This piece is part of a collaboration with MLG Blockchain Consulting, a leading global blockchain development and consulting firm headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with a distributed team across North America, Europe and Asia that is focused on building next generation applications using blockchain and smart contract technology.
The legality of sports betting has long been contested both in the US and across the globe. But with the May 14th ruling in favour of legalizing sports betting in the US, things are about to change.
Whether you enjoy betting or not, the legalization of sports betting will probably affect you in some way or another. Coupled with the enhanced digital technology of today, sports betting will look completely different than how it looked twenty, ten, or even five years ago.
The industry as it is today
The sports betting industry currently generates about US $120B in revenues. With the loosened legislation around sports betting in the US and innovations in the industry, it is predicted that within five years the industry will generate between $300B and $400B annually.
Over the years, gambling has evolved significantly. With the rise of the internet, one can place a bet online, from a mobile phone, without visiting a casino. Now, with the development of blockchain and smart contracts, the gambling industry is undergoing another major shift.
One of the most significant digital transformations has come from the implementation of blockchain in sports betting. Due to its secure, decentralized design, blockchain opens doors in the realm of sports betting that was a mere idea in the past.
How blockchain is changing sports betting… for the better
Through the implementation of the blockchain, the payment methods can be simplified down to sending funds through your digital wallet, placing bets digitally, and then easily be paid out by sending funds back to your digital wallet.
Blockchain’s decentralized ledger also enables safer transactions and creates trust due to its transparent nature. Sports bettors no longer need to go through unreliable third parties to place bets or transfer funds. The open transparency also mitigates the risk of betting houses from setting up their users to fail. The decentralized technology offers a type of digital transparency between platforms and users that never existed before.
Which betting platforms are using blockchain?
Many betting platforms, both established and emerging, are beginning to implement blockchain into their design. While some are succeeding, less than 40 platforms accept cryptocurrencies and none of them use smart contracts or peer-to-peer betting.
With the evolving adoption of blockchain technology, sports betting is about to undergo a major transformation.
While outdated payment systems result in additional fees and delays for bettors, using cryptocurrencies to fund betting on ZenSports reduces almost all of that start-up hassle. ZenSports also allows bettors to set the odds and parameters for almost any type of bet imaginable – a feature that would never have been possible without blockchain. Every time one of these bets is made, a smart contract is formed. The smart contract sets the rules for how a bet is won or lost, who gets paid out, and other important details that need the kind of transparency blockchain allows.
Disputes within the platform are settled through its own tokenized economy. Bettors are penalized for self-reporting incorrect information and users who vote with the majority on disputed results are rewarded. Through this method, users feel a deeper sense of connection with the marketplace and help to keep their peers accountable.
Conclusion
The unique features of ZenSports allow users to self-manage the entire end-to-end betting process. Through secure, decentralized data storage, blockchain enables platforms like ZenSports to offer bettors flexibility and transparency to make their bets.
Whether it is peer-to-peer betting, betting using cryptocurrencies, or being involved in the betting process from beginning to end, it is undeniable blockchain will have a notable effect on the sports betting industry as a whole.
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How to earn money while playing games As an avid gamer myself, and a fan of geocaching. I’ve recently heard of a new blockchain startup that wants to create an augmented reality universe on your phone. The universe will allow users to mine coins by playing their version of ‘geocaching’, the project is known as Geon. |
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Overcoming Challenges in Sports Betting with Blockchain author:
Hayley Davison
The ruling itself legalized what is estimated to be $150 billion USD worth of once-illegal betting on professional and amateur sports. Now that sports betting is on track to legalization, that revenue and potentially more could be made in this emerging industry.
While betting is traditionally tied to card games and casinos, most sports betting happens online through programs and applications. Sports betting itself is often more about skill than it is about luck.
This means that in order to fully legalize it, the process has to be as much about data as it is about betting. The focus will be on building out the software to support oddsmaking, new types of betting, and financial necessities in addition to the existing legal requirements.
Changes in the industry
No matter if you enjoy betting or not, the legalization of sports betting will probably affect you. The implementation of sports betting into our lives has the potential to be one of the most important and most visible test cases for digital transformation that we’ve seen to date.
An evolution like that requires a lot of work. Some large companies, like Bovada and William Hill, have already been successful in the field and will now have to adapt under new regulatory changes. Others are beginning to emerge, giving them the advantage of being able to both adapt and grow with the industry, and implement new technologies into their platforms faster than established organizations can.
One emerging platform called ZenSports is creating the world’s largest peer-to-peer sports betting marketplace. On the platform, anyone can create and accept bets for live sporting events with anyone else in the world. While this seems like a lofty goal, through blockchain, smart contract technologies, and cryptocurrencies they’re offering a better experience to bettors across the globe.
What makes ZenSports unique
Over 1,000 online sports betting products already exist in the marketplace, but less than 40 of them accept cryptocurrencies. Of those 40, none of them use smart contracts or peer-to-peer betting. ZenSports incorporates both crypto and blockchain technology into their platform. In doing so, ZenSports mitigates issues with outdated payment systems, limited types of bets offered, and odds stacked in favour of the sports book.
By allowing users to fund their online accounts with cryptocurrencies, the process of placing bets becomes easier and joining fees are reduced. Funds in users’ accounts are protected through smart contracts, which act as an escrow for currencies exchanged through ZenSports.
ZenSports also is unique in that theoretically users can place an almost infinite type of sports bets and set their own odds for said bets. When a user creates a bet, it then becomes available for anyone else on the platform to take. When each bet is made, a smart contract is created, locking all parties into the bet. A decentralized token economy allows bettors to self-report results and the marketplace to resolve all disputes (oracle system). This removes the need for a centralized bookmaker and properly incentivizes all parties to act in good faith. Smart contracts handle all payouts and keep track of bets so users can feel confident their funds are secure and will never be handled by a malicious third party. Because the entire process is taken care of through smart contracts and blockchain technology, users are able to manage the end-to-end betting process by themselves.
ZenSports’ decentralized sports betting network is emerging at a unique time in the market. Sports betting sits at an unusual intersection of all of the major tech trends that are driving digital transformation, including digital security, blockchain, data, predictive analytics, mobile development and more.
By incorporating these elements into a new sports betting platform in time for changing legislation, ZenSports could revolutionize online sports betting and lead the way for similar platforms to follow suit. |
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After its conclusion on the GBX-GRID, we are pleased to announce that all purchased CGRID Tokens will be distributed on the 31st October. As part of our full solution service, CGRID will also begin trading on the GBX Digital Asset Exchange on the same day. READ MORE HERE: |
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Adding geolocation data to enhance customer loyalty programs 
The most common ways of obtaining geolocation data are geofencing, beacons, and Wi-Fi proximity. Geofencing uses the GPS locations transmitted by mobile devices. It is most effective when used for small regions such as neighbourhoods or streets. Beacons are even more precise. Placed in a store, they receive location data from nearby devices via Bluetooth, and can provide with information about how people move around and shop in a store. Finally, when customers login to a retailer’s Wi-Fi, they provide data that can be used to generate precise notifications.
The primary advantage of geolocation data is that it offers an opportunity to gain additional contextual information about a customer. Geolocation data lets marketers gain insights on how customers interact with their mobile devices, and in what contexts. Through these insights into customer behaviour, retailers can do more to anticipate customer needs. Here are some questions for retailers to consider:
· What is the customer looking for, and why?
· What brands does the customer prefer?
· Is the customer a new or returning visitor to this location?
· How does the customer want to receive communication?
By gaining answers to questions such as these, retailers can “incorporate timeliness and context into communications to support relevance.”[1]
Here are some additional advantages that geolocation can bring to a loyalty program:
Targeting: Geolocation lets loyalty programs send notifications to customers within a specific area, increasing the likelihood that they will respond and redeem a reward. By sending notifications only to customers who are likely to redeem a reward, loyalty programs reinforce positive impressions in regular customers, and avoid generating disappointment among those customers who are not close to a store.
Personalization: While rewards typically highlight the products that a customer has purchased in the past, it’s equally important for retailers to recognize those products that a customer has no interest in. Offers for these products are unlikely to be redeemed. Because geolocation data can identify which areas of the store a customer visits, offers can be extremely precise.
Program growth: Geolocation data allows loyalty programs to communicate with non-members as well, and it can generate communications designed to encourage enrollment such as special offers for new members.[2] These are more likely to be redeemed if an individual is frequently near the retailer.
Feedback:Geolocation data can be used to generate customer feedback surveys. Frequently used following customer visits, these can also be used to prompt return visits after an absence, and can be further personalized based on previous purchase history.
At its best, geolocation allows retailers to provide personalized offers to customers that are relevant in the moment. Platforms such as Geon.network, which allows retailers to generate customer interactions using blockchain-powered virtual beacons, offer many use cases (including token-based rewards and personalized surveys) that can result in highly satisfied customers. Convincing customers that a loyalty program will add value to their lives is one of the greatest challenges for any loyalty program. When used to generate stronger customer relationships, geolocation data is a powerful tool that can bring many positive rewards for retailers as well as customers.
[1] https://excentus.com/how-geolocation-drives-loyalty/
[2] http://blog.mocaplatform.com/retailers-geolocation-customer-loyalty-programs/#.W9H-t_ZFxhF |
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With the geo-miners, people will be able to earn XYO cryptocurrency every time they help verify the location of other items nearby (which happens automatically).
Interested in participating in the potential gains associated with XYO? Reserve your mining kits here: http://bit.ly/Mining-FB
P.S. You do not need to be a techie to use them! Hello Gemma. Where can I read more about geo-miners? For me this question is very interesting. Hey Nold, please follow this page: https://xyo.network/tech/ at the bottom you will find where the information for the miners. |
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Greetings, colleagues. Please tell me at what stage the Orvium project is now. Everything is too long. ICO deferred?
Orvium team is still hard at work developing the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) of the platform. It's slated for end of Q3/Q4 of 2018. The token sale dates aren’t available yet. Details about it will be announced here, so please be more patient. Thanks. Which is good. But also keep in mind that the platform will need a good amount of time to become popular among its target group. Trust needs to be built first. Yes you are correct DrearyUrbanite!. |
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Expand Your Reality – Blockchain + AR 
Others fail to do so.
And many out of those valuable ones, are valuable in a bit of a “forced” way. They have to convince us of their usefulness.
But every once in a while an unusual ICO comes about. An ICO, which you just GET. An ICO that inspires you to actually think of ways you could use it in your life.
GEON Network is such an ICO.
GEON Network describes itself as a “blockchain-based platform, with an Android and iOS App that allows anyone to create Geons – virtual spots that can be located anywhere in the world.”.
So what we’re dealing with, is an Augmented Reality (AR) project, which allows us to create a virtual spot in a real-world location and top it up with Geon’s cryptocurrency (via crypto or FIAT) which can then be withdrawn by others in a process called geomining.
In order to geomine currency from the existing Geon, you need to be present at that location and within the distance set by the founder of that particular Geon. You also need to use the Geon app, which will allow you to actually see the geons in real-world locations, using AR.
You can set who can see or geomine from your Geon, when they can do it, at what speed and what conditions do they have to fulfil to be able to begin mining.
The entire process is based on smart contracts and safely stored in blockchain to ensure that nobody can interfere with it. GEON Network aims to be the first ICO fully licensed and compliant with the European and US laws. It has partnered with Pegasus Fintech and Ramparts European Law firm.
So what does all of it mean? Well – it simply allows you to safely (and instantly) move funds to any place around the world and set the conditions under which other users can access those funds. The potential of this idea is HUGE.
Imagine that you want to attract more clients to your shop. You could pay an agency for promotion, or create ads yourself. Or you could set up a Geon in your business, pre-set the conditions that (for example) every client coming in on that particular day can mine $2 in cryptocurrency during 10 minutes, within a radius of 20 meters. All users will see your Geon and those in the area may want to come and check it out.
Or maybe you’d like to conduct a market research and need users to fill in a questionnaire. You could set a Geon up and set the conditions you want. For example: any user who fills the form in, will receive $2 in cryptocurrency while at your shop.
Would you like to conduct a global, location-free, survey? GEON Network allows that as well. In such case users won’t need to be present in a particular location – they can access your survey from any place around the world and get compensated.
GEON Network will also allow personalised Geons, so you could have a pizza-shaped Geon for your pizzeria, car (or wrench) shaped Geon for your garage, coffeecup Geon or pretty much any other shape you can imagine. And in the future that will even include a Geon shaped like… you.
For marketing ideas – sky is the limit. But this is far from all you can use this technology for. Unless you just woke up from a coma, you probably heard of Pokemon Go and the massive success it enjoyed. People were going nuts to “catch ‘em all” and entire cities were full of people following their phones into the weirdest locations.
Now imagine what will happen when it won’t be about fantasy creatures, but actual MONEY instead. Plus – GEON Network is decentralised, so anyone can create their own games and select their own locations – unlike the Pokemon Go.
But marketing and games aren’t all. With GEON anyone can support any cause, anywhere around the world. You could set a Geon up in a place which, in your opinion, really needs it. It could be a wildlife sanctuary you visited while on holidays and decided to support, or maybe a school in a less fortunate country.
The speed and ease of use also means that help can be instantly provided anywhere on the planet. You could set a Geon up in an area struck by a natural disaster – or join in and support a Geon someone else already placed there.
Why use a charity and pay for its running costs if you could reach those in need directly?
The beauty of GEON Network lies in its simplicity and limitless potential. There are as many use cases as there are people.
Huge companies like Apple, Google or Microsoft, are spending massive amounts of money on the Augmented Reality technology. And it seems that once those big players really enter the market – GEON Network will be ready to welcome them.
It’s been a long time since we got so excited about a project. And GEON Network DID get us excited. The word “revolution” is massively over-used, but if GEON Network will successfully deliver what they promise – we may actually see one.
Visit geon.network for the white paper and more information.
source: https://abcrypto.info/expand-your-reality-blockchain-ar/ |
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Bringing Cryptocurrencies Up to the ‘Gold Standard’ 
The age-old stability of gold, however, has survived the trials of time, consistently providing real value to all investments. Gold prices have been on an upward climb since 2011, and are expected to provide a profit opportunity of 300 percent by 2020 as investors flee to gold as a safe haven from market uncertainty and political turmoil.
The idea of a gold digital currency has always had an appeal for those looking for an alternative payment system, much before the era of bitcoin and blockchain technology. Not long after the internet went mainstream E-Gold emerged as the first digital currency backed entirely by gold in 1995. At its peak, millions of people around the world were using this service across hundreds of countries.READ MORE HERE: |
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ZenSports, a peer-to-peer revolutionary sports betting marketplace, plans to capitalize upon a $120 billion industry. By reducing the costs of bookmaker fees, ZenSports will allow users to place bets for low rates never seen before. Finally, the middle man can stop stealing my winnings!! |
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Interview of our Co-CEO Nicolas Gilot: "how blockchain is revolutionising videogaming" "Blockchain opens up a world of possibilities for both gamers and developers — for instance, users can now earn money by helping developers, while developers can utilise blockchain to build new solutions that ultimately benefits players, such as trading items and reselling games. It will also be interesting to see how games evolve over time, especially since there will no longer be a centralised system controlling a game."
More here:
https://cryptonewsreview.com/exclusive-how-blockchain-is-revolutionising-videogaming |
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Speculations about the profit and price. The RKT is a utility token and doesn`t guarantee any profit.
What?? You raised 27 mln usd! Investors paid you money! And you have obligations to them!! Why tokens circulating increasing? You selling tokens after ICO? Hello. Here is the correct number for current total circulating supply t.me/GBXCommunity/68537 Bucket 1: 129,278,125 +60,000,000 Bucket 3: 94,800,000 Bucket 5: 117,300,000 ÷ 2 Total current circulating supply = 342,728,125 RKT CMC calculate the circulation supply every time when someone moves RKT in wallets. This is how they conduct the calculations Here is the info in regards to lockups: t.me/GBXCommunity/80214 P.S. And slight adjustment: legally speaking no ICO or token sale contributors are investors. Should anyone say that he is an investor they are confusing the concepts. When you buy a utility token, you are buying a token, you are contributing to a project, which you are not under any circumstances an investor. That's just a legal definition. However, as noted earlier the team is aiming to make the project successful and works in this direction! Than why coinmarketcap showing 469 660 370 RKT tokens in circulating right now? And wgere is the rest tokens? You have 900 mln tokens at all in supply! Invalid data is being shown on CMC, this has been brought to the attention of the GBX team to reach out to CMC to resolve the issue. |
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Kinesis Money Partners With TicketSocket for Real-World Application of Gold-Based Currencies LONDON, October 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Kinesis Money, an evolutionary monetary system that uses real assets as the basis for digital currencies, has today announced a partnership with TicketSocket, a powerful and highly customizable white label ticketing, registration and event management platform.
This partnership will see Kinesis currencies integrated as a payment option within the TicketSocket platform. TicketSocket provides software to pro sports teams, tours and large venues around the world, meaning that individuals will now be able to buy tickets for world-leading events using Kinesis digital currencies. READ MORE HERE |
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You must hire a good marketing company at last! Look at other new succesfull exchanges. Their tokens just growing day by day and RKT only going down  Hi there. GBX actually does have a marketing team in place and they have implemented a solid strategy for bringing awareness to the company, the platform, and the token. The price of the token isn't only related to marketing, the cryptocurrency market is down every where. But a lot of good project made xx in this bear market (look at Tomochain, Holo etc.) This projects was never trading below ICO price. Everything its depend of team and their action! Now the market has become more stable and some altcoins have started to grow, but the price of ROCK token continues to fall. It upsets me. I am sorry Nold, we cannot discuss price speculation. |
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A cryptocurrency with a plan: ZenSports As a fan of ICOs, and someone who actively participates in the ICO market, I’ve grown fond of teams with a clear cut plan. ZenSports, a project that plans to allow peer-to-peer sports betting, has specific goals for the funding that they raise. Something that is very rare in a startup environment.
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Look out @steam_games, competition is coming from EOSIO. “The future of gaming, from in-game items to time spent beta-testing, will be tokenized and we at Ultra will be right at the forefront of the blockchain revolution.” |
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hello everyone, i know that maybe it's too early to ask such a question...but i'm wondering, when will we see a real application of this great token?
Hi! Thanks for your interest and kind words! As for Gamma application, it is the web UI application client for the XY Oracle main network. It enables users, developers, and really anyone to explore and interact with XYO Network data. XYO GAMMA features over 40 million real-world simulated data points that the team has been able to generate using their experience analyzing actual location data from having built and operated a location network since 2012. These data points are simulations and not actual live user data. (They’re simulated from a real-world location network). When the XYO Mainnet launches (November/December), it will contain not just real data, but data that moves around in front of your eyes. You can check it out here: https://gamma.xyo.networkwait, wait, wait!! are you tell me that the XYO Mainnet will be launched before the end of the year? wow! and so, next year we can see real company that will use xyo as tracking system? In the summer, the team promised that the XYO platform would be launched at the end of the year. That is, we have to wait 2 months. Yes! Mainnet/corenet should be before end of the year 👍 |
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The Kinesis roadmap is very ambitious and plans to be out by just early 2019 to launch their 99.999%, 1;1 gold backed cryptocurrency. That’s just three months after their ICO. |
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You must hire a good marketing company at last! Look at other new succesfull exchanges. Their tokens just growing day by day and RKT only going down This can be applied only to a handful of exchanges because this is a long-term process and is significantly dependent on external conditions such as market sentiment. And GBX has all chances to win this game in future. Well said Petushka. Thank you for your support |
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Thanks for sharing this cryptosize! and thank you for your support |
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