BetCris launches AI-powered WhatsApp betting
BetCris announced the launch of a conversational sports betting platform integrated with WhatsApp, utilizing technology developed by ChatBet and infrastructure from Plannatech. The feature allows users to search markets, request recommendations, clarify doubts, and place bets via text messages or voice commands, without needing to navigate traditional betting platform menus.
The proposal suggests a change in how operators interact with their customers. Beyond adding a new service channel, it leverages artificial intelligence to create personalized experiences and transform conversations into strategic data that can improve marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and CRM initiatives. For years, platforms invested in faster interfaces and more intuitive applications, but the logic remained the same: the user had to navigate menus, locate competitions, choose markets, and interpret options before completing a bet. With this model, however, the bettor interacts in natural language, with questions such as who to bet on today, what are the matches in a league, or the creation of a low-risk parlay, which artificial intelligence interprets and resolves within the same messaging application.
According to BetCris, one of the core advantages of the technology is its ability to understand user intent even before the bet is placed. While traditional platforms only record browsing behavior, such as visited pages or consulted markets, conversational interfaces identify desires, preferences, and objectives expressed directly by the customer during the dialogue. This proprietary data set gains particular value with the gradual disappearance of third-party cookies, as it allows for the development of more efficient campaigns, personalized offers, and loyalty programs based on real needs. At the same time, it changes acquisition, because the relationship can begin more naturally through analysis, statistics, and recommendations, without immediately requiring an application download.
The choice of Latin America for the launch was not accidental. The region has one of the highest WhatsApp usage rates in the world, making the application one of the main communication channels between consumers and businesses. By integrating betting into this everyday environment, BetCris aims to reduce access barriers. The solution was developed specifically for Spanish-speaking audiences by specialized artificial intelligence teams with knowledge of Latin American sports culture, and incorporates slang, abbreviations, different linguistic variants, language mixing, and voice messages to adapt responses to each user's context.
The executives involved emphasized the value of the player relationship. Hazel Zuñiga Gutierrez, automation supervisor at BetCris, noted that the biggest differentiator of the project is building lasting bonds, as consumers seek much more than just betting; they also want information, opinions, market comparisons, and help understanding sports, which allows for value creation before, during, and after the bet. Sean Hulse, Head of Product at Plannatech, highlighted that the platform's open architecture allows for the incorporation of conversational interfaces without operators having to replace their existing technological infrastructure. Josh Swerdlow, co-founder and CEO of ChatBet, stated that artificial intelligence will redefine how operators approach acquisition, CRM, retention, and personalization in the coming years.
The industry recalls that several major innovations in online betting, such as live betting, cash out, live streaming, and mobile applications, began as differentiators against competitors before becoming almost mandatory. According to the project companies, conversational experiences could follow a similar path and become a new standard for the relationship between operators and players, so that in the future, platforms will be evaluated not only by the number of markets they offer, but also by the quality of interaction they provide through artificial intelligence.
Tags: BetCris, ChatBet, Plannatech, WhatsApp betting, artificial intelligence in iGaming