What novelties did you bring to G2E?

It was great to be able to showcase our 360-degree betting portfolio, which offers clients, no matter how big or small, all the tools and services they need to be able to establish and maintain a successful bookmaking business. This includes, at the very premium end of our offering, our Managed Trading Services (MTS), which is the most effective risk, liability, and player management service available, demonstrating our comprehensive portfolio for sports betting operators.

What does G2E mean for the company? 

We occupy a unique position at the intersection of the sports data, betting and entertainment industries so G2E is always a great chance for us to come together with the industry to network, share and learn more about the current topics and conversations surrounding betting markets and trends across the world. This was particularly important in Las Vegas, the hub of casinos and betting, as the US market continues to open. There were a lot of conversations to be had about the legislation itself, betting opportunities, integrity and the like.

What plans does the company have for the remainder of this year?

As a big stakeholder and partner within the fan engagement and cutting-edge sports technology sectors, it’s important for us to remain at the forefront of these continuously growing industries. We are committed to always remaining in touch with our clients and being one step ahead in terms of how we can tailor our solutions to meet their needs so that will be our focus for the remainder of the year.

In which markets does the company develop?

Sportradar, as the world’s leading supplier of sports data, betting, integrity and media products and services, is a truly global company. Our extensive data coverage includes over 400,000 matches across 60 different sports. We also provide data and analysis for more than 1,000 companies in over 80 countries. With 24 offices across the world, we are well-versed in being able to offer our expertise, products and services to clients everywhere from Australia, Africa, the UK, Europe, Latin America and the US, where we have been preparing for the market to open for a number of years now. Likewise, we are also prepared should any other countries, such as India and Colombia legalise betting. We hope this is the trend as the more markets become regulated the better the opportunity to counteract threats of corruption and related black-market betting activity.

What are the next shows for the company?

As a global company we are always attending a number of industry events as, again, they provide great opportunities for us to showcase our products and services across sports data, betting, integrity and media solutions. The next events for us include the Asia Gaming Summit in Taiwan, SiGMA in Malta, the World Lottery Summit in Buenos Aires and of course ICE USA and ICE London, which is one of the biggest opportunities on our annual events calendar.

Sports betting is currently a central issue in the United States. What is your opinion about it?

Over the next few years, the US will emerge as one of the biggest markets for sports betting in the world. It is still early days and there’s still a lot of discussion surrounding what this will mean for US sports and how regulation will be executed.

There are a number of potential challenges with a newly evolving market, including the complexities involved in developing regulations and the perceived threats on integrity. However, as our CEO Carsten Koerl pointed out when the announcement was first made, the benefits of tax revenues, job creation, consumer protection and the overall economic impact outweigh such concerns.

We are ready to help shape the framework and ecosystem of the new US betting economy through a safe and secure infrastructure that balances the priorities and needs of all stakeholders. 

Do you think that online games are complementary or competition of land-based games?

If you look at the Latin American market, land-based retail gaming and betting is still dominant. Punters there are quite happy going to a shop to place a bet. It is true that online gaming is growing, the penetration is immense, especially with the ongoing development of technology. However, in that region, land-based is still big.

The passion for sports in Latin America is huge though, and with the potential of countries, like Colombia, also legalising betting there is a huge opportunity to increase online gaming and, as such, assist clients to leverage engagement and therefore commercial benefits. This could not only assist bookmakers in the region, but the sports industry and entire region as a whole. 

Millennials are the players of the present and the future, how does the company adapt to them?

Again, it goes back to our approach of always ensuring we remain at the forefront of technology. We have been investing in things like mobile technology, esports and virtual gaming for years now to meet the demands of today’s fans. You need to have fast and quality data to be able to do this, which is what we pride ourselves on. We are continually focused on developing innovative media and consumer content. This includes our newly launched Game Stream product, an advanced research tool that offers 3D visualisation of key plays in matches, APIplus, which empowers AI tools such as Alexa or OK Google to go beyond just game scores, and our OTT solutions, which deliver insights to some of the world’s biggest fan bases.