Delivering a keynote address on day two of SBC Digital North America, Lycka began by giving a regulatory breakdown of the US and Canadian market, noting that several more states have already joined the “betting club” in 2021 alone.

However, his focus soon turned towards the importance of responsible gambling measures as he highlighted the overwhelming need to introduce “robust consumer protection measures with resolute focus on responsible gambling”.  

He said: “Low and behold, what a seismic shift this has been in just three years. At the same time, as an industry, we have been sketching out a sustainable way forward that will serve us well in the long run. 

“It is becoming ever more evident that the most efficient way of achieving long-term sustainability of the North American sports betting and igaming market is by introducing robust consumer protection measures with resolute focus on responsible gambling.”  

Explaining that there are lessons to be learned from the UK and the wider European market, the SVP warned that states simply cannot “sit on the fence and wait for any storms to blow over” when it comes to problem gambling. 

Instead, he implored the industry to now take the opportunity to “get on the front foot” and take action. He continued: “If there is anything to learn from the UK and the wider European experience, it is that sitting on the fence and waiting for any storms to blow over does not pay off. 

“I strongly believe that the North American industry is best advised to actively engage with responsible gambling matters and tackle them head-on with both enthusiasm and determination. 

“In other words, we might want to get on the front foot right here, right now, in order to prevent the simmering problem gambling concerns from boiling over. 

“Let’s not forget the old sports saying that defences win championships. Shoring up our consumer protection defences will give us an even stronger momentum for further economic development in the North American markets.”

Looking to the future, Lycka explained that the onus to provide help to at-risk customers clearly lies on the betting and gaming industry – highlighting that we must also steer bettors away from the black market.

He challenged the industry to focus on the ways in which the issue of problem gambling can be addressed, noting that we must continuously identify instances which could place gamblers at risk.

Lycka said: “What is the challenger that we’re all up against? It is estimated that overall, approximately five per cent of our customers are at risk of developing a gambling problem. This doesn’t mean that all of them will, especially if we can help it. 

“Clearly, the onus on the industry – being supported by regulators and third party suppliers – is to provide help to at-risk customers. At the same time, we need to cater to the demand of all customers that can, and do, play with us responsibly. We need to do that with the view of steering them away from the black market. 

“Here is our challenge: can we have an attractive product offering while protecting our customers from the scourge of gambling addiction? The answer, I believe, is a resounding yes. Yes we can, and yes we must.

“Exactly because the answer is a resounding yes, now is a high time that we focus not only on continuous identification of the problem that we’re facing, which itself is very important, but crucially and critically also on how it can be solved.”

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He explained: “What’s actually very exciting is many of the RFP’s that the tribes are putting out; they’re also having sections for igaming so there’s a lot of forward thinking that goes along with just sports betting and really looking at a broader picture of digital gaming in general. 

“Yes, igaming may not be legal any time soon but to have the proper plans and steps to get that solution going, it’s exciting to see these tribes really thinking about the future to build up a proper revenue stream.” 

Last month, the secretary of state’s office announced that an 18-tribe coalition had obtained enough signatures on initiative petitions to place their expansion measure on the November 2022 ballot.

The coalition launched its campaign after efforts to forge a compromise sports wager law – which would blunt efforts to legalise online sports betting – had failed. 

Speaking as part of an IGT-sponsored panel on day one of SBC Digital North America, Richard Schuetz, CEO of Schuetz, and panel moderator, pressed the panellists to give some advice on how individual tribes can approach its regulatory journey, and how they can define their operational strategies whilst also establishing a blueprint for the next stages of tribal sports betting in North America. 

James Manning, director of slot operations at Snoqualmie Casino, highlighted that the pool of resources and experts is ‘pretty minimal’’. 

Providing his own experience with the venue, it was explained: “For us, I felt it is very important to vet the sports betting partners such as IGT, GAN, Kambi very early on so you can find a solution that’s going to work. 

“You also want to get a partner onboard early so that when you’re going through that regulatory journey, you have an expert to bounce ideas off – you’re therefore not putting yourself in a restrictive pigeon hole that you’re going to regret later. You really need to reach out to some of those, especially the tribal entities that have bought sports gaming on.” 

Yet, citing advice for all tribes – and not just those based in California – Shrestha implored tribes them spend time on educating themselves on sports betting by attending seminars, and to understand who the players are in the market. 

He went on to pinpoint tribes must focus on how they are going to project their revenues. He continued: “If you have to focus more on EBITA rather than top line revenues and spending all your money on marketing like these B2C companies do, really understand the model you want to pursue.”   

Echoing Shrestha, Manning added: “You should assign someone to really own this, with maturity and experience of the actual operations within the casino, the philosophy and the approach of the tribal council and to take all of that into consideration. You can then move forward with doing the education and doing the analysis.

“Setting that expectation with tribal council is really going to be critical. Set it low and then you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” 

Voicing support for the other panellists, Sheila Morago, executive director at OIGA, highlighted that due to the size of California, tribal operators must always remember time frames when seeking NIGC approval.

“The longer you wait, the longer it’s going to take to approve things as you’ll be at the back of the queue,” concluded Morago. “Plan ahead and know where your lead times are because I can imagine everyone in California dumping and asking for declaration letters all at one time at the NIGC and they will be bound to whatever their timeline is.”

Within the session Schuetz asked panellists how they would vote on the November 2022 bill, with all giving an overwhelming response.

Morago noted that in-person and online sports betting across California is something that the tribes involved really want and, though it’s taken a lot of time to get done, it’s more ideal than the alternative of having no input.

She explained: “It is a big market and it’s something that all of the sports suppliers are going to want to get in on because it is the second largest market in the United States. It can be its own little world into itself.”

Relaying the thoughts of Morago, Marcus Yoder – senior vice president at GAN – emphasised that legal sports betting in California was the ‘logical step’ to continue expanding the opportunities available for the tribal gaming operators. 

“I’m ecstatic that it is going to take this long because it is the right way to go,” noted Yoder. “Additionally, this gives each of the tribal operators the time to hire, train and to become good at being sportsbook operators, just as good as they are at being casino operators.

“It also makes it so we’re all not running frantically at the same target, even though it is a huge target and hopefully everyone is going to get some slice of the pie. It’s going to allow all of us to execute on this in a thoughtful and less expensive manner where we don’t make stupid mistakes, we don’t throw money where we shouldn’t be and that’s across the board.”

The industry experts were speaking on the Regulatory Track, sponsored by IGT PlaySports, at SBC Digital North America, which runs from June 9-10, 2021. Get your free ticket by registering at https://sbcevents.com/sbc-digital-north-america/     

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The agenda for June 9, the opening day of the online event, features the Products & Innovation track, which will see renowned experts such as Seth Schorr (CEO, Fifth Street Gaming), Benjie Cherniak (principal, Avenue H Capital, LLC), and Jay Croucher (head of trading, PointsBet USA) detailing the latest developments in technology and games.  

In Europe, the success of powerhouse brands such as bet365 and Sky Betting & Gaming has been driven by an ongoing commitment to innovation, which manifests itself as both more user-friendly websites and apps, and the regular introduction of new, engaging content. 

As the markets in US states mature and move beyond the initial big budget race for player acquisition, forward-thinking operators will look to replicate that strategy by utilising the latest technology and content to create differentiated product offerings and improve retention levels. 

The Products & Innovation track will investigate what changes and additions players can expect at leading sportsbooks over the next 18 months and beyond, with input from operators and some of the suppliers developing the next generation of products tailored to the North American market.

The agenda for the track includes ‘Riding the Next Wave of Innovation – Exchange Wagering to eSports, Where to Place Your Bets?’ The session will see industry veterans Schorr and Cherniak join a panel moderated by Melissa Blau (CEO, iGaming Capital) to assess which of the many new product types are most likely to be successful in the long term. 

Another key session is ‘Attracting the Big Stakes – How In-Game Wagering Will Transform Your Business’, which will look at how to develop the type of dynamic experience that will engage players with in-game markets for the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. 

Croucher will be joined by Alex Kane (founder, Sporttrade), Scott Emeterio (CEO, Ball Street Trading), and Dan Zucker (president, Zucker Media Group) to analyase how North American operators can make in-game as central to the betting experience as it is in soccer-mad international markets. 

The Products & Innovation track will also feature sessions dedicated to the development of new U.S.-focused content, and to the latest ideas for integrating the loyalty programs of retail sportsbooks and brick-and-mortar casinos into mobile sports betting acquisition and retention schemes. 

Sue Schneider, VP growth and strategy for the Americas at SBC, said: “As states have legalized sports betting, operators have moved quickly to win market share by spending huge sums on player acquisition. They now need to ensure they secure a healthy return on that investment by converting new players into long-term customers.

“Having great content that stands out from the opposition and delivering an excellent user experience is a tried and tested way for international sportsbooks to do that. The Product & Innovation track at SBC Digital North America will outline how to make that strategy work here and reveal some details of the most exciting products currently in development.”

The SBC Digital North America conference agenda for day one also includes the Leaders in Sports Betting, Regulation, and Marketing & Affiliation tracks, before attention turns to Leaders in igaming, Responsible Gambling, Payments, and Standards on the second day.

Alongside the conference, delegates can look forward to viewing the latest sportsbook, igaming, and payments products in the interactive exhibition, and to taking part in a program of themed networking roundtables.

Register for your free pass for SBC Digital North America and find out more about the online conference and expo at the event’s official website: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-digital-north-america/. 

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The Leaders in Sports Betting conference track on June 9, the opening day of the online event, boasts a speaker line-up that features John Levy (CEO, theScore), Daniel Graetzer (CEO of SportsBetting.com owner Carousel Group), and Joe Asher (Former CEO, William Hill US). 

With legal sports betting now thriving in many states across the US, the industry’s leaders face the twin challenges of ensuring their companies are ready to expand into additional states as opportunities arise, and trying to build market share in the highly-competitive established markets. All this while trying to fulfil the rising expectations of shareholders.

The agenda for the track focuses on some of the developments that will shape how the industry matures, and dictate which businesses emerge as the long-term victors in the race for market domination.

Among the topics are an assessment of how product and content offerings can evolve to meet the changing tastes of US bettors, which innovations will drive growth for operators, and whether in-game can become as big for American sports as it is for soccer in global markets. Levy and Graetzer will join the high-level SBC Leaders panel examining those key issues.  

There is also a panel analysing the impact of the recent trend for mergers and acquisitions in the sector, whether the deals have the potential to reshape the sports betting industry landscape, and what investors are looking for in their next targets. 

Joining industry veteran Asher on the M&A panel will be investment experts Matt Davey (president & CEO, Tekkorp Capital), Wayne Kimmel (managing partner, SeventySix Capital), and Lloyd Danzig (founder & CEO, Sharp Alpha Advisors).

The ‘It’s A Team Game’ session will shine a light on the deals between betting operators and professional sports leagues, how partnerships can drive fan engagement, and how the leagues view their increasingly close relationships with the wagering industry. The panel will comprise senior executives from both operators and sports organisations, including NASCAR’s managing director of sports betting Joseph Solosky.

Sue Schneider, SBC’s VP growth and strategy of Americas, said: “The legal sports betting industry has enjoyed impressive growth over the last three years, managing to successfully launch in multiple markets, build its customer base, and become established as part of the sporting world’s ecosystem. As operators make plans for further expansion they now face a new set of challenges. Their responses will influence their long-term success. 

“The Leadership in Betting track at SBC Digital North America will provide valuable insights on many of those issues, with perspectives ranging from those of senior executives at global gambling powerhouses to the rising stars of challenger betting brands, along with input from the wider sports industry and investment experts.” 

The opening day of the event will also see conference tracks focused on Regulation, Marketing & Affiliation, and Products & Innovation, while day two’s content includes Leadership in igaming, Responsible Gambling, Payments, and Standards.

Alongside the conference, delegates can look forward to viewing the latest sportsbook, igaming, and payments products in the interactive exhibition, and to taking part in a program of themed networking roundtables that make it simpler to connect with people with shared business interests.

Register for your free pass for SBC Digital North America and find out more about the online conference and expo at the event’s official website: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-digital-north-america/. 

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The online event on June 9-10, 2021, will provide a much-needed opportunity for representatives of operators, suppliers, affiliates, sports teams and leagues, and regulators to share information and exchange ideas about the developments shaping the industry.

It will be the largest conference for the sector in North America since 3,500 people attended the SBC-organized Betting on Sports America Digital in December 2020, but the landscape has since changed markedly thanks to new market openings, regulatory changes, and significant M&A activity. 

SBC Digital North America’s eight-track conference agenda will shine a light on the issues arising from those changes, and also investigate what the next major market shifts are likely to be and how to prepare for them. 

Among the topics it will examine in detail are how US sports betting operators can build on their early successes, the challenges emerging as competition intensifies, the latest changes in state-by-state regulation, and how to benefit from the growth of igaming. 

Delegates can also look forward to insights into how the industry can develop a robust responsible gambling strategy, the next-generation of technology and content innovations set to reshape product offerings, and an assessment of the most successful customer acquisition techniques.  

The conference features a 120-strong speaker line-up that boasts some of the most influential and knowledgeable figures in the sports betting and igaming sectors, including Adam Greenblatt (CEO, BetMGM), John Levy (CEO, theScore), Daniel Graetzer (CEO, Carousel Group), Richard Schwartz (president, Rush Street Interactive), Richard Kalm (executive director, Michigan Gaming Control Board), Sarah Oliphant Crennan (VP & head of content, Yahoo Sports), Andrew Winchell (director of government affairs, FanDuel), and Jennifer Roberts (general counsel, WynnBet). 

Sue Schneider, SBC’s VP growth and strategy of Americas, said: “The pace of change in the betting and gaming industry in North America continues to be phenomenal, bringing with it the benefits of new markets and a growing player base, but also all the problems associated with rising levels of competition and shareholder expectation. 

“SBC Digital North America will be a great opportunity for the industry to get together to share their experiences of the last three years, learn about the latest opportunities opening up, and exchange ideas for how to overcome the new challenges that are emerging as the industry grows.” 

Away from the virtual conference rooms, delegates will be able to view the latest sports betting, igaming, payments and compliance products in the interactive exhibition, and make valuable new connections during a program of themed networking roundtables.

To find out more about SBC Digital North America and to book your free event pass, please visit the official website: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-digital-north-america/.

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