A company called Fanbanta tried to tackle this a few years ago but got it hopelessly wrong and went into administration a few months after launch. They arrived with a huge bang and even had their own late night show on Channel 4, but it tried to be too clever and failure was the winning bet.
Now another company is opening up the great betting debate. Flusta.com is pitching itself as the social network gambling site. It offers users (not the drug type) the chance to create, score and determine winners. There are however huge flaws with the site; most of the ‘markets’ appear to have been created by 14-year-old boys and unfortunately you have to vote on everything on each page. The question, ‘Is Babu gay?’ for example, had me entirely stumped. After pondering this for a few seconds, I realised that I had no idea who Babu was. I voted anyway, of course he is. Babu is gay.
Here lies the problem. The site is built entirely around user generated content and so becomes tedious and uninteresting fairly quickly. Sites need good content; which is why people like me are paid so much money. The idea has been around for a long time and it is something that has been discussed in many a pub up and down the land.
You know the scenario; you’ve had a few pints, you are standing in the toilet having a piss and the bloke next to you says I bet you a fiver I can get my stream of unconsciousness higher than yours. Everyone in the toilet screams, “We need a website where we can sort this out”. Everyone falls into a big heap in the middle of the floor and starts to eat crisps. That kind of thing.
At the moment Flusta.com only allows you to win points for siding with the ‘correct’ answer. They need to get a partner (maybe a bookie) and offer real rewards. The questions should have more intrigue, thought and love given to them. How this is done – god only knows. Now there’s a question, does god know? No, because there is no god. Or is there? There’s another question. But is it a question you’d want to bet on? God knows.
