Better Collective’s Playbook bets on AI to own the “last click” in sports wagering

Better Collective’s latest product, Playbook, signals more than a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic bet on controlling the critical “last click” in sports betting. Building on the traction of QuickSlip, which streamlined pre-packaged bets into sportsbook accounts, Playbook takes the concept into social platforms like X and Discord, embedding itself directly in the spaces where betting conversations unfold. The move reflects a shift in affiliate strategy: from driving new sign-ups through media reach to capturing and shaping the moment when betting intent turns into action.

From QuickSlip to Playbook

Playbook builds on QuickSlip, the Action Network feature that let readers drop pre-packaged bets straight into a sportsbook account. Ahead of last season’s Super Bowl, Better Collective reported that millions of wagers flowed through QuickSlip, proving that even small reductions in friction could create significant uplift.

Playbook extends this concept beyond a single site and into the digital spaces where betting conversations happen in real time. On X and Discord, users can now tag @Playbook beneath a post containing picks—text or screenshot—and receive a reply with a deep-link slip already filled in at their sportsbook.

Betting where the conversation happens

The launch was timed for 3 September 2025, just ahead of the NFL season, and rolled out first in the US. At launch, Playbook integrates with FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, and Caesars, with “additional key markets in the pipeline,” according to Better Collective’s statement.

In its release, the company highlighted its scale: 450 million monthly visits across its brands, and a global market where sports fans “wager more than 1.5 trillion EUR annually, according to Statista” — although estimates from related sources place the global sports betting and online gambling market in the range of hundreds of billions; see, for instance, a recent Fact.MR report on the sports betting market outlook 2024-2034.

The strategic pivot: from acquisition to retention

Better Collective has historically thrived on customer acquisition, funnelling new depositors into partner sportsbooks through content and media. But acquisition is becoming a tougher game. SEO growth has plateaued, marketing costs are climbing, and operators are increasingly sceptical about how much lifetime value affiliates really generate (for recent datapoints, see DemandSage’s 2025 report on online gambling trends

Playbook represents a shift toward retention value. Instead of just helping a user find a sportsbook, Better Collective is embedding itself directly in the act of betting—where intent turns into action.

“Playbook reflects our ambition to lead in delivering unique, and engaging sports betting experiences for sports fans and bettors while driving strong retention value for our partners. This positions Better Collective uniquely within the global sports betting ecosystem, where sports fans wager more than 1.5 trillion EUR annually.”— Jesper Søgaard, Co-Founder & CEO, Better Collective

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Why this matters

Owning the “decision pixel”

By capturing the last step before stake, Better Collective inserts itself at the precise point where a bet is confirmed. In affiliate economics, this “last click” control gives the company firmer attribution and a stronger claim to value delivered.

Each slip parsed, whether placed or abandoned, produces intent data. That loop, from social pick → slip → outcome, is strategically powerful. It tells Better Collective which markets resonate, which creators convert, and how bettors behave in the journey from chatter to confirmation.

Compression of the betting journey into a single click reduces drop-off and raises conversion. For operators, that is incremental revenue with no front-end product rebuilds. For Better Collective, it strengthens the case that affiliates are not just marketers but infrastructure.

Risks and dependencies

Playbook’s promise comes with operational risks.

• Parsing accuracy: Misinterpreting complex parlays or props could undermine trust quickly.

  
  

• Regulatory scrutiny: One-click slips from social posts may invite inducement concerns. The UK Gambling Commission has already issued guidance around affiliate and influencer controls, making clear that marketing must comply with strict responsible gambling standards. Responsible gambling messaging, geolocation filters, and eligibility checks will be vital.

  
  

• Platform dependency: The product currently lives inside X and Discord. Policy shifts around bots or automation could disrupt distribution.

Why now?

The timing of the launch is strategic. Better Collective’s Q2 results showed pressure on growth, with investors looking for signs of new revenue levers, a context underpinned by broader forecasts that sports betting will grow sharply over the coming years (see Grand View Research’s online gambling market outlook. Rolling out Playbook ahead of the NFL season offers an immediate test case in the most lucrative window of the US sports calendar.

If the product can demonstrate measurable lifts in conversion and session frequency, it could reposition affiliates in the operator ecosystem, not as middlemen directing traffic, but as infrastructure that captures and delivers betting intent.

Affiliate competition has long been fought on content quality and SEO strength. Playbook shifts the battleground. The real contest is no longer just who attracts the most eyeballs, but who owns the moment of intent.

For operators, this creates new opportunities but also new dependencies. For rivals, it’s a challenge to develop similar tools or risk losing relevance. For regulators, it raises fresh questions about inducement in social-first environments.

And for Better Collective, it’s a calculated bet that owning the last click is the future of affiliation.

Playbook is not just another AI widget. It is a strategic pivot designed to move affiliates beyond the business of sign-ups and into the business of sessions. If Better Collective can prove that controlling the “decision pixel” translates into measurable retention gains for operators, it will have redrawn the economics of sports betting affiliation.