"ICE represented a tangible shift in the approach undertaken by operators to tailor their iGaming strategies to attract millennials"

Sportsbooks fail to address eSports fans’ expectations, not only in terms of coverage but also in terms of on-site features and promotions amongst other aspects, Sabrina Soldà says.

2020-02-14

United Kingdom

Reading time 2:39 min

Following her presence at ICE London last week, when the company launched its Neuron 3 iGaming platform that includes a Social Media Betting feature, Soldà says millennials are keen to experience the tangible immersion, emotions, and engagement that eSports is able to deliver, and that today’s sports betting approach does not.

BtoBet showcased its portfolio last week at ICE London, with the launch of its Neuron 3 platform taking center stage.

Upon her return from the show, BtoBet’s Chief Marketing Officer Sabrina Soldà shared an analysis focused on millennials, their key features and demands.

“There is no doubt whatsoever that operators are now sensing that the time is ripe to focus their efforts on figuring out how to engage and harness the huge opportunity that the thriving millennial demographic keeps in hold,” Soldà says. “Having said that, one cannot deny that ICE London 2020 represented a tangible shift in the approach undertaken by operators to tailor their iGaming strategies to attract this ever increasing consumer base.”

Esports featured as one of the main attractions and crowd drawers at ICE London, and she assures it is relatively easy to ascertain why. Raised in an era of rapid technological advancement, millennials are digital natives. Being more connected to technology than older generations, they are more keen on digital interaction and engagement. And it is these particular characteristics that operators and service providers alike ought to address in a feasible and timely manner, Soldà explains.

Even though still in its early stages, the eSports vertical has a highly developed ecosystem of organisations, players, game developers, and hardware providers, she notes. A scenario that makes it even more appealing for operators to incorporate this fast-growing segment at the core of their business strategies in order to engage millennials like never before.

Another strong argument in favour of the integration eSports as a primary pillar for the whole industry lies in the numbers themselves, according to Soldà. “It is a fact that cross-selling between eSports and other sports is very limited. Why? Sportsbooks fail to address eSports fans’ expectations, not only in terms of coverage but also in terms of on-site features and promotions amongst other aspects. Truth is millennials are keen to experience the tangible immersion, emotions, and engagement that eSports is able to deliver, and that today’s sports betting approach simply does not.”

As a company, for the past years BtoBet has been aware and thoroughly analysed how to integrate new technological solutions to adapt to the “millennial phenomenon.” And a lot of interest was manifested in its new Neuron 3 iGaming platform, and the way that it was built from the ground up to deliver a player-centric betting experience.

“Not only did we incorporate a wider selection of channels to compensate for the newer generation’s innate tendency to opt for a multi-platform and multi-device environment, but more importantly by understanding their craving to explore the world of social media,” Soldà remarks. “Through Neuron 3’s Social Media Betting feature, we have kept ourselves ahead of the curve by morphing what has been primarily a communicative platform, into a tool through which bets could be placed via a single interface, whilst elevating the whole process to a social context.”

“I am confident to say that the iGaming industry is ready to embrace the dawn of a new era, where it is forced to further its boundaries through new technological territories in order to satiate the newer players’ demands for a more simplified, personalised and holistic betting experience. Spurred by the never-ending quest to optimise the player journey and his lifetime value, operators and service providers are now able to finally close the gap and deliver a new level of entertainment, that is now considered as mandatory in other sectors. The chance to leverage on today’s technological innovations to connect with millennials is undoubtedly one of the most exciting opportunities for the industry today,” Soldà concludes.