The US is a market where a holistic UX is fundamental
Ahead of a new presence at G2E Las Vegas, Fried says the coming months will see BtoBet expand progressively in the region, and he notes all forecasts suggest the US market will eventually grow to become the second-largest in the world. He considers legislative frameworks are expected to be high on G2E’s agenda.
BtoBet immediately seized the big opportunity brought about by the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), signing a partnership with US-based High 5 Games. The coming months will see BtoBet expand progressively in the region, as we continue conforming with the region’s regulatory requirements. Although the US market is new and still in its early regulatory stages, there is no denying that its potential is enormous. All forecasts are pointing to the fact that it will eventually grow to become the second-largest market in the world.
However, there is one major catch. User experience is considered to be a major element for success, and the industry still lags behind other entertainment industries from this perspective. Nowadays the reality is that the player is being provided with the core platform UX features and not the unique elements that should distinguish one brand from another. It is with this in mind that we have decided to make a clear and defined approach, where you have the role of the operator that is fundamental to deliver its own interface, and the way they want their brand to communicate with their players, whilst on the other hand there is BtoBet as the platform provider whose role is to provide the core technology required by licensees to manage their business. The result is a technologically advanced betting experience, wholly customizable for the operator to deliver the tailored and personalised UX he intends for his target players.
Could you share your key expectations for the show? What does G2E mean for you as a company this year in particular, with new editions of G2E’s Innovation Lab and G2E Sports Betting Symposium? Which are the main topics or upcoming trends of the industry you think will or should prevail during the event?
There is a lot of hype going on for G2E Las Vegas, a city which in itself could be considered as the world’s iconic gambling capital. I expect the event to be an ideal scenario to bring under the same roof leading industry players, where they can share their views on the evolving local market scenario, and the challenges that still need to be circumvented. Legislative frameworks are obviously expected to be high on the agenda, since the market is still in its infancy stages, and many states are set to regularize themselves in the short term.
What further insights could you provide about your recent upgrade in terms of user experience? How can this make you stand out from competition, for instance, in emerging markets such as the US sports betting?
BtoBet have unlocked the possibility for each bookmaker to create his own distinct player experience, by disconnecting the platform itself from the whole UX process, be it the design or the interface. This ensures the high level of user experience that the US players demand, and which other industries have been consistently delivering. Although it is relatively early to entail into detailed explanations into our in-line product developments, the coming months are set to be very interesting for BtoBet as we seek to further notch a level in delivering a player-centric experience which I think will be quite unique to the industry.
What expertise and learnings could be taken from your current business areas in South America, Africa and Europe to the fast-growing US market?
The major lesson that we have learned from our experience in emerging markets, is that there is no single formula that will work in each and every circumstance. Each market is driven by its own unique characteristics, based on the player preferences, local jurisdictional requirements and also infrastructural limitations. As a service provider, one must ensure that the core technology is perfectly able to adapt and scale to the market requirements, providing nonetheless an advanced and tailored player experience.
*This feature has been published by Yogonet.