Coral, Unibet, Jumbo Interactive seek Apple Watch early adopters

UK bookies Coral Interactive and Malta-licensed online gambling outfit Unibet have become the latest firms to release an app for the new Apple Watch.

Apple’s hotly anticipated new wearable device made its official debut on Friday, along with over 3k new Watch apps in the App Store. Ladbrokes Australia and William Hill have already staked their claims on punters’ wrists and more companies are rushing to take advantage of the new device’s early adopters.

Online gambling software outfit Playtech has developed its own Apple Watch product, which has now been released by Coral interactive as part of its Coral Connect omni-channel deal with Playtech. The app allows users to place wagers from a selection of live and future sporting events and to cash out their live bets. Playtech says its other licensees will have the option of releasing their own branded versions of the product.

Unibet’s product is a bit more limited, providing only information on football matches and horseracing events. Punters looking to actually place a bet will have to switch over to their mobile. Ed Nicholson, Unibet’s head of UK sportsbook marketing, said the company anticipates Apple Watch users “initially using their watch as an information and communication tool, weeding out the wheat from the chaff of all the communication that reaches our smartphones these days.”