SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The focus for operators in the European market should be on reactivation and retention, explained Victor Sevciuc, Head of Sales for Sports Betting and Gaming at Xtremepush, as he discussed the global betting landscape for operators looking to finish 2020 on a high.
Ahead of the upcoming SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital, where Xtremepush will be exhibiting, we spoke with Sevciuc about the ways in which operators are rebuilding engagement with bettors following a prolonged hiatus of sports across the world.
As more sport begins to return, albeit to our TV screens, Sevciuc praised the number of personalised campaigns when it comes to reengaging with punters.
“When the major European soccer leagues were gearing up to resume a couple of months ago, it was all hands to the pump for ourselves and our clients,” he said. “With so many bettors dormant for months on end, there was almost a slight element of starting again for operators.
“The reactivation campaigns were built around dynamic segmentation, drawing on everything from players’ historical preferred bet type and frequency to their favourite teams. It was phenomenal to see the high standard of personalised campaigns being rolled out, and at pace.”
Having gained a global perspective on the betting markets, boasting a client portfolio of more than 300 brands including Oddschecker, 888 Holdings, Rush Street Interactive, Fortuna Entertainment Group, Funstage and SportPesa, Sevciuc pointed out that the focus is now on creating real-time, event-triggered engagement.
He added: “Operators are optimistically looking ahead to the beginning of the new season. It’s about building up momentum and keeping bettors engaged. Obviously, for the time being games are still being played without crowds, so there’s a huge opportunity for operators to connect with fans and add excitement into proceedings in the lead-up to kick-off and on the day itself.
“And of course, with TV audiences predicted to reach record numbers, there’s going to be plenty more in-play action to capitalise on. We’ll be working closely with our clients to facilitate real-time, event-triggered engagement and maximise revenue there.”
Looking towards the US, African and LatAm markets, there is much more of an emphasis upon acquisition and early lifecycle engagement as the markets begin to open up further to regulated gaming.
“The work we’re doing with operators in these regions centres around acquisition, in particular on-site acquisition, and early lifecycle engagement,” Sevciuc continued.
“So that’s making sure when a potential new customer lands on your betting site you’re intelligently nudging them towards account creation and first deposit. From here, it’s about automating player journeys and stimulating bet activity during that initial, crucial window. It’s bread and butter stuff for us, and for operators looking to drive results it’s important to work with a partner who has been there and done it.”
Discussing the US, Xtremepush’s partnership with SG Digital – according to Sevciuc – holds great potential for their expansion into the post-PASPA market.
“Both SG Digital and ourselves are well established in North America, which positions us firmly to take the new operators starting out from zero to a hundred quickly,”he shared. “The most important thing from a US perspective right now is getting the pieces in place ahead of the NFL’s return. That means acquiring player data, building out their profiles and making sure you have everything you need to engage them with relevant content, odds and offers.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time in US betting, and I think everyone just has their fingers crossed that this pandemic can be controlled to the point where sports are allowed to continue without disruption”.
Xtremepush is exhibiting at the SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital. Attendees at this week’s event are invited to visit the company’s virtual stand and schedule a meeting with Victor and his team here.
