Any potential progression of online casino legislation will capture the attention of a swathe of US gambling incumbents through 2025, predicts Head of Business Development at Amelco Brandon Walker.
However, due to the unpredictable nature of regulatory discussions, he stresses the ever-growing role of tribal operators in non-iGaming states as evidence of the increasing presence that the group could realise across North America.
In conversation with SBC Americas, Walker develops on the above by touching on the increasingly critical role of tech in shaping user experiences, how operators can continue to witness an update in handle and GGR and the techniques needed to battle with the titans of the U.S. gambling landscape.
SBC Americas: Looking back on 2024, what have been the biggest milestones for Amelco in the U.S.? Anything that you’re particularly proud of?
Brandon Walker: Each year, I’m always incredibly impressed by how much work our team puts in to make sure we go above and beyond. Without a doubt, 2024 certainly wasn’t an exception!
Last year, our U.S. operator partners continued to go from strength to strength – both Fanatics and Hard Rock Bet were named in Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s latest U.S. Sports Betting and iGaming App rankings, receiving second and third place across multiple categories. To be named among the big brands such as FanDuel, DraftKings and bet365 is a huge honor, and its testament to the quality of their teams as well as ours.
The second highlight would be the fantastic work we have done with Bet Saracen, based in Arkansas. Owned by the Quapaw Nation, BetSaracen is doing great things in Arkansas; they have been a true shining light in the Natural State, having retained 50%+ of the market share since regulation passed over three years ago. Their hard work and dedication towards being the best in the state has seen them consistently smash records throughout the year, and I’m confident that this growth will continue throughout 2025.
It’s not just the U.S. that’s been a key growth area for us though, as we have continued to grow our footprint across Canada. We are now live with Fitzdares, as well as Bet99, offering them our full end-to-end solution – which encompasses everything from sportsbook to player account manager and iGaming, giving them an entire operation delivered under one roof.
We officially went live with our first esports product through our partnership with Pandascore, which includes Counter-Strike: GO, DOTA 2, League of Legends and a number of others, while also ensuring that they have some innovative functionalities within their front-end to help keep players engaged.
2024 has been a great year for us, and we can’t wait to see what comes in 2025 as one of the industry’s most popular brands.
SBCA: As the “big four” continue to amass larger market share, how can smaller operators continue to compete with the “big guns” in 2025?
BW: There are two areas which must be considered here. The first is marketing. Some of these big-name operators have exceptionally large marketing budgets, which have allowed them to secure high-value branding and marketing opportunities. This, as you can imagine, allows them to generate huge levels of brand exposure across the U.S.
For smaller brands, amassing such a large budget simply for marketing can be incredibly difficult, as it’s impossible for other players to run up a loss on their balance sheets for such an extended period of time.
The only way to compete is by offering an extremely strong product. Smaller operators need to be able to offer best-in-class sports betting and iGaming solutions if they want to be in the running to engage with players across the US.
This is where Amelco comes in. We’re here to give challenger brands the ability to punch above their weight and take on the titans. We’re live across 17 states now, with some of the biggest names in the market; alongside our product expertise, we know just how to help operators carve out their niche and deliver exceptional gaming experiences to players.
Looking at the Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s latest U.S. Sports Betting and iGaming App rankings, with Hard Rock Bet and Fanatics edging ever closer to FanDuel and DraftKings, we have a fantastic proof-point to show that this is truly possible.
SBCA: How is Amelco helping these “smaller” brands to drive further growth across the U.S.?
BW: We are continuing to push the boundaries of innovation across our entire product suite – whether it’s incorporating new functionalities, utilizing technologies such as AI and machine learning, or adapting our platform to create the most streamlined UX. All this combined can help create a stand-out experience for our partners and their players.
Modularity has also been incredibly important in helping them achieve this. This has allowed us to better tailor our products to suit the unique requirements of each of our partners – be it player trends, market regulations or meeting demand for certain products.
It’s also about bespoke delivery. While our end-to-end platform gives every challenger brand the tools they need to compete with the best, we’re also not ‘one size fits all’. We understand that every brand has their own set of priorities; by tailoring the platform, we can empower smaller operators to focus on driving player engagement and maximise operational efficiency.
SBCA: Betting handle was smashed in a number of states in October. How can operators maintain that momentum in 2025?
BW: That’s a great question – your job as an operator is to ensure that you maximize on the wave and make sure you attract as many new players as possible. Again, that all comes down to strength of product. Putting marketing budgets aside, it’s only by maximizing UX and UI that will enable you to engage and retain.
When it comes to maintaining momentum, as we prepare to take on 2025, our attention is already looking towards the major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness. They’re fast approaching, but we want to make sure that our partners are well and truly prepared.
In the lead up to these events, operators must ensure that they have the strongest possible product to not only cater to the increased demand in betting activity, but to also create an experience that sets them apart from the crowd. So how do you do that beyond UX and UI?
I recommend looking at the spread of markets – you want to offer everything under one roof, whether that’s micro-market and player props – all the way over to bonuses and promo schemes delivered with surgical precision to maximize revenue. Get all that right, and you’ll have a solid foundation for future growth.
SBCA: What role will new technologies such as AI, automation and in-depth analytics play in the development of gambling in the U.S.?
BW: In 2025, I think that we will see more gambling brands incorporating AI and in-depth data analytics to create a more personalized, elevated player experience. We’ve already seen this in the entertainment space – platforms such as Netflix or Spotify have led the way in using consumer behaviors to curate their user experience, offering films or music that aligns with the end user’s taste.
With a myriad of player data at their disposal, gambling operators should be able to use those insights to deliver personalized bet suggestions as well as promotional offers with players. We’re working on plenty of new features in this area – so watch this space.
SBCA: Last but not least, how do you foresee evolving U.S. regulations shaping the iGaming landscape in the next 12 months and beyond? Where do you see the biggest opportunities/hurdles emerging?
BW: With a new government administration entering the White House, it will be interesting to see how iGaming will progress in the U.S., if at all. We have seen a handful of states attempt to regulate iGaming over the last few years, with very few successes. But over the next 12 months, I’m optimistic that at least one state will legalize online casino. However, it all depends on the regulatory discussions taking place.
As we’ve seen in the past, legislation can change at the drop of a hat; the states which are on the cusp of regulation may experience a setback. In the meantime, I think tribal operators are going to have a big part to play in states where iGaming isn’t available. We’ve got plenty of plans in store, so again, watch this space!
