SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
SBTech CEO Richard Carter spoke to SBC about the major new deal announced this morning which sees the company bring on major brand Mansion as a client which and also herald the launch of Mansionbet.
SBC: This is a pretty major deal – how did it come about?
Richard Carter: As a group Mansion was looking to move into sports betting. It is well established as a gaming brand but has never really ventured into the betting vertical and was looking for a tier-1 sportsbook platform to harness the exposure it has gained in the UK through major sponsorship deals it has had over the past 10-15 years.
The fact that Mansion is able to build on this strong brand awareness means players will see the Mansionbet name and know it is part of a well established and trusted gaming company group that has been investing significantly in UK sports sponsorship over many years.
SBC: Why is the SBTech solution so well suited to Mansion’s brand?
RC: Speed to market, flexibility, and a powerful BI and sportsbook engine are just some of the strengths we offer as the leading supplier of sports betting and gaming solutions to the industry.
These features, combined with the fact that we are 100% regulation-ready and also provide a full platform solution that includes casino, mean operators are always contacting us to discuss new projects and launches.
SBC: How much of a competitive advantage is having casino, sportsbook and platform from the same supplier?
RC: As mentioned above, this is a key feature of SBTech’s offering and a major differentiator when compared to other platform suppliers. The fact that Mansion is able to run its flagship brand across the two key verticals of sports betting and casino is a major plus for all parties: significant efficiencies are achieved thanks to integration being carried out once across the platform; operationally the group can organise and manage all the different elements of its offering via a single back end.
SBTech is unique in being able to provide these services and is a major reason why we have grown so much in recent years.
SBC: It’s a great way to start off the year – do you have more in the pipeline?
RC: Thank you and, yes, we are preparing to launch a number of major new clients across regulated markets such as Denmark, France or Spain in the coming months; of course not forgetting the US market potentially coming onstream later this year.
SBC: How has M&A, both from an operator and a supplier perspective, changed the supplier market? Are there more or fewer opportunities?
RC: M&A has always been part of the industry and while there are different challenges in 2018 to what we might have encountered 10 years ago, both operators and suppliers have learnt to adapt and grow in these new environments. The prospect in 2018 (and beyond) of a regulated online betting and gaming sector across many major regions presents SBTech with a fantastic opportunity to further consolidate its place as the leading platform supplier in the industry.
