The sports betting industry is constantly facing new challenges, so STATSCORE takes a deep dive into one of the most persistent yet underestimated ones that modern sportsbooks and sports media platforms face: latency, data accuracy, and the operational risk they create during live events.

Drawing on industry dispute data, real-world trading pressures, and STATSCORE’s hands-on experience in live data delivery, the company explores why low latency, source verified information has become a strategic requirement for in-play betting and real-time sports products.

For sportsbooks, media platforms, and data-driven sports products, live events present ongoing points of vulnerability. Every additional second of delay between what happens on the field and what appears in your system becomes an opportunity for misalignment: whether it is odds drifting behind the action, scoring updates arriving out of sequence, or settlement decisions made on incomplete information.

Operational risk driven by latency and data inaccuracy

Every live event is a potential crisis point for sportsbook operators and media owners. When your odds misalign with the action, when settlement disputes pile up, or when fans see outdated scores while watching live, they are going to blame you, not your data vendor.

Over time, these incidents accumulate: increased settlement disputes, a higher volume of customer support tickets, and pressure from regulators when errors repeatedly surface around sensitive markets.
The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) has highlighted this pattern clearly. Each year, it receives hundreds of complaints connected to bets being settled on questionable or disputed data – these cases now account for approximately 15% of its total dispute workload.

This environment forces operators into a difficult balance. High-cost “premium” data feeds do not guarantee perfect accuracy or continuity, yet lower-cost alternatives often arrive with latency that exposes the platform to arbitrage and user complaints.

STATSCORE ScoutsFeed was developed to address this structural zissue: to reduce the operator’s reliance on delayed or inaccurate data and to deliver verified event information at the speed required for modern in-play trading and real-time media reporting.

How ScoutsFeed works: Data collected directly at the source

At the core of Statscore’s solution is a global network of up to 1,000 trained scouts, who can be positioned at multiple venues to follow the ongoing events in real-time. Their role is to record match events as they occur—goals, fouls, substitutions, player actions, and other key datapoints. ScoutsFeed currently offers highly reliable data across 11 popular sports, with up to 10,000 events available per month.

This on-site model is designed to transmit data with minimal latency, creating a feed capable of supporting in-play trading models that depend on immediate visibility of key events.

Moreover, the work of every scout undergoes verification by Statscore’s Quality Controller team before it reaches operators. This dual-layer workflow—live capture plus real-time validation—acts as a quality filter intended to reduce inconsistencies, duplicated events, or misinterpretations that would otherwise generate support issues or post-match settlement challenges. Beyond venue-based scouting, additional verified, low-latency TV sources enhance reliability even further, ensuring operators receive the most complete and stable data possible in real time.

– Our goal with ScoutsFeed has always been to provide a live data feed that operators can depend on, regardless of the scale or complexity of the event. We have designed every part of the process to prioritize speed, accuracy, and consistency. From data collection to real-time verification, each update is reviewed to ensure it meets the standards required for high-stakes live betting environments, says Wojciech Augustyn, Product Manager at Statscore.

Moreover, automated alerts such as BET-STOP and BET-START add an additional layer of security by helping operators manage risk and protect their betting environment.

The result for operators:

• Trading desks receive updates with minimal delay, limiting the exposure window during which fast-reacting users can exploit outdated lines.
• Settlement accuracy improves, reducing the frequency of disputes and the burden on internal teams to address “data was wrong” complaints.
• Public-facing platforms benefit from more consistent alignment between live broadcasts and displayed match data, supporting user trust and platform stability.

Advanced metrics supporting user engagement

Beyond raw event data, ScoutsFeed incorporates analytical layers designed to help platforms create more informative user experiences and richer markets. These include:

• Expected Goals (xG): STATSCORE’s advanced xG model evaluates the probability that each shot results in a goal, based on its characteristics. This allows operators to present deeper context around match momentum and performance.
• Live Player Ratings: Continuously updated indicators reflecting player impact—positive/negative actions, and overall involvement. These ratings offer dynamic insights that can enhance content, drive user engagement, and support betting markets.

These metrics are not positioned as luxury additions; they serve practical purposes for product teams, trading models, and user engagement strategies that increasingly depend on granular, real-time data.

Operational impact for executives and media/betting platforms

ScoutsFeed addresses several common operational challenges:

1. Risk Management
   Faster and verified data reduces the likelihood of incorrect settlements, arbitrage exploitation, and public-facing discrepancies. This supports regulatory compliance and reduces reputational exposure.
2. Product Development Efficiency
   A unified data feed containing raw events and advanced analytics decreases the need for custom integrations or multi-vendor pipelines. Teams can deliver new in-play features, player markets, or analytical tools with fewer engineering dependencies.
3. Commercial Transparency and Flexibility
   ScoutsFeed’s commercial structure avoids bundling unrelated data or enforcing exclusivity. Operators retain the ability to select the coverage they need without entering long-term arrangements that limit comparability or negotiation leverage.

Practical competitive outcomes

During periods of peak demand—such as championship matches, knockout rounds, or high-traffic local derbies—platform reliability becomes a differentiating factor. Consistent data flow supports stable markets, timely settlement, and uninterrupted user interaction. While competing platforms may experience suspensions or data delays, those using low-latency, source-verified feeds are better positioned to maintain operational continuity.

Over time, this consistency influences user retention, market margins, and the overall credibility of the operator.

ScoutsFeed demonstrates the power of real-time, verified, low-latency data. But the true value STATSCORE delivers comes from combining this feed with a long-term technological partnership based on trusted support and solutions built around your business priorities.

If you want a data partner who strengthens your platform—not just supplies it— visit statscore.com!