What opportunities does the upcoming World Cup present the sports betting industry?


All eyes will be set on Qatar and top football fixtures. Te build-up to the tournament and all the way to the final is usually the occasion for operators to run massive promotions and recreational punters, whether new or sleeping, to place a few bets. Confidence in pricing is excellent, which is also an opportunity to raise betting limits and increase the depth of the offer.


Te context surrounding Qatar as host for the World Cup has been making the headlines but from a pure sports perspective, let's not forget that the focus is still on domestic football at the moment. Tis is most likely the last World Cup that will see two of the greatest players of all time - Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - compete for the supreme trophy. Many teams have a real shot at the title and no doubt we'll have the usual upsets.


Surely this is one of the first times bettors and sport enthusiasts in general can get excited about a mid-season international break!


Do you anticipate greater betting engagement rates than Russia four years ago?


We do anticipate greater volumes. Te format of the competition - with games starting as early as 10/11am and running until 9 or 10pm on the first week - makes it easier for operators to engage their customers all day long. Te tournament comes at a usual activity peak period, right before the festivities and we do expect to break our all-time transaction records in this quarter.


How will overall betting spend on the tournament be impacted by the global economic downturn?


Sports betting is known to be particularly resistant through difficult contexts. We're not witnessing any slowdowns since last summer, and we do not anticipate any real impact on the betting activity. Surely the early results will have an impact on customer engagement in the second week.


How have operator partners approached the winter tournament differently to a traditional summer event? What have been the biggest hurdles with the different timing?


Te main challenge here is to get ready while dealing with an intense pre-WC period that sees a lot of events taking place in a short amount of time. Tere is no rest and room for building up expectations between the end of domestic football and the start of the competition, meaning the focus will shift extremely quickly. From a marketing point of view, the cost of advertising increases with the more limited number of opportunities and places. It is all about being smart and reactive to stand out.


What betting trends are you anticipating for this World Cup? Are we likely to see a greater focus on outright betting or bet builders?


Te tournament is very open this year, making outright prices attractive enough from all


Kévin Brocard Director of Product Sportnco


“Surely this is one of the first times bettors and sport


enthusiasts in general can get excited about a mid-season international break!”


angles. We've seen some early actions on those markets indeed and this could last long throughout the competition. Player props and specials are much on demand and should grab their share of the stakes.


What features, products and innovations have you lined up to coincide with the World Cup?


As a sportsbook provider, we've been mostly listening to our clients to bring them what they needed to operate in the best conditions possible throughout the tournament and over the festivities period. We've been working around the basics, improving betting market access and platform performances for instance, while our trading team have been ensuring the WC offer was getting as competitive as it can be.


How are operators looking to draw players in as the tournament kicks off?


Absolutely. We've seen a mix of requests and actions from our partners but yes, promos and FTP games lead the way. Tis is a good momentum to run outstanding promos so the acquisition channel works full steam while ensuring existing accounts will start the tournament placing their bets with you. But at the end of the day, this is about making sure the players get the best experience, so they are working on the basics as well.


How do you expect the US market will bet on the tournament?


We expect the World Cup to serve as a real market access to the US leagues for our players, recreational or not. Event times suit it perfectly as most of the US action will take place right after the last game of the day. Our market exposure is mostly around Europe and LatAm where football/soccer is the most popular sport by far. Tose competitions are around all year long and we don't expect them to take the focus away from the main sporting event of the year.


Finally, your pick of this year's winner… We're backing Messi's Argentina to lift the cup! WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52