Sports Betting Guide to ICE by SBC Global

SPORTS BETTING

GUIDE TO

FRED DONE: 50 YEARS

IS BETTING COMING

SUPER AFFILIATES TAKE

IN THE INDUSTRY

TO AMERICA?

A LOOK AT THE FUTURE

www.sbc.global

2 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Welcome to the SBC Sports Betting Guide to ICE.

Andrew McCarron Managing Director SBC Global

The idea for this guide has stemmed from SBC’s involvement in the Official ICE Sports Betting Tours, where we help those visitors interested in betting connect with the right people and companies to enhance their businesses. You can find out more about the Sports Betting Tours on page 8. The impressive thing about ICE is that it just keeps getting bigger and more comprehensive. The numbers speak for themselves - exhibitors from a total of 62 sovereign states filling 43,500sqm of net space across the whole spectrum of gambling. The size of the show and myriad of opportunities it presents means that sometimes great business partnerships can go unrealised. That’s where this guide can help - by highlighting some of the opportunities that are available within the betting industry and spark conversations that may otherwise have been missed. We’ve also included some exclusive interviews, with Betfred founder Fred Done and with bet365, as well as a look at the future for sports betting in the US and the affiliate landscape. If you find this useful, then our Betting on Football Conference on 19-22 March at Stamford Bridge could well be for you. The fifth Betting on Football is a focused event specifically for the betting industry, making networking and education easier than ever before. Find out more about that on page 31. It’s shaping up to be yet another tumultuous year for the betting and gaming industry, with increased regulations biting in operations and the affiliate marketing sphere, ongoing waves of consolidation being counterbalanced by this summer’s World Cup in Russia and the opening of potentially the biggest betting market in the world - the US. The best way to stay on top of all these developments is bookmark our news sites - SBCNews.co.uk, CasinoBeats.com, AffiliateInsider.com and EsportsInsider. com - attend our conferences (Betting on Football and Betting on Sports are supplemented by a number of supporting events), and basically keep us as close to your heart as possible. Let’s a have a great year together.

CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

6 LONDON BABY 8 SPORTS BETTING TOURS 10 FRED DONE INTERVIEW 14 FOCUS ON OPTIMA 16 FOCUS ON 1XBET 18 FOCUS ON BETINVEST 20 FOCUS ON GOLDEN RACE 24 FOCUS ON BETCONSTRUCT 26 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS 31 BETTING ON FOOTBALL 33 SPORTS BETTING IN THE USA 36 WHAT MAKES BET365 TICK? 38 WHAT’S NEW AT LAC 2018 40 THE FUTURE OF AFFILIATE MARKETING

The SBC Sports Betting Guide to ICE is brought to you by SBC Global Editorial Team Andrew McCarron, Luke Massey, Craig Davies, Michael Lawson, Ted Menmuir, Joe Streeter Sales Team: Rasmus Sojmark, Alyona Gromova, Conall McCabe, Neil Judson Design Team: Nikolai Sojmark, Ercin Tulfeki, Bettina Sojmark All material is strictly copyrighted and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of SBC Global. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, SBC Global cannot be held responsible for any errors it may contain. SBC Global cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of any material, solicited or unsolicited. The views in the publication are not necessarily the views of SBC Global or those of the advertisers. Produced and published by SBC Global Registered address: Sports Betting Community, 103-105 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 2NG, UK Tel.: +44 (0) 161 367 1250 Email: sales@sbcnews.co.uk Web www.sbc.global

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 3

20-23 MARCH 2018 Stamford Bridge, London

5th Edition of the International Football & Betting Trade Conference

Source: Betting on Football 2017

1,500+ Delegates

Exhibitors

200

150+

40+

100

Gambling Operators in attendance

CONFERENCE

Countries represented

World-Class Speakers

Football Clubs & Organisations Represented

BUSINESS

Access to over 40 sessions of high quality sports betting and football focused content from 200 of the brightest and best speakers in the sports and betting industries.

Dedicated meeting rooms, meeting areas and VIP lounges for the important business meetings throughout Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

SPECIALIST FORUMS

NETWORKING

We are introducing three new specialist forums: EsportsInsider Super Forum, AfﬁliateInsider Bootcamp, and the SBC Sponsorship Forum for clubs and operators.

Exclusive networking opportunities at Frankie’s World Cup bar, ofﬁcial Wednesday party at Namco Funscape, and closing Thursday party at Under the Bridge.

EXHIBITION

FOOTBALL CLUBS

Learn about the latest innovations, solutions and services from 40 of the very best industry suppliers exhibiting at the event.

No other event in the gambling industry offers the chance to meet with 100+ representatives from football clubs and leagues around the world.

For more information, please visit www.sbcevents.com 4 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

SPEAKER PREVIEW

Niels Erik Folmann CEO

Jesper Kärrbrink CEO

Jesper Soegaard CEO & Co-founder

Fabio Schiavolin CEO

Paris Smith CEO

Marcus Brennan CEO

Akin Alabi CEO

Markus Peuler CEO

Jari Vahanen Senior Vice President

Per Widerstrom CEO

Matt Scarrot Director of Sports & VIP

Zeno Ossko Managing Director

Jacqueline Hart Fraud Director

Francesco Carione Managing Director

Eddie Bennett MD

Alexander Martin New Media Director

Martin Sack Group Manager, Online Business Development

Eric Konings Sports Betting Integrity Ofﬁcer

Rory Anderson Consultant

Eduard Blonk Managing Director, Sales

Marco Castaldo CEO

Dr. Matthias Kirschenhofer Managing Director of Entertainment

Ory Weihs CEO

Marco Nazzari Managing Director, Europe

Giorgio Ricci Commercial Director

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 5

BEST NETWORKING AVAILABLE AT ICE: LONDON BABY!

ondon Baby started off eight years ago as a small informal networking party jointly organised by SBC and iGaming Business around the ICE show, then at Earls Court. Today it’s the biggest networking party on the first night of the biggest gambling exhibition in the world. And it’s still free to attend, with free drinks. Registration has opened for London Baby 2018, the largest networking party held on the first night of ICE London, the world’s biggest gaming exhibition. Registration is open at http://sbcevents.com/london-baby-2018. Organised by SBC and iGaming Business, #londonbaby2018 will return to the stunning Café de Paris for the fourth consecutive year. More than 900 gambling industry guests are expected to attend the opulent London nightclub. Located next to Leicester Square in the heart of the city, Café de Paris is one of the most famous entertainment venues in the world. With a glittering history, spanning more than nine decades, Café de Paris has consistently played host to a wide variety of powerful and absorbing

6 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

performers and guests, members of the aristocracy, eminent political figures, dazzling pop stars, captains of industry, superstars from the silver screen and even royalty. London Baby, now established as a core component of the three-day ICE London conference, takes pride in its reputation for providing free drinks until the early hours and unlimited networking opportunities with iGaming and sports betting professionals. SBC Global Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark said: “London Baby is the product of a successful long-term collaboration between SBC and iGaming Business, two of the gambling industry’s leading media providers. “For the last seven years, the party has provided a lively and entertaining opening salvo to a busy week, and this year promises to be no different. We can’t wait to welcome the entire industry to the Café de Paris next month.” VIP tables and sponsorship packages are still available, while free individual tickets will be able for collection from the SBC Global stand (SD2 C&D) and

iGaming Business stand (ND7 A&B) on the day of the party.

COLLECT YOUR TICKETS SBC Global stand (SD2-C&D) and iGaming Business stand (ND7-A&B) on Tuesday 6 February. HOW TO GET THERE The address is 3-4 Coventry Street, London W1D 6BL NEAREST UNDERGROUND OR RAIL STATIONS Cafe de Paris is a 2 minute walk from either Leicester Square (Leicester Square exit) and Piccadilly Circus (Shaftesbury Avenue exit). Cafe de Paris is a 7 minute walk from Charing Cross and a 10 minute tube ride from Euston (Northern Line), Kings Cross St Pancras (Piccadilly Line), Waterloo (Northern Line) or Paddington (Bakerloo Line).

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 7

SBC’S ICE TOURS TO HELP DELEGATES LOCATE BEST IN SPORTS BETTING

SBC acts as tour guide par excellence at ICE for delegates wanting to navigate around the key sports betting suppliers.

visitor’s time is limited during ICE, and SBC wants to help them reach key sports betting suppliers within just two precious hours. At each stand the tour visits, the company will provide a short presentation and hand out brochures and business card for contacts relevant to you. In addition to meeting the key suppliers, visitors will also get a chance to meet team SBC and the other c50

London. Over the past three years, SBC has helped hundreds of gambling industry executives and wider stakeholders get connected with the people that they need to discuss plans to develop their business. These people have ranged from small operators looking to diversify into betting, large operators in markets where deregulation of betting is being discussed, European

are starting to congregate in one area, the recent shifts we’ve seen in the supply chain of consolidation mean that some of the key suppliers can be located anywhere across the two huge halls. Fortunately we are in a position help people find the right companies to help their businesses.” Those interested in joining the Sports Betting Tour can do so FREE OF CHARGE via the ICE Totally Gaming website. Those who register are asked to mark which areas of the betting market they are interested in finding out more. This feedback allows SBC to tailor the tour to its participants’ needs. SBC COO Paul Mills explained: “The response to our Sports Betting Tours has been great ever since we started them as they provide an essential service to those that need them. We are pleased that we can use our indepth knowledge and expertise of the betting industry to help them advance their businesses.”

delegates that participate on the tour. It’s a unique business and networking opportunity for everyone interested in sports betting at ICE. Four years ago, ICE organiser Clarion Events approached SBC to help visitors navigate the ICE show floor in search of sports betting products and services. SBC’s extensive knowledge of the betting sector and its different components and complexities made it the perfect guide for those wanting to know more about the industry while in

Commission officials looking to find out more about how the markets work and existing betting operators attending ICE for the first time and unsure where to start out. SBC Managing Director Andrew McCarron explained: “ICE can be quite daunting, not just for a newcomer, but for a seasoned pro who may have only been working in one sector and suddenly has to navigate around a whole new section of the exhibition floor. “While many of the betting suppliers

WHERE TO MEET:

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11am - Tuesday 6th February 2018 SBC Global Stand SD2-C/D

WHERE TO REGISTER:

Please sign up for the tour at: https://www.icetotallygaming.com/ sports-betting-tour#/

SBC Global

ICE LONDON

Stand: SD2-C/D

New SIS Greyhound Channel More betting opportunities at the right times. Give your customers more of what they want, when they want it. The SIS Greyhound Channel features a market-leading 42 British & Irish fixtures a week, with more live races at peak times, along with quality virtual racing, too. Which means your customers will benefit from a betting opportunity every 3 minutes, leading to increased dwell times and more profitable betting. With over 30 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience, SIS are the leading trusted supplier of greyhound content globally and supply 95% of the UK retail market, including the largest online operator worldwide.

To find out more, come and see us on stand S2-180 (next to The Racing Post CafĂŠ) where you can take part in our 49s lottery draw, with thousands of pounds worth of prizes up for grabs. 01908 865 700

| www.sis.tv/sis-greyhound-channel JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 9

DONE STILL BETTING ON PERSONAL TOUCH

Last year saw Fred Done celebrate 50 years in the betting industry and the owner of the world’s largest independent bookmaker marked the occasion by being inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame.

etfred was founded by brothers Fred and Peter Done in Salford in 1967. They used savings and borrowed money to open their first shop and immediately set themselves apart from the opposition by putting the emphasis on the customer. In the beginning it was very much a family affair and the company grew steadily in the 70s, 80s and 90s. The growth was organic and, by acquiring groups of shops from other bookmakers, it was a healthy expanding business. There was one day when Done did fear for the future though, as did many other UK bookmakers - on what is now referred to as ‘Dettori Day’. Done explained: “It’s been 50 good years. I’ve enjoyed it all. We’ve had ups and downs but there was a never a stage, other than the Frankie Dettori day, when I ever thought the business was in danger of going under.” In September 1996, Italian jockey Frankie Dettori rode all seven winners on the card in Ascot at the cumulative odds of 25,051. As one of the most popular and high profile jockeys on the circuit, it wasn’t unusual for people to back all his horses - sometimes in accumulators - so this was big trouble for bookmakers. It was reported at the time that it cost the industry £30m - not a massive amount these days but a huge figure in a pre-digital sector. At the time, the analogue reporting systems had every bookmaker worrying what their liabilities were on the day. “It only lasted for two or three hours,” Done recalled, “but for a while we weren’t sure we’d make it. The problem was we weren’t computerised in those days. Every shop used to phone through their liabilities at the end of trading but it had been such a day that 10 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Fred Done has always been a big champion of betting shops. all the lines were blocked and it took forever before we got a clear picture. Thankfully we realised we’d be okay.” It’s definitely an experience that has stayed with Done. In his private office in Betfred’s Warrington headquarters there’s a framed front page of the Sporting Life reporting on the remarkable feat, signed by the Italian jockey himself. “Yeah, somebody bought me that,” Done laughed. At a time when the gambling industry has been transformed, primarily by the internet, Done is one of a few of the old guard that has the staying power there are very few big names that have been in the game for decades that still has a profile. In fact the company’s marketing makes full use of its CEO and has done for decades. Before the internet, Fred Done was known as ‘The Bonus King’ and these days the brand boasts his name, has him starring in TV adverts and features him in a weekly show in the bookmaker’s betting shop channel, aired every Saturday.

“I still enjoy the game and still love the shops,” Done explained. “I mean, the online is the growth of the future, no doubt about that, and shops are having a really rough time of it with now with what’s happening with regulation about machines and other issues, but they’ve been good. “And what I think people fail to realise is the social side of a betting shop. I’ve heard people who’ve never been in shops call them a source of misery but 99.5 per cent of the people who go into betting shops love a betting a shop. Their mates are in there, and others with similar interests, but that’s what these politicians don’t understand. They don’t understand the camaraderie and the crack that goes with it…” Done believes that the downward pressure on the industry could have some negative wider effects, which would be a shame given the current service available in the UK: “I believe, now, punters in this country get the best deal in the world. They get the best

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 11

value. You look at margins in South Africa or America or France, they don’t get what they get in this country. “Plus, they’ve got the variety of everything here, all the different types of sports betting is available, you know. If you look at the states now all they bet on is horses and dogs, and they’re 30 years behind us. “The stupid thing is that people are still betting there - 90 per cent of the sports betting that goes on in America is illegal, because the only place you can really bet legally on sports is in Nevada. They need to get it sorted out. You know, make it legal and tax it.” Another advantage of regulating the betting industry is to make sure that people that can’t control their gambling and need help actually get it. Done believes that the UK has those kind of safeguards in place now. “I mean, not only do customers in this country get the best deal, they get the best protection as well,” he said. “We don’t let kids in. We don’t let crime in

and we do our best with things like money laundering and looking after problem gamblers. “Every Saturday morning on Betfred TV, from 9.30am until 11am, is my favourite one-and-a-half hours of the week. Why? Because I host the show being aired and it brings me back to the punters - and I talk to punters like a punter. That is the best one-anda-half hours of the week but I always finish off with the warning, ‘keep it fun, keep it friendly, bet to your pocket, bet responsibly and nobody gets into trouble. The last thing I want in my shops is problem gamblers’.” “But we mean it. It’s not lip service. I always say it. How many other of the betting shops brands have the CEO personally delivering a message like that to their customers on a regular basis? Not many.” The digs at the UK’s other major firms are not a surprise from a man who has always resisted working too closely with his competitors.

“I want to make my own mind up. I wanted to be different from the other bookmakers.”

12 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

“I want to be independent,” he said, simply. “I want to make my own mind up. I wanted to be different from the other bookmakers. I’m not in the Association of British Bookmakers. I was but felt my voice wasn’t being heard so I walked away. I thought ‘I don’t want to be in a club where nobody listens to me’.” Although not a member of the bookmaker-created social-responsibility standards organisation Senet Group, Done does still work alongside the other firms when necessary. On FOBTs for example, Betfred also adopted the initially voluntary restrictions on stake, prize and game speed along with the rest of the industry before the new 2005 Gambling Act came into power. It was during this time that the real g rowt h f o r

the firm happened with the first shop opening in London and with a name change from Done Bookmakers to Betfred expanding horizons nationally. Betfred became the official betting partner of the new Wembley Stadium and also the official betting partner of Manchester United. By 2010 Betfred had a high-street presence of 800 shops which grew to 1,350 with the purchase of the Tote from the government for £265m. The purchase of the Tote also gave Betfred an exclusive seven-year licence to run pools betting on horses in Britain. There was further expansion on the high street in October 2016 w h e n Betfred a c -

quired 322 shops from the merger of Ladbrokes and Coral. The retail estate now stands at 1,664 high street shops. Betfred was the first to introduce the ever-popular Lucky 15 bets and the company’s predilection for bonuses (and early payouts on the football) meant the trading team was the first to be regularly tested by the marketing team, as is the norm now. Done said blending the two pressures is a rare ability: “I find traders are not brilliant marketers and marketers are not brilliant traders either - because they don’t know the numbers, they just want to give it away. You don’t often get the balanced people who know what they’re doing. “The best people we’ve got are people who’ve come up from the shop floor, from the betting shops, because they understand it all.” Done sets a lot of store in the personal touch and it’s something that extends to his business investments too. In the gambling industry he has put money

into Active Wins and Degree 53, among others, but his interests also extend far beyond the gambling sphere as well. One of the most successful has been Peninsula Business Services, which deals with health and safety, employment law and tax advice - and employs more than 2,000 people worldwide. The latest venture is closer to home though - the FX operator TradeFred, which started late last year - and is also the Official Financial Trading Partner of Bolton Wanderers. Done explained: “Some boys came to me and I liked the talent, and I wanted to back them, and we’ve now got an office in Tel Aviv with about 25 people. We’ve got an office with Manchester. The licence is in Cyprus and Vanuatu. It’s an interesting opportunity.” It’s obvious that Done still has the drive for business today that he did back in 1967 and even after 50 years in the business there’s little sign of him slowing down.

“I believe, now, punters in this country get the best deal in the world. They get the best value.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 13

BETFRED & IGT DEALS MEAN OPTIMA CAN START 2018 WITH A BANG

Winning the Best Standalone Platform Award marked a great end to the year for OPTIMA, but the company has even more to offer in 2018.

PTIMA kicks off with Betfred and IGT in 2018, with this duo of high profile deals ensuring the Seville-based firm has hit the ground running in the new year. Major gaming distributor IGT announced a new deal with OPTIMA for the licensing, support, and development of its sports betting platform in all international regions outside of Italy, the United States and Canada. The deal extended a relationship that stretches back some three years, when OPTIMA was originally licensed for its MarginMaker sports betting platform, from the GTECH side of the group. Completing the double was a deal signed with Betfred, relating to OPTIMA MGS, its multi channel gaming suite, and extending to the ongoing development and support of the bookmakers online, retail and call centre businesses. The multi year deal sees the rollout of OPTIMA MGS, in addition to the EPOS Serverless v2 retail product, for in excess of 1,600 betting shops, and supporting nearly 4,000 point of sale OTC terminals. Through its MGS, OPTIMA offers a turnkey egaming and sports betting platform solution, allowing operators to target businesses through a multitude of engagement channels seamlessly, for multiple product verticals, and all supported under a single system. Its collection of applications engines and tools are bundled with support, development and integration services, in addition to utilising technology which provides access to hundreds of 14 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

services and third party products. Offering sports betting, horse racing and dog racing products, MGS can provide fully automated, hybrid human-AI based risk control, multi feed content integration API and State of the art frontend components. With large bet type, market type and content management capabilities, the engine also offers both fixed odds and pool betting. Evaluating its MGS, OPTIMA states that it “is multi-channel, multi-vertical, multi-currency, multi-regulation, multi-brand and a fully flexible system that can be adapted to requirements from any partner end to end. “The platform provides different modules, each partner decides how to shape the business, and OPTIMA shapes the platform based on the unique requirements of the operator. The system is fully configurable by the operator itself, who has access to all parts of the system.” Certified and operating in a number of jurisdictions worldwide, MGS boasts almost 85 customers, including EFBET (Bulgaria), Nairabet (Nigeria), Legolas. bet (Sweden) and JenningsBet (UK), evidence of its wide reach and appeal. OPTIMA finished 2017 on a particularly strong note, with representation in four categories at the SBC Awards, and despite missing out with its Sportsbook Supplier of the Year and Best MultiChannel Suppliers efforts, success was reached with its two other nominations. After being highly commended as Best Retail Betting Product, a title the firm

won in 2016, the leading supplier of sports betting and gaming provisions triumphed as the Standalone Platform Provider of the Year, seeing off competition from Openbet, Amelco, Singular, Tecnalis, EveryMatrix, Vermantia and InBet Games along the way. After describing the award as “great accomplishment”, OPTIMA Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jacob Lopez Curciel said: “As a firm, OPTIMA is committed to being a solution provider of choice for an ever increasing number of customers, and our clients overwhelmingly tell us that they are confident they made the right decision in selecting our platform as their main business framework. “Giving the best service possible to our clients and staying at the forefront of the gaming technology, is our primary mission, and we look forward to continuing growth in the near future. “To be recognised with the SBC Awards for two consecutive years is a powerful evidence of the effectiveness of our products. “We work hard at OPTIMA to provide the kind of culture that fosters excellence, commitment and learning. Our recent awards are great motivation for Optima employees to be more efficient and do their best every day.” A further sign of OPTIMA’s 2017 success was the group’s progress in integrating its serverless solution to the UK market. Upholding a commitment to servicing independent bookmakers, a deal to extend its partnership with the Bookmakers Technology Consortium

(BTC) was announced. The terms of which saw the company agree to provide bookmakers, with less than 20 shops in the UK, access to its MGS and EPOS Serverless v2. EPOS v2 is a retail till application with a centralized architecture featuring real time pre and in play content delivery, live centralised liability, live bet tracking and reporting system. It has been designed to provide a 70% reduction in setup and ownership costs for retail bookmakers, since investment is carried out only in the central infrastructure and till machines can operate with the lowest bandwidth use in the market. New features are rolled out across the entire Bookmaker’s estate in just five minutes, while the standalone working mode provides a “continuity solution in adverse situations” because bets can

be captured, even when the internet is down, and processed when the connection returns. Speaking about the continued growth of the serverless solution, Lopez added: “I will let the numbers speak for themselves: 70% of our customers are serverless now and more will follow. “Among our clients, there are operators who have saved costs massively since they migrated, for new setups and also for day to day operation. OPTIMA retail product is live in renowned bookmakers worldwide, more than 4000 shops counting amongst the operators live with the system: Chisholm Bookmakers, JenningsBet, Corbettsports, Backhouse, David Pluck, Stan James (Megabet), BarOne Racing, BetCafe (Superbet) Romania, Nairabet and many other operators worldwide.” Curciel concluded: “EPOS is a

cash-based application featuring twophase image capture and translation and full and partial mark-sense. It has a centralized but supporting ‘standalone’ architecture featuring real-time centralised alerting. “The notable feature of this product is the large range and richness of features of the products offered. The very traditional background to players in betting shops means the market is resistant to change and therefore electronic systems have evolved to emulate traditional manual practices.”

OPTIMA

ICE LONDON Stand: N2-310

OPTIMA picked up the Best Standalone Platform prize at the SBC Awards.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 15

A LANDMARK YEAR BECKONS FOR 1XBET

The World Cup in Russia provides 1xBet with a great opportunity to show its customers, and potential new customers, what the company can do.

ith the World Cup just around the corner, 2018 is a year of particular significance for Russia-based sports betting companies. 1xBet is the largest betting firm in the Russian Commonwealth (CIS) but, unlike many of its regional competitors, will be looking further afield when the tournament comes around. Translated into 52 languages, with 225 registered payment systems and 118 available currencies, 1xBet prides itself on its localisation. Evgeniy Kiriushin, Head of Business Development, believes this will be one of the firm’s key selling points when the pre-World Cup hysteria begins to intensify. “The World Cup is a significant event for any bookmaker company. Especially when it takes place in a country where you are number one in the market,” Kiriushin explains. “Of course, now the fact that our platform is translated into 52 languages, and we have 24/7 support in 29 languages, it distinguishes us from competitors. Undoubtedly, this is an outstanding feature of the platform, which will help us to develop success further.” Many of the developing betting markets 1xBet chooses to focus on were dismissed as unprofitable and insignificant by competitors but with upwards of 400,000 daily users, it’s clear that the firm’s aggressive, optimistic approach to expansion has came to fruition. “I can say that no bookmaker company can boast such a number of localisations and this level of service,” Kiriushin agrees. Another crucial aspect of the firm’s localisation is the myriad payment methods offered, alongside its long list

of accepted currencies. This is another field in which 1xBet surpasses that offered by its rivals. “We consider this to be part of our global strategy. Stable and various payment methods are a necessary part of the service of any bookmaker company,” Kiriushin asserts. “And the more of them, the more convenient it is for the user in any market. Nowadays, we also exceed any competitor with the number of integrated payment systems we offer.”

November, it was named as International Presenting Partner of Italy’s Serie A for the current football season - the sportsbook’s first major sports sponsorship deal. The agreement saw the firm featured in all match graphics, idents and virtual goal mat advertising across every live Serie A game but soon fell foul to scrutiny from the Italian betting authorities. Under immense pressure from the country’s regulatory body, the league made the decision to suspend the deal. Unperturbed, 1xBet turned its attention to sponsorship of another elite league Spain’s La Liga - but there is hope that the situation in Italy can be remedied moving further into the new year. “This year we have very serious plans to activate the sponsorships with La Liga and Serie A,” Kiriushin confessed. “We will also discuss new sponsorship contracts with the English Premier League and a number of championships in Africa and Latin America. We promise you many surprises. As for the period of the 2018 World Cup, we will certainly form our marketing activities taking this event into account.” Aside from football, a deal with EvenBet Gaming meant that the leading gaming software developer integrated its highly-regarded poker product onto 1xBet’s casino and sportsbook. With EvenBet renowned for its innovation and stateof-the-art product, this was quite a coup for the fledgling 1xBet. “We were particularly drawn to the ease of integration and EvenBet’s commitment to innovating in the poker space,” a 1xBet spokesperson commented. “We are certain the product will serve as a fantastic complement to our existing

“By the way, we will also be the first to open a bookmaker office on the moon and Mars!”

16 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Evgeniy Kiriushin

This desire for diversity is further illustrated by the impressively extensive online help options offered by the sportsbook. Players with difficulties can contact via email, live chat, hotline, WhatsApp, Viber or Telegram, and can do so in 29 languages, at any time of day. “By the way, we will also be the first to open a bookmaker office on the moon and Mars!” Kiriushin jokes. “Every sports fan and gambler will find something to their liking on our website. If in some place on the planet customers want to pay with stones or shells, we will be the first to provide customers with this service. We are always ready to offer the maximum number of methods to deposit an account and withdraw for customers in any market.” 1xBet’s ambitious expansion strategy also extends to its sponsorship. In

1xBet was also a major sponsor of last year’s SBC Awards. casino and sportsbook offering.” EvenBet CEO Dmitry Starostenkov was equally enthusiastic about the deal, and the prospect of his firm collaborating with one of the Eastern Bloc’s most dynamic betting start-ups. “There is huge potential for growth with 1xBet over the coming months and years, and we can’t wait to see how their players embrace our poker offering,” he enthused. “Our poker product is easily integrated into existing online casinos and sportsbooks, offering players greater choice while boosting engagement and retention for operators. This agreement with 1xBet is further vindication that we are offering

the leading turnkey poker solution on the market.” After spending the bulk of 2017 laying the foundations, there is a real excitement in the 1xBet camp moving into what ought to be a landmark year. Yet Kiriushin remains pragmatic; determined to learn from previous mistakes and setbacks, while carrying on with the wide-ranging expansion mantra. “On the one hand, the past year for our company turned out to be very intense, but on the other hand it turned out to be rich in all kinds of achievements and, of course, lessons,” he explains. “As the most important thing, our strategy for creating a bookmaker

product with the maximum number of events, markets, and the highest odds has been worth it. “In many ways, our product is truly unique and is developing with an unprecedented speed. I think that’s why users from all over the world choose our bookmaker company with increasing frequency.”

1xBet

ICE LONDON Stand: S8-166

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 17

18 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

THINKING GLOBALLY WHILE ACTING LOCALLY

Valentyn Kyrylenko, VP of Business Development at BetInvest, explains his company’s customer-centric approach ahead of ICE.

ou say your Sports Data Product helps operators discover hidden values in their customers and create an Improved Customer Experience - how do you achieve this? The sports betting industry has undergone fundamental change in the past few years. It has expanded across devices, channels and countries. The biggest challenge of making the evolution from sports book operator to industry leader in sports betting is driving engagement and revenues through personalisation. While growing more inclusive and diverse, BetInvest managed to think globally and act locally. The reduced reliance on a broad-brush approach makes our customer feel special and leads to increased awareness and engagement of his players. While most of the big companies are too afraid to rock the boat by offering local events, our team of professional traders is able to capture and adjust the data on the fly and communicate it to customers in real time. BetInvest is heavily focused on quality of our data rather than quantity. We embrace our customers for where they are and feed them with the data that matters most for their market. What’s the biggest challenge in providing an omni-channel experience? The best experience wins. Players now expect the same high level of service in land-based shops or on online platform. They must get the same experience and feel they are staying in the same ecosystem in terms of pricing, bonusing, depth of offer, live or pre-match

betting functionality. It’s not surprising to see a person checking an offer on his mobile phone before walking into a land-based shop or placing a bet online while looking at live screens in the shop. The look and feel of your product should stay same across all channels. The biggest challenge for BetInvest in providing an omni-channel experience for its B2B Clients is actually adding parts of their existing architecture / product offerings into the BetInvest ecosystem. Providers are increasingly moving toward providing common API for key parts of the user functionality. Let’s say nowadays a provider of sportsbook platform should be ready to integrate a wallet capable of supporting the slots terminals.

not by just tweaking your desktop offer but reimagining the mobile sportsbook completely. Pay great attention to your mobile registration. Make sure your sportsbook provider can deliver expansive content and accurate pricing. Great things can happen just when an average company puts in above average effort!

What has BetInvest got in store for visitors to the stand at ICE? Any visitor at our Stand S8-121 gets the chance to receive a great discount for one of our products. He or she can choose from the wide range of online or land based solutions. We are happy to share our knowledge and experience with anyone thinking of starting a betting business and explain how things work in this game. We are also bringing our CEO’s special offer – which is a prize draw. What advice would you give to operators ahead of the World Cup this summer? There is not much time left. But it’s still enough to perfect functionality by doing small incremental enhancements to speed and especially UX. Optimise your sportsbook for mobile and do it

BETINVEST

ICE LONDON Stand: S8-121

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 19

GOLDEN RACE ON THE MOVE

Having established itself in the retail virtual sports market, Golden Race heads to ICE 2018 with its sights set firmly on the online and mobile sectors.

olden Race will take advantage of a “mobile revolution in sports consumption” to promote the industry’s first all-in-one virtual betting sportsbook at ICE London 2018. Designed to be the same as a real sportsbook, only with virtual results, the online platform saw its mobile offering boosted in the second half of 2017, with increased client-specific customisation, more statistics, additional games and more navigation options. This improved navigation has enabled faster browsing and switching between all sports, while a floating video option means that users can navigate and bet while the video player remains visible on the screen. Feature highlights on the multi-currency and multilingual mobile platform already included support for slower connections, multi-game betting, hot picks and jackpot games. Golden Race CEO Martin Wachter said: “The constantly increasing volume of players has made us adapt to create an online and mobile platform that is

absolutely different from anything else on the market. Furthermore, our games offer speed and dynamics. Players can play 24/7, anywhere. “Our company offers live-render, HD and 3D games that allow flexibility, easy updating and customisation,

highest quality for our broad volume of players but we have emphasised the value of connecting them. “It is a fact that there is a current real mobile revolution in sports media and, with the World Cup in Russia this year, football fans will undoubtedly transfer onto mobile. While this year will undoubtedly be dominated by the tournament, we offer the perfect excuse for players to enjoy unrivalled virtual matches, completely tailored to the player’s will, when the live football matches are not taking place,” said Wachter. “The platform, which can be easily integrated into third-party betting systems, is compliant with the highest regulatory standards and will deliver the complete mobile experience, including virtual video quality adaptive to a player’s connection.” Despite sharing his excitement over showcasing the improved version of its virtual sportsbook (stand S2-322), Wachter declined to reveal any more of his company’s releases for the upcoming year.

“Just like in previous years, there will be plenty of surprises, magic potions for success, lots of entertainment and industry novelties.”

20 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Martin Wachter

meaning each event is unique. With realistic odds from in-house professional bookmakers for each individual game, real sports commentators for in-game voice-overs, and the collaboration with real cameramen, our virtual games are more alive than ever. “We don’t have to state the importance of having mainstream sports of the

Martin Wachter: ‘our games offer speed and dynamics’.

“As great magicians do, Golden Race will not reveal all just yet,” he added. “ICE will experience it live - and so will all the attendees! Just like in previous years, there will be plenty of surprises, magic potions for success, lots of entertainment and industry novelties.” Golden Race is also focused on developing new tools to improve risk management and increase its clients’ revenues, while taking its products into new markets across the world. The CEO continued: “Virtual football has evolved from a niche to a vertical due to the smooth transition of the digital world, enabling the industry worldwide to access virtual sports.” This worldwide interest was reflected in Golden Race’s decision to establish two new offices in Colombia and Peru, with a third Latin American office expected in 2018. The company has also retained a strong presence in the African market, having released a mobile application with one of its key clients last

year for the emerging markets in Kenya and Nigeria. In the build-up to ICE London 2018, Golden Race has also confirmed that René Wachter, formerly head of sales, has been promoted to chief operating officer. The new COO, who has been with the company since 2012, made the following statement: “As some of you may know, I am pleased to announce my new position within Golden Race. You can continue to expect the same commitment and dedication, as this is an exciting change for me.” Martin Wachter added: “We are pleased to announce the promotion of René Watcher to COO. He brings his extensive expertise and experience in sales to lead the company in this new position. We are confident that his skills and dedication with further contribute to the success and growth of the company in the years to come.” ICE London holds special memories for Golden Race because it is where the B2B provider first introduced Real Fighting in 2016, a game that went on to win Best New Virtual Sports Product at the SBC Awards later that year. The company backed up this success

at last year’s SBC Awards by claiming the Best Virtual Football Product prize for its 3D Virtual Football, beating off competition from the likes of Betradar, Inspired Entertainment, Playtech and VSoftCo. The fully digital 3D product includes every major competition in the world, unique odds for each game, and the ability to create any custom match, while live-rendering directly on the box means that you will never see the same match twice. Ahead of welcoming prospective clients to stand S2-322 at the London ExCeL, Martin Wachter was bullish over his targets for ICE London and beyond. “The clear majority of Golden Race business is still retail based,” he concluded. “However, having become market leaders in the retail market, we have reset some of our key goals. I think that in two years we will also take over the market online. That’s our goal.”

Golden Race

ICE LONDON Stand: S2-322

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 21

17-21 SEPTEMBER 2018 Olympia, London

3rd Edition of the Largest International Sports & Betting Trade Conference

2,000+ Delegates

CONFERENCE TRACKS:

200

Speakers

140

Exhibitors

SPECIALIST FORUMS:



LEADERS IN BETTING



BETTING ON RACING



SPORT IN FOCUS



BETTING ON ESPORTS



AFFILIATES IN FOCUS



SBC SPONSORSHIP FORUM



INNOVATION IN FOCUS



AFFILIATE FEST

For more information, please visit www.sbcevents.com 22 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

140 EXHIBITORS

Projection Room Over

449 Seats

Baby Change

Staircase 15

11-19

20-2

11-19

20-2

11-19

10 L 1-

20-2

11-19

N 1-

3 SEATS

G 1W

FACP

F 1-

E 1W

D 1W

REMOVABLE SEATING

C 1-

B 1-

FACP

20-2

Conference Room 4

Stage

Disabled Persons Evacuation Point

K 1-

H 1-

A 1-

20-2

J 17

-32

H 17

-32

-30

E 15

D 14

17.75m²

FACP

4.5

9m²

Kiron Meeting Room No. 304

D4 9m²

15m²

M6 15m²

M7 15m²

MR8 5

15m²

M9 5

B10 3

15m²

20m²

3 6 3

E10

9m²

Abios 3

E8 9m²

3 9m²

3 3 9m²

9m²

3 3

9m²

9m² Fire exit

9m²

16.86m²

Roller Shutter Doors

Golden Race FP Meeting Room No. 305

E12 9m²

36m²

3 Betradar

MR4

9m²

AliQuantum Gaming

MR3

AI BootCamp and SBC Sponsorship Forum

3 9m²

E11

Fire exit

Meeting Room 302 Meeting Room 303

D10

9m²

D12

D11

12m² FP

Fire exit

38.5m²

MR6

29.5m²

Roller Shutter Doors

NETWORKING AREA

5 6

4.5

-24

-22

-20

Roller Shutter Doors

0.5

Conference Room 5

Meeting Room 301

FACP

-26

C 13

B 12

A 11

Fire exit

CUPBOARD

-28

FACP

Goods Lift 17

-32

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DIsabled Persons Evacuation Point

FACP

M 1-

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RO RO

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20-2 20-2

3 SEATS

Leith's Kitchen Staircase 14

P 1-

11-19 11-19

3.5

RO RO RO

Q 1-

3.5

0.50

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Roller Shutter Doors

FACP

REMOVABLE SEATING

CATERING

4 32m²

FACP

MR2

MR1

40m² FP

Fire exit

15m²

DIsabled Persons Evacuation Point

15m² Lift No. 14

OLYMPIA CONFERENCE CENTRE

360° PHOTOS

OLYMPIA EAST HALL

360° PHOTOS

Leith's

Staircase 12

Lift No. 13

Reception

Lift No. 12

Lift No. 11

Organisers Offices

Staircase 1 Issue Number : 213 Issue Date : 22 Jan 2018 Updated By : paul@sbcnews.co.uk Scale : N.T.S.

Fire exit

Staircase 24

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Conference Room 3 Staircase 17 Fire exit

H11

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J24 J18

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J16

9m²

12m²

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3 6 3

30m²

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I1 3

9m²

3 9m²

I2 3

Friends 3 4Media

K16

9m²

K1 5

9m²

5 Favbet Betcart 5

15m²

9m²

M20

L10

L14 9m²

9m²

Statscore 6

18m²

5 Digitain Highlight 5 15m²

15m²

3 1

M10

6 BetConstruct 6

N20

15m²

N10

P14

5 Sportradar 5

25m²

R20

FSB Tech 5

9m²

17.5m²

25m²

R10

2 3

12m²

209.48m²

SPEAKER LOUNGE 6

Seating Area

4 8m²

216 Seats

30m²

12m²

12.5m²

8 9

Betting on FP FACP Esports

LIFT No. 14 Capacity 20 Persons

Cloakroom

15m²

Fire exit

ENTRANCE

LIFT No. 13 Capacity 20 Persons

Snack Bar

LIFT No. 12 Capacity 20 Persons

LIFT No. 11 Capacity 20 Persons

2 0.5

Conference Room 1

5 InBet Games 5

12m²

SBC Global

48m²

30m² 116.46m²

Stairs access to

Staircase 12

Optima

Conference Room 2

10m²

Spiffx

Betgenius Q2 5

12m²

R18

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12m²

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9m²

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12m²

W2 3 Global Income Access

18m²

98.54m²

72 Seats

Staircase 25

9m²

SB Tech

Optima Coffee Bar

Q20

HiPay

25m²

15m²

Q24 6

P11 5

Sporting Solutions

11m²

P20

Scout Gaming 3 3 2 Group

3 12m²

30m²

Trustly

25m²

Perform M8

FACP

N32 9m²

25m²

Sporting 5 Tech

3 3

L16

N22 5

15m²

M26

Betting 5 5 Cloud 15m²

3 9m²

L20

9m²

L28

9m²

L18

K10 K5

L30 9m²

15m²

12m²

L26 3

K20

15m²

L32

9m²

Every Matrix

5 Wirecard

K14

9m²

15m²

9m²

K24

N30

60.5m²

K22

9m²

15m²

K26 5

9m²

12m²

Dynamic

9m²

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5 Partners

9m²

3 9m²

J20

9m²

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3.5

J22 9m²

J12

3 3

9m²

ICS 4 Media 5

25m²

Gamble Beast

49m²

15m²

I10 9m²

Golden Race Virtual Bar

60.5m²

11 5

I11

I12

I13

25m²

1xBet 5

94.5m²

CATERING

15m²

4.5m²

25m²

13.5

VSoftCo Networking Area

1.5 9m²

49m²

7 7

I14

CATERING

17.5

L40

I16

25m²

K40

3 5

19.5

I15 5

H12

I17 15m²

Racing Post Cafe 7

3.5

H18

G10

6m²

Playtech

Disabled Persons Evacuation Point

2.5

FACP

H21 6m²

5.5

EvenBet

H20

5.5

FP FACP

2 Staircase 14 FP

FACP

33m²

FACP FP

Staircase 26

FP FACP

18m²

Disabled Persons Evacuation Point

Staircase 1

Staircase 10

Organiser's Office

FP Unisex

Kitchen

Organiser's Toilet

Staircase 9

210 Seats

184.25m²

Staircase 2

Organiser's Room

Security

Staircase 27

OLYMPIA LEVEL 2 Issue Number : 213 Issue Date : 22 Jan 2018 Issue Number : 213 Updated By : paul@sbcnews.co.uk Issue Date : 22 Jan 2018 Scale : N.T.S. Updated By : paul@sbcnews.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 23 Scale : N.T.S.

MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN REGULATED MARKETS BetConstruct is aiming to lead the betting industry forward this year with more innovative additions to its wide ranging portfolio.

he year of 2018 will be one of great opportunity for BetConstruct with the company’s founder Vigen Badalyan taking over the reins at the international betting systems provider. Badalyan took on the role of CEO at the end of last year and immediately had plenty of reasons to celebrate. BetConstruct soon picked up the White Label Supplier of the Year gong at the SBC Awards 2017, beating off competition from the likes of FSB Tech, Digitain, EveryMatrix, InBet Games, Scout Gaming Group, Statscore, UltraPlay and Casexe. Speaking on behalf of the company, George Voyatzis, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “This award reflects the great work we have done over the past 12 months. “On the white label side, we’ve made some huge inroads, especially in regulated markets, most notably the UK where we’ve secured some very high-profile agreements.” On a personal level, Badalyan was also recognised by the industry for his decades in the betting sector as he was one of three people inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame at the same awards ceremony. The SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame was launched at the SBC Awards in 2016 to acknowledge outstanding individual achievements within the industry. Inaugural members were Sportradar Founder and CEO Carsten Koerl, Sportingbet Founder Mark Blandford and Howard Chisholm,

the long-term Managing Director of Chisholm Bookmakers and co-founder of the Bookmakers Trade Consortium. Badalyan was recognised for his efforts in building up bookmaker VivaroBet and the creation of the BetConstruct B2B brand that now operates development, sales and service centres in 15 countries worldwide. So much so that these days

clients don’t need to submit requests to their account manager to change or update content and styling of the website. Design and marketing teams can easily manage the website and keep it up-to-date with the marketing campaigns. BetConstruct Sportsbook, which also includes the popular System Bet Calculator that allows users to calculate the potential returns of any combination of system bets, offers a variety of odds types including Decimal, Fractional, US, Hong Kong, Indonesian and Malaysian. It is also available in 12 languages, evidence of its global reach and appeal. To provide end-users with a variety of choice of interface, and to complement the in-play experience on offer, it comes with four view types - Classic, Modern, Combo and the recently added Asian. Further enhancement is provided by the BetConstruct Swarm API, which gives its partners the freedom to customise the interface, while still enjoying the full functionality of the sportsbook. Along with this interface flexibility, BetConstruct’s live betting product also includes advanced functionalities such as the ability to manually set prices, which enables clients to set more competitive odds for a single match, market, sport, country or overall, via a margin control function that can be used for marketing or regulatory purposes. Delays and bet limits are configurable by the customer, including different

“On the white label side, we’ve made some huge inroads, especially in regulated markets.”

24 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

George Voyatzis

BetConstruct is recognised an industry leading supplier, providing customers with an odds feed, multiple languages and currencies, complete match stats, payment systems integration and live video streaming, all available both as part of its sportsbook and standalone solutions. Deployed worldwide via retail, desktop, mobile, native iOS and Android, the BetConstruct sportsbook provides coverage of 30,000 live matches and more than 40,000 pre‐match events each month, delivered via two technologies - BetConstruct CMS and SpringBuilder, a drag and drop website builder that enables website management without any technical skills. This feature, developed using a set of SEO tools to optimise search engine response, means that BetConstruct

Vigen Badalyan (second left) with other SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame members Howard Chisholm, Paris Smith, Dave Hasler (representing Fred Done) and Mark Blandford.

limit percentages for different markets, while Cash-out is available per partner. A popular feature across the betting industry, Cash-Out gives customers a chance to feel more in control by allowing them to make an informed decision on whether to take a profit before their bet has completed. Meanwhile, BetConstruct’s retail betting solution, complete with betting shop software and EPOS system, is equally powerful and innovative. The last 12 months saw the development and release of a Self-Service Betting Terminal (SSBT) product, deployed by several partners including the Circus Casino Group and Olympic Entertainment Group. The same period saw BetConstruct unveil the Pocket BetShop, a hand-held device that allows an operator to accept bets in any location and instantly print out the ticket for the player. It

joined a growing range of gaming and betting solutions for physical premises, alongside the SSBT and a Cashier Client for both the betting shop and casino. The key benefits of the Pocket BetShop are its full sportsbook offering, simple user interface and location agnostics, while the device facilitates instant payments of winning bets. Finally, BetConstruct’s Live Scout Data is centred around the accurate observation and quick communication of data. The key advantage is that it enables odds setting faster than other methods. Accuracy of on-the-ground reporting, combined with the fast and secure communication, gets the action to the traders fast, thereby decreasing the chances of fraud and arbitrage. The product covers eight sport types and 5,000 matches, including those where video streaming may not be

available. Matches, which are relayed via a special in-house developed Android app, come with live monitoring, a live odds suggestion tool for traders to calculate the latest odds, and a post-match data quality assurance system. The availability of this visual data, through streaming or animation, is a massive contributor to BetConstruct’s live betting success. The data gives the end-user the chance to stay informed, particularly on minor matches where information or pictures can be very scarce.

BetConstruct

ICE LONDON Stand: S1-350

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 25

YOUR

VIRTUAL SPORTS SUPPLIERS FOR THE WORLD CUP 2018

Golden Race creates award-winning Virtual Sports and Games, delivered to retail, online, and direct-to-mobile. Their 3D Virtual Football League is the world’s most played, they are the creators of the revolutionary MMA-based ‘Real Fighting’, and they have been the global leader for pre-recorded real video races since 2006. Offering the most flexible options in hardware, and real odds crafted by professional bookmakers for each and every game, Golden Race provides complete Virtual Betting Solutions to get you winning from today.

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N O 22 ND -3 LO S2 E d: IC an St

Golden Race

VSoftCo

SoftCo Ltd is a specialist software development company in the global virtual sports market. Over the past 5 years, the company has developed a highly sophisticated suite of products, largely focused on virtual football. Through continuous improvement and investment in our products, our aim is to keep at the forefront of the virtual sports games market, creating the best virtual games on the market. VSoftCo currently has distribution partnerships covering the UK, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

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Kiron

We lead the industry with our technologically advanced platforms, delivering real-time rendering of virtual sports events. Kiron products are offered under license or as fully managed solutions to gaming operators who wish to differentiate their product offering and add to their existing revenue streams. Kiron Interactive currently employs an accomplished team of 55 experienced system architects, developers, designers and animators focused on delivering the best possible products which are at the forefront of emerging technologies and market trends.

26 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Highlight Games

Highight Games offers players a unique and differentiated play experience combining gaming with entertainment. Sports themed games using live footage designed to complement existing games and drive incremental increases in revenues. Target customers include: Bookmakers, Sportsbook operators, gaming sites, lotteries, fantasy sports, social freeplay. Website: www.highlight-games.com

the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s betting services provider

BETTING SERVICES

GAMING SOLUTIONS

RISK MANAGEMENT

LIVE STREAMING

BETTING STIMULATION

MEET US AT ICE 2018

STAND S1-150

Visit us at www.betradar.com or contact us at sales@betradar.com betradar is a brand of sportradar JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 27

YOUR

PAYMENT PARTNERS FOR THE WORLD CUP 2018 N O 50 ND -2 LO N9 E : IC and St

Trustly

Trustly is a FinTech company that makes online banking payments fast, simple and secure. We offer instant deposits and withdrawals across 29 European countries and our latest product, Pay N Play, lets users skip the sign-up process and start playing their favorite games instantly while ensuring operators stay KYC compliant. We are a team of 170+ people and are headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with regional offices in Spain, Malta, Germany and the UK. As of November 2017, Trustly has processed in excess of €10 billion worth of payments since our inception in 2008, 41% of which have been processed in 2017 alone.

Hipay

We’re a global payment provider processing more than 2bn € annually across 150 countries and 220 payment types. By harnessing data analytics we help deliver valuable customer insights that enable our clients businesses to succeed. For us, our customers getting paid is just the beginning. We are focused on delivering insights from payments that our customers can act on to deliver real business success, whether it is from the industry or igaming companies. Website: www.hipay.com

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Processing.com

Processing.com offers streamlined, multicurrency payment acceptance solutions for today’s international, ecommerce markets. We pride ourselves in our ability to obtain merchant accounts for clients, based on our extensive partner network. As a Level One certified Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) processor, the Processing.com gateway only admits transactions originating from other PCI DSS compliant third parties. Our unique, proprietary system authenticates the source using not only the IP address, but also several other variables. Any transaction that fails to meet the stringent entry criteria will fail before reaching the acquiring bank.

28 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

W2 Global

W2 has been trading since 2011 as a trusted provider of SaaS, B2B software solutions and data services enabling organisations to achieve regulatory compliance in relation to KYC (Know Your Customer), combatting fraud, AML (Anti Money Laundering) protection and frictionless customer on-boarding. Over 100 organisations around the world rely on data and/or services provided by W2 to meet their regulatory or risk management requirements, and W2 have partnered with some of the world’s largest data providers to ensure their customers get simple access to reliable information. The unique W2 solutions require minimal implementation and simplify how organisations conduct regulatory customer due diligence on individuals, organisations, suppliers, staff, tenants and employees on an international scale. Website: www.w2globaldata.com

YOUR

DATA PROVIDERS FOR THE WORLD CUP 2018

Perform is a leading digital sports content and media group. Our mission is to connect the world of sport by supplying the quickest, most detailed and most engaging content, and managing a network of wholly-owned media brands with an unmatched global scale. Our market-leading B2B brands do this by contributing to the world’s most comprehensive sports content collection and distribution operation, servicing global customers in the broadcast, digital media and bookmaking industries.

N O 0 ND 1-15 LO S E d: IC an St

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Perform

Betradar

Betradar is a brand of Sportradar, a global leader in understanding and leveraging the power of sports data and digital content for its clients around the world. Sportradar provides cutting-edge solutions and services to media companies, bookmakers, sports federations and state authorities. The Sportradar group is a truly international organisation, employing over 2,000 people in more than 30 locations around the world. Our rapid growth is driven by technological innovation and a deep understanding of our clients’ business needs. More than 1,000 businesses in over 80 countries rely on Sportradar’s data depth and quality services in their daily business. Since the Betradar brand first appeared in the betting market in 2001, it has developed into the most trusted solution provider to licensed operators on every continent.

Founded in 2000, Betgenius is the leading provider of sophisticated data-driven software to the regulated sports betting sector. We deliver robust, cutting-edge technology that helps international bookmakers and lottery operators maximise performance across trading and marketing. Its range of sportsbook management services, including partial or complete automation of trading function, the biggest range of pre-match and in-play betting markets in the sector and UX design, are renowned for helping operators increase operational efficiency, drive turnover and increase margins. Betgenius also leads the way in the provision of integrated customer marketing. From acquisition and player life-cycle management to reactivation and CRM tools, we offer everything a sportsbook operator needs to attract, retain and engage customers.

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Betgenius

SIS

SIS is a leading supplier of products and services to the online and retail betting markets, creating innovative and reliable solutions for more than a quarter of a century. Its global delivery of data, pictures and streaming content enables more than 100,000 betting opportunities a year. As one of the industry’s leading suppliers, SIS delivers a broad range of products and services across a number of sports, with a focus on horse racing and greyhounds. In addition to evolving its content portfolio, SIS recently launched SIS Stream, a low latency streaming platform optimised for betting, which can stream SIS’ racing content and third party content. SIS Trading Services compile odds for a range of sporting events.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 29

YOUR

SPORTSBOOK SUPPLIERS FOR THE WORLD CUP 2018

FSB Technology was established 9 years ago, is privately owned and backed by the founders of Sportingbet and Betfair. The London-based operation is licenced by UKGC and owns all of the technology and source-in services. FSB Technology has aggregated an industry of data and casino suppliers into a single place and funnelled them via a technology platform that offers market leading sportsbook and back-office tools. FSB Technology have also developed industry leading in-house trading models for football and horse racing. The result of aggregating bestof-breed at our end into our new technology means operators do not need to waste time on tasks such as trading and reporting but instead focus on what makes a difference today â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; promotions and CRM.

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FSBTech

SBTech

Established in 2007, SBTech is a leading provider of sports betting software and services to the online and retail gaming industry in regulated markets. SBTech is a five-time EGR Award Winner, on account of its commercial success, continual product innovation and excellence in service. The company has won numerous awards in recent years, among them the EGR B2B award for Best In-Play Betting Software for the second year running, the EGR Nordics and EGR Italy awards for best Sports Betting Supplier and the SBC Award for Sportsbook Supplier of the Year, in recognition of SBTechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements in delivering a winning live betting solution, enabling operators to expand their market reach and boost their results.

Sporting Solutions combines market-leading technology with renowned trading expertise to create superior turn-key pricing and trading solutions for operators across football and 20+ additional sports. Uniquely Sporting Solutions does not scrape market averages. Instead we supplement sophisticated proprietary algorithms with the intrinsic value only knowledgeable trader insight can provide, to deliver accurate, margin-enhancing price, across the widest range of sports and markets.

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N O 20 ND -1 LO S9 E d: IC an St

N O 10 ND -2 LO S2 E d: IC an St

Sporting Solutions

Sportingtech Established in 2017, Sportingtech is a gaming platform provider, with partners in 6 different gaming jurisdictions. With solutions specially developed for the regulated markets, the company developed high-end software that enables online and retail gaming operators to empower their operation.

PREPARE FOR THE WORLD CUP WITH BETTING ON FOOTBALL The fifth edition of the Betting on Football Conference has been packed to the brim as the event now commands more conference and exhibition space than ever before.

etting on Football 2018 is ready to guide industry operators, affiliates, suppliers and service providers on a path to World Cup success this summer. SBC Events has lined up a full day’s track dedicated to the tournament at this year’s conference, which takes place at Stamford Bridge from 20-23 March. ‘World Cup and beyond’ will get underway with a panel focused on ‘Life beyond the bonus’, as a rise in the number of bonus related disputes and the tightening of affiliate regulations threatens the future of traditional customer bonusing. The track will continue with a closer look at engaging football customers in a live environment, before analysing the scale of the World Cup opportunity for DFS, how to prevail in the ‘Facebook and Twitter battlegrounds’, how bookmakers can work with the sport to keep out the fixers, keeping acquired players engaged for the new season and the hidden benefits of sponsorship. However, this is just one of five main tracks to be held across two action-packed days at #bofcon2018,

which is set to feature up to 200 industry leading speakers. World Cup and beyond is one of three tracks on the first full day (Wednesday 21 March) alongside Betting on Innovation and Global Market Profiles, as the conference underlines its international appeal by delivering updates around seven of the biggest sports betting jurisdictions. This includes the new window of licensing opportunity in Spain, the move towards legalised sports betting in the US, the success of Scandinavian sector start-ups, preparing for a World Cup-free summer in Italy, tackling the changing laws in Africa, dealing with the opaque regulatory landscape in Asia, and the scale of the World Cup opportunity for countries in Eastern Europe. On the second full day of the conference (Thursday 22 March), industry speakers will be debating issues around Leadership and the Customer Journey. The Leadership track will include an analysis of the philosophy of gambling, the value of investment in an increasingly consolidated market, the prospect of a regulatory backlash in established

betting jurisdictions and how ‘designer’ bets are influencing trading, before a hat-trick of CEO panels focused on affiliates, innovation and opportunities at Russia 2018. Meanwhile, the Customer Journey track will kick off with a look at customer onboarding, and whether skilled affiliates remain the best means of conversion, before moving on to fraud prevention, building the perfect user experience, beating the omnichannel challenge and improving CRM strategy. The track will conclude by assessing football’s effectiveness as a cross-selling product and how the industry can unite to increase social responsibility. The list of confirmed speakers already includes the likes of Snaitech CEO Fabio Schiavolin, Danske Spil CEO Niels Erik Folmann, Mr Green CEO Jesper Kärrbrink, Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith, Veikkaus Senior Vice President Jari Vahanen, Better Collective CEO Jesper Soegaard, OPTIMA CEO Jacob Lopez Curciel, Microgame CEO Marco Castaldo and Matt Scarrott, Director of Sportsbook & VIP at BetVictor. SBC Managing Director Andrew McCarron said: “In 2018, no other

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conference will have such a high concentration of leaders, decision makers and speakers from across the sector.” In addition to the five main tracks, SBC Events will also use Betting on Football 2018 as a platform to launch three specialist forums – The Affiliate Insider Bootcamp, Esports Insider Super Forum and SBC Sponsorship Forum, all of which double up as standalone events and individual tracks as part of the wider Betting on Football conference agenda. The Affiliate Insider Bootcamp will deliver content ranging from digital marketing hacks to the latest innovative technologies, while the Esports Insider Super Forum will feature six panels focused on the challenges that exist within the worlds of traditional sports and esports. Sam Cooke, Editor-in-Chief at Esports Insider, commented: “We’ve built on the success of the recent ESI Forum Series by focusing the ESI Super Forum on a key area which we feel has not been amply attended to in the esports conference space – that is where traditional sports and esports meet.” Meanwhile, the invite-only SBC Sponsorship Forum, managed by former AC Milan Chief Commercial Officer

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Jaap Kalma, has been designed to bring football clubs and betting brands together to discuss opportunities in football. Nielsen Sports, a leading provider of analytics and insights within the sports industry, has already confirmed its participation through Managing Director Marco Nazzari. Kalma added: “Sponsorship is the main marketing expenditure for bookmakers, and betting has become the single largest sponsor category for football clubs. And things aren’t standing still; markets are being regulated, expenditures are growing, and the use of sponsorship has much evolved. “With such important shared interests, it is not surprising to hear there is a strong need for a dedicated forum where bookmakers and clubs can meet each other. To learn from best practice, to network with other experts, and to find business opportunities. The SBC Sponsorship Forum during Betting on Football has been organized for just that purpose.” Betting on Football 2018 is expected to attract a record 1,500 delegates, after 97.4% of those that attended last year’s event said they would recommend it to a colleague. Along with an unparalleled access to

industry decision makers, delegates will also be treated to parties at Namco Funscape, the high tech entertainment venue on London’s South Bank and Roman Abramovich’s extravagant personal nightclub Under the Bridge. Meanwhile, Stamford Bridge is ready to host a lively exhibition in the Great Hall. Given that 100% of last year’s exhibitors expressed an interest in returning for future events organised by SBC, it is perhaps no surprise that more than 70% of this space has already been sold. SBC Managing Director Andrew McCarron commented: “SBC was founded on networking parties, so we take extra care in making sure that people can make valuable connections. The two London parties and busy exhibition space are perfect for those looking to utilise the 1-on-1 access to senior executives from operators, affiliates, football clubs and key suppliers across Europe and beyond.” More info at: www.sbcevents.com/sbcevents/ betting-on-football-2018”

SUPREME COURT COULD ‘RELEASE THE GENIE’ FOR US SPORTS BETTING

This could be the year that the biggest betting market it the world is deregulated, but it all rests with the Supreme Court of the United States. Craig Davies explains.

ollowing oral arguments being heard towards the end of 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS) is currently embroiled in deliberations regarding the sports betting ban embodied by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Outgoing New Jersey governor Chris Christie has brought forward the proposals for the third time, with two previous losses in 2012 and 2014 resulting in the US sports leagues bringing forward court action of their own and suing. The NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and NCAA all argue that the potential of a New Jersey gambling expansion could impact, and hinder, the integrity of their respective sports. This is a stance that is believed to be

softening in some sectors, with the Golden Knights NHL franchise in its inaugural season at its new Las Vegas home, and NFL’s Raiders set to leave Oakland in two years, for the second time, to also set up shop in Nevada’s most populated city. Christie, on the other hand, points to a perceived PASPA unconstitutionality, and infringement on a state’s ability to self govern and create new tax revenues through offering sports betting within licensed venues. With a decision expected in mid 2018, it has been widely reported that a significant number of other states have introduced, or passed, sports betting related laws, as they await SCOTUS’ ruling. Jeff Ifrah, founding partner of Ifrah Law, has offered a brief insight into PASPA

and its relationship with New Jersey: “So basically, for years, literally, New Jersey has been trying to offer betting on sports at its casinos, its racinos and its horse tracks. “There have been push backs by the sports leagues, because there is a federal law that allows the sports leagues to object to any state that is looking to authorise sports betting.” Ifrah explained the strange situation that sees Delaware and Nevada already authorised to offer sports betting at their casinos and racinos, but nowhere else. “The way the law works is that there was a window that was open to exempt yourself from the ban and if you didn’t take advantage of it as a state, then you have to forever hold your peace. So basically, Nevada and Delaware can offer, and no one else JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 33

can. “So New Jersey didn’t think this was fair, and it’s not fair obviously, so they brought in some legislation, which Governor Christie signed. But it was never able to be implemented, because the league immediately went to court and challenged New Jersey’s law, under this federal law known as PASPA.” New Jersey, which has a horrendous losing streak of 0-7 in federal court on the issue before SCOTUS agreed to hear the case, is staring at three possible eventualities coming out of this latest attempt at offering sports betting within its boundaries. Firstly, like the previous two occasions, the state could lose and PASPA will remain to be deemed constitutional; alternatively NJ could win and the act would no longer be federal law or a partial repeal is awarded, meaning other states would have to follow this same path in order to offer sports betting themselves. Daniel Wallach, a lawyer and shareholder in Becker and Poliakoff, has shed some light on what he thinks will be the culmination of this potentially landmark case during last year’s Betting on Sports conference at London Olympia: “I believe that this court will hand victory, in some measure, to New Jersey. What the victory looks like, is unknown at this point. But this is a reversal court. “Over the last five years, the Supreme

Don Best President Benjie Cherniak 34 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Court has reversed Federal Court of Appeals decisions at a clip of 70%, plus. During last year’s term, the reversal rate was either 82% or 83%. “I think the US Supreme Court decision will likely provide the answer. Because if PASPA is declared unconstitutional, impediments on the state level are removed immediately. And then of course, it becomes a state-by-state framework. “And then, good luck putting the genie back in the bottle! But if PASPA remains intact, the leagues hold the upper hand, and they will get their federal approach.” Looking ahead to a potential outcome, Benjie Cherniak, President of Don Best Sports, addressed the landscape should PASPA be repealed: “So I think when you look at a blue-sky, and PASPA is repealed, and you have all these states that are coming into the marketplace, it’s not necessarily for the majority of these guys, as simple as flipping a switch and you’re up and running. “For a couple of the ones in New Jersey that are associated with MGM, and others, it might be that simple. But then

Jeff Iffrah of Iffrah Law

you’re looking at the Nevada model right off the bat because you’re taking the lines from Nevada with the same technology. “So I think that to get up and running, first of all, you have to have a platform, which many of these entities don’t. For a lot of these entities, you know, they would have the licensing and the ability to go live. “But they would really have almost no idea, in terms of how to operate a sportsbook. So for some, you’re starting from scratch. You need a platform. You need risk management. You need data sources. You need management and expertise. “So the process of going from day one to actually achieving a live status, and then from there to becoming a competent live operator, is not something that will happen overnight.” Should a repeal be the outcome that comes to fruition there are a number

Lawyer Daniel Wallach of Becker and Poliakoff

US sports betting regulation was a hotly debated topic at Betting on Sports 2017. of issues currently being discussed; which model works best, what roles do European operators have to play and the brick and mortar versus mobile debate three such examples. These will have to be ironed out, with Cherniak quite rightly pointing to the importance in the long term of implementing a successful sportsbook. Cherniak went on to offer his own take on some of these issues, commenting: “Obviously the preferred methodology would be an online mechanism. Whether it be mobile, whether it be a replication of the Nevada model, or a replication of the European model. “You know, the more that you veer towards the European model of online, the more likelihood we’re going to have of being able to really carve into the – whatever, $100 billion, $200 billion, $300 billion current illegal industry is. To the extent that it’s more bricks and mortar focused, it’s going to take that much longer to carve into that grey area space.” Addressing the issue of a bricks and mortar and/or mobile offering, Ifrah

believes it will definitely be a physical outcome: “It will be bricks and mortar. Going into a casino, registering in a casino and, you know, betting or wagering on the sportsbook offerings in the casino. It’s not going to be a mobile product. It’s not going to be a PC desktop product, at least not immediately. “New Jersey, which already has a robust online gaming market – both poker and casino are legal in New Jersey - hopefully there it won’t be long because the casinos already are familiar with an online product and an online platform. And they are very supportive of moving a sports betting product online.” Wallach added: “Online is inevitable. Maybe not at the outset. The way New Jersey’s law is structured is a bricks and mortar-centric law. And some of the other states that are, sort of, on deck, don’t have online permissiveness. But inside of a couple of years, it’s going to go that way.” Cherniak also spoke about another unexplored avenue, which could well

prove fruitful for all parties: “I also think, assuming this happens at the state level, that the states that embrace the opportunity need to involve the professional and amateur sports leagues. “In the sense that, in order to work on a cooperative basis with them, as opposed to force-feeding a solution down their throat, might be to everyone’s benefit.” Wallach added to this point to explain ‘a sixth path’ that he also believes could be effective: “Partner up with one of the minor sports federations. Go with MMA. Go with soccer. Go with tennis. By partnering with one of these, you know, lesser sports than one of the big four.” He concluded: “There is an insatiable appetite for sports consumption [and] sports gambling in this country.”

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THE SECRET OF SUCCESS…

STOKE STYLE

Last year saw Stoke-based bookmaker bet365 dominate the annual SBC Awards, walking away with three gongs - Football Bookmaker of the Year, Mobile Bookmaker of the Year and for the fourth year running, Bookmaker of the Year. SBC asked the company how it continues to excel. You scooped three awards at this year’s SBC Awards, including the Bookmaker of the Year title. Why has 2017 been so good to you? 2017 has been a great year for the group undoubtedly, but much of the success we have enjoyed this year has been down to following the same approach which has served bet365 so well in the past. At its core, the group is an innovator and it sets itself from the crowd with the continual evolution, and revolution, of its products. The group continues to lead the way in regulated markets with a heavy focus on ensuring regulatory compliance right across the board and the structure of the business has evolved

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to reflect that focus, with new departments, tools and initiatives being implemented throughout the group. To ensure the continued growth and development of bet365 well into the future, we invest in the technology arm of the group, which is already paying dividends in terms of attracting top quality talent to come and work with bet365 to deliver the outstanding online betting experience that our customers have come to expect from us. It’s the fourth consecutive Bookmaker of the Year Award for bet365 - how do you stay ahead of the competition? bet365 is a company that embodies the spirit of innovation from top to

bottom – at every level there is continuous innovation in terms of both process and product. Consistently the group is right at the front of the pack and 2017 has seen sweeping changes to the website and apps offered by bet365. Features such as Edit Bet and Auto Cash Out are offering our customers more flexibility than ever and continual tweaks to the UI have ensured that bet365 offers the most complete betting experience out there. You picked up the Football Bookmaker of the Year - what do you think football punters are looking for in a bookmaker?

This is a really interesting question, because I think 2017 has been a significant year for football betting in terms of what customers now expect from their betting experience. Increasingly customers expect not just a well-rounded betting experience, but also a single platform capable of delivering scores, statistics and entertainment as well. To this end bet365 have worked very hard on optimising the In-Play product in particular, to deliver a service that provides extremely accurate information in a concise and effective way. The other key trend of 2017 in my view has been the personalisation of football betting bookmakers and handing control of the betting experience over to the customer. To that end we have worked hard to deliver powerful tools to customers such as Auto Cash Out and Edit Bet which offer a degree of flexibility that would have been unprecedented up until recently. The group has also worked hard to deliver improvements to the In-Play product in particular, with improvements being made to the speed, accuracy and quality of the Match Live and Live Streaming elements of the In-Play portion of the product.

You also scooped the Best Mobile Bookmaker Award - what’s the key to providing a good experience on the mobile device? Overwhelmingly now as a society we are moving toward a mobile-first internet and the most important thing to most customers is a fast, reliable and convenient product which allows them to place a bet and get back to enjoying the game. Mobile has long been a focus of ours and we feel that we have delivered a mobile betting experience which is unrivalled. The app is simple to use, extremely fast and offers the functionality of a desktop class product in an attractive and simple layout. The shift to mobile is something we anticipated some time ago and with that in mind we made a very conscious decision to uncouple the mobile site from the desktop one. Through detailed analysis of data we designed a mobile product that clearly presents key information initially, with layers of detail added underneath, whereas the aim of the desktop site is to display as much pertinent information as possible within the confines of the display. I would absolutely say that this divergence of the two websites has been

vital to the success of bet365’s mobile offering. What are you expectations for 2018 and the World Cup in Russia? We’re anticipating that 2018 will be a very exciting year for the group and we’re working on a number of exciting projects. Much of our work now is about offering customers a betting experience that feels seamless and we are learning more about customer behaviour and optimising user experience all the time. Summer tournaments are always a very exciting time for the business and plans are already well underway for the World Cup. Delivering the very best product we can over those few weeks is an enormous task for the group and already we are thinking about how to put bet365 right at the forefront of the conversation during the tournament. With a global audience in excess of 700m, it is the most-viewed sporting event in the world and so our expectation is that we will see a multiplied increase in site traffic and betting activity and much of our work is about reaching as big a portion of that audience as possible.

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LAC TO THE FUTURE

This year’s LAC may have moved days (7th - 10th February) but is still the place to catch up with the best gambling affiliates.

ncompassing four days, a plethora of delegates and a number of tweaks designed to maximise every attendees experience, the London Affiliate Conference (LAC) is back for 2018. Over 5,000 people from the iGaming affiliate space are set to head to the ExCeL London for this year’s offering, but what exactly can can you expect from LAC this time around? LAC 2018 is set to be the most researched version of the conference to date, with a variety of tailor-made content designed to deliver a series of engaging sessions. LAC’s public has been consulted, through surveys, calls and social media interactions, to learn exactly what, and who, needs to be addressed and featured. After surveying a series of past speakers, and a smattering of favourites from a number of events attended over the course of the year, a plan has been put in place to create the content and sessions that focus on the sector’s biggest 38 SBC GLOBAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

issues and worries. The results will allow attendees to to learn the things they want to learn from speakers which IGB says are proven to be the best around. It isn’t all about the speakers though, and at LAC 2018 the networking never stops. With a whole exhibition optimised for everybody’s networking purposes, IGB says there can be no excuse for not meeting the right people to help grow a business. From welcome drinks at the hotel to the unwind session that closes this years event, plus a variety of other opportunities morning, noon and night, opportunities to meet someone new will be plentiful. The iGB Affiliate Awards also make a return this year, with the awards designed to reward those who give their all for our industry. Attendees to both LAC and the Financial Partners Expo (FPE) are also able to attend the iGB Affiliate Awards free of charge. Last year LAC welcomed a number of famous faces across its four days, with the Leicester Tigers, Jimmy Bullard,

and Harry Redknapp amongst those in attendance, along with Back to the Future’s famous DeLorean. It is widely expected that exhibitors are set to go above and beyond for 2018, with a number of attractions said to be planned. Expect sports stars, celebrity quiz show competitions and all day dance battles. A promise made upon this show first being launched over ten years ago also still stands strong, with it detailed no affiliate will ever pay for the events or any of the content subsequently produced as iGB Affiliate. LAC 2018 is and will always be 100% free for affiliates and introducing brokers. LAC is also home to the FPE, which brings together brokers, affiliates and introducing brokers in the retail finance sector. Businesses currently operating in, or considering exploring, the retail finance sector, will find this show a great place to establish new connections, build networks and learn about the constantly evolving industry.

AFFILIATES

21 MARCH 2018 | STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON THE FIRST EVER SPECIALISED AFFILIATES ONLY BOOTCAMP. A STANDALONE EVENT RUNNING ALONGSIDE BETTING ON FOOTBALL 2018

100

Affiliate Delegates

Top Industry Speakers

➜ The Social Media Hacks Workshop ➜ The “ Real Deal” SEO Workshop ➜ The Big Link Debate ➜ R ound Table: Sub Sarhara & African Markets for sports betting

Specialised Sessions

➜ C ontent strategies for Sports Betting Affiliates ➜ Starting your eSports Journey ➜ M entor Session: Growing your Sports Betting Affiliate Business

Sponsor & Supplier Opportunities Contact: LJ@affiliateinsider.com Website: www.sbcevents.com/aibootcamp

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 39

THE CHALLENGES OF ADAPTING TO THE EVOLVING AFFILIATE LANDSCAPE

Affiliates are caught between wanting to remain compliant yet not becoming beholden to stringent constraints on their activities. It’s a tightrope affiliates of all sizes must tread - but what are the benefits of playing ball?

hen the Gambling Commission handed operator 888 a record penalty package of £7.8m for what it described as ‘serious failings’ in its handling of vulnerable customers, betting operators reassessed the methods that were being used with regards to compliance. In turn, affiliates of all sizes were required to replicate the meticulous approach that was adopted by operators. What followed however, in a highly competitive affiliate landscape, was a range of stances being taken by a variety of affiliates. Although there were still rogue affiliates that retained the approach of getting extra traffic at all costs, some affiliates took a tougher stance on compliance in an attempt to increase the trust between them and the operator. The precariousness and importance of the relationship was analysed by Matthew Glazier, managing director of Bookies.com: “If you are an affiliate and

XL Media CEO, Ory Weihs

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you respect your relationship with an operator, you’re not going to go down the route of amending pieces of creative or trying to oversell an operator or try and do something which effectively jeopardises your relationship. “I believe that the cooperation between operators and affiliates is something we need to tie together in some way. It’s probably most obvious to start with larger affiliates talking to the operators and maybe setting some sort of guidelines, code - whatever could help. But I think the main point is we’re in this together because it will hurt our industry whenever there’s a bad press story out there about the industry.” The period of turbulence endured by affiliates was compounded when Sky Bet came to the decision that increased pressure from the Gambling Commission over standards and an abundance of rulings by the UK Advertising Standards Authority meant it “had to act”, cancelling its affiliate hub.

Managing Director of Bookies.com, Matthew Glazier

Paddy Power Betfair also responded by informing its affiliates that it would immediately suspend any marketing partner that was found to have breached its newly laid out promotional/messaging guidelines. Something that Glazier commended the group for, describing it “as a lot of common sense stuff that affiliates will stick by if they have a respect for operators.” A potential solution that has been explored to eradicate unethical approaches from affiliates is the possibility of licensing. It’s something that has been utilised in Romania. Drawing on past experience in the Romanian industry, Marcos Oliveira, chief affiliate officer at Clever Advertising Group, explained: “What Romania did is, once they licensed all the operators, they started demanding the affiliates were able to regulate as well. “So basically, what affiliates need to do is just fill the forms that the government sends you, they just want to know that

Better Collective CEO, Jesper Soegaard

Clever Advertising Group Chief Affiliate Officer, Marcos Oliveira

B2B SOCIAL SPORTS BETTING

Driving acquisition, retention and monetisation to operators, aï¬&#x192;liates and media brands

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 41

you are a proper company with all the right checks. You don’t need to divulge every trade secret when it comes to how you get to traffic. They just want to know that everything you do is done properly and you can protect the operator. This is something that the UK can do, it’s very easy. I know that when it comes to very small operators, it can be tough. But this is such a mature market that we’re now reaching levels where affiliate businesses are proper, professional businesses where you need to have responsibility about what you do. You can’t be reliable only on what the affiliate manager tells you, because in the end they want traffic, traffic, traffic.” He continued: “The government has to look at this. Operators have strict regulations, that is fine, and now let’s come to their partners. If their partners need to be regulated it’s fine. If they want to register, you can register - just be an official affiliate and whatever. You can do it day-by-day and keep growing. In one or two years, you are only left with the true affiliates that are trustworthy, that are still guaranteed by the government. And you can trust that if you work with

these guys you are good to go and everything is good.” Many in the industry, including founder and CEO of Better Collective Jesper Søgaard, remain sceptical about the potential effectiveness of affiliate licensing: “I think a potential issue with the licensing scheme could be with smaller affiliates because firstly, the

industry. So we are absolutely aligned when it comes to showing the outside world that we actually have a good industry and we care about the uses, making sure that minors are not betting and gambling and that we want to combat gambling addiction. We need to show that to the world,” said Søgaard. Concluding a panel at the Betting on Sports 2017 conference, CEO of XL Media, Ory Weihs, gave an insight into what he believes embodies a strong affiliate moving forward: “The idea is that, beyond the fact that affiliates get the traffic, you have to offer them something different. These affiliate websites that we used to do 10 years ago, they revolved around very simple lists that absolutely don’t work anymore.” On the other hand, Søgaard revealed that he is of the opinion that the ultimate motive of an affiliate should be to “make money after you make money.” “It’s our benefit for you to get whatever I promised you,” he said. “Once I’ve delivered the traffic, I lose total control of the business. You have my players, you can do whatever you want. You answer to no one.”

“We know that the outside world looks at what’s going on and tends to be suspicious of what happens in this industry.” Jesper Soegaard

amount you have to pay for a licence could actually be a substantial fee for smaller affiliates and then there’s the hassle of getting it. So it’s more about the ecosystem for affiliates I would worry a little about. “For us larger ones it’s not a problem, I would be completely fine with it. But if we look at a higher level at this industry, we know that the outside world looks at what’s going on and tends to be suspicious of what happens in this

The Super Affiliate Panel session at Betting on Sports discussed the importance of compliance.

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WORLD LEADING SPORTS BETTING & CASINO AFFILIATE Stop by booth L8 for “SILD & SNAPS” - a traditional Danish experience.

EGR Nordics Awards: Affiliate of the Year 2018 | SBC Awards: Affiliate of the Year 2017 EGR Operator Awards: Casino Affiliate of the Year 2017 | iGB Affiliate Awards: Best Innovation 2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 SBC GLOBAL 43