As we ramp up preparations for the SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital on September 8-11, the year’s biggest digital event in the calendar – we’ve been sitting down with our event sponsors to get the low down on what they’re most excited about.
Keith O’Loughlin, SVP of Sportsbook and Platforms at SG Digital, discussed plans to showcase the OpenMarket platform and praised the industry for sourcing alternative betting options during the pandemic.
What are you looking forward to at the SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital?
Catching up with old friends and partners, albeit on a digital platform. Trade events like these are so important for our industry in order for us all to keep informed about changing trends and new products, as well as secure new business opportunities.
While we’d all love to be in Barcelona for the summit, the digital environment still gives a platform for us all to showcase what we have to offer.
What would be your biggest bit of advice for betting and gaming businesses trying to mitigate the impact of COVID-19?
Undoubtedly this has been a difficult period for a number of sportsbook operators and those that have been able to diversify their offering efficiently will have mitigated the impact of the global pandemic somewhat. The landscape is constantly changing and it’s important to adapt quickly to ensure that your product offering remains attractive for bettors. It’s why we’ve seen so many operators expand into new areas such as esports, as well as ramp up their virtuals markets, particularly during the shutdown of live sports.
Betting activity from these alternative forms of entertainment have been very strong, which has vindicated the decision to deploy these products over recent months. We’re proud to have facilitated several new product launches for a number of our partners through OpenMarket, the industry’s first content marketplace for sportsbooks, which has allowed them to offer new experiences for bettors through a simple integration.
What are you promoting at SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital?
We’ll have the full OpenSports offering on show for delegates to discover, including OpenMarket, which is the only aggregation model available within the sports betting sector. The ground-breaking service provides operators with access to top-tier sports betting intelligence, data feeds and products without the need for complex integrations and financial agreements.
Since launching earlier in the year, a number of sportsbooks have been able to enhance their offering with new content through a simple integration that has allowed their business to grow. Products such as esports, virtuals, data feeds and marketing tools, all developed from industry-leading providers, are available through OpenMarket without the need for incremental work that usually comes with integrating services from a third party.
What industry innovation will capture the most attention in 2020?
OpenMarket has already attracted the interest of operators since it was first launched in April this year. They really appreciate the way in which OpenMarket can add next-level player experiences to their offering at speed and without costly and time-consuming supplier integrations. We firmly believe that the innovative solution will shake up the sports betting sector and provide forward-thinking operators with a competitive advantage in the future.
Which operator has impressed you the most in 2020?
It’s difficult to highlight a single operator at this moment in time, as so many have responded well during what has been a challenging period for most.
The shutdown of live sports earlier this year was a huge concern for everyone but sportsbooks showed their creative minds by sourcing alternative products for their customers to enjoy. Thankfully, we’ve seen the majority of sports events return to the fold with activity as strong as ever.
What partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?
From our perspective, we’ve secured several notable partnerships during recent months as major sportsbooks continue to choose OpenSports as their sportsbook platform of choice.
The likes of Caesars Entertainment and Betfred have expanded their US sports betting footprint into new states with Scientific Games, which further vindicates the quality and reliability of our offering. We’re very hopeful of announcing new partnerships with some major names in the industry in the coming weeks, so watch this space.
Which parts of the conference agenda have caught your eye?
I’m intrigued to hear from various delegates about their thoughts on this new sports betting landscape. The sporting calendar looks very difficult and we’ve already seen consumer behaviour change over the last few months. Now more than ever it’s important that we discuss our learnings from such an unprecedented period.
Further details, including the agenda, full line-up of 200 speakers and list of the 100 virtual exhibitors, are available from the official SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital website.
To join the 10,000 delegates from around the world, click here to register for free.