“ We are trying to be present in as many areas as possible . As other firms are leaving the high street and on-course , we are buying up retail and pitches ”
Flynn Goward , Star Sports
The final piece of the puzzle in Goward ’ s view , is all about having a presence . “ Part of our success is by not being faceless ,” he says . “ You will often see myself , or [ Star Sports owner ] Ben Keith standing at the big meetings or at the Greyhound Derby .” And that presence certainly goes a long way . “ We like to think we have a personality , which is backed up by the service we strive to give via our knowledgeable and friendly team at Star .
“ We also want to give back to the game . Sponsoring the Brighton Summer Racing Festival – we are Hove-based – as well as sponsoring the Greyhound Derby for years now .”
This rings especially true when it comes to future investment and Star Sports hopes to continue increasing market share throughout 2024 . “ We are always looking to improve our product offering , overall betting experience and reach within the marketing space ,”
Goward says . “ This is a huge focus for 2024 . Hopefully meaning more customers will find us at Star but , more importantly , will stay loyal to us as their go-to betting firm .”
BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
Unfortunately , however , innovation and pro-activity – such as Playtech ’ s and Star Sports ’ offerings – will not be enough to ensure the UK industry can weather the storm in 2024 . The increasing polarisation between the Commission and the industry needs to be solved . David Brown , with almost 50 years ’ service to the industry , is doing his best to offer a solution to bridge this gap .
“ There is a perception within many betting operators , especially racecourse bookmakers , that the Commission doesn ’ t quite ‘ get ’ betting or understand how bettors think and behave . So , it ’ s a little surprising that of the seven newly appointed commissioners , none of them have any experience of the betting industry .”
So , what steps can we take to ensure this can be done in 2024 ? For Brown , the first step is to agree those matters that can be agreed on and subsequently focus on where the differences occur and where obstacles lie . “ I have been involved in this industry for nearly five decades and it is resilient . It has emerged from challenging times before and I have little doubt it will do so again . Leaders , please step forward .”
Indeed , this resilience is what will be key . Goward certainly agrees . “ At Star we will always be resilient ,” he says , “ but it would be naive of me not to recognise the potential risk to the gambling / racing industry with regulation . We all want people to gamble safely and abide by AML regulation , but we need clear guidance on what this looks like .”
Now , it ’ s over to the Gambling Commission for the next move .
ICE LONDON 2024 • ISSUE 135 • 133