Egaming industry predictions for 2018 - including the World Cup and Bitcoin

Matt Howard, director, Sportsbook Solutions

1. Operators demanding more control – As operators grow and use the turnkey solutions available, they will demand ever more to be able to stand out. This could be in technology, trade and risk or marketing tools, but the suppliers best delivering this will push forwards most. Those that don’t move with these demands will lose existing and new business as those platforms better catering for this type of business will make more deals to do so. The one-size-fits-all model is no longer relevant to the majority of firms.

2. Yet more growth in LatAm and Africa – We’ve yet to see anything like the full potential of both of these huge continents yet. Both have huge untapped potential for both new and existing operators looking to expand across the world. Again, differentiation and attention to local market desires will be the key here for those operators and suppliers who do best. There will be other regions, and the US seemingly progresses each day towards some form of legalisation, but these 2 regions are right there to be operated in now.

3. The 2018 World Cup – The event which will launch, make, break and more for every sports betting operator. The World Cup touches every region on earth and companies should be planning for this already and how they will utilise the huge opportunities to acquire and retain players during the period it is on this summer. Those that don’t give it the attention it deserves run the risk of missing out completely or losing money through their plans not being good enough. Why would a customer choose to bet with your operation on WC 2018 in Russia?

Tim Heath, CEO of the Coingaming Group, operator of Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io

Bitcoin enters the mainstream – Bitcoin has enjoyed a transformative year in 2017. The price has risen roughly 20-fold, but more importantly it has entered the mainstream consciousness for the first time. Ordinary people are learning about cryptocurrencies, buying bitcoin, and increasingly using it for a growing range of transactions. This is going to have a significant impact on gaming in 2018, and I expect to see bitcoin operators grab an even greater market share from traditional, fiat operators, as they continue to innovate and offer a stronger product. We will also see the continued growth of other altcoins. We’ll be adding deposits in a wide range of currencies, including Ethereum, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash in 2018, and I’d expect several of these altcoins to emerge as serious gaming currencies.

Emerging markets begin to mature – Much of the regulatory focus in recent months has been on Europe, but grey markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America are increasingly becoming more competitive as many edge towards formal regulation. It has previously been enough to offer basic products in these markets, but we are seeing customers becoming more demanding and discerning. In 2018, only those who can offer tailored, locally relevant offerings in these emerging markets will succeed.

Esports betting receives its long-awaited kickstart – Our industry has talked about the huge potential of esports as a betting vertical for a couple of years now, but there hasn’t been a serious offering on the table to drive growth. There are many false assumptions doing the rounds in the gaming industry, as well as the belief that simply adding an eSports tab to a traditional sportsbook will be enough to grow the vertical. In reality, the customers who want to bet on esports don’t have a great deal in common with those who bet on traditional sportsbooks. 2018 will see the launch of several new, eSports-focused brands, including our own Bets.io, that better connect with this demographic and help the vertical reach its clear potential.