"Our expectation of G2E is to help the US market to truly understand what GiG stands for"

It's been an exciting year for GiG thus far. The platform supplier kicked off 2022 by acquiring sportsbook provider Sportnco; inked new deals with a growing number of operators, some of them Tier 1 partners; and this month it announced the creation of a US hub, to be led by co-founder Ben Clemes.

With all these achievements and highlights on its back, the company now prepares to showcase its products and new strategies at G2E Las Vegas, set to take place on October 10-13 at The Venetian Expo. Ahead of the event, Yogonet spoke with Martin Collins, Director of Sales & Business Development at GiG, on the company's plans for the summit, networking opportunities at the expo, and the keys behind GiG's offering.

What will visitors approaching GiG’s booth at G2E find on this occasion? What solutions is the company focusing on for this edition?

All visitors can expect the GiG stand at G2E to be a hive activity. This year, we are rolling out our multi-platform strategy, highlighting the need for every operator to have access to options to help them solve continuing regulatory transformation. The focus will be specifically on our suite of platforms, helping deliver market access to 36 regulated markets, as well as our Tier 1 sportsbook, SportnCo. 

What are your expectations for GiG’s participation in the event in terms of deals, discussions, networking, etc.? What will make the company stand out from the competition?

Our expectation of the show is to help the US market truly understand what GiG stands for in terms of our offering and where we bring value. We have been operating in the US since 2018 and we have built up a great deal of know-how with regard to operating a successful brand cross-state. However, we are doubling down on this experience and our expansion in the US is a key strategic goal. Indeed, you may have read recently we are in the process of setting up a US Hub so we can offer an improved service to current and future customers.

Although we wouldn’t expect to close any deals on-site, I would expect there to be numerous conversations around this expansion and commitment to the market with existing and new contacts alike. We know our platform and sports offering will allow operators to truly define their strategy, and as opposed to the ‘churn and burn’ approach often utilized in the first few years of the market, our platform’s ability to truly deliver a personalized experience to the customer, building a brand equity and loyalty, will become easier and thus engagement will be greater. Coupled with our key focus on Responsible Gaming, we believe we can bring our experience in Europe and help brands truly have RG at the heart of their offering. 

GiG at ICE London 2022 earlier this year

What do you consider to be the opportunities that G2E offers the company this edition, especially considering it's the first fully in-person one since the pandemic? Will you participate in any educational activity? 

This is absolutely the first US G2E since the lockdown and from experience, I would imagine it to be incredibly well attended and those who will have a successful 3 days to already have meetings in the diary. There will be lots of footfall on the stands, so it is also vital that there are teams there to man the stands.

There is no doubt in my mind, that everyone prefers this ‘face-to-face’ approach and thus, I would expect there to be various conversations, which will be followed up afterward. In terms of the educational piece, yes, in order to gain some industry ‘insight’ we will be attending some of the talks and seminars. 

The company has expanded its product offering since the acquisition of sportsbook provider Sportnco earlier this year, allowing for improved capabilities. Is this development generating the industry impact you expected? Will this be focused on at the expo?

Rather than an expansion of the product offering, what we have done is take the key aspects of each platform and understand their weaknesses and where they need to be improved. As a consequence of this analysis, it was clear that Data and Logic, two of the staple and best-loved components of GiG Core, were what each new platform required to be more competitive.

Armed with this knowledge and confidence, we have embarked on a period of internal integrations, so the SportnCo Sportsbook is integrated with all platforms, as well as working towards integrating Data and Logic with each solution. Not only does this improve the offering across the board, but it also provides our multi-platform customers with continuity in terms of reporting and operational excellence regardless of the platform they are utilizing or where they are operating. 

Sports betting is one of the hottest verticals in the global gaming industry. What specific topics and trends within the segment do you see operators most interested in at the moment? Which key markets are you targeting for the event?

Sports betting truly is one of the key drivers in the industry, particularly in the US, as the majority of states regulated are sports-only currently. I think the experience with the current states has helped operators understand they need their platform and sportsbook partner to be able to provide 3 key elements: 

• Continued market access – operators have to be agile and be able to quickly expand their brand into new states or markets. 
• Personalization – in order to take advantage of your marketing spend to its optimum, you have to be able to offer a truly personalized experience for your customer that drives loyalty to your brand. 
• Responsible gaming – RG is increasingly becoming a concern for all operators in the US and how a platform can underpin their strategy with an informed and data-driven RG approach.