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The iGaming industry has delivered significant growth over the last few years and there’s still plenty of opportunities to enter the market and be successful. The global online gambling market size was valued at USD 53.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5% from 2020 to 2027. 

You’re thinking of launching an iGaming business? Sports betting and online casinos can be highly profitable and, as a result, it the iGaming industry is highly competitive. To survive and flourish a number of things have to be present including the right operational, marketing and product development capabilities. However, the main requirement is a robust, scalable and stable iGaming platform – with a great online casino and sports betting product as a minimum.

Here are five factors you need to think about when choosing your iGaming platform provider (also known as an iGaming software provider).

1. Your business strategy and requirements

2.Choosing the right software provider

3.Your content is king

4.Need for speed – and flexibility, and competitiveness

5.Support services

Your business strategy and requirements

Firstly, from as strategic perspective you need to have a clear view where and how you’re going to compete, what your market positioning will be and what are your competitive advantages. Your business requirements will include questions such as what sort of iGaming software you will need , how quickly you want to get to market, how much of your operations do you want to outsource and do you want your own licence?

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Choosing the right software provider

You should seek out a trusted and reliable iGaming solutions provider – find out how established they are, look at the quality and experience of the management team and make sure they have the industry knowledge to help you build your business. You want to know how they’ve been in business. A good reputation and a stable of existing clients are also useful guides when choosing an iGaming platform provider. Working with leading partners and suppliers, including leading payment providers key for your target market, are important factors.

How customizable is the iGaming platform? You will need to differentiate your brand and customer journey in order to compete so the level to which you can do this needs to be checked out.

Look also for as many unique features that the iGaming software supplier offers -these will be another way of differentiating your new business.

Your Content is King

‘Content is king’ according to the saying. This is very true of online gaming and sports betting operators and the range and quality of your online casino and sport betting products can be key to your success. Look for highly flexible betting solutions that enable you to choose from a wide selection of options, sports betting , casino games, and features and let you customise the way you present your product to players.What other iGaming and casino products are included? What is the minimum you need to be competitive? How many casino suppliers of note are included on the platform and how many slots games are available?

Need for speed, flexibility and competitiveness

You need to ensure you choose a iGaming software provider that will be future-proof as you business will grow and your sports betting and iGaming requirements will change as you learn about your market. The overall expertise of the chosen iGaming partner going forward needs to be added to your checklist. The ability to integrate speedily needs to be considered – time is money after all. Flexibility, stability and scalability are other important considerations – you’ll want the iGaming partnership to last a long time and having to switch platforms because they cannot adequately support your organisations growth is costly and disruptive. A platform that becomes uncompetitive will mean a loss of profitability for you – so think long term. Do you need a modular solution? API-based platforms can deliver more flexibility going forward.

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Support Services

Other important considerations when choosing an iGaming software provider are the supporting tools and services that they also offer. Do they have an integrated CRM system and will they provide training? Is there marketing support? This can be a great benefit when starting up in terms of a bonus engine and promotional materials. Licensing and legal support is another important consideration. Will your software provider help with licensing or, in fact, do you wish to leverage their license? Risk management tools are important? How effective are the software platform tools? Do you want the iGaming business to do this task for you. Responsible betting solutions are a vital compliance requirement and so check on how effective these are and what other information, insights and reports are provided by your prospective iGaming partner. The subject of responsible gambling is growing more and more important across many markets – and you need to ensure you have the very best solution to ensure player protection. Other services you should look at include data management and reporting products. Insight as to how a player is using your website, what gambling content they are viewing, which is the preferred payment method, what is their preferred game, or their favourites sports can be very useful when considering the future development of your website or mobile offering. So ensure that your iGaming software provider can deliver this level of data.

Summary

So, choose a good iGaming software provider to partner up with, with an excellent reputation, a management team with significant experience and industry know-how. Make sure their iGaming software is fast, stable and future proof – and gives you all the best content you need to be competitive. Ensure that they can support your growth – in terms of development, scalability and flexibility. Ensure their product development abilities are first class and they have a vision of where their sports betting and gaming product portfolio is going.

As an operator, choosing your iGaming software platform will be the most important element of your sports and gaming business preparation so take your time and get the best sports and gaming software solution available for your business requirements.

Are you thinking about starting an online casino from the bottom up? That would be a really good idea, since in the last several years, operating an online casino has been considered to be a rapidly expanding and profitable industry. Based on statistical data, the global market for casinos and online gaming was valued at 226.8 billion US dollars in 2020, and growth in this industry is expected to reach 17.6% in 2021.

Casinos are the second most common form of online gaming in Europe, amounting to  32% of the market share in 2018. Online casinos were surpassed only by online sports betting (42.5%) but had left lotteries (12.6%) and internet poker (5%) far behind.  

Therefore, in such a competitive market, it is essential to consider some key factors for the successful launch of your online casino platform.  

1. Develop a comprehensive business strategy
2. Select a trusted and established software supplier
3. Determine a casino content
4. Get a license that is best for your business
5. Variety of payment methods 
6. Security and Privacy
7. Dedicated customer  support

Develop a comprehensive business strategy

It is not realistic enough to run a profitable business without a well-thought business approach. A carefully developed business strategy can ensure a significant part of your new business’s success. Your business plan should cover at least the following points; 

•  What is the biggest advantage of your new business?   
• How fast are you going to enter the market?  
• How are you going to compete in the market?  
• How much money are you going to invest and what is your total budget?  
• What margin do you expect to receive?  
• What is your marketing, sales, targeting approach?   

Select a trusted and established software supplier

The major part of online casino operation success can often depend on a carefully selected and integrated software solution So, it is essential to opt for a leading gaming software supplier company, as they provide the core of your brand identity.  Although the iGaming market is extremely competitive now, not all platform suppliers can deliver equal quality products.  You should make sure that the software supplier is proven reliable, can provide a customizable casino look and software solution packed with a variety of features you need, including multi-platform options and mobile capability.   

Ideally, casino platform providers should meet the advanced requirements of online gaming operators. So, owning an individually developed gaming platform is of special importance.  

One of the reasons why Digitain’s Casino Games Aggregator is in great demand is that it is a complete one-stop solution for running an online casino business. The aggregator offers a full suite of tools and features for successfully operating and maintaining an online gaming site; from player registration to user management, from payment solutions to content management. With the Digitain Casino Games Aggregator operators have all the required elements and more to customize and operate their own online casino website.  

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Determine a casino content

Another key factor of how to start an online casino operation is to fix what type of content you wish to include in your casino platform. In this regard, it is important for your business to deliver a diversity of casino content.  

Customers need to know what they can find on your website and what device they can use. Therefore, your casino platform needs to have engaging and popular content for customers of different ages and with differing interests.   

Ideally, the best online casino suppliers include at least the following popular games on their platform; 

• Slots  
• Poker and skill games like Belote, Domino, Backgammon, etc.,   
• TV Games  
• Live Casino games – Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat  
• Table & Card Games – Bingo, Keno, Hi Lo and many more.  

 Some online betting operators look much further, and along with casino games also deliver sportsbook and virtual sports betting capabilities through the same platform. Actually, you don’t necessarily have to offer your users everything, but it is a plus to have a large selection of games that are available to you and then choose the content that best suits your brand. To keep your players entertained, the quality of games you deliver is as important as the number of games that are included in your online casino. In this way, you can offer the experience you wish to your target audience.   

An outstanding and reliable casino platform provider can help you with the right choices and provide you with both the best in – house developed products and third-party engaging content from their top software games partners.     

At Digitain we understand that each business is unique and try to meet the most sophisticated requirements of our current and potential partners.  We offer 7000+ casino games – both our own product and our partners, (who are among the best in the iGaming industry) -all integrated into a single casino lobby. Moreover, it can be tailored to your brand and easily navigated through category tabs and search options. Your players can enjoy our Casino Games on the web, mobile and tablet.  

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Get a license that is best for your business

Having a gaming license is necessary to create a legal platform. So, obtaining a license is essential for your online business as operating an online casino without a license would be illegal. Lack of a license can also be a problem to acquire partners- leading banks and payment service providers may refuse to work with non – licensed casino businesses.    

To have a license, first and foremost it is necessary to decide the jurisdiction you wish to operate under and choose a country to get it from. This is an important choice and there are different factors that you should take into account in terms of how your casino runs, your new business profitability, and the costs you can face.   

The licensing process itself can take quite a time from a couple of months to a year depending on the certain location. One of the reasons why some gaming businesses prefer White Label solution for their casino operation (although Turnkey solution delivers many other advantages) is that it also includes the license enabling speed-to-market process.  

Online casinos are not legalized everywhere but there is at least one country in every region where it is possible to get a license. For instance, in Europe, you can obtain it under the jurisdiction of Malta, Montenegro, Gibraltar, and more. It is also worth keeping in mind that every country has its own rules and requirements for online casinos and the taxes also can differ locally.  So, you should select a jurisdiction which is the best for your business.   

To acquire a license, you should make sure that your casino software supplier and platform are compliant with the country’s regulations you are going to operate in. Moreover, the leading software provider company can support you at least with the necessary information and guide you on how to get a license.     

Digitain is committed to a multi-jurisdictional licensing and certification strategy within international regulated markets to ensure exacting technical and regulatory compliance can be assured for the partners. Our regulatory and compliance team are continually monitoring different markets and emerging jurisdictions, for the latest trends and updates which can impact your business operations and, therefore, can provide clients with initial or on-going support whenever needed.  

Other factors that matter

Along with above – mentioned factors which are significant for running an online casino business, there are also other points that should not be underestimated.   

Variety of payment methods

The availability of different payment options is important for your iGaming business. So, when choosing an online casino platform, make sure that it supports at least the most commonly used payment methods. The leading online casino platform suppliers allow a variety of payment options – bank transfers, credit cards, e-wallets, even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, for the users to implement secure online transactions regardless of their location.   

Working with outstanding payment solution providers, Digitain offers its partners over 130 payment options to accept deposits, transfers, and withdrawals for digital gaming via a single wallet solution.   

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Security and Privacy 

 An online casino platform generally deals with confidential data and a large amount of money. So, the software solution should provide a top-level of protection against an unauthorized login. To attract more users, online casino platforms need to make security a priority, protecting players’ identities, private information and bankroll.   

Currently, there are numerous options to protect data. So, make sure that your software supplier can provide cutting – edge security features.    

Dedicated customer  support

Along with getting a solid casino platform that makes the betting experience enjoyable, it is also significant for the online casino business to get a stable B2B support  from the software provider. 

A reliable casino gaming software provider is the one that is always available and is ready to provide complete, high-quality support instantly.    

At Digitain,  we value our partners’ time and loyalty and make them equipped with real-time, multi-language and top-quality support.    

In case you want to know more about Digitain’s Casino Games Aggregator, do not hesitate to contact us.     

White label vs Turnkey Solution

So, you’re interested in starting an online sports betting or online gaming business, but you are new to the iGaming industry and don’t know the difference between a White Label and Turnkey platform?
Here are the main benefits of each approach.

Some or all operational support can also be provided as part of the deal, such as customer services and fraud prevention teams – leaving marketing to be the main focus of the new operator.

A white label casino, or sportsbook, is a quick-to-market approach but with limitations in terms of standardisation. With a white label, there is little room to change the layout or colourways of the product, no opportunities to differentiate in terms of payments, products or trading strategy.

Bespoke developments are also a problem as the white label sits on a shared platform with other sportsbook or casino operators. Your choice of online casino games in a white label casino can be limited also, to a specific number of casino software providers.

So, benefits of this approach; speed-to-market, focus on marketing, tried and trusted approach.

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You’ll need to obtain your own gaming licence but otherwise all the benefits of a White Label are there, and many more. With an experienced platform software provider, such as Digitain, speed to market with a customisable solution can be quick.

The individual market requirements of operators can be met more easily, such as design, customer journey, branding, payments and even the overall trading strategy. You will also be able to better control and promote the best casino games for your market.

Product and software development requirements going forward are also possible via your own dedicated technology team. Operational services can also be outsourced or taken in–house, the choice is in the hands of the operator.

So benefits of a turnkey approach? Control over product strategy, software development depending on your needs solely, ability to set your own trading strategy for the markets your targeting. Branding and promotional control. Knowledge transfer between your own teams across the business by less outsourcing.

Summary

White label solutions have their place, especially if an operator wants to focus on the marketing of the business and speed-to-market is initially important. Outsourcing all aspects of the betting software, including sports betting, online casino and other products, to a third-party provider can be a successful initial strategy.

However, for a comprehensive gaming platform solution, with optimal control of your business direction, but with the security provided through working with experienced platform providers, then a turnkey approach is by far the best strategy. You’ll have more control over your sports betting, casino, branding and software development needs going forward, for when your business starts to take off.

Are you planning to start your betting business from the bottom up and not 100 % clear how to get started? Choosing an effective sports betting software solution is an important part of the puzzle.    

Fortunately, the sports gaming industry is evolving quickly, giving a wide scope of opportunities to succeed in this sector. However, in the extremely competitive market, it is becoming harder and harder to choose the best software provider that can meet all your expectations. In any case, there are some key factors to be considered while opting for sportsbook software.      

Develop your own identity: Customized features and Individual interface     

Betting operators’ business success can often depend on the well-chosen and accurately integrated sportsbook. Having an individually designed platform that attracts sports bettors of different ages and with diverse interests, is of special importance. So, it is smarter to choose established providers that offer sports betting software with a functional and easy-to-use interface, multiplatform options, and mobile capability.      

Today, many betting operators seek to develop their own identity. The best software suppliers consider this primary requirement, and along with template-based solutions, also offer customized betting products that will meet current and potential partners’ motivations and purposes. It is important for the suppliers to hand over flexible and user-friendly sports betting software products with a responsive, outstanding design that is compatible with all advanced platforms and devices.      

Ideally, sports betting software providers should meet the most sophisticated requirements of already existing platforms, start-ups, online casino operators, and land-based sportsbook vendors.     

One of the reasons why Digitain’s  Sportsbook is so popular is that it is customizable and responsive across all channels. Our Sportsbook can be integrated into all platforms and can be available for desktop, mobile as well as for native applications of Android and iOS. We can also provide sports betting software to the land-based operations in different modifications depending on the market specifications and localization requirements.      

Mobile capability – speed and functionality       

The mobile revolution in recent years has changed consumers behaviour and expectations in different spheres and online betting industry is no exception. The current saturation of broadband, different tablets, and smartphones impact on the iGaming market has changed not only the final users’ requirements but also make providers and operators evolve to meet the players’ expectations all over the globe.   

So, it is essential for the sports betting software suppliers to cover not only the traditional platforms but cater to the players who use mobile devices.  Most users prefer functional mobile applications instead of the web interface, considering them more friendly in terms of speed, functionality, and design. Even if you have a flexible web platform that supports different screen sizes, you cannot manage without engaging and functional mobile applications.      

At Digitain we accept the challenges of the modern world and turn them into opportunities. Our sports betting software offers both web mobile version and native mobile applications for iOS and Android. Being individually developed for each operating system, the applications manage to deliver a high level of operational efficiency on devices. The specifics of each platform have been explored in detail during the development process. Supporting the full range of Digitain’s sportsbook functionalities, its mobile applications are also equipped with specific features that ensure a higher user-engagement level.    

Geo – dependency and localizations      

Currently, the betting software products are extremely popular worldwide, and it is essential for the software providing companies to localize them for different markets. One of the most important requirements is to have an interface in simple language and a platform that allows users to bet on local teams and leagues. To localize the product, the software must support systems that determine the user’s location and favoured interface language. Localizing software, nevertheless, is a far more systematic process than just adapting some words or changing some visuals. Each culture has its own specifics and in order to reach the target audience, the sportsbook must speak its users’ language.     

Digitain’s Sportsbook is highly flexible in terms of localization. It is not only about the language varieties but also about the localized content, layouts, features, and functionalities that are developed for specific markets. So, we can offer a specific view or layout for an Asian or African market or a standard solution for the operators across Europe or Latin America.      

Risk & Fraud Management    

Another significant element of a successful sports betting business is a well-thought risk management strategy. Along with the best player experience, the betting operator should be able to manage the risks.   

The betting industry is mostly driven by new technologies, products, and players’ behaviour. Risk management needs to be in constant development to help businesses to stay competitive in the market. Particularly, effective risk and fraud management provides the ability to analyse players and their behaviour and to act accordingly to avoid losses and to boost profits. The best sports betting software providers are the ones that have good player risk management tools.    

 We have over 700 traders and risk managers at Digitain. All our odds and match markets are calculated, compiled and monitored in-house by our trading team ensuring robust risk management and a healthy margin for our partners’ sportsbooks.   

Variety of payment options      

Nowadays, when practically everything around is digitalized, every betting operator should keep in mind that the best sportsbook software solution allows different payment options for the players wherever they might be.  Some might prefer to pay through bank cards, e-wallets, or bank transfers, while others might want to pay with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.      

Working with outstanding payment solution providers, Digitain offers its partners over 130 payment options to accept deposits, transfers, and withdrawals for digital gaming via a single wallet solution. Moreover, our partners are equipped with the latest easy-to-use technologies designed to implement secure online transactions.    

B2B support and dedicated customer service       

It is safe to say that sportsbooks are currently expected to be the force that moves the whole betting service on different platforms and channels. In addition to getting a solid sportsbook software that makes betting possible and enjoyable, it is also important for the betting business to get a solid B2B support from the software provider. Sports betting operators can get different questions from their users and if they can provide an accurate and immediate answer to each question, they will be viewed as more reliable. 

A trustworthy sports betting software provider is the one that is available 24/7, speaks its partner’s language, and is willing to provide them with complete, high-quality, and multichannel support instantly.      

At Digitain we understand that all the partners have unique business models and requirements. We value their time and loyalty. Therefore, each of our partners is equipped with top-quality, real-time, and multi-language support.       

Continuous improvement is the key to success       

Even the ideally developed software solutions need continuous improvements. This is what we call a key to success. Striving for perfection is a moving force, however achieving perfection is not an end -result, but a process.      

 At Digitain we periodically look at the performance of the Sportsbook features, receive insights from the data, analyse them, and accordingly change, upgrade or even completely modify the features. We follow our roadmap to enhance the Sportsbook, paying extra attention to all the measures that need to be taken for the security and stability of the product.    

We constantly follow up on the trends and updates in the industry. The insights that we get from our partners and competitors, our own experience and research, as well as the expansion in various markets inspire us to do more. We are convinced that there is still a lot to do for the World’s Sportsbook and it is an ongoing, never-ending process.      

In case you want to explore more about  Digitain’s  Sportsbook software solution, please  Contact Us     

Thinking of starting an online sport betting business?

Here are the Top 7 factors you need to get right.

1. Generate an overall Business Strategy
2. Research and choose the Sportsbook Software platform you actually need
3. Agree your Product Portfolio
4. Assess your Marketing capabilities
5. Optimising your data – make business led decisions
6. The customer experience you deliver
7. Your people, your most important asset

1. Generate an overall Business Strategy

• The importance of a realistic strategy cannot be underestimated?
• How are you going to compete?
• How are you going to leverage your existing capabilities?
• Is speed to market important to you
• What will be your positioning?
• What is your total budget?
• What margin do you expect to deliver?

The answers to the questions above (and more) should then inform your marketing, product, technology, supplier, financial and trading strategy and more.

A realistic business plan is also a must-have requirement – with budgets, costs, customer acquisition targets, margins and unit economics all essential.

2. Research and choose the Sportsbook Software platform you actually need

Sports betting platforms can be about more than the sportsbook. You will need to consider such requirements as regulations, customer registration, payments, KYC, responsible gaming, bonus and trading tools.

Maybe you have a platform already and you want to swap out the sportsbook. At Digitain we offer a number of options, including a sportsbook API – a data feed that can be quickly integrated into an existing platform.

Also consider the type of platform supplier you want to partner with. Do you want to be a small fish in a big pond or would you prefer to work with a supplier where you can influence development priorities.

Cost of future development is something to consider – you will want or need to add further developments to your sportsbook platform, as you compete in new markets or new opportunities arise – how much do you need to budget for this?

Build your own iGaming platform and sportsbook?

Pros: Owning your own technology can be a competitive advantage in terms of ability to innovate, differentiate, flexibility of product development.

Against: Time consuming, expensive and carries a great deal of risk.

Getting to market quickly may be your priority and marketing your business may be your strength – so a build strategy may not suit your priorities.

Buy / License a sports betting platform or sportsbook from a trusted sportsbook software supplier?

Pros: Speed to market, proven technology and less risk. Flexibility, scalability and cost are benefits. Experience and technical capability underwritten

Against: Not all platform suppliers are equal. Costs of platform, minimum monthly guarantees and localisation potential, are just some of issues to be considered.

Choose a sportsbook software provider that is flexible, fast and economic in terms of delivering your future product development roadmap. Look at range of products and associated content and customer tools available. Is the combination fit for purpose for the markets you are targeting? Are all the sports and markets covered off? Is the live betting coverage comprehensive?

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3. Agree your Product Portfolio

When European company Ikea expanded into the US in 1985 they were very keen not to adapt their product / service mix. Why change a winning combination developed over many years, right?

However their strict strategy of not localising any of their products wasn’t universally successful. A significant issue for the Philly customers (used to a big gulp) was the relative “tiny” sizes of the drinking glasses available in the shop – so they started buying the Ikea glass vases as drinking vessels…

Inevitably Ikea had to adapt to the market – change their “standardised” approach and localise.

You will need to have a sportsbook product that can be localised and is responsive across all channels.

Be “Mobile First” – consider native app development  if not for launch, then later. This approach will give you opportunities to engage directly with your customers. At a minimum ensure that the mobile web version contains all the main functionality available to players on the web version.

Consider the other key products you want to add to your platform – online casino including specific slots, live dealer / live casino, virtual sports and eSports have all become staples of an online betting and gaming business, so make sure your platform supplier can meet your requirements.

4.Assess your Marketing capabilities

The most successful online betting and gaming businesses are masters of digital marketing.

Unfamiliar with digital marketing?  Then you’ll need to build this capability – perhaps supplementing them with experienced digital agency.

Depending on your location, will you develop an affiliate network? Consider building your own network, or out-source to an existing experienced provider.

SEO, PPC, programmatic advertising, Google regulations, Facebook advertising – knowing how these work and how the regulations apply or don’t apply to your operation – is key. Work with your platform supplier – at Digitain we are experienced in giving new operators a helping hand, guiding them from initial concept to market entry.

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5. Optimising your data – make business-led decisions

A benefit of an online sports betting platform is the amount of business data available.

Invest in a Business Intelligence capability in order to optimise this opportunity –  and make data-influenced decisions. 

Your product development roadmap should be informed by the data you have gathered. You may be tempted to just copy what your customers do – but be careful of a “me too” strategy, copying from your competitors without knowing their “secret sauce”.

6. The customer experience you deliver

Your customers have a choice – your competitors are one click away.

So, build a long term relationship with your customers.

Develop a customer experience strategy to drive continual improvements. Surveys, focus groups or customer feedback – listen and act on the information.. Customer Services are your ears – every member of the overall team need to spend time each quarter in Customer Services, listening to the feedback about your products and services.

7. Your people, your most important asset

The most important element – take time and recruit the best people and build a team.

Train and develop.

Share data on performance, on customer views, new product priorities with them – and be prepared to act on their feedback.

If you’re not talking regularly to customers – you should listen to those in your team who are.

By the way – talk to customers!  Regularly talk to a few customers about their views to sense check what people around you are telling you!

Conclusion

I hope you find the above advice helpful, it’s based on over twenty years of online sportsbook experience but also with plenty of trials and errors along the way

At Digitain we have the technology, the people and the experience to help potential new operators make the leap to online sports betting, with our flexible, scalable and affordable sportsbook solutions.  Please email me at [email protected] for more information, or simply to chat sportsbook.

“There is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, nor more doubtful in its success, than to be a leader in the introduction of changes. For he who innovates will have for enemies all those who are well off under the old order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.”

Niccolo Machiavelli “The Prince”, circa 1513.

So, what relevance can the thoughts of a 16th-century diplomat and political philosopher have on the product development strategies of betting and gaming businesses in 2020?

In truth, probably not a lot – his was a rather negative perspective – but he does raise a good point though. Innovation is hard and there are many reasons – including cultural, financial, utilitarian and internal conflict – why it remains an apparent problem in our industry.

I often read that there’s a severe lack of innovation in the sports betting industry – there’s certainly a lot of Me-Too development, where companies are quick to copy apparent successful innovations – often not realising the full picture why a particular new feature has been successful.

However, to say there is no innovation is wrong I believe. I think one problem is that there is often confusion in iGaming between the terms invention and innovation.

For me invention describes a significant step change in a product or a process, something that has the potential to change how we conduct our business. The microprocessor was an invention – the iPhone was an innovation, taking existing technology and completely changing how the simple mobile phone was used.

An innovation is not a step change, but making an improvement in how product, processes or service are delivered. Innovation does not need to be radical to be successful – but it does need to have utility and should deliver added value.

I would argue, therefore, that innovation is happening across the sports betting and gaming industry – although it could be “under the bonnet” and invisible to outsiders.

Covid-19 and its challenges to delivers to the world economy, it’s reasonable to expect that innovation in iGaming development will shift somewhat from a focus on customer requirements (effectiveness) to a focus on cost optimisation (efficiency).

Another complication when discussion innovation is that often it’s also often confused with continual improvement activities.

It could be argued that a continual, never-ending, process of delivering small improvements delivers more value to a business than focusing on break-through innovations, or even the more difficult to attain, inventions. Continual improvements and innovations should belong to everyone in the business to identify and act on, although there needs to be supporting culture, systems and processes in place to recognise and reward the effort. A business needs to avoid the trap pointed out by old Niccolo above; fear of change and allowing inertia to rule.

Continual improvement and innovation are two sides of the same coin, their meanings overlapping and probably only different in terms of the scale of the change.

A good example of a continual improvement strategy was the British Cycling Team from the mid 2000s.  Before the appointment of a new performance coach, Dave Brailsford, the British Cycling team had endured 100 years of mediocrity.

From 2007 to 2017, British cyclists won 178 world championships, 66 Olympics and Paralympics gold medals and 5 Tour de France victories.

How was this most successful run in cycling history achieved?

Through the aggregation of “marginal gains” – in other words, continual improvement.  This meant searching out a tiny margin of improvement in everything they did – from the alignment of bike seats, rubbing alcohol on tyres to testing different fabrics for aerodynamics and beyond.

Brailsford and his team were relentless in searching for “1% improvements” – even though the impact may not be noticed – the aggregation of these improvements made the difference – as well as having an improvement on the psychology of the team.

Perhaps more businesses in iGaming would be better served to look internally for marginal gains instead of “Going for the W” with an industry-leading (soon to be copied) innovation?

Both are probably true actually – but, as stated above it can be hard to deliver change to the status quo. There can be a lot of internal barriers to overcome. One possible approach to delivering iGaming innovation is to understand that not all the brains are in the business. More and more companies in iGaming (such as Microgaming and Yggdrasil) have reached out with and set up relationships to other smaller businesses or start-ups (with less barriers / more appetite for risk) to deliver innovative products or ideas.

At Digitain we see this to be a valid strategy and via our Digitown initiative we will invest in the youth of Armenia in order to support innovation. Digitown is a technology campus being developed in Yerevan and will be the new home for the Digitain teams as well as offering a degree of free accommodation and mentoring support to new technology start-ups.

We believe this initiative will benefit Digitain in terms of potential innovations generated by the relationship – as well as developing the identity of Yerevan as a technology centre of excellence.

As Machiavelli pointed out 500 odd years ago – change can be difficult and not always welcomed – and can need determination and drive to deliver.

A number of years ago there was a study carried out by management scientists who wanted to look at how the make-up of working groups could impact productivity / performance.

They put together a large group of experienced managers and split them into 10 teams of five people.

They then gave each group a series of identical tasks – which could have measurable but variable results. What the managers in the groups didn’t know that in half the groups one of the participants was a plant.  Their job was to challenge every decision – in a polite way – but to be relentless throughout the process.

When the tasks had been completed and scored the results were interesting. In every example the teams with the plant outperformed the other teams by a significant distance.

The creative tension caused by the actions of the plant questioning every decision had resulted in a better overall performance for the team.

The other teams had formed, stormed, normed and performed – but to a lesser extent than the other groups – who had formed and stormed (didn’t norm) and out-performed.

However – when the groups were later asked anonymously if they wanted to change the make-up of their groups – guess what happened?

In the groups who had under-performed – in each one they wanted to keep the same individuals together – as they were comfortable together.

In the better performing groups, the decision was unanimous – despite their clear success they all wanted to get rid of the really annoying member who kept questioning everything they did!

So, the lesson for us all…

Drive innovation and change by,

Avoid groupthink, don’t get blinkered by the status quo and don’t be too in love with your own products.

Make data led decisions and listen to others, especially your customers.

And finally…

Remember that progress depends on the unreasonable person. Creative tension (not conflict) is a good thing – you’ll get better results. Also encourage ideas and innovation from across the business.

Let’s add “and other online casino games providers” keyword

Doesn’t make sense – saying such as – is quite specific

Argentina is one of those countries where athletes are worshipped as gods. This is especially true for football, but we shouldn’t take Argentina’s success in other sports lightly either. The country has been one of the superpowers in basketball as well, and they also have a couple of great tennis players.

Needless to say, the citizens of Argentina are equally passionate about sports betting, making their country very lucrative for various betting operators.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Argentina?

Ever since the 90s, the gambling industry has been thriving in the country, bringing more than $4 billion annually to its budget from taxes. Online casinos and sportsbooks have also been available for a long time, but their legality depends on the province.

Given the size of this Latin American country and the population living there, it comes as no surprise that Argentinian iGaming jurisdictions haven’t still managed to regulate this form of gambling on a state level. Therefore, you can bet legally in Argentina if you happen to be in the part of the country where this type of activity is legalized.

What Does the Licensing Process Look Like?

Argentina has an official gambling commission called The Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (The Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos Sociedad del Estado) (State Managed) and offers four legal licenses.

Therefore, if you want to apply for a sports betting license, you need to keep in touch with individual provinces which all have separate bodies that regulate the market in their jurisdictions. The problem is that the licensing process can get somewhat difficult, as Argentina still has to fix numerous issues in order to improve regulations.

For example, many of these provincial regulators don’t offer any kind of player protection, meaning that many punters from Argentina feel that it’s safer to place bets on offshore sportsbooks rather than the local ones.

Things Are Looking Good

Regulators in Argentina are well aware that they are losing the battle against offshore casinos and sportsbooks, and that’s why they are pushing forward the idea of regulating online gambling on the federal level. That way, the main gaming commission will have more power and more control over the market. The only way to stay relevant on the market in Argentina is for all provinces to join forces into one regulatory body.

Their efforts have proved futile so far, but that’s another good reason why many officials are insisting on speeding things up. It’s only a matter of time before Argentina regulates the online gambling market on the federal level and improves the gambling industry.

What Drives the Argentinian Sports Betting Market?

Despite the inability to regulate the market, Argentina still generates millions of dollars through taxes imposed on gambling. Argentinians have always shared an amazing passion for all sports, so it’s hardly a surprise that betting is one of their favorite pastimes.

Just like in Brazil (and pretty much all the South American countries), people in Argentina are completely mad about football (or soccer). In fact, one of the best players ever in this sport is Argentinian — Diego Armando Maradona. Moreover, the current Argentinian national team features several football superstars, including Lionel Messi who is the biggest pretender to the throne of the Greatest of All Time.

Moreover, the residents of Argentina love watching club football, including their own Superliga Argentina where legendary clubs such as River Plate and Boca Juniors are often the main reason why people place bets.

Conclusion: Argentina Has Huge Potential

As you can see, punters in Argentina love betting, and football is definitely one of the sports that generate the greatest revenue from bets. However, the country faces a struggle when it comes to regulating online casinos and sportsbooks, as it currently lacks strong federal legislation that could improve the state of affairs.

Despite all the entangled uncertainty, Argentina is still a huge country with millions of people who make up the sports betting market. With such power in their hands, it is only a matter of time before the officials are going to sort things out and allow the Argentinian landscape to flourish further, paving the way for more opportunities.

If you are into the online gambling industry, you probably have already noticed one interesting fact — many casinos and sportsbooks are licensed in Malta. Why’s that?

Malta has been offering offshore licenses for gambling platforms for some time now. The Malta Gaming Authority is one of the most popular governing bodies that regulate online gambling sites, as it is a trustworthy and independent body that makes sure you’re not playing games or betting on a scam platform.

However, what many don’t know is that Malta is also home to several beautiful casinos and sports betting venues that attract thousands of tourists.

So, what’s the current state of affairs with sports betting, and how does it affect the country of Malta, its economy, its citizens, and more?

Is Sports Betting Legal in Malta?

Here’s the shortest possible answer for you — yes. Malta was a pioneer country to recognize online gambling as a legit form of gambling, and one of the first jurisdictions of the iGaming framework. This also included sportsbooks.

Needless to say, the citizens of Malta were immediately able to enjoy a great offer of both sports betting services and online casinos. However, making everything legal on the web paved the way for the regulators in Malta to come up with their “offshore” regulator concept that was one of the first of its kind. In other words, no other country in Europe was able to sort out the whole “online gambling thing” approximately two decades ago, but Malta wasn’t waiting around and offered a great solution.

The licensing procedure began with a piece of legislation called Public Lotto Ordinance. However, not long after that, the Lotteries and Other Games Act prevailed and made all possible types of gambling legal. Mind you, this was the year of 2001, so Malta was very quick to act.

A couple of years after that, in 2004, the country updated the regulations with a legislative piece simply called Remote Gaming Regulations. It recognizes four types of licenses that operators can apply, and what we are most interested in is the Class 2 license which is connected to sports betting.

From Malta with Love

The Republic of Malta is an island country located in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a rather small country, so it alone cannot really make a market big enough to support the gambling industry.

However, Malta is now a part of the European Union, meaning its market is substantially larger. In other words, Malta positioned itself as the gambling capital of the EU, not only because it is a sort of tax haven and offers offshore licenses, but also because it has managed to build a rich tradition in gambling.

Would it be an overstatement to say that Malta can be considered Las Vegas of Europe? Probably yes, as the number of entertainment options is far more extensive in Sin City. The common denominator between these two gambling centers is that they are both exceptional at what they do — provide a safe and legitimate place for people to have fun and gamble.

Make no mistake — the country’s rich history and unique culture have been one of the main reasons why people love visiting it. However, its officials decided that they can raise tax revenue by even more if they offer visitors various types of entertainment, including land-based casinos and sportsbooks.

What Does the Future Look Like for Sports Betting in Malta?

Sports betting, just like casino gaming, has become an integral part of Malta’s identity, and its popularity will rise exponentially in the following years. The residents and visitors of Malta can enjoy betting on various sports (and non-sports) activities around the globe in online or land-based sportsbooks. The industry has been thriving, thanks to those officials who were quick to regulate the online market and position country as a pivotal player in the online gambling industry.

Therefore, Malta is a great place for both operators seeking to regulate their sportsbooks and punters who are looking for sports betting options. It’s one of those places that is open to gambling of all kinds. Perhaps that’s why it is doing so well.

Sportsbooks are definitely more popular than ever, especially ever since online variants of their services successfully transitioned to the web. Why’s that?

Sports betting has always been there side by side with sports. Ancient Romans allowed betting on gladiator fights, and even civilizations before Rome left some traces of their knowledge and luck by placing bets on various activities.

However, it’s online sportsbooks that revolutionised this activity, and Digitain’s sportsbook software is at the forefront of this revolution.

The Online Revolution

Nowadays, the sports betting industry is thriving worldwide, and people are more eager than ever to place bets on their favourite sports. There are two reasons for that.

First of all, there is a huge number of sports and an increase in the data available to sportsbooks. Take basketball, for example — you can make over/under bets on individual players, make handicap bets (spread bets), guess the final score, and much more. All of that is possible because of the data that can be “harvested.”

The other reason is simply that sportsbooks are one click away. Therefore, we only need to connect to the internet and we will be able to enter the exciting world of sports, games, odds, and much more.

But there’s one thing that you need to keep in mind — the internet is vast and full of platforms that are not worth your time or money. If a sportsbook is not properly catering to users’ needs, you need to avoid it.

One of the reasons why Digitain is so popular is that its major product is flawless sportsbook software.

Digitain Sportsbook Software Is the Answer

As you may know, in order to run properly, every online sportsbook or platform that offers sports betting services needs proper underlying software that will make betting possible.

However, simply making sports betting available is not enough. The underlying code is a complex product that needs to make every visitor happy by feeding them with proper information regarding sports, odds, and more.

At the moment, Digitain offers one such product that uses API technology and offers cutting-edge performances. It’s perfect for the people who want a full sports betting experience, providing various sports data, stats, odds, live betting, and more.

The Digitain Software Does All the Math

Sportsbook software nowadays is expected to be the force that drives the entire betting service on various platforms, and that’s exactly what Digitain’s product does.

First of all, by using this product, operators who want to incorporate a sportsbook will gain instant access to more than 35,000 real-life monthly events, as well as more than 40,000 pre-match monthly events.

There are dozens of different sports out there, and Digitain is committed to covering them all, offering more than 65 sports already, as well as 3,000+ betting markets.

Apart from the standard offer of sports betting options, Digitain’s product is available in several languages and supports several currencies as well. On top of that, it offers great risk-management tools and native mobile apps.

How to Connect to Digitain Sportsbook Software?

Digitain’s sportsbook software is based on two APIs — iFrame API and Bespoke API. The former allows you to quickly create a navigation interface and rebrand it to suit your platform, without actually including additional front-end developers. In other words, this API saves you both time and money if you are a business looking to incorporate sportsbook software into your offer.

On the other hand, the latter API, called Bespoke, is crucial for sportsbook integration to your system. However, what makes it special is that it is built in such a way to leave room for additional modules to be attached.

This means that if your platform needs to increase product revenue, you can attach modules for online casinos, live dealer casinos, and virtual sports.

Simply put, sportsbook software made by Digitain offers one comprehensive and high-quality product that is highly customizable, yet user and beginner-friendly. By connecting it to your business, you will be able to enter this multi-billion dollar industry and offer state-of-the-art betting services to online users.

Sitting atop Africa’s North Western tip is the continent’s largest country – Algeria. All forms of gambling, including online, are illegal in the world’s tenth-largest nation. Over 98 percent of Algerians are Muslim, and the country’s legal system is based on Sharia law. Indeed, gambling is strictly forbidden by the Quran, and therefore by Algerian law.

Online Gambling in Algeria

However, state-sanctioned lotteries and sports betting are used for funding social welfare and public projects. In fact, there’s a 40% tax on all winning and even the occasional instances where betting is permitted are closer to charity than gambling. The country has no licenced gambling sites of its own, nor are there any foreign web-based gaming services hosted within its borders.

Not satisfied with simply restricting gambling services, in the last decade government officials have also tried to censor any website at all that encourages ‘moral degeneracy’.

The best option for Algerian gamblers is therefore to use international operators who accept players from all corners of the globe. Although such providers are offshore for Algerian residents, they are regulated by local authorities to ensure a fair gaming experience. Given that the country’s restrictive betting laws focus on providers, rather than players, Algerians can enjoy playing without fear of legal reprisal.

As ever, though, caution is advisable. While Algerian gambling regulations don’t specify punishments for individual punters, the authorities can simply use other laws to press charges against them. Thus far, however, they have shown no intent to do so.

Online Poker and Online Sports Betting

Although poker is forbidden by Islamic law, there are some foreign sites accessible to Algerian players. Among these exist a variety of international operators, many of them French. France’s gambling laws prohibit citizens from using international poker sites, but players residing in other countries can play on French websites.

Surprisingly, Algerian regulations around sports betting are less stringent. Moreover, the country has hippodromes where horse racing is organized. Betting on them is illegal, of course, but sports gambling often happens regardless.

Both online casino and sports betting are prohibited by law, and websites are typically blocked, but individuals are very rarely prosecuted. 

Potential Regulatory Changes

Clearly, Algerian gambling enthusiasts already play in a highly restrictive regulatory environment. They have little reason to be more optimistic about the future. Lawmakers are considering closing some of the loopholes enjoyed by gamblers. If they do, using a VPN gateway to access foreign sites will be the least of any player’s worries. Indeed, the state is considering criminalizing the evasion of government filters.

However, iGaming is very popular in Algeria, and there is hope that the positive industry landscape in many South African states will inspire their fellow Africans on the other side of the continent to follow suit. If they do, Algerian gamblers may finally have something to cheer about.