Trustly is sponsoring Betting on Football 2018, the fifth edition of the largest international football and betting trade conference at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea FC.
Ahead of the 20-23 March event, we spoke to Nicholas Tucker, Head of Sales – Gaming, about what he is looking forward to at #bofcon2018, which innovation he expects to capture the most attention in 2018, and who he is backing to lift the World Cup trophy in Russia.
SBC: What are you looking forward to at Betting on Football?
NT: With the World Cup on the horizon, I’m interested to see what new innovations operators and suppliers will be launching to offer players the most immersive experience during the tournament. In terms of the speakers, I’m always keen to hear about disruption in the sector — everything from growth in providers that are catering to the esports community to how changing regulation is opening up new markets. Despite being a Manchester United fan, the stadium tour is always fun, and the networking opportunities that the event provides are second to none.
SBC: What are you promoting at Betting on Football?
NT: Trustly is a technology company at heart and we’re excited to be able to promote two innovative new products this year: instant pay-outs and Pay N Play.
As players increasingly want instant gratification when it comes to both betting and payments, our instant pay-out product is proving a big hit with sportsbooks. We are enabling operators to pay winnings back to a player’s bank account instantly in the UK and across the continent. With the rise in popularity of in-play betting and so many operators competing for share of wallet, those that don’t offer instant deposits and withdrawals are being left behind.
A few months ago, we won the SBC award for Best Payment Product, partly due to the success of our Pay N Play product. This combination of our payment innovations and KYC technology lets operators essentially remove the player registration process while still helping them to stay compliant. Gone are the days when players have to fill out lengthy sign-up forms.
With our solution, they just need to make a deposit, safely and securely from their online bank. Operators offering this product have seen a huge increase in conversion across the board for new and returning players, which has been a dream for CRM and marketing teams.
SBC: What industry innovation will capture the most attention in 2018?
NT: We’re only two months into 2018 and already we are seeing incredible interest in our new Pay N Play product from casinos, sportsbooks and beyond. I think that any innovation that simplifies the betting experience for players while helping operators boost conversion and reactivation rates will capture massive attention from the industry.
SBC: How can your company help to improve the customer experience ahead of the World Cup?
NT: We place the customer at the centre of our product development process. Our instant pay-out product is the perfect example of this. We want players to have winnings paid back to them instantly and directly to their bank accounts. This lets them reap the rewards of their bets and is central to a responsible gaming approach.
Also, our Pay N Play product, with its frictionless sign-up, gives players the ability to quickly and securely benefit from the leading incentives, bonuses and offers between competing bookmakers. As the account registration is frictionless, they are not deterred by an arduous and time-consuming sign-up process. If a player uses Trustly, he or she can create an account, make a bet and cash out winnings in under three minutes — less than the time it takes to make a cup of tea at half time!
SBC: Who are you backing to win the tournament, and why?
NT: It has to be England! Call me optimistic but we have a genuine chance with a new generation of technically gifted players who are not scarred by failures at previous tournaments.
