Stanislav Mykhailov – Head of B2B department at Betinvest ltd has over six years of experience in both BSB and B2C verticals within the gambling industry. Starting his career in a VIP retention and customer journey field, Stanislav currently leads business development, marketing and accounting at the UK incorporated gambling service provider.
The rise of short-form media in today’s increasingly digital world has boosted the demand for snappy, digestible content. This is no different in the gaming space, with punters steering towards content that swiftly meets their demands.
‘Fast content’ adds an extra layer to the betting experience wherein they feel consistently engaged, says Head of B2B at Betinvest, Stanislav Mykhailov.
“Bettors prefer not to wait – they just want to bet. They want to feel the risks and emotions associated with placing a bet and providing faster content gives them an easier means of achieving that.”
The evolution of content
The pivot to fast digital content has only been accelerated by the pandemic, but the nature of current trends was always to be expected, says Mykhailov.
“It’s important to realise that even in a post-Covid world, things will never go back to how they were. It’s brought unchangeable things to the industry. We have to deal with some very specific demands. They want quick content that evokes quick emotions and for it to be accessible at all times,” he says.
During the pandemic, Betinvest reflected on a notable absence of sports content on the market, consequently innovating its content solution to include its Quick Sports service, a streaming service that covers table tennis and beach volleyball matches.
‘Quick’ sports are defined by their fast pace with each match lasting approximately 30 minutes. This appeals to the current nature of customer engagement wherein sports bettors increasingly prefer a fast and simple fix. The Quick Sports service is one of many within Betinevst’s full content solution, designed to create a seamless betting experience that’s symbolic of the times.
Broadening horizons
While focusing on high-profile sports and engaging punters during prime time is a logical approach, it’s important to think outside of the box, explains Mykhailov.
“The biggest turnover is of course in prime time while tournaments are happening. But that sense of risk and emotion isn’t exclusive to the high-profile sports events, bettors want to have that feeling all the time. Making this option accessible to them at all times increases round-the-clock engagement, revenue and provides a competitive edge,” says Mykhailov.
A core part of the solution is that punters don’t just stream the games, but have access to rich insights to help them place bets, with high-profile esports league Cyber Live Arena (CLA) and licensing game distribution rights to the igaming provider.
Betinvest expects the demand for esports content to only increase despite the return of live events, advanced by the technological development of simulators producing high-quality content matching that of standard live sports.
“Simulators have created a completely new niche in the market, which is at the intersection of esports and traditional sports events. We expect to see in the coming years that a significant amount of betting turnover for our partners will come from esports – it is definitely one to watch.”
A flexible approach
Maintaining agility and adapting its offering for these different needs has helped Betinvest to support its partners in delivering optimal content to sports bettors.
The streaming service offers up to 20,000 events every month across live and esports events – and depth of partnership is crucial in helping operators to make the most of the solution.
“We adjust to any customers’ needs. Firstly, we need to understand all requirements, how they will work, which regions they will work in, what they need and when they need it. Only then do we provide a commercial offer that would provide timelines,” explains Mykhailov.
Looking to the future, Mykhailov noted the company’s plans to continue its global expansion: “Currently, we are launching alternative eSoccer simulation matches, expected to go live later this summer and we hope that leagues we operate with will be even more popular and demanded so we can see them in sportsbooks all over the world.