SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
With the ink barely dry on its latest deal with RacebookHQ, Metric Gaming is already looking forward to a fruitful collaboration that will deliver a higher yield for operators, enhance retention and revolutionise the way stakeholders can perform. Marc Thomas, CCO of Metric, explains all in this SBC exclusive.
You recently announced a strategic partnership between Metric and RacebookHQ (RBHQ); what are the expected benefits of this deal?
Our partnership with RBHQ will allow us to deliver a fully automated managed trading service (MTS) for racing, which will combine Metric’s technology and sportsbook platform with RBHQ’s market-leading pricing, risk management and player profiling. This partnership will enable Metric to deliver an unmatched racing product providing 24/7 coverage of horse, harness and greyhound events across the globe.
The proven pedigree of RBHQ will allow our operator partners to trade with greater confidence while offering their customers bold and sharp pricing. This will result in a higher yield for operators, boost retention and ultimately provide a more satisfying experience for the end user.
What makes the RBHQ product for fixed-price racing different, and why should this matter to sportsbook operators?
The underlying RBHQ model is the brainchild of legendary gambler Zeljko Ranogajec, and has been utilised with remarkable success in the racing markets for the past 20 years. The model now serves as the basis of RBHQ’s price offering, and is an integral component of the partnership with Metric. With sharper pricing from RBHQ, operators will be able to trade markets more efficiently, as well as vastly increase the product range and depth for global racing.
Additionally, RBHQ’s revolutionary customer analytics and risk management system will be available through this unique partnership. This will further enable the operator to accurately profile customers and predict lifetime value – this could be the most important aspect for most operators, with many offering racing into highly competitive markets.
How is the Metric/RBHQ managed trading service (MTS) different from a typical pricing service?
The combined MTS is not only a source of accurate pricing and tighter markets, but more importantly a complete risk management package. By leveraging RBHQ’s proven player profiling analytics, operators can maximise revenue within customised risk parameters, and at the same time learn from the characteristics of player behaviour. With customer acquisition costs at historically high levels, retention achieved through a greater understanding of the player, and a more efficient responsiveness to their needs, is essential, and ultimately can have a material impact on the bottom-line profitability of operators’ racing services.
Why has Metric chosen to challenge the industry with this horse racing driven venture?
The horse racing market continues to be highly complex, and operators often respond to the volatility and risk by resigning themselves to suboptimal margins as a result of low limits and a strategy that often restricts customer staking and behaviours. The sophisticated pricing and risk management of RBHQ will mark a revolutionary change in the way operators can perform.
The announcement of the RBHQ deal quickly follows on from the exclusive Lacerta Sports partnership. What benefits do these associations bring to Metric Gaming?
The combination of Lacerta’s expertise in global soccer markets as well as all major US sports, along with RBHQ’s sophisticated coverage of fixed-price racing, positions Metric as the market leader in Managed Trading Services. With this unprecedented depth of sports products and player-management capabilities, Metric’s multi-tenant platform can now be configured to meet any customer’s unique requirements.
What are the plans for Metric in 2023 and beyond?
Metric is expecting an exciting year in 2023 with new products and services, as well as new customers, broadening our reach and footprint. The RBHQ deal, alongside our exclusive partnership with Lacerta Sports, is already generating extraordinary interest within the industry and this gives us huge confidence that we will convert many existing prospects into live customers in 2023 and beyond.
