“This year’s G2E has been massive for us”

What novelties did you bring to G2E?

We were delighted to be able to showcase our variety of proven and innovative sports betting products to G2E Las Vegas this year.

Giving customers greater control has been a growing trend over the past two years and our exclusive BetBuilder product uses the latest technology to allow players to create instant same-game-multiples on football and U.S. basketball. The product has had a massive impact across Europe and we have launched with some of the biggest sportsbook brands including GVC and bwin. It continues to generate great interest in both the U.S. and Latin American markets

More broadly, any operator with serious ambitions in the U.S. market must get ahead of the in-game betting curve. Our MicroBets product offers quick-fire markets on whether an event will occur within a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-minute window. Again, this product is a reaction to the demand of punters wanting greater control over their betting, while also fulfilling operators’ needs to offer something beyond the traditional sports betting markets.

What does G2E mean for the company?

This year’s G2E has been massive for us. As a business we have been active in the U.S. for several years, working with sports bodies and regulators, but with the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year the market clearly has renewed importance for Betgenius.

We already have some great relationships with U.S. operators and license holders, so G2E has been a chance to build on those relationships and showcase our products at a time when quality should be prioritized over speed to market.

From product to personnel, we are investing heavily in the market and after months of planning, our major presence at G2E was an indicator of that.

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

Following the acquisition by APAX this summer, we are going global with our expansion plans. Their team is fully backing our strategic vision and values, so integrity, intelligence and innovation will continue to be at the heart of how we operate.

We didn’t jump into the U.S. market for first-mover advantage, instead we are keen to pursue operators with a strategy to achieve long-term growth.

In which markets does the company develop?

We are a truly global operator and work with the biggest sportsbook brands in every major regulated territory.

Alongside the U.S., we are gaining major traction in regions such as LatAm and Africa, where the markets and operators are maturing. Operators are beginning to take control of their own destiny by investing in better products and trying to differentiate themselves from their competition. Historically they have been reliant on whitelabel products.

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

The striking down of PASPA was a welcomed move, but only marks the start of North America’s sports betting journey. We were happy to look at the bigger picture and ignore first-mover advantage. We are seeking the right partners, who have ambitions to truly set themselves apart in the market and achieve long-term growth.

In the UK for example, Sky Bet were late bloomers in the market but had an excellent brand, UX and a marketing model that allowed them to achieve long-term success.

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

In the US at least, it’s currently more of a competitive relationship between the two. However, as time goes on we’re likely to see a trend of U.S. land-based casinos focusing more and more on their online products and creating a brand and product experience which is seamless across the two.

This can be especially poignant in the sports betting space, where generating brand loyalty is famously difficult. We’ve seen strong evidence of an omni-channel approach working in the UK market, with retail bookmakers creating incentives for customers who set up an online account within their shops, for example. If you look at some casino’s reward schemes they are not all that different, and there is a huge opportunity to drive sportsbook customers from online to retail and vice-versa.