Evgen Belousov, GR8 Tech: becoming a market leader in Asian markets

Emerging markets can often form the foundation for companies to make significant headway across a much wider region, therefore offering a platform for sustained long-term success and growth.

In discussion with SBC News, Evgen Belousov, GR8 Tech CEO, delves into why Asia represents a new frontier that it is believed will deliver numerous benefits across the long-term for the company.

SBC News: GR8 Tech has identified Asia as one of its key focuses for the current year. How will past expertise aid the company in gaining ground across the region?

Evgen Belousov: This year, Asia is a big focus for GR8 Tech. We are known for building strong, lasting partnerships and our approach won’t change as we expand in this region. We bring our best technology, which is not only robust and flexible but also very reliable.

Asia is a tough market with many operators, both local and international. The key challenge here is smoothly handling a large number of users while keeping their data safe. The region is also very diverse, with different languages and gaming preferences.

We are ready for any challenges with our high-performance sportsbook and casino platform. It’s designed to work well even with the highest loads, especially on mobile, which is very popular here. 

Our system lets us customise content to fit different cultures and languages, making the experience more enjoyable for everyone. Plus, our platform is easy to adjust for any market’s and operator’s specific needs, which helps keep users happy and loyal.

All in all, our experience spanning both B2B and B2C igaming will help us to offer great solutions to operators interested in this dynamic region. We are excited to grow in Asia and bring our best game to everyone here.

SBCN: Related to this previous question, what would you identify as the main barriers that could potentially hamper progress? And how would these be overcome?

EB: I think a key barrier to becoming a market leader is truly understanding what constitutes a ‘great product’ in a specific market and maximising its potential.

For instance, in India, the demand for cricket is immense. Every operator knows they need to provide a high-quality cricket feed, but what really sets it apart? At GR8 Tech, it’s not just about offering data from top cricket providers. 

We enhance it with our own trading, adding local events and a selection of virtual ones, creating a richer, more engaging feed with a continuous stream of content that surpasses even the best providers.

From a technical standpoint, internet connectivity may be a challenge as it varies greatly across Asia. A robust platform is useless if users can’t access it due to a poor internet connection. 

To address this, we’ve developed a lightweight frontend, proven in Africa, that ensures our platform is accessible even in areas with low internet speeds. We’re ready to implement this solution in other regions facing similar issues.

These examples illustrate the smaller, often overlooked details that are actually crucial for success. By anticipating these challenges and preparing effective solutions, we position ourselves to not just enter the market, but to lead it. This proactive approach is what sets GR8 Tech apart and is key to our success in the dynamic Asian market.

SBCN: Looking at specific markets, which of these has GR8 Tech identified as the most promising? And why?

EB: We are closely monitoring various exciting markets across Asia, each with distinct characteristics and potential. India, for example, with its vibrant sports culture, particularly in cricket, showcases the kind of dynamic market that attracts our interest. We recognise the immense potential such environments hold for the igaming industry.

Our strategy across Asia is to continuously evaluate and understand these diverse markets. By staying informed about their unique preferences and trends, we can adapt our offerings to meet potential future needs effectively, ensuring that our solutions are well-suited for a variety of market scenarios. This approach allows us to remain flexible and responsive to opportunities as they arise.

SBCN: On a product basis, what has your research into Asian markets demonstrated regarding player preferences? And how can GR8 Tech best satisfy these?

EB: Diversification is key in the Asian markets due to the variety of player preferences across different regions. I already mentioned the immense popularity of cricket in India; South Korea is a global esports hub; in the Philippines, the focus is on basketball and esports; and so on and so forth.

At GR8 Tech, we are well-prepared to cater to these diverse interests. Our trading department lets us quickly incorporate any sports or events that resonate with local audiences, ensuring our platform exceeds expectations.

We also ensure our offerings include a comprehensive selection of popular betting markets, complete with event overviews and odds presented in the preferred formats of Asian bettors, such as Indonesian, Malay, and Hong Kong styles. This approach helps us meet the nuanced needs of Asian markets effectively.

Furthermore, across Asia, there is a universal demand for user-friendly UI and UX. We meet this need with a specifically designed Asian-oriented interface mode, along with extensive customisation capabilities through our widget-based design system. This guarantees a tailored experience that feels intuitive and familiar to each user.

SBCN: If you had to make a five-year prediction regarding what the landscape of online gambling will look like within the region, what would that be? And why?

EB: Predicting the next five years in the igaming industry, especially in Asia, is quite challenging due to its rapid pace of change. 

However, it’s clear that the online gambling landscape will continue to expand. More markets within the region are expected to mature and embrace online betting and gambling, reflecting a global trend – probably not without some pitfalls on the way if the markets won’t learn from the mistakes of more mature counterparts.

Asia is likely to remain a hotbed for emerging trends that could set the pace globally, much like it has with esports. What the next big trend will be is hard to say, but the potential for innovation is significant. 

As these markets grow, we can also expect competition among operators to intensify. This will likely spur a wave of fresh approaches in how operators acquire and retain players, as staying ahead will require not just keeping up with trends but setting them. 

Looking ahead, the igaming landscape in Asia is poised for substantial growth and innovation. With our strong foundation in adaptable technology and deep market understanding, GR8 Tech is ready not just to participate but to lead the way in shaping the future of igaming in the region. GR8 Tech will also soon be exhibiting at SiGMA Asia, interested parties can meet us there.