Mark McGuinness has more than 15 years’ experience in digital marketing director roles with both private and public igaming operators. He is the resident eSports Betting Consultant for Isle of Man-based Mainstream Marketing & Communications Ltd, a digital marketing agency offering business and marketing advice on eSports, Bitcoin, social gaming, igaming and land-based gambling.

Currently he is writing for five industry B2B publications:
• Editorial contributor / writer for iNTERGAMINGi, iGaming Business, iGaming Affiliate, World Online Gambling Report, Gambling Insider, Gaming Intelligence, eGR / eGR Digital Marketing.
• Editorial contributor to Isle of Man and Jersey business press on egaming
• Editorial contributor to CalvinAyre.com
• Community & Social Director of The Sports Betting Community the premier B2B networking group for sports betting professionals.
• ICETOTALLYGAMING Guest Blogger – ICE the industry’s biggest gaming show (see. www.icetotallygaming.com)
• Online editor for Bingo Life.

Mark is the moderator of the TREND SETTING IN SPORTS BETTING panel at the Eastern European Gaming Summit 2015, which will be held between 23-24 of November in Sofia, Bulgaria.

EEG: Has the online sports betting industry improved with the growth of so many online communities and social media?

Mark McGuinness: Online sports betting could actually be described as incongruous when compared to today’s social networks, where millions of consumers interact and reveal their digital habits. If you think about it, a bettor who places an online sports bet, has a very passive, unengaging experience. It is just him against the bookmaker. No real socialization takes place, no chat room, and no peer-2-peer competition or badges to be won against other players or leaderboards to top.

So in reality online sports betting is at ‘odds’ to all the other successful social and ecommerce platforms that have the power of the community at the heart of the consumer experience.

Of course perhaps that is why daily fantasy sports and sports prediction games are growing so fast amongst the millennial or digital natives. Its community based, involves skill, you can chat with likeminded peers in the game lobby, plus you can share your experience on external social media networks.

We do have other gambling products which do fit today’s community and socially based requirements, bingo is a good example, likewise poker and betting exchanges or pool based operators such as Colossus Bets has a very vibrant social presence.

In terms of innovation, in-play betting and cash-out is certainly driving more social interaction across the major networks especially Twitter, which naturally lends itself to fast bursts of topical communications as they pertain to a live football match. However from the bookmakers stand point, this engagement is taking place off-site and not within their platform. So to a degree the interaction initiated by the player is anonymous in regards to the bookmaker’s brand, and thus lessens the brands reach out to potential new customers. More product innovation needs to be considered by sports betting operators perhaps aimed at ensuring more interaction and retention within the betting platform and using newer communication pathways such as messaging apps to empower the community and betting experience.

EEG: Do you see Eastern Europe as a potential new “sports betting heaven” with all the new regulations coming in force? Large brands are starting to focus on this region to attract new customers.

Mark McGuinness: The UK and Western Europe are pretty much mature markets dominated by the market leaders, of which we are witnessing a slowdown in growth, hence the recent raft of merger and acquisitions (PaddyPower & Betfair, Ladbrokes and Corals).

It is therefore evitable that operators shall seek new markets to enter or exploit potential gaps in existing markets to usurp the dominant players. I wouldn’t say Eastern Europe is the new “sports betting heaven”, but certainly with the correct strategy in place and local partner, it does present a mid-term growth potential for betting companies.

EEG: What does the future of sports betting hold in terms of interactivity? We are living a digital era where everything is possible, partial cash-out for bets, live betting, etc. What do you think the next brake thorough is going to be?

Mark McGuinness: It is difficult to look into the future, as technology and communications are changing on a daily basis, never mind the increasing regulatory requirements being adopted by governments across the world.

In my own personal opinion, the industry should be seeking more inspiration from other ecommerce or digital technologies in terms of how they connect and solve solutions for customers. Certainly the over-arching trend is for community centric products and solutions that are geared to improve your skills. eSports is a good example of a community based digital participation and gambling entertainment form, whereby all sorts of different products have been delighted from within the supply chain by the community. This could be services that improve your skills with virtual coaching or interacting with your favourite player on Twitch, to using digital goods to enhance the gameplay experience.

If you would like to get the unique opportunity to ask all your important questions and learn first-hand details about the TREND SETTING IN SPORTS BETTING, be sure to attend the Eastern European Gaming Summit at which Mark McGuinness shall moderate the panel. For 8th consecutive year on 23 – 24 November 2015, Inter Expo Center in Sofia, Bulgaria will bring together under one roof world’s leading figures and companies from the industry to present and outline current market developments and future trends with global vision and focus on the Eastern European market.

Visit the EEGS website here.