Interview with Tom Light, VP of Business Development, SBTech(conducted by i-Gaming Forum Sweden)

THE EMERGING TRENDS OF IN-PLAY BETTING

1) SBTech is covering a session on the emerging trends of in-play sports betting at the upcoming i-Gaming Forum 2016. Can you give us a brief overview of what these trends are?
Sportsbetting has entered a new era, fueled by the rapid rise of in-play wagering options. The sector is growing faster than ever as live betting now covers an extensive range of sports from the common in-play sports such as football and tennis to golf, ice hockey, cricket, basketball, volleyball and a variety of winter sports.

Fast Markets: Micro-Markets, also known as Fast-Markets, are today’s most exciting bet markets which create a new thrill for the punter minute by minute- ‘You live the live game’. Micro-Market bets are settled immediately and precisely- SBTech offers various Micro-Markets daily on hundreds of in-play events per day. Such bets are considered ‘quick bets’, bets made during a live event. For example, betting on who will get the next corner kick in a soccer match or whether the next serve in tennis will be an ace. As the results are immediate, the game becomes more exciting for the user and their betting pattern will increase.

Live Streaming: Live Streaming goes hand-in-hand with in-play betting and with micro-markets; excitement of placing a bet on what will happen in the upcoming minute and then watching it as it happens. Streaming enhances the experience of the specific singular event and also minimizes the turnover in betting on multiple events at the same time as the player is more focused on the single event.

Cash-Out: Cash-out, in all its variations, are important mainly due to the fact that it simply increases turnover as it multiples the amount of time the same funds are being ‘rolled’. Cash-out also acts as a stop loss for potential losing bets as well as a possibility allowing the punter to cash his winnings in order to cut risk; punter is more comfortable placing bets as he has the option to change a betting strategy depending on the developments on an event.

Mobile Betting & Second Screen Betting: Today’s mobile and tablet solution enable the punter to bet anywhere and anytime; just 1 click on the second screen device and the bet is placed. SBTech has developed a custom-tailored in-play experience for all smart phone platforms (iOS and Android).

2) How has the mobile/tablet market changed this sector in recent years?
Advanced mobile technology developments, has had a tremendous impact on the evolution of in-play betting. The combination of mobile and in-play betting creates a new betting experience. In-play betting on mobile, allow punters to place bets immediately and from any location.

In-play betting platforms are available for punters wherever they are; sitting on the sofa watching a game on TV or watching the game at a bar with friends – just one click on the mobile and the bet is placed. The second screen coincides with our fast paced world; ability to place bets anywhere at any time. Second screen betting has become widely accepted worldwide.

3) Why did you choose i-Gaming Forum as a platform for this presentation?
SBTech has won the 2016 Best Sportsbetting Supplier of the Year EGR Nordics Award and is highly recognized within the Nordic market, powering several successful and established operators such as ComeOn, Cherry Group, BetHard and many more.

• ComeOn, one of the Nordic market-leaders, has been operating on the SBTech platform for more than six years and just recently has renewed its’ contract for another five years.

SBTech’s multi-year deal with publicly listed casino and lotteries company Cherry, a highly regarded brand in the Nordic market, is further testament to the superior nature of SBTech’s solutions.

SBTech has developed a state-of-the-art product, perfect for the Nordic users who want an astonishing online experience that is personalized and simple, but yet intelligent with all the right tools and features. For example, we have created various bets for the show Big Brother in Denmark, political campaigns, elections and many more.

Tom Light, Head of International Business Development, SBTech

Tom John Light was born and presently resides in Tel Aviv, Israel. Tom has lived and traveled worldwide and is highly knowledgeable and experienced working in various global regions.Tom has been working in the gaming industry for many years with a focus on casino operations and sports betting. Currently Tom acts as Head of International Business Development at SBTech. He is renowned for his role as Vice President of Business Development at FashionTV. Additionally Tom has successfully served as CEO for several online gaming companies such as 7Red Casino and 1King Casino. Tom is recognized for his high involvement with the creation of the Online How-To Guide ‘eHow’ and has been featured/published in various interviews.