iGB Intelligence reports | Page 15

Executive summary and we are currently in the process of updating and refining our segmentation to understand better why the trends and behaviour we are seeing are happening.” Borislav Borisov, chief operating officer, UltraPlay: “The ascend of eSports to the top flight of sports betting has been by far the biggest trend which affected UltraPlay in 2015…..The large portion of the demographic which is involved in eSports is now at the beginning of their professional journey and as they move up the career ladder in the years to come, so will the amounts they invest in eSports betting.” Carsten Koerl, founder and chief executive, Sportradar: “Since the modern digital betting era started around the turn of the century, bettors have become increasingly more demanding and discerning, which has forced operators to become more savvy and competitive. Bettors are less tied to specific bookmakers, meaning they will go with the operator that gives them the best odds and the best betting experience which includes rich data on which they can base their bets.” David Chang, founder and chief executive, Betcade: “Most importantly a successful offering needs to have compelling content – while we are a store, we recognise that the digital sportsbooks that have the right content mix will outperform those that do not. Whilst the right content is essential, it is not sufficient to guarantee success. The right content needs to be paired with a user-focused design perspective….By embracing design methodology found in other entertainment apps digital sportsbooks could then start differentiating themselves by providing better, and more personalised, user experiences.” Peter Bertilsson, president and chief executive, Metric Gaming: “Whilst many factors are relevant, a strong mobile offering has become imperative. The online gaming world necessarily lags behind the rest of the market, however, due in large part to the regulatory obligations that render technology overhauls not just expensive from a time and labour standpoint, but also in terms of regulatory clearance. Olivia Gillibrand, head of marketing, OpenBet: “As a supplier, it is absolutely crucial to keep the customers at the centre of everything we do….The omni-channel market for suppliers is only going to increase, but it’s important to remain wise to the changing habits of consumers and ensure you’re delivering solutions that keep operators ahead of the curve. Today, there might be a thirst for in-play, but what will tomorrow’s bettor require? That’s why it’s important to keep launching new products, making innovations and preparing for the future, whatever it brings.” Simon Burrell, head of business development, Editec (UK): “The year of the mobile was heralded year on year for three years before it actually hit. Now it is here, not only is sports betting being driven by it, every retail business on earth is being driven by it….. Enhanced features such as early cash out, site and bet placement speed (site optimisation), player personalisation and customisation along with better device recognition are the ingredients which will retain existing casual customers, the more savvy punter is still flitting between many operators and rarely influenced by anything other than how quickly they can interact to place, collect or re-place their bets.” Sabin Brooks, founder, SportzRush: “The core competences and critical success factors for a successful digital sports betting proposition 8 Digital Sports Betting