31 October, 2024 | NOV DEC 2024

Pragmatic Play: Covering every gaming vertical

Pragmatic Play SVP of Sports Gareth Crook talks all things related to the supplier’s sportsbook, including its UK launch, cross-selling and more

How important was it for Pragmatic Play Sportsbook to launch in the UK via Dazn Bet?

It was an early ambition of our sports team to launch in the UK market. First, a number of us within the team have extensive experience of working within UK brands. Second, we have a deep admiration for the UK market as it is arguably the most competitive and mature sports betting market in the world. Consumers there with an interest in sports betting are presented with incredible choice, so they demand a strong and competitive sportsbook product.

To launch there via Dazn Bet strengthens our existing partnership with the brand. UK sports betting customers, like many around the world, will be familiar with the brand and we’re looking forward to supporting Dazn Bet with their ambitious growth plans in the UK market.

How much of a factor was the size of the sports betting market in the UK for this deal?

The UK market is clearly one of the largest in the world, but a key driver is our ambition to launch in competitive and regulated markets. Launching successfully in the UK builds the confidence that our product can be competitive anywhere. The further appeal of this deal was that it allowed us to launch our new horseracing product. Our teams have worked extensively on developing an excellent horseracing product and we were excited to bring it to life.

Is Pragmatic Play placing a greater emphasis on its sportsbook, given that expansion you mention to include a horseracing product?

There is no greater emphasis needed. Our commitment as a business is to deliver the best possible products and services to Pragmatic Play clients across all product verticals. Our delivery of racing is another example of our commitment to offer market-leading products to multiple operators globally. Using the example of racing, the sport is much loved in the UK market and closes a key product gap there. The reaction from the market has been highly positive.

What other features are you looking to add to your sportsbook?

Our sportsbook already boasts a host of product features. In recent months, we’ve delivered a football player markets product, giving operators the opportunity to offer markets such as player passes, player shots on goal, and more across 30+ football competitions worldwide. An AI-driven smart search product is available, allowing users the ability to search for key sportsbook terms with lightning-fast results.

With a commitment to deliver market-leading sportsbook features at pace, we have many more products in the pipeline. Later this year, we will be offering a new greyhound racing product, and there is yet more to come from the horseracing product, with expanded video streaming and increased markets, including forecast and tricast betting, on the horizon.

Going into next year, Pragmatic Play Sportsbook clients can enjoy access to a best-in-class esports product featuring scoreboards and live video streaming across tens of thousands of events a month. This shows further commitment to delivering outstanding products and features to operators globally.

How effective will cross-selling be related to your sportsbook and iGaming content?

Cross-selling should be an important part of any operator’s strategy. The advantage of Pragmatic Play is easy access to a host of product verticals, including slots, live casino, bingo and virtual sports, all through a single API.

Naturally, we aim to offer fast and convenient access to Pragmatic Play’s existing casino verticals direct from sportsbook and there are subtle touchpoints enabling this within the product. The sports team understand the role of sports in acquiring and retaining players, even if their first choice is to enjoy our casino games.

Which other markets is Pragmatic Play looking to expand its sportsbook to?

We have an ambition to launch our sportsbook product in many growth markets, following launches in Spain, Germany and now the UK. In 2025, we are adapting our front-end to be suitable for the Ontario market. We also believe the existing strength of our football, tennis and basketball products will be hugely beneficial for clients in Latin America.