Following the launch of the Ontario sports betting and igaming market, Max Meltzer, CEO of Strive Gaming, explains what makes a good player account management platform (PAM), the challenges his firm is expecting to face in the newly regulated Canadian province, and the company’s partnership with Golden Nugget Online Gaming.
SBC: What separates Strive Gaming from its competitors in the player account management platform (PAM) space?
Max Meltzer: Strive Gaming is the only player platform specifically designed, built, and focused on the post-PASPA US market and emerging regulated Canadian market.
Many competitors are white label providers and social casino/gaming providers at heart with a platform that is years old and was never designed for the fast-moving regulatory requirements of different states. As a result, most of these competitors struggle to launch quickly meaning they lack the ability to provide speed to market for their partners.
They also struggle to perform at scale, and we’ve seen many platforms go down during major sporting events and/or high levels of wagering activity. This is simply because they weren’t designed for the US market, or their casino or social background doesn’t allow them to deal with the same peaks and troughs needed for sports wagering.
The technology debt that a lot of our competitors have means they struggle with integrating the new content and tools that operators need in order to succeed in the market.
Ultimately, Strive Gaming’s executives have actually been there with the leading operators in the US and understand their needs. We have been able to channel this into the product design of Strive which, alongside our native apps and managed services, and the ability to have a single app, single back office, traveling wallet, and performance at scale, makes us a complete standout to operators making a choice as to who to partner with.
I just say to people to look at our talent roster at Strive Gaming, we’ve all worked directly for or within the leading operators in the US and Canada. We know what is required from the product and service of a leading platform.
SBC: Ontario’s iGaming market recently launched in April. What challenges is Strive Gaming expecting to face in this market?
Meltzer: Ontario has clearly demonstrated itself to be a unique opportunity for multiple operators. The recent news of MGM and PointsBet getting a slap on the wrist for promotions also shows that the regulation is going to prove the market to be different from what these companies have so far experienced in the US. This is something our 24/7 Managed Services team based in Vancouver and Malta are studying very closely.
We know for sure in Ontario that it’s a market with experienced players that are now crossing over to licensed operators and brands. That is why it is so important for operators to attract these customers and new ones with responsible gaming measures instilled. Of course, if this is done correctly it can help them impose such measures naturally across their US operations also if they have them.
Strive recognizes deep integrations and superb content as being critically important for the Ontario market. Without this, no B2B platform should enter the province. Our Strive Infinity Rules engine is perfect for this because it allows operators to set clear parameters when interacting with the customer including with responsible gaming. In Ontario, operator efficiencies will be king in the battle for the retention of customers in what is already a heavily competitive field.
SBC: Strive Gaming has partnered with Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) in the Ontario market. Can you tell us more about this collaboration and what made GNOG such a compatible partner?
Meltzer: GNOG (now a DraftKings brand) possesses some of the very best online casino knowledge in North America and has a highly skilled and experienced team behind it. They have been very positive in the message to the market about us because they knew of our ability to deliver the highest quality casino experience to customers in Ontario. This is because we have already successfully launched GNOG in Arizona, integrated with the DraftKings sportsbook in the state.
GNOG analyzed the market and recognized Strive’s combability as a modern platform with the capabilities to thrive in highly competitive landscapes such as Ontario. We’re a scalable, multi-tenant platform with deep integrations and a truly infinite rules engine to engage with customers. We are very excited about our launch in Ontario.
