ROAD TO WORLD CUP


Alex Kornilov


Roman Bogoduhov


Thomas Smallwood


Ian Catchick


However, we can expect that during such an all-encompassing event as the World Cup, all sorts of gamblers will be tempted by football fever. For our online poker operators, we’ve pre-integrated full-screen sportsbooks and a live SideBet feature that allows players to make a bet on a game without leaving a poker table.


AK: Yes, the World Cup creates a spike in the volume of bets placed and the job is to maintain that afterwards. Come January, it will be fascinating to look back to see which companies capitalised on this unique opportunity the best.


I’m sure much of the industry will be thinking about Europe and LatAm, but one area we’ve firmly got our eye on is ‘soccer’ in the US. We’re boosting our North American presence significantly right now with major sportsbooks and broadcast – which means online casino can really start catching up fast – which means we can roll such a package of entertainment into one. Just like Esports was a few years ago, soccer is fast climbing the popularity rankings stateside, and using the tournament and Christmas as a platform to attract new players really is a golden opportunity for the taking.


TS: We see any sporting event, no matter how small, as an opportunity to cross-sell, and a faster more cost-effective cross-sell is at the heart of our EasySwipe games. Designed with sports bettors in mind, we have successfully enabled operators to essentially create a new vertical, offering casino games in the sportsbook, without affecting the sports betting experience. This feature has been proven to increase turnover on sports as they have strengthened player loyalty by helping sportsbooks to prolong screentime, a component which is going to be essential during the winter World Cup.


GIO: What plans do you have to support operators with their marketing initiatives during the World Cup and cross-sell them into casino games?


RB: For sports betting operators who have integrated our poker games, we have a new sophisticated promotional engine that allows us to cross-sell effectively across different activities. With seamless integration, an operator can create campaigns with any custom conditions and different bonus types. For example, a player can get a free poker tournament ticket or a bonus for placing a specific bet on a World Cup game. Operators can also organise condition-based poker tournaments for football fans that reflects the real tournament. This would see players who have Argentina against those with Mexico or Germany vs Spain poker games connected to the corresponding matches, capturing the players’ imaginations. With just a little effort this can become an inexhaustible source of cross-selling possibilities. As a development company, we strive to realise virtually any feature for our customers should they need them.


TS: During the World Cup, there will obviously be fewer betting opportunities with major leagues suspended so alternative content and promotional tools will be crucial in keeping sports bettors engaged. Our sports themed games, such as Goal Mine and BasketBall Mine can work hand in hand with operators’ marketing campaigns that look to bring in new players during a marquee event. Our super-fast and seamless technology allows players to enter an open session, enabling them to swipe in and out, enjoying the best quality casino games while waiting for the next fixture to begin. On top of this, our EasyBoost Promotional Tools, including Tournaments and Money Drops, are powerful features in the battle for player acquisition and, importantly, retention.


AK: The simple answer to this is how does one make it the busiest period? The key will be to promote the World Cup (and sports betting) first, then casino during and after the tournament to bring players through. Free spins to go with winnings from sports bets, would be a great place to start for those demographics likely inclined to give slots a try over the likes of live casino and instant games.


Of course, that’s just one example – as it’s all about delivering marketing initiatives to multiple players on a micro-segmented level. First you need to identify what verticals can complement those with sport. A good example of this in the US would be poker – in the past this has been an excellent way of adding to the day’s entertainment alongside the multiple matches that happen during major tournaments – whether that’s soccer, baseball or any other major event. This means tailored promotions and bonuses to engage the micro-segments you’ve identified as well as a re-evaluation as to how you’re presenting your content. A dedicated promotional page merging the World Cup and casino would be a great concept to try – as it will deliver banners, live updates from the games and also sports- themed casino options to keep players entertained during down-time.


IC: BetGames has a rich portfolio of simple, engaging live games that fit very closely to the needs of a recreational sports bettor, and we have 10 years of experience in helping operators to cross-sell to these to sports customers. Our products have a familiar sportsbook style betslip to support a rich list of markets, which align to players needs for extensive betting opportunities, and an ability to localise to their gaming needs. For us the big thing this year is the introduction of our brand new sports vertical, Twain Sport, with the launch of T-Basket, which is a high quality, high frequency, high integrity sports vertical, in which we have professional athletes competing in a new tournament every hour. This means we now offer customers multiple rich sporting fixtures for players to engage in, with 15 unique sporting fixtures every hour taking place in each tournament. The launch of our T-Kick, football themed game will follow soon after, and these games appeal strongly to sports bettors, who love sports, and are looking for rich content to supplement their betting experience, with first class content and sporting competition.


GIO OCTOBER 2022 7


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