iGaming Business magazine iGB 111 July/Aug | Page 96

iGB Live! Spotlight
Paris
Smith,
Pinnacle
iGaming Business: There is a lot of noise being generated
around esports betting by the likes of Unikrn, yourselves,
Betway etc. but is the sector taking esports seriously yet,
and if not, why not?
Paris Smith: We are most certainly taking the esports industry
seriously. We have invested heavily in our esports department over
the past few years and this has enabled us to improve our offering,
which in turn has resulted in a big increase in the volume we’re
seeing on esports betting markets.
The launch of our new B2B offering (Pinnacle Solution) has
also given us some insight into where other operators are as well.
The interest our B2B team have received in the esports product
in particular is a clear indication that people have realised the
industry’s potential and that it’s here to stay.
Esports betting is outstripping more smaller sports in
betting terms – is it now worth operators’ while narrowing
their focus to the big sports and adding esports instead?
The fact that esports has surpassed a sport as big as ice hockey in
terms of betting volume with Pinnacle shows that, when done right,
this relatively new industry is a lucrative opportunity for operators.
Unfortunately for some, it’s not just as simple as “adding esports”.
“When betting is made available
to millions of esports fans in
a regulated US market,
it’s bound to pique the interest of operators”
No matter what industry you’re in, you should always stick to
what you know. Pinnacle does so well with esports because a
large proportion of our employees, from our trading department to
the marketing team, are obsessed with it but it is very unique.
A token effort will get you nowhere, you need to have a real grasp
on the esports industry and devote both time and energy to get
anything out of it.
The scale of skin betting shows that millennials do
bet in large volumes, just not via conventional means
and channels. What can operators learn from this
when it comes to targeting their offer and product,
and is this existing audience even accessible via their
traditional platforms?
Ahead of her appearance at iGB Live! HQ,
the CEO of the esports betting pioneer
speaks to iGB about why it’s here to stay,
the impact of post-PASPA regulation and
facing down integrity challenges
94

iGamingBusiness | Issue 111 | July/August 2018
Esports is completely different to most other sports an operator
will offer and it has a truly unique betting audience. At Pinnacle,
we quickly realised that our esports customers wanted their own
separate product that was more in keeping with the games they
play and bet on.
There was a big focus on the UX and UI of Pinnacle’s esports
hub and it’s clear to see that it’s aimed at a different audience.
Everything from the bold interface to the odds displayed as
percentages has come from in-depth research into what
esports bettors want.