PROFILE Who’s Who Chris Nikolopoulos This month: BETBY’s CCO
What are the biggest positive factors for your sector right now?
I think that in recent years more and more educated people with creative ideas are getting involved in igaming. This gives the whole sector a boost in terms of beliefs, attitude and ways to deal with things, and talented people attract further talent.
And what are the negatives ones – the obstacles to growth?
People should understand that gambling is only for fun. Companies and regulators should identify and enforce strategies which make betting safe for everybody. I don’t think we are all doing our best towards this.
How/when did you first get involved with the gaming industry? It was back in 2013, while I was still a student at the National Technical University of Athens. I was given the opportunity to work as a sports betting trader. I immediately fell in love with the nature of the job and have remained in the industry ever since.
What attracted you to this sector? I am an engineer by trade, with mathematic and IT being two of my favourite subjects. In this industry I can combine both of them as well as my love for sports.
What were you doing prior to the gaming industry?
I was a student, studying as a Computer & Electrical Engineer at the National Technical University of Athens in Greece.
What are you responsible for in your current position?
It’s a long list of responsibilities! In short, I would say that I am responsible for commercial growth both in a horizontal and vertical way. That means that I have to increase both the number of new customers and the results of existing ones, while I also have to make sure of the effective delivery of our solution - both in terms of product and services - in order to meet the needs and the requirements of our partners.
What have been the biggest industry changes you’ve seen in your time? Igaming is an IT-related industry and is changing rapidly. I think the biggest change I have seen is going from an almost completely unregulated landscape to regulations in many countries, especially across Europe. That being said, we still have a long way to go in regulatory terms.
24 FEBRUARY 2020 GIO
Looking at your entire career, what do you think was your smartest move? Moving to Malta back in 2016. It’s at the forefront of our industry and being here allows Also, by working in different types of company, I have managed to get an all-around picture of the industry and to understand
Favourite…
perspectives such as B2B or B2C, and products such as sportsbook, casino,
And dumbest one?
dumb decisions but I can’t identify one; for me there was always a reason when I did something so I have no regrets!
What do you think the egaming space will look like in ten years’ time? AI and Machine Learning will be playing a huge role in our industry in the upcoming years. Data is already very important and next big milestone for all providers and operators.
If you’d never embarked on this career, what other line of work would you have liked to pursue?
I think I would have liked an academic career. It’s never too late!
Book: “Factfulness” by Hans Rosling
Food: Pasta – in all forms! Movie: Fight Club Band: Pink Floyd
TV show: South Park Past time: Location: Greek islands
Lots of sports, plenty of reading, and odds-compiling of course
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