SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The concept of virtual sports may be simple but, as DS Virtual Gaming’s Head of Business Development Araksi Sargsyan explains, that does not mean the product cannot be improved and delivered to betting shops and players in more effective ways.
Ahead of next week’s SBC Summit Barcelona, Sargsyan told us about the supplier’s latest product developments and how they can make life more straightforward for omnichannel, retail and online operators.
SBC: What can visitors to DS Virtual Gaming’s booth (SB268) at SBC Summit Barcelona look forward to seeing?
Araksi Sargsyan: It is the first time that DS Virtual Gaming has exhibited in Barcelona and we are really excited about the event and the opportunity to present our products to the international gaming industry.
We will showcase all our games, with a particular focus on our recent titles RacingHarness (thoroughbred sulky racing) and KickboxMania (virtual kickboxing with real fights). We are also very proud to present to the world our Order Ticket Solution (OTS) which instantly started making waves in our industry thanks to its ease of operation and usability.
SBC: In which markets are virtual sports most popular and why do you think that is?
AS: At DS Virtual Gaming, we only operate in regulated markets and can only report from our own experience. Virtuals are exceptionally popular in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Players from these regions had earlier access to the vertical, so they have broad knowledge and vast experience in the gaming mechanisms.
This vertical will always stand out because of its simplicity, speed and dynamic character. The games start every 1- 2-3-4-5 minutes, and the players do not need to know much about the background of the participants of the round to bet on the games. Most titles are self-explanatory – the genuine statistics and odds are everything the customer needs to care about. With DS, punters also get access to the highest transmission quality so they feel the whole spectrum of excitement from the games.
Basically, these are the three whales on which the segment is built: simplicity, frequency of rounds and quality.
SBC: What challenges have you seen emerge in the online sports betting industry over the past 12 months and how do your products help to tackle them?
AS: I believe that our sector as a whole lacks novelty, new solutions and new games. Therefore, we set about tackling the technical side of the issue in order to create innovative projects.
When I say innovative, I mean really innovative. Something that breaks the boundaries of the known dimensions. Nowadays we only see copies, enhanced versions or updates of already existing products or solutions.
We created the Order Ticket Solution to exactly address this issue and to put the easiest operation possibilities in the hands of our partners. Those who believe that we are ahead of the times in some markets, only underestimate their players.
SBC: The retail betting sector is going through a period of transformation in many markets; how has DS adapted its products to reflect that?
AS: Nowadays, the generation of our players is more digital and mobile savvy than the punters some 20 years ago. Our Order Ticket Solution (OTS) approaches those developments. The players enjoy freedom and liberty of choice, they want fast results and they want them right away in their hands without being bound to one single place or spot.
With smartphones you can do anything today, so why not bet in the betting shop?
The new solution reduces the betting system into a link or QR code that contains all titles, statistics, information about current rounds and upcoming games, and, most importantly, the broadcast of all games. The link can be opened from any computer in the betting shop or, and this is the really innovative part, the QR codes can be scanned from the punters’ mobile phones.
By choosing the desired positions for the current or upcoming rounds, the player gets a number, which has no effect until the ticket is paid at the cash desk. After payment, the punter receives a coupon. Naturally, the same number with all the data is displayed in the cashier program.
This solution solves many problems faced by land-based operators: fewer cashiers and fewer mistakes (the solution requires the cashier to collect money and press just one button to print tickets). We also tackle the problem of the inability to offer more than one or two games due to the lack of TV sets at the betting shops, along with the high acquisition costs of new equipment.
Now, all transmission of games is on existing computers and players can simply jump from one game to another without losing the broadcast. Due to the fact that all processes are automated, DS Virtual Gaming can connect its product to hundreds of betting shops in a few minutes.
And a nice bonus to all of the above is that the OTS has the same design as the Web Solution, which means that when the betting shops are closed, players can easily enjoy their favourite games from home without having to get used to the new design.
We introduced this system a couple of months ago and analysed the performance of a new partner in a completely new market. We were pleasantly surprised by the results, which speak for themselves. After a short adaptation period the number of tips soars to new heights. Once the players get used to the OTS ,they cease using the old system and the number of tips significantly exceeds the average number of bets. This proves the user friendliness and the profitability of the groundbreaking OTS.
SBC: What can you tell us about DS Virtual Gaming’s plans for the next 12 months?
AS: The race continues – we will not stop where we are. In the upcoming months you will see us in many more exhibitions, mostly in Europe and Latin America. Our next destinations are SBC Summit Latinoamérica and SIGMA Malta. We are also planning the calendar of events for 2024. More information will follow shortly.
Also, as we are expanding, we are looking for new, qualified colleagues in all departments. It is a challenge to find the right people for the right position, but our industry has many brilliant minds and we are sure we will encounter the perfect candidates in the near future.
We are optimistic that very soon our games will be launched in many new markets and, step-by-step, everywhere in each and every shop.
SBC: And finally, what else are you looking forward to seeing at SBC Summit Barcelona?
SBC Summit Barcelona is SBC’s biggest event with 15,000+ industry professionals expected to attend the show. We are excited to meet old and new partners and to make new connections.
We talked a lot about what we offer, but now it is time to demonstrate who we really are. So, the expectations are high but we are confident that SBC Summit Barcelona will be one of the most memorable events of the year.
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DS Virtual Gaming will be exhibiting at booth SB268 in the Sports Betting Zone at SBC Summit Barcelona. The Global Betting and iGaming Show takes place at Fira Barcelona Montjuïc on 19-21 September 2023, and features 350 exhibitors and a comprehensive conference agenda with more than 450 expert speakers from across the industry. Book your tickets here.
