LiveScore Group CEO, Sam Sadi, predicts that Fanatics holds the winning hand in the battle for supremacy in the US sports betting market, especially against ESPN Bet.
Sadi's insights were shared during the iGaming 2024: The Future of iGaming event, hosted by Xtremepush, a leading omnichannel customer engagement platform.
In a fireside chat with Xtremepush CEO Tommy Kearns at London’s Southbank Centre, Sadi emphasized Fanatics' edge in knowledge and experience, asserting, "Fanatics has the better chance of winning. A lot of their executives come from Sky Bet. They know what it takes to build a world-class sportsbook, and they are willing to be patient and construct an entire ecosystem piece by piece."
Flutter, the parent company of FanDuel, estimates the US regulated sports betting market to exceed $40 billion by 2030.
Sadi highlighted the challenges facing ESPN Bet, stating, "ESPN Bet probably won’t [win], unless they realize the full difficulties they face with Barstool, understand what’s missing, are patient, and invest a lot in technology."
Addressing the issue of convergence in sports betting, Sadi discussed the need for innovation and alternative strategies in an over-regulated industry. He suggested that investing in innovation becomes challenging within a sportsbook but sees room for improvement in the sports content and media ecosystem.
Other speakers at the event included Joanna Beaton, Head of CRM at Kwiff, Adrian Căpriţă, CRM and VIP Director at Superbet, and Tom Dyson, Head of Gaming Managed Services at EveryMatrix. They delved into topics such as player engagement, retention, and loyalty in an evolving iGaming landscape.
Beaton emphasized the importance of personalized experiences for player retention, stating, "Retention has to become central. It’s really important to know your player profiles, and half the job is understanding data."
Dyson added, "Brand recognition is the only area where I can see marketing being responsible for retention. Thereafter, the responsibility is with the product. You have to get players in the door and engage them with an experience that might be different, but which needs to match up with what you promised."
In the quest for player loyalty, Beaton emphasized the significance of creating positive initial experiences, especially in a competitive and regulated market.
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