Bobby Longhurst, Managing Director at Sportingtech.

Sportingtech enjoyed a banner year in 2022, securing vital deals in new and emerging markets which enhanced our footprint as the leading supplier of content across all igaming verticals.

With more launches in Brazil in 2022, continuing this growth is the key priority for our brand as the legislation inches ever closer to being finalised in what will be a huge boom to the industry to the tune of $1 billion. 

We certainly have ambitions to enter other jurisdictions in the region and we are making significant headway in this regard, ensuring our solutions are adapted specifically for those markets to conform to any pre-existing and new regulatory requirements.

We are certainly not taking a scattergun approach, but a more measured look at profitability and to target operators that we know are striving for longevity, as opposed to creating partnerships with 20 operators and only a handful of them being happy to pay for a licence, this simply wouldn’t be aligned to our own plans in the region, and to our minds, a little short-sighted. 

2023 looks to finally be the year that Brazil becomes the jewel in the continent’s crown with residents at long last having the opportunity to enjoy responsible wagering opportunities and we want to be there and ensure our industry-leading products are front and centre with operators and players alike.

It has been mystifying that governments are only now beginning to see the benefit of legalising betting. Of course, there are issues surrounding player safety and those measures can and need to be put into place, but the fact is that wagering will significantly boost economies around the globe.

Expansion is always at the forefront of our minds, but our vision is quality over quantity, not only in LatAm but other jurisdictions where we have already made our mark, including Africa. 

We have concluded deals with some household names in Brazil already in the past 12 months, and we want to hit double figures by the time we see in 2024 and judging by the pace we are moving, this is more than achievable.

We are delighted to get the opportunity to partner with operators that will allow us to flex our muscle and showcase our services. We want to supply the right partners and forge indelible relationships that ensures customers engage with our vast array of content across the sports betting and casino verticals. This will be vital for the Brazilian market due to the stringent measures they will put in place. 

Operators will need to be headquartered in Brazil which in turn will mean an expansion of existing teams or the creation of new ones which means the larger international operators with the flexibility to handle these requests, or local operators that already possess the infrastructure to comply, will flourish. To be at the heart of the action, we are greatly excited to open our own offices in the country which shows our commitment to establishing new partnerships and strengthening existing ones.

Having said that, with regulations nearing finalisation, we anticipate that operators will want to hit the ground running and provide the best possible experiences for their customers right off the bat, and supplying these solutions is our speciality. Our bespoke offerings are unrivalled, and it is a testament to our powerful yet flexible solutions that we have already made a sizable mark across the globe but in particular LatAm. 

We are renowned for differentiation within the industry with each project we work on having particular nuances and intricacies compared to other operators in the market who are somewhat limited in their approach. There is no longer a ‘one size fits all’ offering, and operators must cater for the needs of the local customer. Product choice is expanding by the day and brands need to cater to all tastes with a comprehensive range of verticals if they are to make the most of the opportunity.

Our array of technical services are the leader within the industry. We can provide customisable solutions for any operator, whether they choose our stand-alone products or our turnkey offerings. We can accommodate any business need, allowing them to pick and choose from our suite gives them full autonomy, which above all else, they greatly value.

As important as Brazil will be for our company, it won’t be our only focus with several game-changing regulations coming in the next year or so, so we must adapt and remain dynamic to the ever-changing landscape the region has continually highlighted to us, but we remain resolute to our strategy.

We pride ourselves on remaining fluid and exploring other opportunities that present themselves. Without giving too much away, we are making a concerted effort to make an impact in Chile and Peru with both likely to look at the movement in Brazil and take positive steps to legalise betting, with some major updates due imminently. 

People throughout the industry looked enviously at our deals in Africa with 888AFRICA and Sun Bet last year and while not as big a focus as LatAm, we still have a few irons in the fire in this emerging market. But again, we will be focusing more on quality over quantity. It just goes to show that our solutions are built for scale and flexibility to ensure operators have the freedom of movement necessary to be successful.

Since I joined the company midway through 2022, it has been a whirlwind, and the progress we have made with key deals around the world is a testament to the knowledge we possess in house, not only in the innovative and consultative approach we take, but also to the continued development of our technologies, products and services to therefore lead by example. The aim being to treat all our partners as such rather than labelled customers.

We are currently in integration phases with numerous leading casino content providers which will only enhance our offering in this vertical, ensuring we stay streets ahead of the pack. Similarly, we have just gone live with a virtuals offering from another leading provider, so we are always developing our content options that we put forward to operators. Our teams are experts in their own fields and are constantly on the lookout for the next big thing or the game changer for our clients to benefit from.

In the last 10 months we have worked tirelessly to consolidate our presence in a swathe of existing markets whilst targeting new sectors with our meteoric rise in LATAM being a standout for me.

While this may not be as significant as a deals with a global operator in a new market. Last year was also a great opportunity to take stock of our position and really identify what we wanted to achieve in the short term. Enhancing our brand at the start of this year ahead of our biggest-ever showing at ICE was something I was incredibly happy to oversee, and an absolute must to keep us up to date and relevant in this fast-paced industry. 

The new look and feel showcases our corporate personality and highlights that innovation and continual evolution is at the core of who and what we are as a business, and this resonated with attendees, and we look forward to continuing our momentum at this years key industry events and beyond.

Our presence will be out in full force at the Brazilian iGaming Summit in June, SBC Summit Barcelona in September, and SBC Summit Latinoamérica in November amongst many others. These events are always key for us as a company to showcase our product expertise and hopefully begin fruitful and positive partnerships with leaders in our key territories.

Our understanding of the challenges affecting operators, and our commitment to delivering fully customised casino and sportsbook solutions for every client, means we offer a product and service that just can’t be matched – with Sportingtech rightfully seen as an industry trailblazer.