iGaming Business magazine In-Play Focus 2018 | Page 7

In-Play Focus 2018
WHAT PRICE
SUCCESS?
Effi cient pricing models are no longer the preserve of the big players, but all operators can
employ technology-fi rst solutions to offer the best experience for customers excited by
marquee events, such as the forthcoming World Cup, writes FSB’s David McDowell
The footballing calendar is approaching its quadrennial
crescendo, with this year’s World Cup promising to
bring spectacle and excitement to the host, Russia.
While the four years have raced by since Germany lifted
the famous trophy in Brazil, the development in options
available to sports bettors in that time has been dramatic.
This is especially true of in-play markets, which have
gone from strength to strength, both in the scale of available
options, and the speed and dynamism with which they
are presented to the player. From humble beginnings in
the early 2000s, in-play betting has grown to revolutionise
the relationship between bettor and bookmaker, and has
continued to develop apace with the technology.
There can be little doubt that the World Cup will
become the largest tournament for in-play betting in
history. The 2014 tournament reached a global viewership
of 3.2 billion and crowds averaging more than 50,000.
With the growth in worldwide interest showing few
signs of slowing, it is safe to assume that interest in
betting on everything from top goalscorer to the number
of fouls will continue to skyrocket. The desire by customers
to build their own bets is becoming an everyday part
of the offering.
Harnessing data
Of course, this is great news for operators, many of which
will have long been planning their strategies for the World
Cup. Keeping players engaged throughout a game with an
inviting and intuitive in-play offering is a core part of any
savvy operator’s acquisition and retention strategy.
The effi cacy of an operator’s pricing models
undoubtedly plays a major role here. The ability to serve
players quickly with markets that are not only effi ciently
priced, but also relevant to the preferences that have
historically displayed, is key.
For larger sports-betting operators, this is a simpler
proposition, given that most will have their own pricing
models and large in-house trading teams in place.
In light of the potential for acquiring a larger base of
loyal customers from the World Cup, it is important that
smaller operators without access to their own pricing
models do not get left behind in the scramble to offer the
most streamlined and involving in-play betting experience.
Many will turn to third-party data suppliers to keep pace
with larger operations, largely supplied with pricing feeds
scraped from those bookmakers.
This carries many of its own risks, chief among which are
issues of latency. A bugbear of customers and traders alike,
latency can hamstring the best-laid plans of operators when
supplying players with a dynamic in-play product that will
keep them coming back. Like the old adage that it only takes
a second to score a goal, delays in the transfer of data can be
a death sentence to an enjoyable in-play experience.
Moreover, turning to third-party data suppliers can affect
an operator’s bottom line. Taking pricing feeds from major
data suppliers can have the effect of diverting valuable
resources away from marketing and customer services.
Levelling the playing fi eld
However, making use of the resources of third-party
suppliers is no longer the only option available to operators.
Effi cient pricing models are no longer the preserve of major
operators, and a new breed of supplier is springing up with
unique and effi cient pricing models at their core.
As sportsbook technology develops, operators can take
control of their own destinies by employing technology-
fi rst solutions that place the dynamic use of pricing data
at the heart of their offerings. Partnering with suppliers
that have their own pricing models can give all operators
access to a tier-one solution – one capable of driving them
to stand out in the crowded World Cup marketplace.
And with plenty riding on an operator’s success at
acquiring players at the tournament, and seeing them
return consistently, there has never been a better time to do
away with the old and embrace a new, scalable approach
to in-play price modelling.
David McDowell is CEO
and co-founder of FSB,
which he set up in 200 8
after previously founding
AIM-listed GameAccount
Network. His success
in building the latter’s
operations provided
unparalleled insight into
running B2B services
within the industry.
iGamingBusiness | Issue 109 | March/April 2018 | 35