SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In the second instalment of SBC’s Better Collective Spotlight series, we cast an editorial eye over Sportwetten Test, a popular source of reviews for online sports bettors since 2010.
We caught up with Martin Huber, Lead Content Manager of Better Collective Vienna, to discuss Sportwetten Test’s status within the Better Collective family, the role it plays within the affiliate space in German speaking countries, and the implications of Joachim Löw’s World Cup nightmare.
SBC: For those who are uninitiated, can you begin by introducing Sportwetten Test as a company and describing its role within the affiliate sphere?
MH: Sportwetten Test was founded back in 2010 by Heinz Patzelt, former CEO of Interwetten and SportFreunde. His main aim was to deliver a highly objective and reliable stress test for sports betting operators, similar to what which.co.uk does for other industries and products.
Following this model, Heinz Patzelt, Better Collective, and a team of experts turned Sportwetten Test into the industry leading service provider for bookmaker analyses within the German-speaking market. On top of that, Sportwetten Test has become an encyclopaedia for all sports bettors who can find helpful answers on all conceivable questions occurring in and around the cosmos of sports betting.
SBC: Are there plans for Sportwetten Test to expand beyond just the German-speaking market?
MH: The concept of making in-depth analyses of bookmakers, where market experts review and validate the services that bookmakers offer, is something that Better Collective already does on other websites from our extensive portfolio.
But we are planning on expanding this service to even more languages and with more detailed tests, based on the successful model on Sportwetten Test. We view the site as a good template on how these analyses and reviews should be conducted in a trustworthy and transparent manner.
SBC: What were the implications of Germany’s early World Cup exit on the country’s sports betting market?
MH: Luckily, there haven’t been too many. Though we expected significant drops in terms of traffic and interest, the knockout stage delivered pleasant results. The surprising exits of many other favourites like Brazil, Argentina, Spain or Portugal definitely boosted that delightful development, because millions of outrights bettors had to find new candidates for their personal bets on the next World Champion and staking on underdogs became more and more in vogue.
In addition to that, and regarding just the German-speaking market, Croatia’s great World Cup Performance was a blessing – because there is a significant Balkan population living in the DACH-countries. Unsurprisingly, Croatia’s journey to the final in Moscow was followed by an increased interest for betting, odds and match previews within the Ex-Yu community.
SBC: Looking to the future, what role do you believe Sportwetten Test will play within the Better Collective portfolio?
MH: Due to its objective review structure and its successful approach to solve the problems of bettors in satisfying ways, Sportwetten Test could become a role model for future Better Collective projects dealing with bookmaker experiences.
Moreover, the transparent, educational and also entertaining image that Sportwetten Test is creating of the whole industry, could act as a lighthouse for further efforts to empower iGamers.
