Quick chat about business with John Pettit, Managing director for UK, Ireland, Asia and Australia at Playtech BGT Sports

Following the deal which has been reported in June, when Playtech BGT Sports has strengthened its partnership with Betfred with the addition of 250 widescreen terminals to its network of retail outlets.

Back then, John Pettit, Managing Director for UK, Ireland, Asia and Australia at Playtech BGT Sports said: “We have seen continued growth in turnover from SSBTs and expect this trend to continue throughout the summer and into the new football season when they go live.”

We got curious about how business is evolving for Playtech BGT Sports and we have managed to get in touch with the man to squeeze out some answers to our burning questions. Below is the short Q&A we had with John:

Q:What challenges have retail sportsbooks faced in recent times and how do SSBTs help?

John: The rise of online and mobile sports betting has reaped significant rewards for operators. But there is no denying this has sometimes been at the expense of the industry’s retail sector. This has many to the mistaken conclusion that one has a future and the other doesn’t. Yet that couldn’t be further from the truth. The evolution of retail sport betting through self-service betting terminals is playing a huge part in retaining existing customer bases and introducing a new generation of sports bettors to the high street betting experience. At Playtech BGT Sports we’ve been able to harness brand new technologies with an unrivalled range of products and markets that would once only have been able online. This not only includes a huge range of sports and leagues from around the world, but a comprehensive range of numbers betting services that are just a few taps of the screen away on an easy to navigate machine. As a result, I think retail sports betting with the right terminals has a very bright future.

Q: How important was it to add the Betfred terminals ahead of the new football season?

John: We are in the midst of a football frenzy, the World Cup has captivated the attentions of billions of people, including those who bet in retail establishments around Europe like Betfred. Acquisition numbers are likely to be high and we are making a determined effort to ensure terminals are equipped with even more markets and products for the new season. This will provide operators with every chance of retaining those customers going forward. Part of that strategy is to increase the number of terminals customers at operators like Betfred can use. But we can also offer more and products on these terminals than anyone else too, so it is a question of delivering quality as well as quantity.

Q: You launched your MatchAcca product to coincide with the World Cup. Tell us more about that.

John: MatchAcca gives customers the chance to combine several selections into a single bet, boosting excitement levels as well as their potential returns. For example, an England fan watching this summer’s World Cup could back Harry Kane to score at any time, over 10.5 corners and Belgium to miss a penalty all in one bet. Usually deemed conflicting markets, this product, the first of its kind in the retail sector, uses AlgoSport algorithms enabling these markets to be priced up. Not only does it enhance the user experience, the operator benefits from a high-margin product without the need to go over the counter. In short, it gives customers a more personalised betting experience should they want it, or greater control over the types of bet they can have.

Q: What can we expect from Playtech BGT Sports in the remainder of 2018?

John: We are always looking to push the boundaries of what can be achieved as we continue to grow the Playtech BGT Sports brand. The World Cup is obviously a huge talking point at the moment and that momentum is sure to continue all the way into the beginning of the new domestic season. As well as ensuring we continually improve current offerings and markets, we will also seek to add new products to ensure our operator partners have a comprehensive range of options for their customers. We will also be giving operators the chance to build their own bespoke coupons, adding a further layer of branding within a bespoke offering.

About Playtech

Playtech is a market leader in the gambling and financial trading industries. Founded in 1999 and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Playtech has more than 5,000 employees in 17 countries.

Playtech is the gambling industry’s leading software and services supplier with more than 140 licensees globally, including many of the world’s leading regulated online, retail and mobile operators, land-based casino groups, government sponsored entities such as lotteries, and new entrants opening operations in newly-regulated markets. Its business intelligence-driven gambling software offering includes casino, live casino, bingo, poker and sports betting.

It is the pioneer of omni-channel gambling which, through Playtech ONE, offers operators and their customers, a seamless, anytime, anywhere experience across any product, any channel (online, mobile, retail) and any device using a single account and single wallet. It provides marketing expertise, sophisticated CRM solutions and other services for operators seeking a full turnkey solution.

Playtech BGT Sports was created in 2016, following the acquisition of Best Gaming Technology and integration of other Playtech businesses into one sports division. Founded in 2005, BGT has been at the forefront of retail technology in the betting and gaming industry ever since. Its self-service betting terminals provide an automated wagering experience to customers in a variety of countries around the world. The terminals deliver a comprehensive variety of broadcast, data, and pricing models that are flexible enough to allow Playtech BGT Sports’ many operator partners to integrate their own pricing feeds and liability management practices into the system. Playtech BGT Sports offers products and services across both land-based and digital platforms and has a global footprint spanning four continents and multiple languages. For more information about Playtech BGT Sports please visit www.best-gaming.com

Playtech’s Financials division operates both on a B2C and B2B basis. Its B2C focused offering is an established and growing online CFDs broker, operating the brand markets.com. Its B2B offering includes the division’s proprietary trading platform, CRM and back-office systems, as well as its liquidity technology platform which provides retail brokers with multi-asset execution, prime brokerage services, liquidity and complementary risk management tools.