SBC Magazine Issue 10: strong focus on US and LatAm sports betting

Issue 10 of SBC Magazine is published this week, with a strong focus on all things US and LatAm sports betting.

A packed sports betting section includes an exclusive interview with William Hill CEO Ulrik Bengtsson, who discusses the challenges presented by COVID-19 and Brexit proofing operations, before highlighting its strong position in the US in response to being probed about its ‘soft approach’ to M&A.

Diving deeper into US developments, the magazine examines Penn National Gaming’s decision to lead with the Barstool brand for online sports betting; why it is a case of ‘if not when’ for single event sports betting in Canada; and the specific measures needed to maintain integrity in South American football – as told by FIFA and CONMEBOL

Elsewhere, the edition checks in on the international expansion journey for the rebranded Kaizen Gaming, formerly Stoiximan/Betano. Now present in six countries, and with a strong footprint in Europe, CEO George Daskalakis expands on the company’s symbolic name change, before assessing new opportunities in Latin America. 

Airing market grievances is 1XBET, with the bookmaker’s Kazakhstan CEO Maksat Kurmanov expanding on the issue of being forced to cut staff numbers because he is convinced players will just move online.

However, it’s not all about frustration as opportunity knocks for both SIS and RTSmunity in the esports market, with the latter’s co-founder and CEO Pavol Krasnovský offering advice for sector newcomers on the most popular games, trading systems, demographics and how to approach the new generation of player.

Moving on to the casino section, the magazine applauds Malta for the resilience it showed to emerge from under the ‘clouds of corona’, assesses the sustainability of poker’s renaissance, and finds out why the ‘number one’ contributing factor to online gaming success in Japan will be for operators to express dedication to the market and its local culture.

But that’s not all from the casino floor, as Hub88.io director Vladimir Negine explains why content aggregators must find ways to better serve the needs of both players and operators, while David Little outlines the Lightning Box plans for across the pond, including why it must be regulation ready as the starting gun fires in various states across the US.

‘Cashless’ is the buzzword for our payments section as the magazine debates whether retail betting is on the cusp of a new cashless normal. AstroPay CEO Mikael Lijtenstein believes that the digital shift was inevitable – even without the acceleration provided by COVID-19 – and that ‘thinking like the customer’ is imperative in terms of adapting to these new times.

Finally, we learn how diversification is the best response to regulatory changes on the marketing scene. Ian Sims, founder of Rightlander, encourages affiliates at CasinoBeats Malta Digital to ‘spread the risk’ across markets and operators, referencing a number of high-profile recent pull-outs in the UK over compliance issues.

The latest issue of SBC Magazine can be accessed here