Most Addictive Game That Lets You Bet on Live Cricket Matches This app lets you bet and play live with sporting events to win exciting prizes

On today's mobile platform, nothing beats the addictive predictability of fermium games. With your interlinked
account, you can buy these upgrades for a fractional cost, thus not making you realize how much you're actually spending on it. But now there's a new app in town called Ballr that pushes the freemium model to another level – by offering the ability to place wagers on real sports and actual physical prizes, like from a Royal Enfield motorbike to even a chance to meet your faovite sports stars in person.

Ballr combines the addictiveness of sports entertainment along with the control factor of playing fantasy sports, topped with possibility of winning actual prizes or experiences including international trips, attending a match in person or meeting your favorite stars. Here are some highlights:

Playing Along a Live Match

The app will work only when there's a live match in progress. Ballr works in real
time, and is updated as the match progresses. With this app, you would not only look forward to having a match on it, but also would avoid any distraction from the excitement of the match itself.

Multiple in-game Features

Currently started on only cricket, the Ballr team plans to expand to include Football, basketball and Kabbadi in the future. When you surf the app, there are two minigames, next wicket and next over. In the next wicket game, you have the ability to guess who will be out first. In the next over, you get to chose the
sequence of runs.

Freemium Model

Like all freemium ads, the app is littered with ads, and as a promotional incentive you're offered 20 points a day for free. You utilize 2 tokens for each bid, and can increase this number on your own will.

Unique Factors

>>India doesn't legally allow gambling per say, so the market remains dry for mainstream betting or playing along with real sports (legally). This apps' unique model to offer prizes instead of cash along with the involvement into the software ensures an additive play.

>> It's group friendly. The app can be played among friends, sitting closeby or thousands of miles away.

>> Portable and on the go: You don't have to be glued to one spot in front a computer screen or wait for a screen to load, spoiling the emotional involvement in watching your favorite game on screen.

>> Surprisingly sloshy: What use is a good game without few beers (or a dozen)? The app is designed to jump straight to the point, without making you scroll through additional pointless hops.

Cons

Personally, I hate ads to the extent of giving up on a website or an app completely. In a game that involves users to eventually buy tokens using actual hard cash, it doesn't make sense to include ads even when the user is paying for tokens. Also as a person with an extremely addictive personality, it's a child's play for me to get hooked on swiping and playing it constantly. The possibility of encouraging gambling is there.

Overall Verdict

With a little obvious precaution, the app finally bridges the gap between indiscriminate betting and casual playing along with your favorite game on. The group play factor along with a smooth interface receives my full thumbs up.

(Originally published in the June 2016 edition of Entrepreneur magazine)