Martin Wachter, CEO of Golden Race, discusses the “enormous” growth prospects for virtual sports in the US, where it is targeting a first state license and launching games with “new and unique functions” to meet player tastes across the pond.
SBC: What are the plans for Golden Race in the US?
MW: We have been doing a great amount of work to communicate how profitable our virtual sports offer will be for the US market. We will be present in G2E Las Vegas and NASPL 2019 to reinforce this message, showing all the advantages of our products and solutions.
Currently, we are in the process of obtaining our first license in the US territory, and we are also cooperating with NASPL (where we are Associate Members) and other partners in the important phase of showing how beneficial sports betting can be for the economy in different states.
We are very optimistic about our near future in this new market. Golden Race has been growing at a spectacular rate over the years in different countries around the world because we always focus on developing the best solutions for diverse operators, addressing their specific needs. And we know that the US will not be an exception.
Our offer is unique in the industry. We create our products and solutions according to what we know is going to work for operators. We understand what is going to give them the best revenues, based on our own studies and our vast experience, without following what other providers do. Operators know it, and this is why they choose us.
SBC: How do you think virtual sports are going to work in the US?
MW: If done correctly, the prospects of growth are enormous. Our success prove this. In Italy already, where we are market leaders, virtual sports bets have achieved the same level of sales as real sports.
Virtual events are eye-catching, easy to follow and engaging. In a world where people require faster and immediate experiences, virtuals are the best option because the events are available all year, at any moment. They also open the door for players to understand better how sports betting work.
Once operators experience the benefits of virtuals, they’ll want to keep working with them and keep expanding the offer. In this sense, Golden Race is the perfect choice for them, because our solutions are complete and fully prepared to simplify the work operators have to do in order to generate profits.
SBC: You have recently launched a new solution for retail called VBOX. Do you think it will be a good fit for US operators?
MW: The advantages of VBOX are numerous. We are certain that this new solution will be a great fit for US operators. This software, build with HTML5 technology, is extremely easy and fast to setup and manage. The system is light, intuitive, and adaptative, and the new viewers and games are very modern and attractive.
We provide an exceptional support service and we keep launching new and upgraded games every few months. We have a complete set of popular virtual games and sports, such as our different formats of 3D Football, new 3D Horse Racing, virtual Keno and many others.
We have also launched HD 3×3 Basketball with new and unique functions that are unique to the market, and we are preparing other products based on the taste of US players like American football and other surprises.
SBC: How important is the level of realism in the virtual sports events?
MW: Virtual sports are more than just realistic graphics, they represent a complete gaming experience. That is why we have chosen the claim ‘Beyond Virtuals’. Players care greatly about the odds and the results of each event, sometimes more than they care about the realism of the game itself.
SBC: So you think that realistic odds and match outcomes will prove more important to player retention?
MW: Yes, because we have noticed that many players actually skip the events. Instead they pay attention to how realistic the odds are and how many different markets they can bet on. Our betting games stand out in this regard, and that is one of the reasons we have managed to be leaders in the industry.