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Marco Josipovic and this will certainly help to overcome this crisis. We quickly realised the entire industry will be in crisis and that online casinos, poker and so on were not enough for operators who have sport betting at the core of their business.” As mentioned before, the longer major sport is put on hold, the more familiar consumers will become with virtual sports, which can only add to the continued popularity of the vertical once – hopefully sooner rather than later – things start getting back to some semblance of normality. In terms of attracting a new audience, once given a taste, fans are still likely to keep on engaging with virtual sports, even when live sports returns, a point Josipovic agreed with. “It is certain virtual sports will be popular right now, and I think the popularity will grow as this crisis situation continues,” Josipovic said. “We received positive feedback from clients we work with and everyone was eagerly anticipating live virtual events, so we expect to attract a lot of new clients. This opens the door to our company.” In terms of virtual sports being the main vertical to replace sports betting, a case in point is popularity of the Virtual Grand National. The annual UK race was aired on ITV on 4 April, replacing the actual race that was cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. The race raised £2.6m ($3.2m) for NHS Charities Together, while reaching a peak viewership of 4.8m, the equivalent of 30% of the national television audience. While this figure was half of the viewers for the real race in 2019, it was a monumental rise from the 737,000 that tuned into 2019’s virtual race. This further emphasises the fact that while virtual sports might not be able take over from real sport just yet, it’s certainly a more than adequate temporary replacement, according to the COO of the company behind’s the race’s animation. “In addition to the extensive viewership, information about Inspired’s Virtual Grand
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National was trending second worldwide on Twitter for a period of time,” said Brooks Pierce, Inspired Entertainment’s president and COO. “This is a great example of how virtual sports can plug the gap and bring people together.” Inspired Entertainment provided the animation for the Virtual Grand National, with the supplier having a portfolio stretching 14 different sports, which are available 24/7 and available in 30 countries. Virtual sports is a speciality of Inspired, who too will use this current climate as an opportunity to further grow their virtual sports offering, with business showing a significant boost since the suspension of live sports. Brooks added: “Virtual sports can fill the void of live sports with ultra-realistic content and with attractive betting options that sports wagering fans are used to and can easily adopt. “It will also be a core offering when live sports are back, as players like the quick action offered by virtual sports with a contest going off every few minutes. “Our virtual sports business has seen significant growth in the last month, and so have our online and mobile slot games. The appetite for our virtual sports has been strong in Europe for years and the quality and instant gratification our products offer are proven. Content for each of our virtual sports mimics the real-life rules of gameplay and betting options for that particular sport.” The growth in Inspired’s virtual sports offering is backed by it’s 2019 Q4 results, which according to the supplier, was the verticals strongest ever quarter, contributing to a revenue increase of 116% from 2018, to $66.3m. The point about virtual sports continuing to grow once live sports does return is also backed by the general manager of gaming at Sportradar, Frank Wenzig. Speaking to Gambling Insider in a recent GI Friday roundtable discussion on virtual sports, he said that virtual sports can enhance engagement with consumers. The fact fans are now seeking new ways to engage with their favourite sports, added with the use of new technology, means virtual sports can be a credible alternative to real sports betting for the long-term. And from what the various contributors have said, the current period can be used as an opportunity for virtual sports to establish itself, and it will only continue to grow once live sports and sports betting return. That can put the vertical in a great position to become essential to operators. Make no mistake about it, virtual sports are here to stay.
“THE PLAYER DEMAND IS THERE, AND THAT IS ALWAYS THE BEST DRIVER. HOWEVER, COMPANIES THAT INTRODUCED VIRTUAL SPORTS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WILL BENEFIT MORE AS THEY HAVE BUILT A STABLE PLAYER BASE BY NOW. THE ONES THAT JUST INTRODUCED THEM WILL SEE SLOWER GROWTH BUT STILL WILL BENEFIT A LOT”
- Dario Jurcic, Nsoft