Dzianis Niasmelau
Head of Sportsbook Product
SoftGamings
2010-2020 Risk-Management Trader Officer at Marathonbet.
2020-2024 Head of Sportsbook at SoftGamings.
Isidoros Siderakis
Product Operations Manager
Altenar
With an educational background in electrical engineering and computer science, Isidoros Siderakis is a product manager who has held a range of related roles. In 2021, Siderakis joined Altenar as the Product Manager, quickly working his way up the ranks until he was appointed as the company’s Product Operations Manager in February 2024.
Sarah Robertson
SVP of Sales
Kambi
Sarah Robertson is SVP of Sales at Kambi. Having previously served as Head of Business Development at Income Access, Robertson joined the company in 2018 and is responsible for managing its global sales function and commercial strategy.
Arijus Denisovas
Commercial Director
Aardvark Technologies
Arijus Denisovas is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of dedicated experience in the gambling industry. His journey began as a cashier at Ladbrokes, where he swiftly ascended to the position of shop manager. With a solid track record in managing both B2C and B2B businesses, Denisovas' progression from a betting cashier to a Commercial Director speaks volumes about his commitment, strategic acumen, and profound understanding of the gambling industry.
Alex Leese
CEO
Pronet Gaming
Alex Leese has over 14 years of experience as a leader within the online gaming sector. He joined the company in 2019 from William Hill, where he was Director of Emerging Markets. His vast experience, including managerial roles at Sportingbet, GVC Holdings, and Offside Gaming, has helped the firm win a string of new deals.
What new opportunities does a customisable sportsbook platform offer to suppliers
Dzianis Niasmelau:
No one will be surprised if I say that, as in all areas of gambling, special attention is paid to data collection and analysis using artificial intelligence when developing and customising a sportsbook product. Analytics allows us to accurately determine the client's profile, preferences and the effectiveness of customer acquisition and retention tools. With the recent rise of automatic customisation in the appearance of a sportsbook, personalised information on sports events, markets and loyalty programs can be offered based on the player's social data, preferences, behaviour and betting history.
Isidoros Siderakis:A customisable sportsbook platform presents a range of new opportunities to operators. First of all, the operators could build a tailored frontend sportsbook solution tailored to their needs in terms of the layout and offerings, differentiating themselves from the competitors. At the same time, customisable sportsbook platforms allow operators to tailor content and features to different geographic regions, complying with local regulations and being aligned with the regional preferences, thus expanding their market reach. Last but not least, a customisable sportsbook solution could offer the scalability and flexibility through an omni-channel and cross-platform approach, also introducing native mobile application or self-service betting terminals for retail.
Sarah Robertson:
A fully customisable platform should offer an operator all the tools they need to define their brand and market positioning, built on top of a proven, revenue-driving core sportsbook product. Operator empowerment and flexibility have long been a cornerstone of Kambi’s turnkey platform strategy, offering partners extensive differentiation capabilities to stand out in a competitive market from UX to odds. Operators can take a variety of approaches when it comes to outsourcing, on a sliding scale from outsourcing the entire operation to enhancing an in-house platform with products and content from leading third parties – the key for any provider is offering a service capable of meeting the outsourcing requirements of any operator, no matter the shape and scope of their ambitions.
Arijus Denisovas:
A customisable sportsbook platform provides significant opportunities for platform suppliers to tailor offerings to the unique needs of different operators. Suppliers can create bespoke solutions that cater to specific markets, operator preferences and regulatory requirements. This flexibility allows suppliers to differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape by offering unique features and functionalities that enhance the user experience. Additionally, customisable platforms enable rapid integration of new technologies and innovations, allowing suppliers to stay ahead of trends and respond quickly to market demands. This, in turn, leads to increased player satisfaction, loyalty and, ultimately, an improved bottom line.
Alex Leese:
In the Asian sportsbook market, a customisable sportsbook platform offers suppliers a plethora of new opportunities. Primarily, it enables them to tailor the betting experience to cater to the diverse preferences and cultural nuances of the region's vast audience. This includes localising content, offering sports and events popular in specific Asian countries, and integrating regional payment methods, which enhances user engagement and retention. Customisation also allows for the incorporation of unique features such as live betting and esports, which are particularly popular in Asia. Furthermore, suppliers can leverage advanced analytics, and personalised marketing strategies to attract and retain high-value customers.
Does a modular sportsbook platform offer a simpler and safer option
Dzianis Niasmelau:
Overall, a modular sportsbook platform doesn't make much sense. To successfully develop your sportsbook, you need to have all the necessary tools for customisation to your region, a loyalty program, managed risk management (analytics, setting limits, margin control, etc.), an affiliate system and many other features. Of course, managing a sportsbook is a complex process that requires an understanding of betting systems, odds and ways to promote it. You can easily make your sportsbook successful and profitable with all the necessary tools. Security doesn't depend on whether a custom multi-functional solution is offered or not. Modern technologies allow for the product to be more complex while still maintaining high quality.
Isidoros Siderakis:
A modular sportsbook platform solution not only allows operators to ‘pick and choose’ functionalities, leading to a more efficient and modern way of software development, but also could increase the level of scalability to multiple geolocations with different market trends and legislation. Moreover, customisable platforms enable the integration of unique promotions and betting markets which can attract and engage a broader audience. For instance, the adoption of boosted odds manager plus bore draw and early payout promotions could increase player satisfaction and loyalty, leading to higher retention rates.
Sarah Robertson:
Alongside the core turnkey sportsbook platform, suppliers can now offer an extended range of high-quality modular services, including AI-driven odds feeds, esports odds and front-end UX, as well as virtual sports. Kambi’s odds feeds, unlike many other suppliers, are also delivered through a single API integration, facilitating swift and frictionless deployment.
Arijus Denisovas:
Yes, a modular sportsbook platform offers both simplicity and enhanced safety. Modular design provides greater control over necessary components, reducing complexity and streamlining operations. This approach facilitates easier updates and maintenance, as individual modules can be modified or upgraded with minimal disruption to the entire system. From a vulnerability standpoint, modular platforms are more robust and reduce the spread of potential vulnerabilities. Operators can implement specific security measures tailored to each module, enhancing overall protection against threats. This flexibility and targeted approach create a more manageable, and secure, sportsbook environment.
Alex Leese:
A modular sportsbook platform indeed offers a simpler and safer option, particularly beneficial in the dynamic Asian market. By adopting a modular approach, suppliers can integrate various components and functionalities as needed, allowing for a streamlined and scalable solution. This modularity simplifies the development and maintenance processes, as updates or changes can be made to individual modules without disrupting the entire system. It also enhances safety and security; each module can be fortified with specific security measures, and potential issues can be isolated and addressed promptly, minimising risks. Additionally, this flexibility ensures compliance with the varying regulatory requirements across different Asian jurisdictions.
Would an omnichannel approach in retail sports betting offer better engagement with customers
Dzianis Niasmelau:
Even the most conservative individuals are starting to move towards advancement, which is due to several objective reasons: round-the-clock availability of online sportsbooks, the ability to use the platform on various devices, additional privileges of loyalty programs, unavailable in regular retail stores, continuous support from operators to resolve any issues that may arise, various betting options are unavailable in regular bookmakers, and the presence of live TV broadcasts, increasing player retention on the product page. Currently, many sportsbook solutions are seeking to compensate for the loss of socialisation when moving online by offering various ways to interact with customers: for example, creating group chats, having an active presence on social networks, holding contests with prizes, giving away merchandise and other specialised events.
Isidoros Siderakis:
An omnichannel approach allows operators to interact with customers across multiple touchpoints, enhancing engagement and fostering loyalty. By integrating online and offline experiences, operators can offer personalised promotions, rewards and experiences tailored to individual preferences and behaviour. For instance, a player who frequently visits a land-based sportsbook may receive targeted offers via a native mobile app to encourage online betting during off-peak hours. Similarly, online customers may be incentivised to visit physical locations for exclusive events or promotions. By leveraging data analytics and customer insights, operators can better understand customer behaviour and preferences, allowing them to deliver more relevant and timely engagements across all channels.
Sarah Robertson:
I would say the industry is well on its way through the omnichannel journey. Giving players a unified experience across mobile, desktop and retail is a cornerstone of successful delivery for operators targeting long-term growth in the online and on-property arenas, and sportsbook platforms must be capable of incorporating one account across all channels; providing a 360 degree and actionable view of player activity to facilitate a successful approach to CRM.
Arijus Denisovas:
An omni-channel approach in retail sports betting can significantly increase player engagement and build stronger loyalty between the player and the operator. By integrating online and offline betting experiences, suppliers enable operators to provide seamless and consistent interactions for their players. This unified approach allows players to place bets, access promotions, and receive customer support through their preferred channels, whether in retail stores, online, or via mobile apps. Additionally, operators can access data from multiple channels to better understand player preferences and tailor more customised marketing efforts.
Alex Leese:
Yes, an omni-channel approach in retail sports betting offers significantly better engagement with customers, particularly in the Asian market, where a seamless and integrated experience is highly valued. By providing a consistent betting experience across various channels – such as online platforms, mobile apps and physical retail locations – suppliers can meet customers wherever they prefer to engage. This approach ensures bettors enjoy the convenience of placing bets and managing their accounts through their preferred medium while maintaining a unified and cohesive brand experience. This omnichannel solution increases player loyalty and creates a more inclusive and engaging betting experience.
How can a customisable sportsbook platform help to comply with an ever-changing legal landscape
Dzianis Niasmelau:
I suggest dividing the product compliance issue with regulators into three main components: Software security, player and transaction monitoring, and reporting to regulators. It is worth noting that large gambling platform solutions already have developments in all of these areas, indicating their compliance with regulatory requirements.
Isidoros Siderakis:
Nowadays, it is a fact that regulatory compliance has proven to be critically important for sportsbook platform operations. In this way, being compliant also means the sportsbook is more likely to be adaptable to changes in regulations. Customisable sportsbooks are easily adaptable to comply with the regulatory requirements of different jurisdictions, reducing the compliance burden at the operators’ level. Moreover, this proactive stance could facilitate the business staying ahead and maintaining its competitive edge in a dynamic growing betting industry.
Sarah Robertson:
No sportsbook wants to find itself in a position of needing to delay market entry or withdraw due to regulation that the underlying tech stack is unable to reconcile. The significance of having a sportsbook platform that can swiftly pivot to meet any local requirements should not be discounted, although ‘customisable’ may not be the ideal term as it implies manual processes and decision making, where ideally a sportsbook platform would prioritise automation to enhance human resource scalability and reduce the potential for errors to occur. By way of example, Kambi’s Offering Compliance Automation tool is technology which automatically filters the offering as per local regulations.
Arijus Denisovas:
The flexibility to quickly adapt to new regulations and requirements imposed by various jurisdictions can be a game changer for many operators. They can modify specific components or functionalities to meet local legal standards without overhauling the entire system. This agility ensures continued compliance and reduces the risk of legal infractions. In an ever-changing legal landscape, it is crucial that platforms include tools for automated compliance monitoring and reporting, reducing the administrative burden for operators. By staying compliant, operators can avoid penalties, keep their brand reputation intact, and maintain their licences, ensuring sustained operations and growth in diverse markets and beyond.
Alex Leese:
A customisable sportsbook platform is particularly adept at helping suppliers comply with the ever-changing legal landscape, especially in the diverse and complex regulatory environments found in Asia. The key advantage of such a platform lies in its flexibility and adaptability. Suppliers can quickly adjust to new regulations or changes in existing laws by modifying specific aspects of the platform without overhauling the entire system. Customisation allows for the inclusion of modular compliance tools and features tailored to meet local regulatory standards. This could include integrating geolocation technologies to ensure bets are placed within legal jurisdictions, implementing robust Know Your Customer (KYC) processes to verify the identity of users, and establishing transaction monitoring systems to detect and prevent fraudulent activities.