Interviews

Digitain: “We were able to showcase the full potential of the products that we offer at ICE”.

ICE is bidding farewell to London by attracting thousands of global attendees and hosting the latest in gaming at ExCeL. What’s the show been like for the company this year? What are some of the highlights of the company’s showcase this time around?

This year ICE has been like no other gaming show. We were able to work and negotiate with the category of clients that we were aiming for, and it was a really amazing event overall for us. We were able to showcase the full potential of the products that we offer at ICE, including our sportsbook and our fully managed PAM. In turn, top operators were able to see and explore these offerings, and the feedback we received for all Digitain solutions was very good.

We are a company that is constantly releasing new features and tools to make the operator’s life easier and enhance their offerings. This year, we showcased our newly built-up bet builder, which I think is a very important development for the betting market. We spent about a year and a half building it up. It’s one of the highlights of our showcase at ICE, and it also exemplifies our approach to developing solutions: we like to do everything in-house, native and with top-notch technology.

Speaking of gaming technology, and how Digitain approaches the latest developments in this area within its portfolio, two things that we keep hearing about are AI (artificial intelligence) and real-time functionalities. How are these two concepts integrated into Digitain’s product proposition for the gaming industry?

We have been using AI for almost two years now. We use artificial intelligence in our sportsbook and casino products, where the players, whenever they are logged in, get a very personalized experience. With our solutions, users are able to see all the content that they like to play based on the previous activity they had with the platform.

Our AI capabilities have enhanced and developed thanks to the demands from operators and players alike throughout the years. Also importantly, we are planning to further expand the knowledge and resources we have in AI so that the player experience with our casino and sportsbook can be even more personalized in the future.

From a market perspective, ICE is a truly global show that attracts stakeholders from all over the world. What can you tell us about the presence of Latin American customers specifically, a region where Digitain has been expanding its footprint?

We are a very regionalized and localized company in the markets where we operate, and we currently have a very big focus on Latin America. In my case, I’m focused on the LatAm industry, and I can confirm that we received high-quality brands in our stand, with very high potential. We like to establish relationships with all such operators, trying to reach the best business opportunity we can and that satisfies both parties.

What would you say are the main demands from Latin American operators at the moment? Are their requirements and challenges different from other parts of the world and markets in which Digitain is present?

When we talk about top gaming operators, what everyone wants on a daily basis is to be independent when using our technology. We have reached a level with our portfolio that our products let the operator be independent with all the tools they are using. Of course, operators also want constant innovation in the solutions they use, so we are always developing novelties that allow them to be creative from different perspectives; from promotions to campaigns and tournaments.

You have to give operators all the tools they need to unlock their full potential, while also tailoring them to the specific market needs that they face. In the case of Latin America, as with other markets, we see that some features are more in demand than others. At the moment, the one that is attracting the most attention is the previously mentioned bet builder, which we have been happily delivering to our clients.

Another important requirement in Latin America is the need to be more omnichannel and have a presence in both the online and retail segments. This is a very important factor in the LatAm market, as nowadays many countries in the region primarily depend on the retail side of business, so it’s becoming increasingly important for them to expand their online operations as well to keep up.

Since we are speaking about the Latin American market, one country in particular that has seen a spike in interest and investment is Brazil, which is currently working on setting up its online gaming industry. Has Digitain seen increased demand and conversations surrounding this jurisdiction?

We have been seeing record numbers in Brazil, experiencing that big and very fast-growing interest in the jurisdiction. It’s definitely going to be a top priority for our company and we are planning to, let’s say, “tropicalize” even more the products and localize them for the Brazilian market. We are looking to add new strategic partners with us throughout this year in that specific region.

Source: Yogonet

Innovation has been a key driver of the sports betting and igaming industry over the last few years, particularly on the consumer-facing side. New features such as Bet Builder and cash outs have helped drive interest in sports betting exponentially.

Yet, when it comes to the back-end and sportsbook technology, innovative developments are required to ensure that operators do not face down-time, and that they can meet ever-increasing demand.

Digitain is one such firm seeking to innovate when it comes to its sportsbook technology, introducing a mobile-first approach to its system. This, the firm explains, helps operators who are increasingly working from remote and mobile locations and may not be working from their desktops all day.

Iain Hutchinson, Chief Revenue Officer at Digitain, spoke to SBC News after ICE London to discuss Digitain’s innovative approach to its sportsbook and igaming platform development.

SBC News: Digitain has just come off the back of ICE London 2024 – how did you find the event and what was the reception like from attendees?

Iain Hutchinson: The show was an incredible experience, the vibe, the energy and the positivity was electric.

It was as you expected the end of an era to be, with lots of old faces, new faces and in-between, coming to the show, to say I was there for the last every edition of ICE in London.

From Digitain’s perspective, our booth was an immersive, visual experience showcasing our ‘YOUR SUCCESS’ marketing campaign and award-winning GLI certified sportsbook and Centrivo Dynamics and Universal igaming solutions.

Our meeting schedule was hectic but thoroughly enjoyable meeting new partners looking to take their tech stack to the next level, and new businesses looking to enter markets such as LatAM, via utilising Digitian’s 20+ years of demonstrable know-how to support your businesses market growth.

Attendees on the first day were entertained by Galácticos legends Luís Figo, our brand ambassador, and Michel Salgado. They engaged with attendees, with raffles, and exclusive signed memorabilia added to the excitement and a very, very busy booth.

SBC: You have been showcasing your sportsbook technology portfolio of late – how has your technology been received by the market and what was the sales pipeline at ICE like?

IH: I’m happy to report our sales pipeline is very healthy. In terms of the Digitain sportsbook platform, we showcased SportChat, Sport Jackpots, Sport and Bet Race Tournaments, AI Sport recommendations and Multi and Ultra Cash Back. All these features are designed to enhance player engagement, increase player satisfaction that leads to revenue growth.

From a product perspective, visitors were also introduced to our all-new native applications for Centrivo Dynamics and Universal solutions. The immersive, all-in-one experience across iOS and Android platforms, comes with innovative features like push notifications and cross-product navigation, and is part of our continued dedication to delivering a superior gaming experience for all our partners.

SBC: Digitain’s sportsbook tech is focused on being intuitive, mobile-friendly and focused on social features. What are the key features of the platform and what issues do they solve for operator partners?

IH: As I mentioned previously, Digitain is delivering more engagement features within the sportsbook on a mobile-first basis. Today’s sports bettors wish to share the highs and lows and opinions of betting on sports. Perhaps in the past, this conversation took place on social media platforms, but it makes sense for solution providers such as Digitain to provide these features within the platform, so that the player can decide to interact within or out with the sports betting brand.

Sportchat, our player-2-player social feature is a good example of a strong engagement feature. From a player’s standpoint he/she can engage with other like-minded players within the sportsbook and from an operator’s standpoint, early evidence shows increased stakes, GGR and player satisfaction which can then lead to increased LTVs.

SBC: In an age of remote and mobile working, how essential is it that operators can operate their platforms securely and effectively from their mobile devices and how does Digitain enable operators to do this?

IH: Mobile devices are central to how we communicate and access the internet and core informational or business services.

We also realised that many teams are still remote, or travel a lot, so aren’t always tethered to a laptop to manage data or certain operational processes.

An example of this was our recent redesign of the bonus management functionality. We introduced a modern UI solution and intuitive interface tailored to players’ preferences from a front-end standpoint. The redesign ensured streamlined bonus activation management and responsible gaming practices and control processes.

Back office wise, the bonus management functionality is fully mobile compatible providing the operator partners’ marketing team with control at their fingers. The marketing team can therefore manage player promotions, run campaigns, and make instant website changes—all from their phone. They can also have access to real-time metrics and reports for informed decision-making with live business data all from the mobile phone.

SBC: With social media shareability of utmost importance in the modern age, how essential was it for Digitain to add in social features to the platform and how effective are they in engaging bettors?

IH: Digitain is focused on developing features and tools that add value to a business partner’s operation. This must be centred on key questions such as ‘does it improve the overall player experience’, that leads to a commercial goal of increased learnings that therefore leads to increased revenue opportunities.

In terms of social media, this is the case with Sportchat, which as a player-2-player interaction tool, has shown to lead to higher engagement levels, and participants using the chat have as a group increased stakes and GGR contribution over control groups.

SBC: When talking about new trends, do you use artificial intelligence for your products, services or user experience?

IH: AI is the watchword on everyone’s agenda now. Digitain has embraced AI into certain facets of its business, but only on the basis that it can improve business processes.

We continue to evaluate the merits of AI, and its impacts as the technology is still evolving and therefore requires rigorous evaluation of its usage for businesses, in any industry vertical.

SBC: Digitain’s next event appearance will be SBC Summit Rio. What are your plans for the event and how important is Brazil as part of Digitain’s future strategy?

IH: Latin America continues to be an important growth market for Digitain. The recent developments regarding sports betting in Brazil last year, which undoubtedly make Brazil one of the largest igaming markets on that continent.

In terms of SBC Summit Rio, we look forward to attending as always, a fantastic show, and already my diary is starting to fill out.

So, get in touch with Digitain and ensure ‘Your Success’ for Latin America.

Source: SBC News

“Digitain’s key goals remain to deliver scalable iGaming solutions and help our partners grow their business”.

What will be the main novelties that your company will present and focus on at ICE London this year? Will you be showcasing any new products or services this time around?

We shall welcome our current and potential partners and visitors to our stand S4-150.

Digitain shall be showcasing our all-new native applications for Centrivo. The immersive, all-in-one experience for iOS and Android platforms comes with innovative features, including push notifications and cross-product navigation. This is all part of our continued dedication to delivering a superior gaming experience for our partner operators.

The Centrivo’s native applications have an extensive suite of casino games and features offering diverse options to cater to every player’s requirement. The application integrates a comprehensive sportsbook and virtual sports, providing users with a one-stop destination for all their sports betting and virtual gaming needs.

Digitain sportsbook platform has also introduced new features, of which our partners and their players have been delighted, including Sportchat, Sport Jackpots, Sport and Bet Race Tournaments, AI Sport recommendations, Dark and Light modes. The features are focused and engineered to enhance player engagement and satisfaction, leading to revenue growth.

Given ICE London’s status as one of the major global events in the industry, what are your expectations for the expo, and what are the company’s key goals for the event?

This shall be the last show at London ExCeL, as everyone knows ICE always defines a salesperson’s whole year, as it is the start of the trade events calendar. We are meticulously planning for this prestigious show with all our team. Therefore, we look forward to celebrating the years gone by, and this last show shall be one of the best as we approach a new chapter when the show goes to my 2nd home Barcelona in 2025.

Our key goals remain to deliver solutions for our partners, that deliver robust, scalable iGaming solutions into the marketplace, and listen, learn, and help our esteemed partners grow their business today, tomorrow, and in the future.

How would you describe the industry’s and your client’s current demands at the time? What markets will you focus on at the expo?

The demands have been similar over the past few years. Can your technology adapt to local market conditions, player needs, and regulations, and can you help us grow our business?

Operators are looking for a more holistic approach to their business needs, in that it isn’t just the technology platform; it is the expertise in operations, marketing, compliance, and payments, which is accompanied by ongoing support for the growth of our partners’ operations.

Digitain has been in the marketplace for some time and has operational and technology expertise within our teams. It is essential to understand the supply chain and the nuances of the B2C market when supporting partners with B2B technology. I came from a B2C background so this further helps to have that all round perspective.

From a market’s perspective, continental Europe is a crucial focus for Digitain, and likewise, Latin America and the recent regulation in Brazil shall further accelerate the demand in South America. Our regional team, under my focus, shall be focusing on CIS and Baltics which are strong growth markets for Digitain.

The event comes as we enter a new year for gambling. What is your assessment of how the sector developed in 2023, and what should we expect from it in 2024? What role will the company play in the upcoming 12-month period?

The sector grew overall across continental Europe, Latin America, and North America. Latin America, of course, with Brazil, is a significant spotlight for B2C and B2B iGaming companies. More of the same for 2024, so more markets are regulated in South America.

From Digitain’s perspective, we have opened offices in London and Bucharest and have expanded our team in LatAm markets. The business is well-placed to accelerate its presence in key regulated markets.

What other industry events does the company plan to attend this year?

Similar to 2023, we have a full schedule of attendance at industry shows, and we shall be attending iGB Live in Amsterdam in July and the SBC Summit in Lisboa in September. We shall also be attending various local and regional expos in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

To kick off the start of the year, Digitain launched new native apps for iOS and Android devices under its Centrivo brand. Could you share what the initial feedback has been like?

We were delighted to announce our Centrivo all-in-one applications for both iOS and Android platforms to the market in December last year. Our inquiries from existing partners and new ones interested in our product presentations and demonstrations at the forthcoming ICE London show have been outstanding.

Source: Yogonet

“My goal is to empower every member of my team”

Having recently transitioned from Head of Strategy to Chief Sales Officer at Digitain, how do you plan to leverage your strategic insights to drive the company’s global sales and expansion?

As the former Head of Strategy, my main objective is to utilise the tools and techniques I have developed over the years to establish and implement effective strategies. One of my key strengths is the ability to analyse both data and experience, allowing me to create tailored data-driven strategies for each market we plan to enter or expand in.

This includes considering factors such as market specifics and competitive landscape to make decisions that align with the company’s vision and objectives. Additionally, my previous role has not only improved my business development skills but also shaped my unique leadership style, which will be instrumental in driving our company’s global sales and expansion efforts successfully.

In your role at Digitain, you are tasked with engineering complex sales solutions for multi-jurisdictional operators. What is your approach to meeting the diverse needs and regulatory requirements of these markets?

Digitain has over 3,000 employees with expertise in the entire iGaming supply chain. In terms of this, sales work closely with our product, regulatory, and technical compliance teams to ensure the exacting standards for certification and licensing are met.

We conduct regulatory monitoring of each market and new markets that are considering enacting legal frameworks for iGaming. Our teams of professionals liaise with regulators and certification providers, and it is essential to have this dialogue and communication flow.

Internally, we have multi-disciplinary review meetings and project planning to ensure all milestones in the regulatory, technical, product, and sales road map are delivered accordingly.

It is essential to state that these processes take time and should not be rushed; attention to detail is paramount, and our partners and regulators expect this.

As you step into your new role, what is your vision for Digitain’s growth in the iGaming industry, and how do you plan to achieve this?

My vision for Digitain’s growth in the iGaming industry is to maximise our potential by not only expanding in our current markets but also entering new markets where our technologies, and solutions, and unique partner-centric approach can help large operators significantly grow their businesses and gain a competitive edge.

We have various data-driven strategies in place to achieve this vision, which we plan to implement this year. As the sales team, we believe our main responsibility is to showcase the hard work of our 3,000+ employees to the world, and we are determined to do so with a winning mindset.

What qualities do you look for in your team, and how do you foster a culture of innovation and excellence?

As the newly appointed Chief Sales Officer, my goal is to empower every member of my team and fully support their growth and development. This can only be achieved through ongoing learning and development, as well as discipline and diligence that are the main qualities I am looking for.

I believe in leading by example giving individuals the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and ultimately flourish. Additionally, in Digitain, our policy is to heavily invest in our talents, invest in their learning and development, plus we have created a work environment with state-of-the-art facilities and comprehensive support to prioritize their physical health and mental well-being.

How do you plan to strengthen relationships with existing partners and customers, and what strategies do you use to attract new partnerships in the iGaming sector?

As the former Head of Strategy, I have established strong connections and relationships with many of our key partners. It is my intention to uphold these relationships in my current position, as it is one of my main responsibilities. Strengthening relationships with the existing partners is crucial for business growth. To achieve this, it is important to maintain proximity to our partners, investigate and prioritize their needs, and have a deep understanding of their market requirements to actively support the growth of their businesses.

When it comes to new partnerships, our approach involves a careful selection process where we prioritize certain criteria. We aim to work only with partners who have the potential to gain a competitive edge in their market and achieve top-ranking status with the help of our products, solutions, and support that are designed to assist them in reaching their goals.

Additionally, Digitain is establishing more sales offices to be close to our partners worldwide; we have opened offices in London, England, and Bucharest, Romania, and shall be expanding our physical presence in LatAm very shortly. The physical presence is vital to our local partners and further helps increase the awareness of Digitain in those core markets.

Our brand ambassador, Luis Figo, who has signed on for another year, has been wonderful, given his international presence in Europe and Latin America, further raising the awareness of Digitain in critical global markets. Our collaboration with Luis is unique in the B2B iGaming vertical, and we look forward to his attendance at the up-and-coming ICE London show and other events planned throughout 2024.

Regulatory landscapes in the iGaming industry are continually changing. How does Digitain, under your sales leadership, plan to navigate these changes?

Digitain is committed to flexibility and adaptability when it comes to accommodating to partner’s needs in their markets or jurisdictional requirements. This process, to my deep belief, is only possible to conduct successfully when there’s an ongoing dialogue between the Operator and the respective stakeholders of the Provider, such as Compliance, Technology and Business.

Under my leadership, one of my core missions should be to facilitate this dialogue because this will not only nourish the partnerships with existing partners from different regulated markets but also ease our journey to expanding our footprint into more regulated markets.

Source: iGaming Express

Iain Hutchison, CRO at Digitain: “Sportsbooks chose us because of our reputation and long-standing expertise”.

What assessment do you make of 2023?

As a business, we are pleased with our continued growth in multiple regulated markets. During this year, Digitain has opened offices in Bucharest and London. This is to expand and service our business pipeline, and growing markets such as continental Europe. Our team of brilliant people has grown to over 3,000 employees, showing the increasing demand for our Sportsbook and iGaming solutions.

What would you say was the company’s biggest achievement?

There have been many milestones for the company, namely its overall growth, increase in employees, the opening of new offices, and enhancements to our products. Therefore, it is difficult to single out one achievement, but I suppose, LatAm is one of our successes of the year.

We have attended several of the igaming shows, and this has generated a lot of enquiries, and new business wins. We have also scaled our LatAm team with several senior and operational hires throughout the year, and we shall continue to grow our pipeline in LatAm.

Your sportsbook recently won “Sportsbook Supplier of the Year” at the SBC Awards and “Sportsbook Provider of the Year” at the SiGMA Balkans Awards, how much importance do you give to awards and nominations?

Industry awards are important for any B2C or B2B business. The submissions are reviewed by judges who have a deep understanding of the industry, the challenges, and the dynamics.

Therefore, to get shortlisted is a great achievement, and likewise winning the award, as it demonstrates peer recognition, which helps further build your reputation and trust within and outside of the industry.

What are the key features that make your sportsbook stand out in so many award ceremonies? How many platforms have already integrated your technology?

We have over 150+ partners using our sportsbook to date, and a healthy onboarding pipeline for Q1 & Q2 releases in 2024.

There are many reasons why partners chose Digitain. Part of that decision making when selecting a technology provider, is our reputation and long-standing expertise in the vertical. We put the customer first and have always viewed the dynamic between supplier and operator as a collaborative one.

For a technology standpoint, our solutions allow flexibility, reliability, and customisation for the partner to ensure a degree of greater control to manage their brand and business processes in that local market. This flexibility is very important into today’s fast-moving markets, where players choices can change quickly, so you need technology partners such as Digitain that can facilitate change and adaption at pace.

“We have over 150+ partners using our sportsbook to date, and a healthy onboarding pipeline for Q1 & Q2 releases in 2024.”

What can you tell us about the upcoming scenario for esports?

eSports continues to be a popular product vertical. It appeals to a slightly different, younger demographic, and can be a natural introduction into more traditional sports betting products.

We have some exciting developments planned on that front throughout 2024, so keep a watching brief.

Luis Figo is set to continue his role as Digitain’s esteemed Brand Ambassador for the second consecutive year. How important is it to have a football legend like Figo on your team?

Luis is a well know sports athlete globally. As a business, we are delighted to continue our partnership into 2024.

The relationship given Luis stature in Latin American markets has certainly helped Digitain to stand out and help build our awareness in those regions.

What can you tell us about Digitain’s Paydrom solution and how it is revolutionizing igaming payments?

Payments and APM’s is the lifeblood of any online business, and payments is crucial in iGaming.

Paydrom, provides our partners with the flexibility at it is a payment gateway and payment service soltuion, that has 50+ providers, 400+ payment options to offer the best local payment options for a partner operator.

Instead of multiple end-point payment integrations, Paydrom solves that, via a centralised dashboard. We shall continue to expand that service as more payment methods become popular in each country’s market.

The Latin American market is going through an exponential expansion, what is Digitain’s biggest challenge in this scenario for 2024?

Latin America has been growing for several years and is an exciting market. There are several challenges, and ongoing regulation needs to be monitored to ensure market access and support for local operators looking to go online, and of course international operators entering the market.

As we mentioned, Digitain already has a robust awareness in the market, and our pipeline is expanding, and we shall continue to look at how we service and grow those market segments.

“Latin America has been growing for several years and is an exciting market.”

Looking forward to 2024, what plans do you have and are there any new developments that we can look forward to from Digitain?

Firstly, we wish to thank all our partners, who continue to support and use our platform services, they have been phenomenal.

In terms of 2024, well, come see us at ICE London in February and all shall be revealed then.

Source: Focus Gaming News

GMB – What assessment do you make of your company’s performance and growth in 2023 overall? Did it meet expectations or exceed them?

Gevorg Rushanyan – Digitain has a long history in delivering exceptional sports betting and iGaming solutions across many regulated markets.

Throughout this year, the business has opened offices in Bucharest and London to expand and service our business pipeline across continental Europe. Our people are phenomenal and have grown to over 3,000 employees, which again is testament to our business growth in 2023.

We look forward to 2024, as we further build on our growth, and expand our award-winning sportsbook and iGaming platform solutions to new partners across the globe.

What assessment do you make of your company’s performance and growth within the Brazilian market in 2023?
Digitain has had a surprising year of exponential growth in Brazil, on par with our strategic operators, who have well-known names in the industry. We have experienced a boost in traffic that is incomparable to other markets in the region, and we believe that one of the reasons is the sympathy that players have come to have with our sports and esports product.

We are firm in our strategy that for us Brazil has to be one of the markets with the greatest momentum in sports betting for the upcoming years.

Could you list the main achievements or goals accomplished?

Digitain and our team, have attended over 30 summits and industry trade shows throughout 2023. The business has won numerous B2B industry awards. We have introduced and launched new features on the sportsbook platform which have been well received by our B2C partners, such as SportChat, Sport Jackpot, Sport and Bet Race Tournaments, AI Sport recommendations and Multi and Ultra Cash Back, and many more features all designed to enhance player engagement that leads to revenue growth.

There are many more achievements, and it is only possible with the continued support of our 150+ partners, and over 3,000 team members delivering the best iGaming and Sportsbook solutions into the market. We wish to thank all our partners and suppliers for helping us make it a fantastic 2023.

In your sector within the industry, what trends or technological advances do you believe will dominate the market in 2024?
We are seeing more socialization features being introduced in the sportsbook. Players wish to engage with other players and have that sense of community. Digitain has recently introduced our player-to-player engagement tool, called SportChat, which has proved a success with players and our partner operators using this feature.

2024 shall see more of these social features introduced into the platform, and more AI to improve processes within the player journey for acquisition and retention marketing plans.

What is your general opinion on the regulation of the sports betting and online gaming market that is on the verge of approval in Congress?

As a B2B supplier business we welcome regulation within the supply chain. It is important for the industry to grow and protect consumers, so regulation is welcomed.

What are the main goals/objectives of your company for 2024 within the Brazilian market? And on a global scale?
Our goals are to continue to monitor the progression of the bills in the Brazilian Congress and timelines for regulated sports betting in Brazil, and indeed across other Latin American countries.

Our teams, legal, compliance and technology, will review the licensing requirements and make the necessary preparations required for these regulated markets.

Source: Exclusive GMB

Digitain Group R&D Director Peter Nolan speaks to Gambling Insider about the company’s future in the US, the LatAm market and Luís Figo playing football on an Armenian roof.

Where is Digitain right now in the market and where does it want to be?

It’s in a good state. We’ve just come out of a good conference. We’re looking to expand our global footprint in regulated markets; that’s our target. We’re building sales teams in Latin America and Asia to help support that, and the general sales team has doubled in the region in the last 18 months. We’ve got some good products; in particular, we launched the new platform called Centrivo in the summer and it has had a big impact – so we’re in good shape platform wise. It’s got some really good verticals, support and a lot of tools for the operators: like CRM and an integrated payment gateway, content management system, etc. We bumped up the tools and the whole stability and flexibility of it, where people can quickly change the website and mobile sites to suit their brand. That has been successful so far.

What about the core products?

We upgraded our sportsbook, which is our hero product. Digitain started out in this industry with shops in Armenia and a sports betting B2C. Sports betting was our original business, so we have a large team of traders and risk management people, with algorithms – we’ve upgraded that recently so it’s ready for the World Cup. Also, we launched our online casino studio in the last few months and have signed up over 50 partners on the live casino. That’s a completely new studio built in our Digitain headquarters, which is a state-of-the-art building housing over 2,000 people now. We’re also building another studio so we can offer some more bespoke services to clients.

In terms of sports betting, how interested are you in the US market right now?

It’s on our radar at some point in the future. There are certainly plenty of opportunities there as the various new regulated markets open up. Right now, we have plenty to do, plenty on and are focused on Central European, LatAm and Asian markets. Looking at it, there’s a fight going on in the US, people spending a lot of money in terms of operations, while most people are cutting down on that to save money. However, we’re confident we will achieve growth there over time.

So LatAm is a bigger focus for you in the near future, then?

Yeah, but we want to go into the regulated markets, too. I worked in Brazil for a couple of years, so I know it quite well. We have a couple of good people that work there for us, who are talking to the regulators a lot in Brazil and Argentina. We want to get our products certified for these areas; that’s our aim. However, right now, we’re focused on getting more visibility.

In terms of visibility, it must be great for the brand to have Luís Figo as an ambassador, which Gambling Insider exclusively revealed back in July.

Yes, that’s a big statement for us and our B2B suppliers, as well. Obviously, you get a lot of B2C people with advocates and footballers. So, for our B2B supplier to get him was a big statement. It’s a bit like our show at ICE London: every year it’s a bit bigger, a bit better and represents the confidence we have in the business.

Digitain’s new Group COO, Armine Sirunyan, speaks to Gambling Insider about her new role within the business and the company’s plans for 2023 and beyond.

Congratulations on your appointment! What was your first thought when you found out you were going to become Group COO?

Excitement! There is a great deal still to achieve and I’m so looking forward to working with colleagues from across the organisation to ensure our continued success. I’m also very thankful to be given this opportunity to continue my journey with this progressive organisation in such an important role.

What is your biggest target as Digitain COO?

There are many and all of them are big and undertaken with strong determination. I would outline, that I am strongly committed to driving continual improvement in how we serve our partners and how we support our teams in ensuring that we deliver the very best standards of customer experience. I would also highlight balancing efficiency with effectiveness – ensuring that all systems and processes across the business are optimised – especially those “moments of truth” that make the real difference to our partners.

How has working at Digitain changed since you joined the company?

We see the advancement of technology in an enormous speed every single day and across all the aspects of our life, which is as well reflected in our work. Saying this, we are now integrating and using machine learning and AI across all our products and services.  Our global footprint has grown significantly as we expand our geography and move into more regulated markets. This in its turn drives us to furnishing our products and services with more market specific functionals and solutions.

Another significant change to me, as to a person who has spent with the company around a decade, is the size and the scale of the team. It used to be a team of few hundreds, and now we have a workforce of over 2000. And it is not only the numbers that matter. I am very proud to see that we have built a diverse and multifunctional team covering various professions, talents and new directions. Another change I would highlight, is the complexity of products. Digitain used to be a sportsbook-oriented provider-sportsbook being the first product it introduced to the market. Now we are a multi-vector business, offering wider range of products and solutions and continuously heading towards new business directions.   

Finally, what are the company’s biggest goals for 2023?

We follow through our goal to enter more regulated markets globally and expand our geographical presence. This, in its turn, drives us to constantly developing our product base – including live casino, sportsbook, payment gateway and RGS.

We are very much focused on creation and development of our in-house products, and ensuring that those are equipped with constantly evolving, top-notch and competitive features.  Some of our in-house products have succeeded to an extent that they have grown into stand-alone companies and are creating their own success path.

As a client- centric company, we are committed to putting our best effort, our in-house expertise and knowledge to facilitate the sustainable growth and development of the business of our partners. We keep on being innovative and taking every opportunity to delight our new and existing partners with new offerings that will reinforce their competitive position in the market. And last, but not the least, we have an ultimate vision to grow the technical skill base in Armenia (as a centre of excellence) via company initiatives such as M1TQ.

Digitain’s Zohrab Karapetyan talks exclusively to G3 magazine about the company’s expectations of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and his plans to deliver a special sportsbook experience.

What opportunities does the upcoming World Cup present the sports betting industry?

We expect betting levels to significantly exceed those seen in the 2018 tournament. If you look at the betting history of the World Cup, the betting turnover has grown over every tournament since Italia ’90 and we do not feel this pattern will change.

It has been estimated that the total amount of bets placed globally on the 2018 World Cup Finals exceeded €130 billion, an average per match of €2.1 billion, with over €7 billion being gambled on the France v Croatia final. That is spectacular and just underlines the popularity of football across the world.

Since then, a number of significant new markets have been regulated and interest in football continues to grow, so we are confident that, despite this tournament being the first one to be held in winter, the 2022 World Cup will beat all records for betting handle.

Excitement for the Qatar World Cup has been comparatively muted, namely due to the human rights abuses committed in the region, the excessive cost of travel and tickets, a disrupted domestic calendar, and the sweltering heat that is likely impact on the quality of matches being played. Nonetheless, does the tournament have the potential to still be an engaging and entertaining betting experience?

We’re confident that this year’s tournament will deliver some great viewing and betting experiences, with regular bettors on premium football switching to betting on the tournament.

There could be some impact on the dynamic nature of the games, given the heat of Qatar, even at his time, but I think the levels of excitement of watching the world’s best teams will overcome any potential obstacles. It’s going to be a wonderful spectacle, in my opinion.

Do you anticipate greater betting engagement rates than Russia four years ago? 

From a Digitain perspective, our partner network has grown significantly since the last World Cup, so we will obviously see much higher volumes being processed through our platform than previously. However, as stated above, we still feel that our World Cup 2022 organic growth with be significant over the previous competition.

How will overall betting spend on the tournament be impacted by the cost-of-living crisis? As mortgage payments continue to rise, energy bills soar and with Christmas around the corner, how will sports betting handle be impacted? 

Traditionally, sports betting tends to be recession-proof to a large extent, although the global economic picture this year may test that theory.  However, I think the World Cup is such an iconic tournament, with high-profile games coming thick and fast, that the overall spend will still increase over previous tournaments.

 It would not be surprising if this year’s World Cup generates over €250 billion in stakes, with football fans ignoring the controversies surrounding the event and focusing on the spectacle.

How have operator partners approached the winter tournament differently to a traditional summer event? What have been the biggest hurdles with the different timing?

The games are being played at 6pm and 11pm locally, which is reasonably attractive from a European, African, Asian and even North and South American betting fan’s perspective, fairly similar to current domestic league timing – so our partners are not expecting too much disruption to their normal operational processes.

From a partner perspective – there will be an obvious impact on the expected betting handle on the domestic football leagues, especially the key European ones; the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Primera Liga and Serie A, that all plan to take a six week break when the World Cup is on. However, this should balance out as the postponed games will be squeezed into an extended season ending later than usual at the end of May 2023.

What betting trends are you anticipating for this World Cup? Are we likely to see a greater focus on outright betting or bet builders? 

Outright betting is always popular on football tournaments, particularly the World Cup where you see lots of “patriotic” bets, especially if the team have a successful run in the competition and the nation and media get behind them.

From an operator perspective, the key period for revenue in the tournament is the Group stage where we they will see the most money bet per day, due, of course, to the number of games being played. As the tournament progresses the games become more spread out and there is less daily betting activity. 

What features, products and innovations have you lined up to coincide with the World Cup?

We understand the importance of the World Cup for our partners, so we have been busy preparing some new offers, promotions and additional content for them to ensure their players remain engaged and loyal for the duration of the tournament.

We have developed a World Cup Predictor game that operators can customise to suit their marketplace and can reward their players with prizes or free bets.

As well as this, we have launched a new World Cup Player Tournament application, allowing our partners’ players to participate and win prizes based on their skills in predicting and betting on the competition results.

We have a wealth of new bonuses, bet boosters and promos dedicated for the competition – one of my favourites is our “2 Goal Early Pay-out” offer, where we will settle bets as winners if a team goes ahead in a match. It applies to both singles and multi bets – so is bound to be a winner with players who like to re-invest.

Finally, your pick of this year’s winner…

I think England will have good tournament despite recent form, but France may find it is very difficult to defend the trophy –it hasn’t been done since Brazil in 1962.

Belgium at 16/1 and Croatia at 50/1 a are good each-way bets, but I might have a small bet on Argentina at around 7/1 to win – they always turn up at the big tournaments.

In the latest edition of Intergamingi’s Magazine, Digitain’s Research & Development Director, Peter Nolan, shares his thoughts on the key elements that need to be in place in order to build a successful sports betting business.

What are the major challenges when building a sports betting platform?

 I think it’s easier to discuss what I believe you have to get right in order to develop (and by the way, continue to develop) a successful sports betting platform.

I won’t go into the technology stack required, someone more informed is best covering that, although aspects such as speed, security and stability are obviously paramount. From a customer perspective there are a number of key things that have to be delivered if you want a sportsbook to be successful and these include the effectiveness of on-boarding, the range and quality of the sports betting content, the overall user experience and the comprehensiveness of the payment solutions provided.

A lot of marketing money gets spent in acquiring customers, so it’s important that the first experience a user has is an excellent one, so the registration journey has to be seamless, logical and quick. Verification, depending on the local regulations, has to be as painless a process as you can make it, and communication to new customers needs to be as clear and reassuring as possible.

It goes without saying that content is king for a sports betting platform, so a comprehensive range of global sports betting opportunities has to be delivered. A full range of betting markets and competitive odds to go with these opportunities are also required, plus the trading skills to deliver sustainable revenue stream for your partners is pretty important too.

Live betting is the hero product, and this has got to be delivered instantly and accurately, along with other supporting content via, in our case, our Live Match tracker, to ensure the best experience for the customers. In our case AI technology as well as a suite of algorithms, as well as our large team of traders, are used to ensure our in-play service is among the best available.

A recent YouGov research article regarding the Champions League final indicated that for bettors, user experience was the main driver in their selection of bookmaker. Odds, especially in-play, can be commoditised, so user experience delivered is paramount. This includes many factors including delivering intuitive navigation, ease of bet placement, market availability and speed of bet settlement. Also includes ensuring all the above is fit for purpose for a range of international markets.

Finally, payments. Customers have to be able to transact effectively with the operators so providing a wide range of methods is a key capability.  Processing deposits AND withdrawals quickly and securely is pretty obvious but are clear “moments of truth” for the customers.

Developing a platform which allows your partners the flexibility to provide a localised solution, no matter where they are in the world, so that they can successfully differentiate their offering is also a massive requirement. The challenge here from a provider perspective is to do this for all your partners on your network while maintaining and developing the overall technology to handle the change management and deliver the always-growing product roadmap.

How do you streamline your pre-match, live odds and live data services?

We have a large team of odds compilers, traders and risk managers involved in the process, who use a range of AI tools and feeds to manage this process. On average we supply around 90,000 live betting events each month to our partners, so speed and accuracy are obviously very important, and technology plays a large part in making this happen.

We have a very comprehensive Live Match tracker which combines a multitude of data feeds from 15,000 leagues and competitions globally, providing users with lots of useful stats and an interactive overview of live events.

What is the role played by digital marketing and gamification tools?

Not really my area of expertise, but I believe that having an effective digital marketing strategy and the capabilities and people to optimise it is a key strategic requirement for any sportsbook operator. Brand marketing is also important in order to gain trust and awareness for new ventures. However digital marketing (which is pretty multi-faceted) is most important for recruitment and retention of customers, via known approaches as SEO, paid search, social marketing. An effective CRM solution, where operators can develop a longer-term relationship with customers is another important requirement that needs to be part of the digital marketing toolbox.

Gamification is an interesting point. For a lot of customers, a sportsbook is a destination site – they arrive having a clear view what to bet they want to bet on, so the operator’s job is to make that an easy journey. Making the experience of placing a bet more gamified, or perhaps more entertaining – is an interesting discussion point. For me the entertainment delivered by having a bet is when watching the event, not in the transaction. However, I know that gamification is an area of interest for a lot of users and operators, and I hear lots of noise coming from the US about how this can be better introduced. Be interesting to see if there is any innovation emerging soon.

Where do affiliate systems and risk management fit into the picture?

Separately I’d say!

Affiliates are a vital part of the iGaming marketing ecosystem, generating new customer traffic streams for sportsbook operators, and even, in some cases, helping the long-term retention of customers. An effective affiliate system, where these partners are helped in the promotion of your business, and where communication and reporting of affiliate performance is available, can be an important part of the overall marketing strategy.

Rick management falls under the Trading umbrella. Provision of a wide range of sporting events, markets and competitive odds, as discussed above, is absolutely required if a sports betting business is to attract customers. An effective risk management team, and their supporting systems, is required if you want to have a successful, sustainable and profitable business.

In which markets does your company currently operate?

Digitain’s partner network of over 150 operators is mainly located in Europe, although we have partners also in Asia, Africa and Latam.

As the company continues to grow, which new markets are you looking to venture into and why?

We are building up our international sales team capabilities currently and are looking especially at new regulated markets, in Latam and elsewhere. We believe that we have the experience, technology and knowledge, as a business that started off as an operator, to be able to help new business be successful in these new emerging markets. Our flexible platform and our fantastic product and technology teams allow us to get our partners to market quickly, with a highly competitive offering, whatever the regulations require.

Why do you believe your company resonates with bettors?

As mentioned, we started off as operators ourselves, before becoming B2B suppliers. I think we understand well the operators needs and challenges, and we have built a business to ensure that our partners’ success is our success too. We have developed a highly effective and profitable sportsbook, delivered via Centrivo, our new fully featured iGaming platform which provides everything required to build a sustainable sports betting business. On top of that, we support our partners through the whole process, up to launch, with licensing, payment processing and marketing strategy guidance.

Where do you see the industry headed in the next year?

The economic challenges with cost-of -living increases globally are a concern, although, historically, sports betting business have been recession proof in the past. So, it will be interesting to see if there will be any reduction in consumer overall share of wallet for betting or recreational purposes.

On a positive note, innovation generally emerges from challenging periods, as business seek to be either more effective or more efficient – with the customers, hopefully, the main beneficiaries.

At Digitain, we have a team specialising in developing additional AI and machine-learning solutions to make our products even more advanced and more attractive to our partners.

Improving the speed and accuracy of sporting and odds and data, to improve the overall user experience seems to be a clear trajectory for the industry – as operators look to grow the live betting part of the business. Streaming will be focused upon, improved and made more immersive, with additional sports discovered.

Source: iNTERGAMINGi