Central Europe
Esports Betting in Central & Eastern Europe: Oddin.gg Sponsors Hipther’s GamingTECH CEE
HIPTHER Agency is excited to introduce the Sponsors of the highly-anticipated GamingTECH CEE Summit, taking place on September 26-27, 2023, in Budapest!
The #hipthers are delighted to announce Oddin.gg, the world-leading B2B esports betting solutions provider, as the Badge Sponsors of GamingTECH CEE, the most popular in person event for the iGaming industry in the region of Central and Eastern Europe!
We sat down with Oddin’s co-founder and CEO, Vlastimil Venclik, to find out more about the company’s history, their success story, and Oddin’s position in the CEE region.
Hello, Vlas, thank you for taking the time to talk with us! Can you please introduce yourself and tell us and our readers a bit about your role at Oddin.gg?
My background is in Cybernetics and Intelligent Buildings, my work experience is mainly connected to software development. I started as a mobile developer, then transitioned to cloud and finally ended with AI. My esports journey began in 2015, when I joined one of the first esports startups. Unfortunately the market was not ready at that time and we went bust. I felt that there is still potential and co-founded Oddin.gg in 2018. We became a multi-award winning B2B provider of esports odds feed, risk management, and iFrame solutions. I am leading the IT, Business Intelligence and data processing part of the company, along with the top-level leadership duties.
Esports have been the talk of the industry since the early 2010s, touted as “the future of the iGaming industry”, and during the pandemic many sports-based titles became the go-to sportsbook options in lieu of real life events. What is the position of eSports in the market today?
We are now in the fully recovered market that has shaken off all the anomalies caused by Covid. Esports as an industry is definitely going through consolidation: teams, brands, platforms, all parts of the ecosystem can’t go forward only on the initial enthusiasm and are professionalizing. There will be winners and losers in this process. Even so, all key metrics are showing significant growth. Revenue in the esports market is projected to reach US $10 billion this year. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of at least 8 %, but up to 13 % The largest market in esports is the one we mainly operate in: esports betting. Its market volume should reach US$ 10 bn in 2023, and estimated 24 bn USD in 2028, and we have so much space in offering much higher bettor engagement, much more fun when spectating esports.
Oddin.gg is a world-leading B2B esports betting solutions provider. What is “esports betting” exactly, and what do Oddin’s offerings entail?
Esports betting is the act of placing wagers on the outcomes of professional video game matches and tournaments, just like you would in traditional sports. The main difference is that online games, especially when played by professional esports teams whose number of actions per minute is just astonishing, are generating huge volumes of data every second. Maybe only the NFL is comparable to the volume and quality of analyzed data of player actions and the whole match. At Oddin.gg, we provide a comprehensive suite of solutions for businesses wanting to delve into esports betting. This includes the very construction of the odds feeds, providing risk management, that means guardian anomalies both on the bettors side and players side, and user engagement tools. We are ensuring operators can offer a seamless and engaging esports betting experience to their users.
What makes an eSports betting experience truly engaging for users? Can Live Markets work for eSports?
An engaging esports betting experience hinges on a few key elements. First, the accuracy and depth of live match data. Fans want to bet on various events, not just the final outcome. Live Markets are absolutely crucial in this regard. Just like in traditional sports, the dynamics of an esports match can change moment to moment, and the ability to bet in real-time enhances the thrill. We believe that offering varied, accurate, and instant live betting opportunities is pivotal to captivating the esports audience. And that we can improve the experience much further from the actual state.
What are the benefits that eSports offerings bring to operators, and how does Oddin.gg recommend their offerings to be marketed and utilized in operators’ business strategy?
Esports offers operators a unique opportunity. The demographic engaged in esports is typically younger and digitally native. By catering to this audience, operators can diversify and future-proof their user base. Esports fans are tech-savvy and demand a frictionless experience; therefore, integrating esports offerings helps operators elevate their technological standard.
As for marketing and integration, Oddin.gg emphasizes the importance of authenticity. Operators should genuinely understand and appreciate the esports culture, or have a partner who does. Collaborations with esports influencers, sponsoring tournaments, and creating dedicated esports betting platforms or sections are some strategies we recommend. As with sports, it’s essential to speak the language of the community to gain their trust and loyalty. Esports community can be very rewarding, but also it can punish you heavily and you can lose a lot of traffic overnight. But we are here to offer both personal assistance and technological means to jump start any client in the world of esports, and esports betting in particular. Our iFrame product is built exactly for that.
Hipther’s GamingTECH events have been all about how the iGaming industry evolution has been propelled by Technology – and eSports stand on the very intersection of tGaming and Tech. What is Oddin’s message to GamingTECH CEE attendees about the value of eSports now and in the future?
Our message is clear: Esports is not just a trend – it’s the future. As technology continues to advance and become more integrated into our daily lives, the line between gaming, tech, and mainstream culture will blur. Esports represents the perfect amalgamation of all these elements. For those in the iGaming industry, now is the time to embrace esports, invest in understanding the ecosystem, and provide offerings that resonate with the community. The value of esports will only grow. The next generation will admire pro-gamers in a way we admire Messi, Jordan or Gronkowski. And esports betting can be adjusted to catering the needs of this upcoming generation, and to fuel the whole esports ecosystem.
Thank you so much Vlas for this exciting interview, and thanks, Oddin.gg clan for your continued support!
We look forward to seeing you in Budapest at GamingTECH CEE for the annual reunion of the best companies and professionals from Gaming and Technology in Central and Eastern Europe!
Speaking of the best in the industry, Oddin.gg has been voted by its peers and shortlisted for the BEST ESPORTS BETTING PROVIDER IN CEE 2023 in GamingTECH Awards!
The Final Voting Session and Ceremony for GamingTECH Awards will take place on September 26th, during the GamingTECH CEE Summit.
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