SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Tim Kennedy, SUZOHAPP’s VP of Sales Europe, reflects on the company’s 2023 performance and the gaming sector as a whole, whilst shedding some light on its ambitions for the coming months.
Last year saw more roll-outs in the US and Canadian betting markets, with notable industry names such as Fanatics. Meanwhile, SUZOHAPP also entered the lottery markets – introducing a scratch ticket vending machine, and kick starting a number of projects with several lotteries.
Kennedy emphasised how these launches are indicative of the work the company has been doing over the past few years.
Speaking of the US, Kennedy stated: “Whilst there has been some highs, there has been a bit of disappointment as well. Legislation certainly got held up a bit and I think that’s kind of a recurring theme.”
Back in Europe, SUZOHAPP got closer to some leading sports betting operators. Kennedy explained that he would like to see the company continue building on these strong relationships in 2024.
Furthermore, the move away from cash is certainly having an impact on retail sports betting. In terms of technology, the VP expects that cash redemption terminals – having these fully integrated with an online platform, as well as a retail platform – is going to be of high importance.
He continued: “Many more jurisdictions are starting to look at player protection mechanisms. Facial recognition and ID checking is certainly going to be very critical for many operators this year.”
In an industry marked by ever-changing trends, SUZOHAPP will ensure it is at the forefront of innovation by continuing to invest directly, as well as working with a number of partners on several solutions.
“I also think it’s important we attend all the trade shows, whether we’re showing new products or just talking to people. We have many round tables and we talk to customers a lot.”
At ICE London, from 6-8 February, SUZOHAPP will be showcasing a number of new projects across the full range of industry sectors, such as its new sports betting virtual product, and, as previously mentioned, facial recognition products.
“We’ve also got something for supply chains as well, which will help both operators and vendors in sports betting and gaming to really smooth these out,” Kennedy continued.
“If we’d have had these a couple of years ago during COVID, these would have been really useful, but we still believe there is a large opportunity.”
Finally, Kennedy asserted that 2024 will see SUZOHAPP attend several industry trade shows; exhibiting, speaking and listening to customers.
“We want to make sure we get the temperature check of the marketplace,” he concluded.
