Multi-channel a "battleground" for 2015, says OpenBet chief
Jeremy Thompson-Hill says converting retail players to online will be a key focus for OpenBet next year
OpenBet chief executive Jeremy Thompson-Hill (pictured) says his firm plans to ramp-up investment in multi-channel solutions next year, describing retail as “a new battleground” for 2015.
Speaking during OpenBet’s one-hour takeover of eGaming Review‘s Twitter account yesterday, Thompson-Hill said converting retail customers into online punters was a high priority for the firm next year as it looks to follow-up on the success of the OpenBet-developed Coral Connect card.
Thompson Hill, who succeeded Dave Loveday as CEO in March 2013, faced a series of questions during the industry’s first Twitter takeover, including whether he thought high-street shops had any future in a digital world.
“Retail is vital,” Hill-Thompson said in response. “It is a new battleground. It is all about the omni-channel experience for players and punters. Retail and a multi-channel offering is our key focus initiative for 2015 with increased investment and focus,” he added.
When asked for his thoughts on the recent spike in M&A activity in gaming, Thompson-Hill said he expected the trend would continue into next year as the industry matured further.
And while he insisted OpenBet had the means to raise funds to make acquisitions, he added the firm had no current plans to play an active role in market consolidation.
“We are growing strongly and don’t have any plans for M&A at the moment,” Thompson-Hill said.
“As a healthy UK business we can raise capital like any other for the right strategic acquisitions – being backed by Vitruvian supports and strengthens our on-boarding capability,” he later added.
Thompson-Hill also refuted any suggestion that its relationship with Ladbrokes had been weakened, insisting relations between the pair were “stronger than ever” and that Ladbrokes remained a “lead customer” for the supplier.
“Last year we had our best year with Ladbrokes and the partnership continues to grow with a leading roadmap of functionality,” he said.
Thompson-Hill also downplayed any rivalry with Playtech, describing the two B2B giants as “different beasts”, while revealing his frustration at the slow progress of regulation in international markets.
“The pace of changing regulation [and] new entrants in the regulated markets means we can’t move as fast as we would like but regulation is critical to the success of our industry,” Thompson-Hill said.
You can read all of Thompson-Hill’s responses via the eGR Twitter page here.