As the SBC Digital Summit draws closer, we’ve been speaking with the event sponsors about their plans for the event, and what they will be showcasing.
Marco Castaldo, CEO of Microgame SpA, spoke about their plans to promote their poker offering at next week’s event, and advised the industry to consider a portfolio which has a balanced mix of all verticals.
What are you looking forward to at the SBC Digital Summit?
I see the usual for an SBC event: a roster of fine speakers set against an engaging and timely agenda. But I’m really excited about the new format and keen to discover the possibilities in a virtual gathering of this scale.
Hats off to SBC for implementing such an innovation so quickly, it was exactly what the industry needs at this time, and perhaps this will become the norm for some time to come. This is an experiment we at Microgame SpA want to be a part of, to support the initiative and to learn from it.
What would be your biggest bit of advice for betting and gaming businesses trying to mitigate the impact of COVID-19?
I guess the first and obvious take-away is that no land based gaming operator can afford not to go multi-channel. For the remote component, the key words for me are portfolio (a balanced mix of all verticals is best, for all but a handful of operators), player relationship and engagement (this is the time to learn to be really close to your customer), and entertainment.
This last concept is especially powerful as the need to focus on providing value for the player’s time is the cornerstone of any sustainable gambling strategy and companies that learn and internalize new ways of doing this will be well-placed to lead the industry in the after period.
What are you promoting at SBC Digital Summit?
As Italy’s leading Service Provider and a pioneer in multi-channel, we think of ourselves as a gateway to this important regulated market. Anyone entering or operating in the Italian market should come and talk to us and learn about the services we offer, from full outsourcing on a proven multi-channel platform to our leading offering in all verticals. Even if there is no business to do in the short term, we are happy to share our broad perspective on a market we have operated in since 1999.
As managers of Italy’s first and leading regulated Poker network, we are also proposing our Poker services to other markets for the first time. There is a terrific demand for this game now and Microgame brings a proven product together with the experience and skill of managing a multi-operator network. Finally, we are looking to take our sportsbook internationally as well.
What industry innovation will capture the most attention in 2020?
I believe that for the leaders in any industry, strategy drives technology. So I look for real innovation with lasting impact in the overall business model and ways to reach the market.
Within that, if we are talking about single tech approaches, I ask: with Covid-19 and its lasting impact, is it finally time for virtual reality in gambling?
Which operator has impressed you the most in 2020?
Rather than single out an operator, which would be unfair to many other great companies, I’d flip the question: where should we look for progress? From my perspective, which is perhaps geographically narrow, the industry, on average, is far from where it needs to be and, in general, needs to work much more towards a united position.
Single operators will always stand out, but only when we will be recognized as a professionally-managed and ethical industry will we be able to have a say towards a fair and balanced political and regulatory agenda for gambling.
What sports betting partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?
Two recent types of deals interest me in particular. The first is the entry of major financial sponsors in the sports data industry. This is driving investments in competitive strategies which are already impacting players with in-house sportsbooks like Microgame.
For me this is a positive trend. Then we have operators merging with B2B providers. I think we’ll see more of this as the industry consolidates internationally and leading operators realize they need a proven B2B arm to be effective in their global strategies.
Which parts of the conference agenda have caught your eye?
As usual, there are too many good panels! I am going to try to catch as many as possible.
