Abios and Bayes Esports: the spotlight in the esports data industry is on us

Martin Dachselt, CEO & MD Bayes Esports (pictured above, centre), and Oskar Fröberg (pictured, right), Founder & CEO Abios, discuss how the Bayes Esports Partnership Programme is adding visibility to esports data suppliers and their ongoing fight for a sustainable future for the vertical.

In a joint interview, they discuss the reasons why a collaborative approach to esports data and integrity can ultimately have a positive impact for sportsbooks.

SBC: Congratulations on the new Bayes Esports Partnership Program! Why has now been the right time to launch?

MD: All the right pieces are in place at the moment to start such a program. A new management team, the launch of our new platform BODEX, our expansion towards the US – we are moving in the right direction and so are our partners.

The spotlight in the esports data industry is on us and the partnership program will allow us to share it with those that help make our vision of a sustainable future for everyone involved in esports a reality. 

SBC: Why has it been so important to include both official data partners as well as official data providers within this network?

MD: At the end of the day, both sides are working together so it’s only logical to also include them in the same network. It’s about much more than simply being a place where data services can be offered and consumed. We want them to collaborate and work together to find and develop innovations that will shape the future of esports. 

We want our network to be about the creation of new use-cases rather than simply satisfying the needs of those that already exist. The more industry partners and providers we can include in the network for this cause the better.

SBC: What would you say are the main aims of the program?

MD: One of the key words of the partnership program is Visibility. We want our partners to be seen by others already within our network, but also by those on the outside looking in. We want to make it easier for players within the industry to identify high value partners and to establish a connection between them. The partnership program will essentially guide them through this process step by step. 

From a central platform that services can be offered on over set standards and conditions for said services that level the playing field to the integration and interpretation of data streams, our network and the partnership program will guide the way towards a sustainable future in esports.

SBC: Oskar, how important is it for Abios to be a part of the Bayes Esports Partnership Program? How will this program help bring extra visibility to Abios’ role in the esports industry?

OF: Our mission is to enable the growth of the esports industry by delivering esports data and technology to companies all over the globe. Being part of Bayes Esports Partnership Program allows us to further that mission by providing our customers with odds and visualisations powered by real-time server data.

We are also happy to be part of a collective effort to ensure the integrity of esports. For the esports industry to continue flourishing, we believe that the proper plumbing needs to be in place. This is needed to ensure the integrity of matches and the availability of products built on server data. 

When working with official data, we have the technical capability to monitor punter data both up and downstream to find integrity breaches in a match. We also look forward to greatly improving the offering on all of our partners’ sportsbooks, ultimately creating a better experience for the end users.

SBC: Tell us about some sophisticated data monitoring options and advanced integrity tools you plan to use to combat such integrity threats.

OF: In order to uphold a maximum level of integrity for matches, it is ideal to monitor the data coming in from both ends. Upstream, an example is to analyse the data from the server on which the matches are being played to detect potential irregularities or non-human behaviour from the professional players themselves.

The possibilities for doing this depend on the level of access granted to the server and after considering any additional regulations around data protection. Downstream, if one is able to track bets placed, it is possible to detect potential integrity breaches or match-fixing by tracking the behaviour of punters.

SBC: For those that don’t know, what risks can unofficial data pose to the integrity of esports? Is it possible to completely eradicate the threats posed by unofficial data?

OF: We are not convinced that unofficial data sources pose any threat or risk to the integrity of esports per se, depending on how you define integrity. It is our view that official server data is preferable due to the improved reliability and speed at which it can be delivered, albeit it often comes at a significantly higher cost. 

Slower unofficial data is not suitable for most detailed live products, especially not for leading live odds offerings. The end customer needs to decide if their use-case is dependent on the more expensive higher quality official server data or if cost is the most important factor if they are happy to integrate a cheaper unofficial feed.