SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Claus Jansson, Head of Sales for Better Collective, takes SBC News readers on a tour of SmartBets’ European operations, as the Better Collective Spotlight falls on the firm’s Scandinavian expansion, a bonus-based challenge for Swedish operators, legal challenges to the advertising ban in Italy, and building on its growing media profile in Germany.
SBC: SmartBets expanded its Scandinavian horizons last year by launching in both Sweden and Denmark; does Sweden’s 18% GGR tax (compared to Denmark’s 20%) present an opportunity for odds comparison sites to make better deals with operators?
CJ: There are many skilled punters in Sweden, so the demand for statistics, market overview, and tips in general, is big. That demand is reflected commercially. That’s why operators see a clear advantage in being present on trusted platforms like SmartBets.
SBC: Will the removal of reload and reactivation bonusing in Sweden pose a problem for market incumbents?
CJ: It creates a challenge for all the operators that have applied for a licence. Not because they don’t know how to attract customers, but because they need – similarly to media partners like us – to think differently, when it comes to acquisition.
SBC: SmartBets has been active in its home country of Denmark for almost 18 months now; how successful has that launch been compared to other language version launches?
CJ: We are very happy with the Danish launch of SmartBets, as it’s a product that can stand on its own feet commercially.
Looking at the future of SmartBets in Denmark, we need additional operators to apply for Danish sports licences. Currently there are only a handful of Danish bookmakers. More bookmakers create more markets, offering different values and greater commercial aspects.
SBC: What are the target markets for SmartBets’ dotcom version?
CJ: Our strategy is to supply licensed markets with the best and most transparent information for betting. So all current and future markets that operate with licences will be taken into consideration.
SBC: SmartBets Italia was launched in 2017; how will the firm adapt to the country’s gambling imminent advertising ban?
CJ: We will comply with the Italian gaming law. How this will look in the future, no one knows for sure. Currently the decision to ban gaming advertising is being challenged in EU by at least one major operator. We will follow the story closely, and adjust our strategy accordingly when we know the result.
SBC: How has SmartBets utilised Better Collective’s vast experience of the German market to maximise its German language offering?
CJ: In a core market like Germany, it’s crucial to have all media channels available. The demand for statistic, news, offers, tips is big, not only for football, but for a big variation of sports and events. We see SmartBets in Germany as another great addition to our existing media portfolio such as Wettbasis, Sportwettentest, and Wettfreunde.
