SportsChimp Announcements.Tumblr (3.0; @sportschimp)http://blog.sportschimp.com/<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/718e4ded951398d5c997282649e43c0d/tumblr_mkmkjufSOI1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>An experiment began with IPL 2012. 27 leagues and B$1.2m later, IPL is back on SportsChimp.</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/46929002606http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/46929002606Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:14:18 -0400iplsportscricketiplt20<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/5061e725037fcbae434fab48280a66e5/tumblr_mkl4i3JhHp1rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/46856344336http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/46856344336Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:30:03 -0400baseballsportsmlb<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/3dd87eb9a4a6645566eef6c48205e047/tumblr_mj1fybF4XO1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/44371132208http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/44371132208Sat, 02 Mar 2013 09:51:47 -0500mlsfootballsoccersports<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/014c7fbe3ad55a608f9b86cb653d5c83/tumblr_mhfu3kVM0z1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/41860541050http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/41860541050Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:16:32 -0500cricketsportswwc132013 Women's Cricket World Cupworld cup<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/6c67dd9aae9b89841bf54fa64e1a31ee/tumblr_mgtz9psHue1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>Big Bash League Final - Brisbane Heat Vs Perth Scorchers</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40849516138http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40849516138Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:01:01 -0500bblcricketsportsheatscorchers<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/ede9438e2cd01276155d5f0064828caf/tumblr_mgrvfmTygd1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>Game, Set, Match!</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40760384543http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40760384543Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:42:00 -0500tennissportssportschimpausopen<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/40d833e8e52f4978ddb524eaf19c81fc/tumblr_mgmct63E0x1rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40518018066http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40518018066Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:12:00 -0500nhlice hockeysportshockey<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/99c41a95c549a87cdba2e4ff09ffde71/tumblr_mggtztTHL61rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40254887542http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/40254887542Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:38:00 -0500basketballsportscollege basketball<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_meluazQXij1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/37325746553http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/37325746553Thu, 06 Dec 2012 05:25:00 -0500cwcjapan2012FIFAsoccerfootball<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_melh0kdCyL1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>BBL’s summer madness returns</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/37317305834http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/37317305834Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:38:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md08i4C6d21rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/35046628771http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/35046628771Mon, 05 Nov 2012 02:51:00 -0500aleaguesoccerfootball<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mctaggsE2B1rh5xvjo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>It’s playoffs time.</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/34758913337http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/34758913337Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:50:00 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcngzhXJ2w1rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/34557378347http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/34557378347Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:26:00 -0400nba<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcgmye0uZk1rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/34304702397http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/34304702397Thu, 25 Oct 2012 13:51:00 -0400ncaafootball<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc16aar6bN1rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Introducing UEFA Champions League 2012-13</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33765405827http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33765405827Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:27:46 -0400footballuefasoccersports<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbtx32ADn91rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Purrrrdy. If broadcasts are on, your picks are now shown on your Facebook Activity feed.</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33488725688http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33488725688Sat, 13 Oct 2012 07:25:50 -0400update<p><img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc1fkiPKvc1r9cke9.jpg" alt=""/></p> <p><a href="http://sportschimp.com">SportsChimp</a> invited quite a few remarks and concerns about the legality of what we&#8217;re trying to do in a <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4640646">recent HN thread</a>. Here&#8217;s an attempt to answer the most frequently unasked question: <em>what are we <strike>smoking</strike> thinking?</em></p> <p>The idea behind SportsChimp and its mechanics merits another post. In short, SportsChimp is a simple, fun way to root for your favourite teams with your friends. We do this in real life all the time - gather around a TV at a bar, have a few drinks, cheer our team and bitch at the other. Some of us might even wager something, for instance, loser pays for the evening’s tab. The idea behind SportsChimp is to take this real-world social interaction and extend it to our friends everywhere.</p> <p>Moving on to the legal stuff, here&#8217;s what we know: online sports betting is illegal in US (barring a few states) and several other countries, while legal in UK and many parts of Europe. Broadly speaking, for a site or service to qualify as <strong>gambling</strong>, three criteria need to be met. The best way to summarise these is to quote William from his <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4221220">comment on Hacker News</a>:</p> <blockquote> <ul><li>prize (they have to get paid money or something of value)</li> <li>consideration (they have to pay to participate)</li> <li>chance (so skill games are exempted i.e. chess)</li> </ul></blockquote> <p>SportsChimp in its current form conforms to the first one. If you have a grand or more in Banana Bucks (or B$, our virtual currency), you will be able to convert it to something of real value. However, you <strong>DO NOT</strong> need to pay to participate, so there is no <strong>consideration</strong>. Furthermore users can&#8217;t <em>wager</em> or <em>bet</em> on teams, they simply pick which team they support in a match. Since there&#8217;s no wagering or (amount) betting, there&#8217;s no <em>rake</em> in SportsChimp either.</p> <p><strong>Therefore, SportsChimp players are not gamblers</strong> and we&#8217;re not a bookie. SportsChimp is just a fun and rewarding way to root for sports teams with friends.</p> <p>Finally, most laws on gambling pre-date the internet era, and their interpretation will be guided by certain precedents. For those who follow this space, a lot of conversations (and debates) have started happening worldwide (including changes to legislations in respective territories). Devoid of a war chest and an army of legal advisors, our way of contributing to these discussions is to continue pushing SportsChimp and find some <a href="http://cdixon.org/2012/10/10/regulatory-hacks">regulatory hacks</a> to make sure we can monetize it.</p> <p>We have a few models to experiment with, and some of them are going to push the boundaries of what&#8217;s considered a grey area in online sports picking. As a small startup we welcome healthy conversations and debates. Please feel free to email us at <a href="mailto:founders@sportschimp.com">founders@sportschimp.com</a> if you&#8217;d like to contribute to this discussion.</p> <p>PS: As per trademark usage, please read: <a href="http://blog.sportschimp.com/legal">Legal</a></p> <h3>Further reading</h3> <p>Some other interesting threads we have come across in this space:</p> <ul><li><a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4220943">HN thread</a> on <a href="http://betable.com">Betable</a> launch in US</li> <li><a href="http://qr.ae/86MMI">Quora: Will online sports betting ever be legalized in the US?</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-legally-bet-on-sports-online-in-the-US">Quora: Is it possible to legally bet on sports online in the US?</a></li> </ul><p><em>You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. - OH</em></p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33424765380http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33424765380Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:57:00 -0400legalsports bettingsportschimp<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7s3XFNdTUhY?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>SportsChimp Demo Video</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33361582535http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33361582535Thu, 11 Oct 2012 09:03:00 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbmgfnPLQn1rh5xvjo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Current users can now buy into the 2012 Champions League T20 Event. #cricket #T20</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33225426216http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/33225426216Tue, 09 Oct 2012 06:42:59 -0400cricketT20<p><img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbesmhBs801r9cke9.jpg" alt=""/></p> <p><a href="http://sportschimp.com">SportsChimp</a> went live with a new version a few days ago. From a technical as well as business perspective, things have undergone a major change, but our focus hasn&#8217;t shifted at all. To quickly recap, <em>SportsChimp is the simplest, most wonderful way to pick sports with friends and win</em>.</p> <p>From a user-experience perspective, we&#8217;ve made these major additions:</p> <ul><li>totally revamped interface,</li> <li>ability to play multiple sports events with a different set of friends each,</li> <li>a news feed to quickly view what&#8217;s happening globally, within your social circle and with your picks,</li> <li>an opportunity to convert banana bucks (B$) to real money (no kidding!)</li> </ul><p>While we&#8217;re still ironing out some bugs, it is only a matter a time before you get to download the app for your smartphone. The story of our tech and platform choices is reserved for a future post, and for many mobile developers out there, it will reveal the rationale behind a lot of decisions we all face for our apps.</p> <p>Finally, the most frequently asked question is: is all this legal? The answer is very complicated, but we&#8217;re doing everything to make sure we stay on the good side of what is a very grey territory today, specially in countries like US and India. Some of you looking for background can check out some interesting Quora discussions like <a href="http://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-legally-bet-on-sports-online-in-the-US">this</a> and <a href="http://www.quora.com/Will-online-sports-betting-ever-be-legalized-in-the-US-Why-not">this</a>. Since our users aren&#8217;t really cashing in, we&#8217;re a lot like any predict-and-win contest without being a betting site.</p> <p>As to our revenue model, expect things to be revealed in a few weeks. Till then, keep picking, winning and go bananas with SportsChimp!</p> <p>Oh by the way, <a href="http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/32727028748/sportschimp-is-hiring-generalist-developer">we&#8217;re hiring</a>.</p>http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/32928228307http://blog.sportschimp.com/post/32928228307Fri, 05 Oct 2012 03:29:08 -0400announcementv2