Interviews

The changing face of sports betting

Published

3 years ago

December 3, 2021

With Flutter reporting a key trend of a higher proportion of accumulator bets being placed across the US, is the recreational betting market about to hit lift-off? We talk to Callum Broxton, Commercial Director at Checkd Group, Brandon Walker, Head of Amelco US and Alex Kornilov, CEO at Betegy, to get the low-down on the market, examining the role played by European suppliers in shaping the offering put in front of bettors and looking at how high-quality content and new media partnerships are driving engagement and trimming CPA for operators.

How quickly is recreational betting growing in the US and how influential are the ideas imported by European suppliers?

Callum Broxton, Checkd Group: “There has been some understandable copying of homework as the US market finds its feet, with high-margin products starting to be placed front and centre by the major operators. Much has been made of the need to educate the population on the intricacies and details of sports betting, but that same population has spent years being stats-obsessed thanks to fantasy sports and broadcasts of the games themselves. Recreational markets such as single-game parlays bundle up the knowledge they already have and present it to them in a simple, easy to consume betting product.

“There has also been a clear realisation of the organic marketing power of big wins from small stakes and the role that plays in attracting a whole new audience. Winning $10,000 from a $10 parlay is far more relatable and attainable than winning the same amount from a $5k bet on a single match to hit the over. The former is also far more likely to catch fire on social media and be picked up by publishers, operators and affiliates across the country – those sorts of stories are an invaluable marketing tool for the industry as a whole.”

Brandon Walker, Amelco: “It’s definitely growing and it’s extremely influential. Pre-defined accas / parlays are really going to take off, especially with recreational punters. Alongside that, with the likes of BetBull and its tipsters, it’s got every reason to drive serious growth.

“That’s not to say that’s all the market is going to be, but it will certainly play a big role in the landscape, especially in attracting a new generation of bettor, rather than the old-school approach of moneyline and single bets. The traditional ways of betting will always be there, of course – with the mainstay of high rollers, VIPs and singles.

“But, on the recreational side, newer bettors are going to be interested in the likes of pre-defined parlays, who will want something that can be more emotional, rather than a complex decision. Looking at Fubo for example, we’re seeing a real transition into merging entertainment with the betting experience – and that’s something that can almost be called native, rather than a European import. Combine the streaming experience, which is arguably a more US-centric idea, along with recreational betting – and you have an entirely different landscape to Europe.

“Moving forward – looking at innovation around entertainment and engagement, we’re almost only scraping the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s out there and what can be done. Sports fans are becoming savvy to what’s available – and it’s an open invitation for excitement and engagement, and this space is set to grow even more.”

Alex Kornilov, Betegy: “It’s growing quickly, as the US in effect offers a blank state for creating an entirely new experience. As we all know, a big chunk of the market has come from recreational activities as such as skill-based betting (think DFS), which means fans are already used to the recreational element. Betting offers a natural cross-over, as they still see this as a similar skill-based activity, in the style of making an informed bet. Casino of course, is a completely different kettle of fish, but when it comes to sports DFS really does provide the base – just look at DraftKings, FanDuel, ESPN and Yahoo. You effectively have the customer base already to transfer over. It is one can argue, already there by default.

Stake - Best Online Casino & Sports Betting Platform

“What can be learnt from European suppliers? For me, it’s more about factors such as infrastructure and affiliate management. It’s less about the ideas here, but rather about the tech that can be supplied to support such growth. The core is definitely there to satisfy the demand, and you need suppliers (predominantly European), that can supply that tech and make it top notch.

“That’s not to say, however, that European tech can just be taken and updated – we can see plenty of examples where that tech has been taken and failed to deliver. The US has a unique set of requirements, and it needs to be repackaged and adjusted to fit the US ecosystem.”

Do you see a future where high-margin products such as single-game parlays completely take over the market?

Kornilov: “I see huge potential in quick markets, which is in effect, the generation of bespoke markets for each single event – and it’s supremely well suited in the US to the type of activities that can bring huge turnover to operators. Given the vast expanse of all US leagues across all major sports, you can begin to see the opportunity to offer real-time betting in action, literally on every shot taken. Alongside this, user generated markets (think ‘request a bet’), is another excellent example. I’ve already seen the tech in action for this, which is at the development stage – offering micro and real-time bets, and it’s definitely an area that will offer fantastic growth.

“We can see similar-style action in Europe, particularly in the UK with the Premier League. However, so much more is possible over here given that broadcasters in the US can have complete ownership on the rights of one game. This means that rather than the UK situation of broadcasting at far higher latency, the US is almost instant, enabling so much more to be done to engage and excite.

Broxton: “It seems unlikely that one bet-type alone will take over the US market. There were similar predictions made in the UK during the early days of Request-A-Bet/Bet Builder products. It’s true that these products have been at the centre of industry innovation over the last couple of years. More and more markets are being added to the selection pool and American operators are essentially able to benefit from the trial-and-error process which has taken place in mature markets.

“Ultimately, it’s a very human question and there will always be variance in behaviour. Huge sectors of the market will always prefer traditional parlays or single bets, not to mention in-play.”

Walker: “They will play a big part, but not all of it. They are not necessarily in a position to dominate the market, but this is definitely a high-growth space that holds plenty of potential.

“Just as we’ve mentioned already, this will offer a high incentive for the new generation customer to get involved in betting, as it offers what will be perceived to be a ‘bet low, win high’ outcome, which contributes to that entertainment factor. It’s still most likely that the more established bettors, who have been enjoying land-based sports betting for years (if not decades), will likely stick with the more ‘traditional’ forms of betting as it’s what they know.”

What does the future hold for the old-school American bettor, who traditionally places large stakes on the moneyline?

Broxton: “There is currently a huge opportunity for someone to become the home for the old-school bettor by offering a no-nonsense platform with the best odds. The best example of this would be the Betfair Exchange in the UK which is synonymous with hardcore punters, offering guaranteed value and top odds. The trade-off with exchange-based products, though, is that there is little to no room for innovation and they are limited to offering a fraction of the markets available on sportsbooks. This means they struggle to attract new, younger audiences as a result.

“However, there are some incredibly innovative companies attempting to modernise the exchange model in the US. Sporttrade, for example, offers an alternative, exchange-based experience aiming to capitalise on the exponential post-pandemic surge in popularity of stock/crypto trading platforms among under-30s by presenting users with a Robinhood-esque interface where they can trade bets as if they were stocks.”

Walker: That’s always going to be there. Take the Super Bowl: even prior to PASPA, the large stakes being placed were very much based on emotion and supporting the home team. I think it’s ingrained in the American DNA; and that style of betting is not going anywhere. What’s exciting is the growth in options across betting markets that should create a more exciting hybrid offering for bettors.”

Kornilov: “I would certainly say that moneylines are a good ‘gateway’ into other types of betting as it provides an initial platform to get involved.

“Dynamic withdrawals are also a good evolution of this, as it allows for the fluctuation of odds – and it offers an interesting dimension where you can open and close positions. This progression from one single bet on fixed odds is exactly what operators need, as in many ways they’re behind on the ability to cross-sell across various types of betting. This is particularly the case for our industry, as compared to the likes of Amazon, with the ability to offer recommendations for one product given the use of another lagging far behind. The moneyline therefore can offer just that platform to make the introduction to betting, as it’s the easiest to onboard a customer. You can then offer something more advanced, whether that’s micro-betting or anything else.”

How far can betting incorporate itself into the overall media and sports entertainment industry in the US? What benefits does this approach hold from a CPA perspective for operators?

Kornilov: “How far? They’re trying to do it as quickly as they can. All the key players are doing their best to divide and segment their media markets as well as possible to attract different demographics, although the speed of adoption into betting will be very much defined by legislation. Logically, the more states come online, the further this can go.

“When it comes to CPA, it’s hard to define exact metrics in many ways. Of course, it is potentially the backbone of acquisition, but it’s difficult to define CPA via brand exposure, especially given the multitude of media spend now invested in during matches, which therefore means one cannot know how much (or indeed how long) such exposure will take before the customer gives betting a try. Over time, I believe CPA will go up, as there will be significant increase in media spend and exposure. As this spend increases, CPA will inevitably do so too.

Broxton: “This partly comes down to if and when regulators step in to limit the integration of betting into broadcasts. One of the biggest challenges in an immature market is building trust, familiarity and knowledge, all of which are enhanced immeasurably by synergistic integrations across traditional and new media. In a market the size of America, even a tiny fraction of the market entering the funnel lower down equates to vast sums of money being saved for operators from a CPA perspective.”

Walker: “Fubo, again, is a great example – mixing streaming services with betting. Look at MGM, too, with Jamie Foxx being one of their key figureheads. We’ve always associated brand ambassadors with such marketing, and looking at how the entertainment industry is merging, with the likes of musicians and entertainment icons, this plays a serious role. It’s all about the glitz and glamour in the US – Vegas holds a true legacy there. Looking over to ‘soccer’ in Europe – sponsorship and advertising is massively orientated towards sports betting. It’s becoming the same with the US right now, and in many ways, we’re only just getting started, PGA and the like are starting to test the water, and slowly but surely it will drip into the industry even more. The same can be said for media rights and stadium ownership, and we’re really only just scratching the surface. As brand exposure grows over time, this will likely lower the CPA as reach and awareness steadily grows.”

Moving forward, is there a danger that bigger operators carving up the market between themselves could stifle innovation?

Walker: “Not really – the US is still an open range and, indeed, so big that it’s almost like a snowball at the moment. Give it a few more years and we’re going to be talking about it in an even bigger way.

“Innovators will always be there, and there’s still so much space for smaller operators to be agile and capture market share that it makes it completely open for competition. The US has every potential to be the world’s most dynamic market and, given the interest and pick-up that online is now attracting, there’s no reason to think that the major operators will corner it for themselves.

“Of course, the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel hold plenty of potential for majority share, but there’s going to be plenty of incentives, and indeed means, for sports fans to give alternative operators a try, especially when it comes to brands being native to certain states or associated with their favourite teams.”

Kornilov: “Yes, that is a potential risk. Hopefully we’re a long way from this happening though – because given the nature of competition, you cannot compare the current state of the US market to Europe for example, as the big players are taking a lot more space. In the US, given the nature of current competition, we’re still in many ways in the growth stage, which offers plenty of diversity of outcome. I do hope that the US will present itself as a wonderful example as to how tech leaders – and indeed strategic decision-making can win market share, rather than just weight of investment. We’re seeing plenty of money ploughed into marketing and advertising by the biggest players, but a lot of the more agile outfits are spending their money far more surgically. As a result, such informed planning can enable them the capture far more market share and revenue that would otherwise be possible.”

Broxton: “Innovation rules all when it comes to online sports betting. Operators at the top who fail to do so are left in the dust, often irrevocably, in scarily short time frames. In the US, the pedal is jammed firmly to the floor in the race to scoop up as much technological capability as possible.

“Capital being relatively cheap to acquire has fuelled the M&A heavy landscape and, paired with eye-watering multipliers, it means any investment comes at a premium, premium rate. It’s inevitable, therefore, that the markers of success will soon switch from ‘who has acquired the biggest and best entity’ to ‘who actually has the best product and can start seeing a return on the immense investments made’. Innovation will only benefit from this demand for financial justification of outlay as it’s a faultless handicapper and the all-important Gen X and Y audiences have no mercy if you fail to keep up with the competition.”

Up Next

MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment Join Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ Campaign

Don't Miss

Launch Announcement: U.S. Rugby Sevens Major League Brings Back the World’s best teams to Las Vegas to Compete for Record $1M Prize

Interviews

Patricio Molloy: WA.Technology is ready to raise the bar for LatAm in 2025

Published

1 week ago

January 13, 2025

George Miller

Patricio Molloy: WA.Technology is ready to raise the bar for LatAm in 2025

As we enter 2025, what unique opportunities do you see for WA.Technology in the LatAm iGaming market?

The iGaming market in Latin America is experiencing rapid transformation, and this dynamic shift presents considerable opportunities for companies with the right strategy and adaptability.

We are witnessing a shift from informal, semi-professional operations to a growing demand for a formal, structured, and professional gaming industry that can meet the higher expectations emerging from both regulators and consumers.

At WA.Technology, we are perfectly positioned to leverage our extensive local knowledge to achieve just that. Our team has been working across the region for years, from Mexico to Brazil, Colombia, and beyond, which gives us a unique edge in navigating the regulatory complexities and unique behavioural dynamics of this evolving landscape.

This authentic regional understanding not only allows us to stay ahead of market trends but also empowers us to innovate in a way that aligns with global best practices while being sensitive to local cultures, customs, and regulations. As the LatAm gaming market continues to mature, we are ready to support operators in a more structured, regulated, and growth-oriented environment.

How does WA.Technology plan to maintain its progress across the region in 2025?

Our approach to sustained growth in Latin America is driven by the expertise of our team, who bring years of experience from across the region. The team at WA.Technology has collectively worked across a variety of LatAm gaming markets, gaining firsthand knowledge of local regulations and consumer preferences. This wealth of experience enables us to navigate the ever-changing landscape with agility and precision.

As the region continues to evolve, we will continue to integrate global best practices while remaining flexible enough to address the unique needs of each local market. Our strategy at WA.Technology largely focuses on building close relationships with various local stakeholders, refining our offerings based on real-time feedback and ensuring our presence continues to make a long-lasting difference in the region.

We are committed to driving long-term growth, building strong partnerships and providing the best possible value to our clients across Latin America.

For operators looking to enter Latin America in 2025, what are some of the key trends/nuances they need to be aware of? And how is WA.Technology helping them to navigate these?

Entering the Latin American market in 2025 presents a variety of opportunities for growth. However, operators looking to make the most of what this region has to offer must carefully consider local regulations, consumer behaviour, and cultural differences in each country. After all, LatAm is not one homogenous region – each country has its own unique dynamics at play.

Regulatory frameworks continue to evolve rapidly, with each individual regulator in the region setting its own rules, meaning that operators must be highly adaptable and well-prepared for any future legislative changes. But regulations aren’t the only challenge.

Understanding local consumer habits, preferences, and cultural nuances is equally critical to building a successful operation. For example, the products players enjoy in Brazil are likely to be completely different to those favoured by Mexican bettors.

At WA.Technology, we help operators navigate these complexities by offering solutions that are fully compliant with local laws and tailored to meet the diverse needs of Latin American consumers.

We don’t see ourselves as just a technology provider; we want to be a trusted partner, supporting operators in their journey to understand the regulatory environment and local market dynamics, ensuring they’re well-positioned for long-term success.

With Brazil now live, how does WA.Technology plan to gain an edge in what is likely to be a highly competitive market?

Brazil is undoubtedly the flagship market in Latin America, and we’ve been preparing for this moment for some time. With a market of such size and potential, competition is bound to be hard. However, we are confident that our extensive local presence and tailored approach will give us a distinct edge unmatched by any other provider on the market.

We’ve made significant investments in Brazil, building a team that is highly knowledgeable about the local market and deeply embedded in the regulatory landscape. I am proud to say our team has worked extremely hard to ensure we were ready in time for the new regulations in Brazil and that we are in a position now to grow even further in this market as a result. With dedicated local offices, a strong team of regulatory experts and seasoned professionals with operational expertise, we are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of Brazil’s rapidly growing iGaming market.

Our extensive knowledge of the local market and commitment to delivering innovative, market-specific solutions allows us to provide licensed operators with the tools they need to succeed in this competitive space.

How will your approach to Brazil differ from that of the wider LatAm market?

While Brazil is undeniably one of the largest and most significant markets in Latin America, our approach to the region as a whole is both comprehensive and tailored to the unique characteristics of each country.

We recognise that Latin America is a highly diverse and dynamic market where each country presents distinct opportunities, challenges, and regulatory landscapes.

At WA.Technology, we adopt a market-specific strategy across our entire business, ensuring that we provide localised solutions that meet the unique needs of each country while maintaining a strong, responsive presence in all key markets.

Our team brings extensive experience from working in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. In fact, we recently expanded our footprint by opening offices in Mexico City, which allows us to stay closely connected to local developments and offer even more tailored support to our partners in this market.

Mexico is particularly important to us in terms of future growth, and we view it as a key focus for WA.Technology alongside Brazil. Our integrated, flexible approach ensures we can remain agile across the entire region, responding effectively to each market’s specific demands while maintaining a cohesive regional strategy.

What are your goals for expanding WA.Technology’s footprint in LatAm over the next 12 months? And how do you plan to achieve these?

Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, our key goals for expanding WA.Technology’s footprint in Latin America is rooted in two fundamental pillars: extensive market knowledge and strong local presence.

As the region evolves at a rapid pace, staying ahead of market shifts requires constant attention. Our strategy is to maintain a physical presence in every major market, fostering relationships with local stakeholders, regulators, and operators. By doing this, we are able to anticipate changes in the wider market and position ourselves as a proactive, solutions-driven partner, ensuring that our partners can retain their competitive edge.

We aim to further solidify our relationships with key players across the region and remain highly engaged in local markets, adapting our solutions in real-time to meet emerging needs.

Our focus on continuous engagement ensures that we’re always in tune with the evolving landscape, positioning WA.Technology to lead the way in driving innovation and delivering value in Latin America.

Interviews

Building a company culture from the ground up

Published

1 month ago

December 13, 2024

George Miller

Building a company culture from the ground up

David Natroshvili, Founder of SPRIBE, talks about company culture and why office working is the key to communication for any organisation

Home working, office working or hybrid working. What’s best when it comes to fostering a successful company culture?

SPRIBE started off as a hybrid working company with our employees having a lot of flexibility over where they worked from and the schedules they worked to. This served us well during the pandemic when companies were forced to send staff home during the height of lockdowns. But since then, and given the rapid growth we have experienced, we have opted to gradually switch to a full-time office set-up for our employees. Why? Because there are so many benefits to having employees working from the office, for both the organisation and those working for it. We’ve tried to make the transition as seamless as possible by creating comfortable and inspiring workspaces, offering regular team-building activities and ensuring we run plenty of social events each month, including poker tournaments and Happy Friday which brings together all team members to round off the week.

Can you talk through some of the benefits of office-based working?

The biggest benefit is the connection that forms between team members and the different teams that make up the organisation. Communication is key to a business – and individuals – achieving objectives and reaching its/their full potential, and communication is so much easier when everyone is under the same roof and can speak face to face. It allows for deeper collaboration, faster problem-solving and more cohesive processes. I think there are serious mental health benefits, too – by working from an office, people feel part of a community and don’t become isolated from their team and the wider organisation. Without its people, company culture is little more than a document of ideas and processes but when you bring the people that make up the organisation under the same roof, it comes to life.

What does SPRIBE’s company culture look like?

We have always focused on helping our employees strike a good work/life balance, and we go to great lengths to support their well-being and mental health. This includes fun activities like our weekly Happy Friday and regular social events but also ensuring that each team member feels valued and that they are supported and encouraged by senior management and team leaders. Personal development is a big part of employee well-being, so we offer plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development. This, combined with providing the right environment for our employees to work in, ensures each member of the team can thrive, develop and grow, which in turn makes them feel like they have a long future with SPRIBE and that their position within the company is valued and secure.

How will you ensure your company culture evolves alongside changing employee expectations and wider working trends?

The way I see it, talented people want to contribute to a successful business so long as their involvement is valued and rewarded. This has always been the case and won’t change anytime soon. At SPRIBE, we want to attract the best talent in the business and so long as we ensure this talent feels valued and is given the environment and opportunities to reach its full potential, while striking the right work/life balance, we will remain a highly attractive organisation to join regardless of the latest company culture trends and employee expectations.

When you founded SPRIBE, did you expect it to become the success that it is today?

Yes and no. I knew that we had an incredibly strong founding team and that when we came up with the concept for Aviator, the original iGaming crash game, that we’d come up with something big. But no, I couldn’t have seen it becoming the phenomenon that it has – Aviator is now live with more than 4,500 online casinos and has 42 million active players a month. This has allowed us to continue to innovate and be pioneers, especially when it comes to our marketing deals with the UFC and A.C. Milan. It’s this that ultimately makes SPRIBE such a great place to work – we are doing things that other companies could only ever dream of.

Fantasy Sports

Will Booth: blending the best of fantasy and sports with Pick’Em Player Props

Published

2 months ago

November 13, 2024

George Miller

Will Booth: blending the best of fantasy and sports with Pick’Em Player Props

For those that might not know, can you give us a brief overview of Pick’Em Player Props?

In simple terms, the new Pick’Em Player Props product from WA.Technology is almost like a hybrid between fantasy sports and sports betting. In the same vein as traditional player props products that you see in traditional sports, players can select markets on individual players – we have just taken that model and elevated it.

During the game, players can make between two and six bet selections. For example, will Erling Haaland score more or less than 2.5 shots? The number of bet selections the player makes then determines their multiplier. By allowing bettors to unleash their sporting knowledge and provide engaging games for them to play, we are helping our operator partners to not only engage with a wider player base but also to fuel long-term retention. It really is a one-of-a-kind product and one we’re incredibly excited about. It’s already proving to be a top performer in LatAm.

Why has now been the right time to unveil Pick’Em Player Props?

Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant growth in the number of player proposition products. There are several reasons for that. Sports fans have shown a growing affinity for individual players rather than a team. They follow players on social media and engage with content featuring that player.

This reflects the wider trend we’re seeing: the new generation of fans is more in love with the players than the team itself. A great example of this is both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Bettors worldwide would wager on either of those players and engage with their content regardless of which team they played for or what club they supported.

The appetite for player-driven betting is increasing dramatically, resulting in a greater demand for products specifically tailored to individual athletes.

With more traditional sportsbooks, however, we’ve found that there isn’t as much depth of product regarding player propositions – aside from goal scorer markets. We wanted to change that – we wanted to deliver a fun, engaging product that helps build a sense of community among players.

Since Pick’Em Player Props is also a hybrid of fantasy and sports, it can act as an attractive tool to facilitate new market entries, as fantasy sports are not regulated like sportsbooks or iGaming. Take the US for example. In most states, operators do not need a licence to offer a fantasy sports product. This is the case for many markets around the world, too. I believe this will be an attractive proposition for operators looking to expand their international footprint, and as a truly global provider, we’re here to make that happen.

In your view, what differentiates WA.Technology’s Pick’Em Player Props from other player props products on the market?

Currently, we are the only B2B provider to offer a player propositions product that combines sports and fantasy. A handful of companies in the US offer something similar, but they are all B2C companies – we are bringing something totally unique to the B2B space.

Fantasy Sports have always been popular in the US. But over the last 18 months, we’ve seen a meteoric rise in the demand for player proposition markets; we wanted to develop a product that caters to that growth in demand and delivers something unique for our partners.

For other player props products on the market, something that is worth noting is that the design and UX are doing little to engage Millennial/Gen Z bettors. This audience demands a streamlined UX that is easy to use. Our Pick’Em version has been specifically designed with this demographic in mind, although we have been careful not to disenfranchise other age groups. We have kept the design sleek, streamlined and easy to use to deliver that. It’s extremely well-designed compared to what you might see in a more traditional sportsbook.

The game is straightforward to understand because we have fixed multipliers. This decision differentiates us from more traditional products, where the multipliers vary depending on how many bets you place. It also makes the product much more accessible for players who might otherwise not be familiar with fantasy or player props.

Another major defining factor is that we have ensured players can add multiple bets from different markets together. On most sports betting sites out there, you cannot combine player props markets. You couldn’t, for example, have a bet slip combining Erling Haaland’s Over/Under Shots and Kevin De Bruyne’s Shots on Target. We know this is frustrating for many bettors. We wanted to eliminate that barrier and elevate sports fans’ experience.

How does the level of data granularity influence the design and effectiveness of player proposition betting products, particularly in terms of player engagement and personalised betting options?

We are very fortunate that the data feed we use for our player props markets is the best. We have a wide range of insights and data analytics available, giving us an edge over other companies within the space – this is a serious differentiator.

The enhanced data range means we can deliver many more bespoke, personalised betting options to players while also getting more granular with the markets we can offer.

Our Managed Services Team, which oversees all things trading, also closely monitors the markets that are most popular with players. For example, if we see an influx in bets on ‘shots on target’, we know how to create more promotions around this particular market. We can tailor the CMS to engage better with players and create a more personalised experience.

Players can also ‘favourite’ particular players and clubs. Any market featuring that player will automatically appear when the Pick’Em Player Props application loads up.

Are there any markets where you believe Pick’Em Player Props will prove to be particularly popular? If so, why?

In all honesty, I can’t think of a market where this won’t be popular! Regions such as LatAm present an enormous opportunity for the growth of player proposition markets. I believe we can really plug a gap in the products currently offered to bettors.

Across the continent, we’ve seen players show a real passion for player-focused markets, and we’re here to capitalise on that. In Brazil, for example, if we were to create markets on Neymar, I’d anticipate this would gain much traction!

The real selling point for Pick’Em Player Props here is that we offer an extensive range of sports and markets that cater to a broad audience – but within that, we can personalise sports and bet selections not to overwhelm the player. I’d expect that markets on football will perform exceptionally well across Africa and LatAm, while countries such as South Africa may have a stronger preference for Rugby or Cricket.

Ultimately, it’s about understanding the unique preferences of players within each jurisdiction our partners operate in and tailoring the product accordingly. With teams based in various markets worldwide, we can get to grips with the local knowledge and fully understand what resonates with bettors.

In your view, what are some of the factors behind the growth of player props products in the last 12 months?

Most definitely shows how sports media companies are incorporating more player-specific content into their roster. This already has a huge impact, and I can’t see it changing anytime soon.

Whether it’s interviews with specific players, post-match analytics on performance or even the inherent growth of social media, the balance is undoubtedly tipping more towards the player rather than the team.

Personalisation will also have a considerable knock-on effect on the growth of player propositions. Bettors want more bespoke offers, specific bet suggestions and more instant content tailored to their unique playing habits. With a product like Pick’Em Player Props, you can personalise that betting experience to your heart’s content.

It also becomes much easier for sportsbooks to align with a specific user’s interests when we deliver unmatched data analytics and levels of personalisation that are available via WA.Technology’s product suite.

In short, Pick’Em Player Props gives operators the tools they need to create wide-ranging engagement opportunities without sticking to the rigid sporting calendar, where sometimes you might have to wait several days between a game. By incorporating fantasy sports, we can deliver round-the-clock content much faster, therefore meeting the demands of players. If you want to find out more – make sure to stop by Stand 1095 at SiGMA!