With the SBC Digital Summit well underway, we’ve been chatting with our event sponsors to find out what they are promoting at the event, and how they are adapting to the current situation.
Speaking to Aiste Garneviciene, COO of BetGames.TV, we found out that they are promoting their fastest-growing games, Speedy 7 and Dice Duel, and Aiste suggested that the industry ‘must show adaptability, evolution and innovation’ to overcome this pandemic.
What are you looking forward to at the SBC Digital Summit?
I am excited at the absolute newness of the experience and to be part of betting and gaming history. The current crisis has happened in what feels like a blur – and it will be interesting to hear from peers, industry friends and other business leaders how they have managed in this epoch-defining situation. The sports betting industry has been dealt a serious blow, as has all bet retail sectors and it is a real challenging time.
While I am looking forward to exploring new horizons and leaving a digital footprint as large as any exhibition hall, the migration to online has its pros and cons. We will miss the affectionate physical contact like shaking hands, having coffee or clinking a glass of champagne. But as an industry, we must show adaptability, evolution and innovation and this innate desire to be pioneering is one of the key attributes that draws me to the SBC Digital Summit.
What would be your biggest bit of advice for betting and gaming businesses trying to mitigate the impact of COVID-19?
It is important to note that crisis moments, no matter how catastrophic, all end and life returns to some semblance of normality. There will be long-lasting changes of course, but the sheer ability of the human spirit to adjust and evolve is incredible.
I believe ‘business adaption’ and ‘business evolution’ should be the most important buzzwords right now. COVID-19 has given us all some much-needed perspective and we are following a directive to shift attention away from selling and targeting a more support-natured approach.
We do this by offering easily adaptable solutions to businesses, especially in the sports betting and retail sectors, that can help them partially cover losses due to the carnage of sporting isolation. By following the adaption model, we want to try save thousands of jobs across the entire sector as we are all interconnected and depend on each other for growth. We are stronger when we are together.
What are you promoting at SBC Digital Summit?
The SBC Digital Summit is an expression of innovation and adaptability and in the spirit of uniqueness, freshness and cutting-edge entertainment we are showcasing two of our fastest-growing games, Speedy 7 and Dice Duel. The products are a microcosm of our innovative flair and dynamic, easy-to-play games. With the absence of live sporting contests and betting types associated with this industry, our showcased products offer a similar bet-experience.
They offer a player real time fixed-odds play, a wide selection of betting options and odds that start as little as 1.01. The live broadcast model is a proven business model that caters for conservative players all the way up to more daring risk and reward adventurers.
What industry innovation will capture the most attention in 2020?
There are a handful of niche sectors that will benefit greatly in 2020, especially considering the dearth of sporting events. E-gaming is becoming popular, with games like DOTA 2, League of Legends and Call of Duty available on many sportsbooks.
Esports is also garnering plenty of attention with e-soccer and e-NASCAR among a growing list of betting options offered on leading betting sites. E-soccer in particular is garnering much betting attention, with FIFA and Pro Evolution very popular. PlayStation and Xbox online gaming is proving a hit. Other esports getting plenty of good vibrations include the NBA 2 K, based on the United States of America national basketball conference.
Another strong growth sector will be in the reinvigorated virtual play domain, with virtual sports leagues gaining increased attention. Due to the sporting lockdown, players are turning to league action like Sportsradar’s Virtual Sports Leagues 2020.
Another industry innovation which is having a significant impact is the increase of betting games that use a fixed-odds, outcome-based model, as these products are remarkably like real life sporting events when it comes to bet-types and odds. The beauty of these games is that they are hyper-fast, and outcomes are available in minutes. They feature real-time live broadcast dealers and combine the best worlds of reality and virtual play.
Which operator has impressed you the most in 2020?
There are many operators that have stepped up their game, but I have a special place on my heart for operators that have shown the greatest ‘humanity’. My heart-felt praise and appreciation goes to all operators who have declared that their employees are the biggest assets of their company and will do their best to save all existing jobs and continue paying salaries to their employees until sports come back – which they will. This may require adjustments and business realignment but if possible, it must be done.
Which parts of the conference agenda have caught your eye?
Being the first digital summit in the industry I did not have high expectations – let me rephrase that – I was not expecting such a high-level response from the industry. It is exciting, even thrilling to be part of history, and the fact that the organizers managed to attract C-level speakers from some of Europe’s leading companies is beyond encouraging. The inclusion of industry leading companies from the US and LatAm has also been an eye-opener. I am thrilled to be part of this global revolution.