Betway ’ s London HQ
“ The potential of the UAE , and wider Middle East , despite the obvious challenges , is significant ”
Super Group ’ s sponsorship portfolio already includes cricket competitions in South Africa , India feels like a natural fit .
However , the revamped Goods and Services Tax ( GST ), set at 28 % of turnover , prompted Super Group to pull out . “ We have to make calls when we ’ re not seeing returns ’” he says . “ It ’ s uneconomical to have 28 % Indian GST .”
Some operators invest for the future . They keep a presence in difficult markets in the hope of conditions improving or lawmakers amending legislation . At Super Group ROI is the watchword , hence its withdrawal from India .
In Germany , high casino taxes pushed changes to ensure economical returns , Menashe adds . “ Every market has its own process you have to go through . That ’ s fine as long as you then regulate the unregulated .
“[ But ] there is no point in putting pressure on the regulated sector if customers are going to decide to go to a sportsbook or casino that doesn ’ t comply with the rules .”
Regulation is ultimately inevitable , he says . Super Group welcomes the oversight : the market functions and regulators take effective measures against illegal activity .
BUILDING A GLOBAL BRAND FROM SCRATCH
Alongside the 10th anniversaries of its Champions Chase and West Ham deals , Super Group also celebrated two years as a listed business on 28 January . It ’ s an anniversary of sorts for the industry as a whole , too . The first online casino went live 30 years ago , in 1994 .
Beyond inevitable regulation , what does he see driving progress as online gaming moves into its fourth decade ?
Artificial intelligence ( AI ) is , of course , one of the key elements of gaming ’ s future . “ We are just in the foothills of understanding what these technologies can do , but I have no doubt that they will have an impact on the way gaming businesses are run and how we evolve interactions with our customers ,” he says .
Menashe is unsure which brands will stay around . The pace of deals picked up in 2023 and is only likely to quicken .
“ I predict that the industry landscape will be fundamentally different in five years ’ time ,” Menashe explains . “ Although it is imperative that healthy levels of competition are maintained to ensure our ongoing attractiveness to the existing and potential customer base .”
Super Group will remain part of the industry landscape whatever form it takes , he argues . As Menashe says sponsorship brings an international audience to Betway , giving it significant staying power . And there ’ s room to grow further as more markets regulate .
After more than two decades at Super Group , he is still up for the fight .
“ We ’ ve built a global business from scratch ,” he concludes . “ A culmination of over two decades of return on marketing spend . Who else can say they ’ ve done that ?”
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