Connect with us

Interviews

Roundtable – Thinking Outside the Box with experts from Betsson, Gamingtec and Press Enter

Published

on

Reading Time: 8 minutes

 

Q: Is the online gambling industry lagging behind others when it comes to UX?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

Although we are seeing substantial improvement, the simple answer is yes, when you compare the industry to other digital industries and their giants like Netflix, Spotify, Amazon – it is clear that these companies invest heavily in differentiating themselves from others in their field, offering customers with the most user-friendly and effective browsing experience. As an industry, our focus has heavily been on the content we release, innovation and adapting to constant change, which can distract our focus on user experience optimisation. It is understandably quite a challenge given that the industry has grown at such a fast pace and we’re often faced with regulatory changes, even impacting the way we can promote games on site, which means that every market has different UX requirements.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the very foundations of businesses from different industries, forcing them to adapt to changing times at a much faster pace. More and more businesses realized the importance of building their online presence as the world retreated indoors. We can say that the gambling industry is somewhat more conservative hence lagging behind tech, travel or big data, yet there are certain markets (like EU) which are focusing a lot of attention on UI/UX.

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

We are operating in an online industry, estimated to be worth more than $50bn which says to me we are doing something right. The industry is incredibly competitive and in order to acquire and retain players, UX has to be a priority for anyone hoping to drive a successful business and experience substantial growth.

Competition also drives innovation and our industry is renowned for pioneering technology that provides the best UX available. This not only applies to the moment players arrive at the lobby but also the choice of games, easy navigation, player personalisation, but also to more compliant requirements that are in place to ensure player protection. UX is everything and I believe the gambling industry truly thinks about the end to end player journey and what that UX looks like.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

There will always be some incredible examples outside of gambling that surprise and impress us, and this is great, because it’s also important to be regularly inspired and learn how we can adapt new technologies to enhance our own industry.

 

Q: Casino game lobbies have not drastically changed in many years – why is this?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

The focus through the years has very much been around providing players with the best content and engagement before and whilst playing the games. This includes tailored content targeted at specific players based on their preferences, intriguing offers and engaging gamification experiences such as tournaments and missions, often offering massive prize pools. This was always the most effective way in attracting players to browse games, however as markets regulate and marketing becomes more limited, optimisation of your shop window becomes integral in allowing players to find content which they enjoy.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

This is again a matter of the markets we are looking at. The more technically evolved countries have also brought in a better UX and are constantly updating their online gambling offering. We can easily tell the difference between operators active in Africa versus Europe. So lesser tech progress attracts conservativeness.

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

At a glance, I can understand how one might think that lobbies have largely stayed the same in terms of format, however there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. Casinos have gone from offering players hundreds of games to thousands of games across multiple verticals. Today, players are provided with all the tools to navigate the lobby, with filtering systems, game categories, etc and operators are now finding ways of using the information they glean from player behaviour to  come up with new and interesting ways to present games that the player would enjoy most.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Q: What technologies/solutions are available to help deliver a more personalised experience?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

We are definitely not short of data in our industry, which is the key ingredient to developing a personalized gaming experience. We spend hours on hours every day drilling down on deep dive analysis, with the end goal to deliver the most dedicated user journey. There are also third party companies specializing in content analysis and building personalized frameworks. Apart from this, with the tremendous volume of games on display and influx of new content being released on a daily basis, having a smooth content management system is essential. I would say there should be a balance of a refined game recommendation engine, with the touch of human experience as the ideal approach to achieve this experience, since our industry is constantly evolving, with new game types constantly being innovated by game studios – we need to ensure we are always on top of the current trends.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

There are several tools that have been widely used in the past years to shape the UI/UX and they will keep on having an important role. Yet it’s only natural that designers and developers alike will look into the emerging UX technologies like Voice UI (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana), touchless gesture control, AI, VR and others. The industry will need to adapt as the trends show us the users being more and more connected to emerging technology.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

Going back to the previous question about UX, personalisation plays a large part in this. If a client doesn’t feel like they feel valued or that they belong, then they’re not going to want to stick around. An operator can provide the most immersive and thrilling content, but without ensuring personalisation is a priority within their UX ambitions, then it will not be money well spent.

There are a number of technologies available and many of which are easily integrated into iGaming platforms. These can range from extremely advanced solutions using many data points that will subsequently start learning player preferences by recommending games they are likely to enjoy or more simple solutions that allows you to present a range of games to be presented to a group of players qualifying into some set criteria’s.

The implementation of AI has also played a huge factor when it comes to personalisation and has been a hugely valuable tool in driving overall engagement throughout the player journey leading to increased wagering activity and ultimately maximising the lifetime value of each customer.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Q: Why is delivering a personalised experience so important for the player?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

Picture yourself as a person who is opening an online casino page for their first time, all you are presented with is a bunch of game thumbnails, perhaps some important information about the game, as well as the option to filter through the various game offerings and studios. As an average player, this massive selection can be quite overwhelming and often the player will choose a game related to an offer, or one of the first games they see on the page. If one of the first games you enter is an extremely volatile game for instance, as an average player you could deplete your balance instantly and get the opinion that you cannot win. We are building some brilliant content in this industry and there is absolutely something for any type of player, how you guide a player to making their choice of game is key to their perception of playing online.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

Focusing on customers and testing different options is key in determining the most relevant and effective UX for online gambling. Various types of screen resolutions and browsers need to be supported to ensure an equally easy and enjoyable experience for the players. Moreover, operators need to make sure they consider every step users might take to find a game, access help, search and any reasons why they might want to abandon the site/app. The quicker users get to their goal, the more frequently they are likely to return to the same operator.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

 

Q: What opportunities does it present the operator?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

The obvious opportunity is of course a far greater customer engagement and retention. By delivering a personalized experience from a UX point of view, every time a player logs in to their account, they are not seeing a static page, but ideally a fully customized experience. Retention is key in any industry, it is cheaper to retain players than acquire, I believe that the user experience, especially looking ahead, is going to be key in judging site stickiness and brand loyalty. Players are spoilt for choice nowadays, with new brands always being launched, the user journey is more important than ever.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Personalization is at the heart of a comprehensive customer experience. The benefits of good UI/UX are measurable and research shows us the importance of proper personalization:

  • the ROI is likely to increase 5 to 8 times and sales by 10%
  • personalized calls to action convert 200% better
  • 90% of users are likely to be willing to share their behavioral data if the operator can make their experience faster and easier

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

Investing in personalisation is a necessary approach by most operators because without it, it will dramatically reduce the lifetime value of that player. Therefore, the opportunities are all around ensuring the retention of players. I think that Game Recommendation Engines in all their various forms are maturing, and there is a lot of focus and investment going into that. CRM personalisation has also come on leaps and bounds, enabling operators to offer an end to end level of personalisation.  This is particularly valuable when we engage with our players via Customer Support and/or Payments. The chat bots are great at taking care of many FAQs, and this undoubtedly expediates many requests on behalf of our players.

However, there will always be situations where players will need a real human interaction to solve a problem. Therefore, I think we have a great opportunity to improve how we respond to these types of enquiry; such as, why do I have to explain my problem to a customer representative and why have they not got the technology and tools to see what my problem is before I start talking to them? The stuck game rounds, spins that didn’t pay out correctly or bonuses that didn’t trigger or release is the type of information buried deep in 3rd party systems and can be accessed if you are guided where to look. I think we can make significant improvements in that area and empower 1st line support more to give help more promptly, rather than start collecting the information from the user to start up the investigation. Furthermore, as an industry we still need to continue to invest into empowerment of our 1st line. This is one of the few chances we get to communicate directly with our players, and you do not get a better opportunity to change a bad experience into a positive one. I am still amazed when I gamble around casinos and need help and still get hit with the same response that I got 10 years ago: “we need to escalate to the relevant department” answers, we need to minimise this to the absolute necessary level.

 

Q:  How do you see casino game lobbies and the way content is pushed to players changing?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

I imagine that lobbies will come more alive with more customization on the user-end. The average shelf-life of a new game is becoming shorter and shorter, given the volume of content coming through, as a result the decay curve of a new game release is also much quicker. Everyone wants that front-page exposure, therefore judging that a game sticks from the beginning is vital. This should tie in with games becoming more feature-rich, which guarantees that they’ll be pushed through in more categories and filtering, thus granting them more exposure. We should aim to move away from static looking lobbies and bring online casino pages to life, really bringing forward the exciting experience and thrill which you experience in-game, before you even open the game.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

Online casino operators generate huge volumes of data on a daily basis, and within this data there are plenty of indicators as to player preferences in each market. Identifying and monitoring trends in each market enables the operators to determine which games/providers they should promote, also allowing them to create bespoke content.

There is a series of factors to consider if you want to really engage with your players as an operator and the change will likely be based on behavioral data as well as emerging tech allowing the operators to provide a unique UI/UX.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

Our industry is constantly innovating and it won’t be long before it’s introducing a much more advanced way of serving the games and marketing information that players want to receive. I also think that for the more casual and recreational player, there might be a slower uptake in any significant changes to the game lobby but who knows – watch this space!

 

Powered by WPeMatico

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Brazil

Interview w/ Renato Almeida, Director at FBM

Published

on

interview-w/-renato-almeida,-director-at-fbm

 

Looking Back: Growth & Achievements

FBMDS is celebrating five years of expansion and innovation. How would you describe the brand’s journey during this time?

Our journey over the past five years has been one of bold moves, strategic growth, and relentless innovation. As part of the FBM® Group, we began as pioneers in Video Bingo, but our vision extended far beyond that. We have focused on delivering profitable products to our clients and engaging gaming experiences to players. By expanding into multiple gaming categories and strengthening our global presence in key markets like Mexico and Brazil, we have redefined what a localized, player-centric gaming experience should be.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

What were the key milestones that shaped FBMDS’ success over the past five years?

Several milestones have defined our success. First, our solidification as a market leader in Video Bingo and Lotto Games, setting the gold standard with best-seller products like Multi Mega, Power Pick Lotto, and Champion IV. Our leadership in Video Bingo is reinforced by unique features like the jackpot system, Magic Ball, and attractive paytables, all of which drive engagement and retention.

Second, our presence at international trade shows has played a crucial role in strengthening relationships with key partners and clients while reinforcing our brand positioning, as seen in events like G2E Las Vegas 2024. Lastly, our rapid expansion in the LATAM region, particularly in Mexico and Brazil, has solidified FBMDS as a trusted and respected brand in a highly competitive landscape.

 

What has been the most significant challenge, and how did FBMDS overcome it?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The online gaming industry is highly competitive, and differentiation is key. Our challenge was to deliver games that not only stood out but also ensured profitability for operators and engaging experiences for players. We tackled this by investing in customization, localization, and innovation—ensuring that every product aligns with the preferences of specific markets. Our ability to adapt game mechanics, themes, and retention strategies has positioned us ahead of the competition, creating unique gaming experiences that drive business success.

 

Product Evolution & Market Leadership

FBMDS has built a strong reputation in Video Bingo. How has this segment evolved, and what makes FBMDS a leader in this category?

Video Bingo is our DNA, and we have continuously pushed its evolution by refining gameplay mechanics, introducing engaging themes, and incorporating advanced technology to enhance user experience. Our commitment to differentiation sets us apart: our jackpot feature, the Magic Ball, and attractive paytables are tailored to maximize player engagement and operator profitability. Customization is at the heart of our strategy, ensuring our games resonate with local markets and drive long-term success.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

 

Among FBMDS’ product portfolio, do you have a personal favorite? Why?

It’s hard to pick just one, but I’d highlight our Video Bingo games because they represent our legacy and continued leadership in the industry. We believe Video Bingo is an essential asset for any online casino, as it offers a nostalgic yet modern experience, combining interactive features with high retention rates. Our jackpot system enhances player excitement, while innovative game mechanics keep engagement levels high. In addition, our crash games showcase our adaptability and innovation, delivering high-quality visuals and dynamic gameplay. These two categories reflect our strategic pillars: player engagement and profitable gaming solutions for operators.

 

Future Outlook & Expansion Plans

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Looking ahead, what’s the vision for FBMDS’ next five years?

We are just getting started. Our vision is to expand our influence by continuously delivering innovative and engaging gaming experiences that drive profitability for operators. While we maintain our leadership in Video Bingo, we are also focused on strengthening our position in other gaming verticals. We will continue investing in localized, player-driven innovation, ensuring that every product we launch enhances both player experience and operator success.

 

Brazil is a key market with huge potential. How does FBMDS plan to strengthen its presence in this region?

Brazil is a strategic priority for us. With regulatory developments and increasing demand for online gaming, we see tremendous opportunities to expand. Our approach is centered on offering tailored gaming experiences that resonate with Brazilian players, ensuring our products align with their cultural and gaming preferences. Additionally, we are forging strategic partnerships with operators to facilitate seamless and impactful expansion in the region, ensuring that our games drive engagement and profitability for our partners.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

 

Innovation & What’s Next

Can you share any insights about upcoming products or features that FBMDS is working on?

Absolutely. We are developing a new generation of Video Bingo games featuring advanced jackpot systems, enhanced gameplay mechanics, and even more engaging features tailored to player preferences. Our goal is to create experiences that keep players entertained while maximizing operator revenue. In addition, we are working on new slots and bonus structures designed to drive engagement and profitability, ensuring that FBMDS remains at the forefront of gaming innovation.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

What can operators and players expect from FBMDS in the near future?

A: More expansion, more innovation, and an even stronger, more diverse gaming portfolio. Players can expect cutting-edge experiences featuring interactive and rewarding mechanics, while operators will benefit from flexible, high-performance gaming solutions designed to optimize engagement and profitability. We are committed to maintaining our leadership in Video Bingo while continuously evolving to meet market demands.

 

Final Thoughts

After five years of continuous growth, what message would you like to share with FBMDS’ partners and players?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to our players, partners, and the entire FBMDS team. Your trust and support have been instrumental in our journey. As we move forward, we remain committed to delivering exceptional gaming experiences, driving profitability for our partners, and continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation. The best is yet to come!

 

If you had to describe FBMDS’ journey in one word, what would it be?

Transformational.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The post Interview w/ Renato Almeida, Director at FBM appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Interviews

Irina Laivina, Media 24: “Our content is meant to educate and entertain”

Published

on

irina-laivina,-media-24:-“our-content-is-meant-to-educate-and-entertain”
Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

We’ve sat down with Irina Laivina, Head of Content at affiliate marketing company Media 24, to discuss how iGaming content could evolve, the key elements of a successful content strategy, the traits of top content managers, and more.

 

Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to the iGaming industry?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Since childhood, I have been attracted to philology and the study of foreign languages. After university, I realized that content creation was where I could combine my passion for languages with creativity. When I moved to Latvia and changed my social circle, I became more and more drawn into the world of iGaming. Over time, this industry fascinated me so much that I found my professional niche there.

I started at Media24 as a senior content manager, where I introduced new ideas to improve both content and design. These changes had a positive impact on our business goals, eventually leading to my promotion to head of the content department. Now, I continue to optimize and shape our content strategy.

 

How do you see the role of content evolving in the iGaming affiliate marketing industry over the next five years?

In affiliate marketing content will still play a key role, especially for the SEO-driven affiliate companies. But the way we will create and deliver it will change. The average reader today is more demanding than ever, expecting more value in the content he consumes daily, and willing to spend less time doing it.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The number of content sources has also increased now, too, and that has created many additional angles and opportunities. There’s live streaming, new social media formats, short form videos, and everything in between. So you have to think outside of the traditional strategies and experiment with new ways to connect with your audience to keep up.

Mobile traffic dominance will require adapting for the relevant formats. This trend is already happening globally and will only develop further. Internally, we are following along and are aligning our design and content strategies. Everything must be optimized for mobile-first consumption today.

 

What are the key elements that make up a successful content strategy in your opinion?

The best content strategy starts with clear goals. At Media 24, we believe that our content should educate and entertain, not take advantage of players. We aim to be a source of helpful information for the reader, not just a platform to promote iGaming brands. In a world of informational overload, your content should be focused on providing real value. Users love it, and search engines prioritize this kind of content too.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

We are thinking about the long-term perspective. If content that we produce helps a reader to find what he’s looking for, and is engaging, search engines will naturally rank it higher. So for us it’s not a question of how we can exploit the algorithms, but what is the best way to help a reader make an educated decision.

 

What role does SEO play in shaping the content strategy at Media 24, and how do both teams collaborate for the best results?

At Media 24 content and SEO departments always work hand by hand. It’s hard to imagine our success without close communication between the two teams. We work closely together to develop content plans, conduct competitor analysis, and rely on the SEO team to guide us in the right direction with their data-driven insights. From there, we apply our editorial expertise to make sure our content is relevant, valuable and helpful. So the SEO team navigates us strategically, while the content department is responsible for creating valuable content that keeps readers coming for more.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

When building your team, what traits do you value most in a content manager, and why?

For a content manager, first of all, the key thing is attention to details. In content creation, even small errors can affect credibility, user experience, and performance, so precision is key. I also highly appreciate the initiative and the desire for learning new things. The industry does not stand still, so a good content manager is constantly exploring new tools, trends and working methods, offering fresh ideas and solutions.

We work with 90+ geos and with such a reach it’s very important for the content to be relevant to every country niche specifics and language. That’s why we prioritize hiring native speakers and local experts in every given market. The ones that have a deep understanding of cultural nuances, player preferences and market regulations. This guarantees our content is authentic and resonates with readers in every region.

 

Are there any long-term goals you’re focusing on at Media 24?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

I would really like to optimize all our processes as much as possible. This is something that we are working on actively, and we see that the development of technology can assist us in that. For example, we are currently exploring how we can use the possibilities of AI agents to save time for our team. The main goal is to create smarter work processes.

AI will not replace human content creators, as it lacks originality and niche-specific expertise. But this technology can enhance how we work in many ways. That’s why we’re already developing AI-driven solutions to speed-up our operations and assist us in different repetitive tasks. Once we are able to automate routine and time-consuming parts of our work, this will allow the content team to focus more on creativity and strategy. So by experimenting with AI, we’re not replacing creativity. We are giving it extra space.

The post Irina Laivina, Media 24: “Our content is meant to educate and entertain” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Affiliate Industry

Affiliates in the US Sports Betting Market – Has The Game Gone Cold?

Published

on

affiliates-in-the-us-sports-betting-market-–-has-the-game-gone-cold?

 

A lot has changed since the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA (The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992) as being unconstitutional, effectively ending Nevada’s near-monopoly on sports betting in the country. With every US state now free to legalize and launch its own sports betting market, in-person, online, and mobile sports betting grew at a neck-breaking pace.

This explosive growth saw the emergence of ‘affiliate companies’ – marketing agencies specializing in performance marketing and promoting licensed sports betting operators. However, as the market entered a new phase and growth slowed, some affiliates have been seeing mixed results in the past year.

We sat down for a chat with Shmulik Segal, Founder and CEO of Media Troopers, an advertising agency specializing in sports betting and iGaming in North America, to hear his views on the gambling marketplace and what the future holds for affiliates. Segal takes a realistic approach and acknowledges the days of insatiable growth are gone, but he still sees great potential in the market.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Looking at the bigger picture, how bad were things for affiliates in the past year?

Segal: “I won’t tell you the past year hasn’t been challenging for marketing agencies like ourselves. Looking at 2024 earning reports of publicly traded marketing agencies in the gambling industry, the results are a mixed bag, Segal says. “While some of the largest players in the space saw their US revenues drop by over a third compared to 2023, the earnings of others just flatlined.”

 

What causes you to be optimistic then?

“But on the flip side of the coin, there were also companies that saw double-digit growth in earnings,” Segal compares. “So what does that mixed bag of results tell us? Although the days of explosive growth are over, the market is certainly not on a one-way street. I still see tons of opportunities for companies that are adjusting and doing the right things.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

 

So what are the main challenges the affiliate market is facing?

“I can divide the challenges into two main categories: objective and subjective. Objective categories would be anything that’s ‘man-made’, such as legislation (new states that open up), increased regulation (restrictions on advertising, increased taxation), the evolution of technology (Artificial Intelligence and further mobile personalization), competition (both operators and other marketing channels and companies), and all other factors that are created by governments, companies, and individuals,” he explains.

“The subjective factors are more geographical or permanent. Let’s take sports betting as an example. According to the American Gaming Association’s state tracker, Out of 51 potential jurisdictions across the country (50 states + Washington DC), 38 have legalized sports betting. However, only seven states have legalized iGaming.”

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

So, how do you treat these challenges differently?

“As an affiliate, you understand the fundamental difference between the two types of challenges: your level of control. While you can mitigate objective challenges, you must adapt to subjective ones.”

 

How do you stay relevant as an affiliate amidst these challenges?

“The first thing we must always keep in mind is that we make a living out of providing our customers with additional value, i.e. unique knowledge and expertise that the operator doesn’t have and fits perfectly into its marketing mix. We must provide our customers with a competitive, cutting edge.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“Case in point: we constantly strive to be ahead of the curve in everything we do. Our technology platform constantly adapts and upgrades to include more powerful AI tools for segmentation, targeting, and personalization. A huge part of our media teams’ job is to look for the ‘next big thing’ be it a fresh marketing channel or a new source that will enable us to expand our reach and tap into new markets.

Our commercial teams work closely with existing and potential operators to find new ways to bring value to players, be it new games, news, or promotions. And it goes without saying that our compliance team takes great care of ensuring we adhere to the highest standards of safe advertising and responsible gaming.”

“But no less important,“ he concludes, “is the operations team that ties all the pieces together and executes everything. That’s one of the biggest challenges, given operations can be slow-moving, we constantly need to improve our execution to keep up with the changes the other parts of the team bring.”

 

What about other types of challenges? The ones you can’t mitigate?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“When it comes to subjective challenges, however, you have much less control, and this is where companies must brace themselves and adapt quickly. Case in point, there are 38 sports betting states, while a portion of the remaining ones, such as Hawai, Utah, Texas,  and California, won’t introduce sports betting or iGaming in the foreseeable future.

 

With fewer states regulating gaming in the foreseeable future, is the market bound to shrink?

“I don’t see it that way. Long gone are the days when a new market opened every few months. What would you do? You can’t ‘magic up’ more states. But you can certainly adapt and brace yourself to improve and grow your share in existing markets, which is exactly what we are focusing on doing,” he explains. “Along with acquiring new players through new and existing markets, we are constantly looking for new channels that will bring our customers (operators) loyalty and higher lifetime value.”

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

You are talking about increasing share and value, does that mean there are no new opportunities?

“We see huge potential, with opportunities constantly coming to knock on our door. North Carolina and Vermont were the two new markets that launched in 2024, and we are already seeing a lot of growth there. For example, North Carolina, which only went live with sports betting in March 2024, but by the end of the year, already clinched ninth place in the Top 10 sports betting states, reporting revenues of over $583.

This is why we treat every state as a standalone ecosystem with its unique set of challenges, requirements, and potential. The next exciting challenge (and opportunity) we are preparing for is Missouri, which legalized sports betting at the end of 2024 but has yet to launch. We have already been hard at work since the ballot was approved in November, so we can hit the ground running and start sending our MO sportsbook partners newly depositing customers from day one.

 

What about organic growth in existing markets?

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“There’s certainly that also. While every new state that launches sports betting can potentially bring a spike in growth, we are certainly seeing organic growth and improved results across the board year after year. Take as an example the Super Bowl. In 2025, legal US bets on the Super Bowl grew 10% year-on-year. Or March Madness, on which best are expected to grow 13% from last year.

So, is there still organic growth in existing markets? For us, it’s a big, fat yes.”

 

Are you planning on staying within the iGaming and sports betting markets in the near future?

“That’s a very good question I ask myself every day, Segal smiles and immediately corrects himself. “Actually, scratch that. I ask myself this question many times over the course of a day in the office.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

He elaborates: “iGaming is tangent to other gaming verticals, and sports betting has an overlap with a whole universe of sports and its related verticals. Every website in these verticals needs traffic, and we know how to provide it. So new opportunities knocking on our door. But how do we capitalize on these without losing our focus and commitment to our core business? We keep our ears and eyes open, but never lose focus.”

 

The post Affiliates in the US Sports Betting Market – Has The Game Gone Cold? appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania