Bookmakers are currently facing a serious dilemma – are their platforms up to the rigors of the next 18 months of high profile sporting events, or will they give their competitors an unwanted edge?
The pandemic-enforced rescheduling of the international sporting calendar has created a program of major events that is likely to contribute to one of the busiest periods sportsbook operators have ever experienced.
Dave McDowell, CEO of platform supplier FSB, said: “Bookmakers can look forward to sustained high levels of player activity in the coming months thanks to an unprecedented succession of major events. They now need to assess whether they have the right platform in place to really benefit from that and avoid the kind of user experience issues that could result in customers switching to the competition.”
Sports fans are already anticipating a run of action that includes NFL and basketball schedules, the Euros, the Olympics and the World Cup, alongside club soccer and the return to a full set of golf Majors and Grand Slam tennis tournaments.
With both regular and occasional punters set to be presented with a wealth of big games to bet on, operators need to ensure they have a technical set-up capable of handling the expected volumes of traffic and delivering a great customer experience.
So when should an operator look at migrating a platform, what’s involved and how long will it take? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in a webinar today at 2 pm BST entitled: Is Your Platform Prepared for the Ultimate 18 Months of Sports Betting?
- Joe Saumarez Smith – Chairman, Eyas Gaming
- Marc Thomas – Partner, Propus Partners
- Dave McDowell – CEO, FSB
- Andrew McCarron – Managing Director, SBC (moderator)
The discussion will look at why it’s important for operators to consider migrating away from legacy platforms in order to truly reap the commercial benefits of this vital 18n month period, the risks of sticking with a legacy platform, the benefits and challenges of platform migration, and how the latest platforms can help operators to drive growth.