Berkant Elieyioglu, Managing Director of Live Data at Sportradar, tells Gambling Insider he acknowledges the industry will continue to face challenges due to the high demand of in-play sports betting.
Despite the challenges, he explains any suspicious behaviour will be removed as soon as it has been flagged on Sportradar’s system.
He says: "The main challenge the industry faces when it comes to live data is again ensuring its quality. Whether it’s official or open-source data, what is important is the processes that are put in place to ensure it is both fast and reliable. If there are any suspicions around a match, we simply won’t cover it.
"The other challenge we face is being able to keep such a diverse range of clients, over 600 bookmakers across the world, happy."
Elieyioglu believes there is little impact from a data perspective when it comes to replicating what European operators have created in the US.
He believes the best way to bring sports betting into the regulated market is to make live betting available through online and mobile – and is quick to point out New Jersey is a strong case study for this.
New Jersey was among the first states to welcome mobile and in-play betting, which has been a huge success to date.
To put its success into perspective, the state announced its sports betting revenue totalled $9.7m for June, while its internet gaming win ascended 68% to $38.1m. Live betting is clearly being embraced by residents and visitors in New Jersey.
But, despite the success and demand for more markets, Elieyioglu warns both operators and suppliers to remain cautious as live betting continues to grow.
He says: "With the ongoing development of live betting and even more markets, it is important suppliers remain at the forefront of technology, trends and caters to clients’ needs. Player tracking, rapid markets, personalisation and custom betting opportunities are just some of the developments that rely on quality live data to be successful in today’s globally competitive industry."
Elieyioglu was speaking to Gambling Insider for the upcoming Sports Betting Focus magazine. Click here to read it when published, as well as the rest of our publications.
