SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
One year on from Kambi’s acquisition of Shape Games, the collaboration is taking on a range of markets head on, with the betting landscape in some nations significantly different than 12 months prior.
Kambi SVP Sales, Sarah Robertson, and Shape Games CCO, Morten Tonnesen, emphasised how a competitive and differentiated product is key to success in the markets many betting suppliers now find themselves operating in.
For Kambi, the focus on newly regulated markets and those currently in the process of regulation. Unsurprisingly the opportunities of Latin America, and in particular Brazil, has caught the Stockholm-based supplier’s attention.
Roberstson said: “We have a big focus on LatAm, specifically Brazil. We recently signed two partnerships there with the intention not to expand further in that space.
“I think Brazil has the potential to become a really interesting market, it is obviously a huge market currently so we’re really looking forward to regulations coming there.”
The group has been ‘making inroads’ in Brazil of late, Kambi’s SVP elaborated, having signed deals in the country with a daily fantasy provider and Gauselmann Group’s Eyas Gaming, which has partnered with Lance!, a local media firm.
Both Kambi and Shape have made it an ambition to move quickly in newly regulating markets. To achieve this, the company has built up efficient launch strategies to work with customers quickly and bring a competitive product to the market in a timely fashion.
Robertson continued: “We also have seen a lot of consolidation in the existing regulated markets in which we work, particularly in the US end. This presents a very good business case for Kambi because you have to have a strong product to compete in these markets.
“All of these markets, especially in the US and Europe, are becoming more and more regulated. We have been seeing changes in the Netherlands, in Sweden, there are new regulations in the UK. Having a strong product that is engaging for customers but is also compliant is going to be paramount.
“I think the undertaking to get that done is huge, and both Kambi and Shape have done a lot of work over the last few years to make sure our technology can scale across many different regulations. I think that’s been core to our success and to our continued development.”
Outside of Brazil, 2023 has been a successful commercial year for Kambi and Shape, the respective executives outlined, having signed a deal with ‘leader in the casino space’ Bally’s – with which it plans to launch in seven US states – as well as prominent UK firm Rank Group.
Summarising how the first year of integration has gone, Tonnesen said: “We were already working strongly together before the acquisition and now we have an even better way of working together with the shared ownership, we’ve identified even more how to optimise technology and have even better access to Kambi’s vast amount of clients.
“We’ve seen the ability to go together deliver a better result overall, both for our customers and the two companies together.”
