating SportsPick into your venue's entertainment lineup, you can offer patrons an additional reason to choose your establishment for their sports viewing and social gatherings – with the goal of making your venue a go-to destination for those looking to enjoy friendly tipping competitions alongside meals and drinks.
BRISBANE, Australia - As The Everest, the world’s richest race on turf, approaches on October 19, SportsPick is set to transform the pub and club scene with its most exciting initiative in 2024: a $1 Million Tipping Competition. This groundbreaking event promises to redefine patron engagement and revenue potential for venues across the country. Gregg Downward, Head of Engagement at SportsPick, emphasised the significance of this competition. "The $1 Million Tipping Competition on The Everest isn't just another contest – it's a game-changer for Australian pubs and clubs. We're offering venues an unparalleled opportunity to become the ultimate destination for racing enthusiasts on one of the biggest days in the racing calendar." The competition, free for patrons to play and at no additional cost for SportsPick venues, is designed to drive foot traffic, increase dwell time, and boost revenue significantly. "The Punters Challenge has created a consistent buzz in participating venues," "To reap the benefits, venue operators should use the tailored promotional materials we’ve provided to let patrons know that their venue is hosting this exciting tipping competition," Downward said. "We're backing this with a comprehensive marketing blitz across radio, billboards, and digital channels to ensure maximum visibility and patron engagement." To support this flagship event, SportsPick is leveraging the success of its ongoing initiatives. The Punters Challenge $50K Championship, which kicked off on August 17, has already proven its worth in enhancing patron engagement. "The Punters Challenge has created a consistent buzz in participating venues," Downward said."It's been an excellent primer for The Everest competition, building a community of engaged racing fans week after week. "Additionally, the Spring Racing tipping competitions, backed by a $15,500 national prize pool, have been keeping patrons involved throughout the season, helping venues turn casual racing fans into regular patrons, setting the stage for the grand finale on The Everest. Mark Sturdy , Managing Director of Entain Venues , the company behind SportsPick, underscored the strategic importance of these initiatives. "Our goal is to offer venues a comprehensive engagement strategy that spans the entire racing season. The $1 Million Tipping Competition on The Everest is the hero of this strategy, creating a major point of difference for customers to come to their local participating venue for their Everest race day." For more information about the $1 Million Tipping Competition on The Everest and other SportsPick initiatives, please visit entainvenues.com.au or contact venues@entaingroup.com.au.
