SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Star Sports has enlisted Biztech to power ‘inter-shop functionality’ across its suite of UK high-street betting shops, utilising the firm’s Arkle EPOS system.
The tech facilities over-the-counter bet-slip processing, acceptance and setting solutions and will be rolled out in all Star Sports bookmakers, and has been designed to accommodate security, reporting and tax returns.
As well as marking an upgrade for Star Sports, the deal is also a major expansion of Biztech’s operations. The firm is a dominant betting-store software supplier in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and is now expanding its reach across Great Britain.
Ben Sharpe, CEO at Biztech Software, said: “It’s a real validation of our diligent team’s hard work that a brand as recognised and well-regarded as Star Sports has chosen our Arkle EPOS system. We’re delighted to work with them in evolving our offering across their retail suite.
“A key component to Arkle has always been that shop staff can still serve their customers and scan bets during downtime. It also includes a full mark sense, providing a faster, more efficient way to process in-vogue multiples bets, eliminating the need for time-consuming navigation.
“Our all-in-one screen provides a clearer visual aid of the horses and races on offer, with early prices, live shows and results displayed as soon as the data is received. Importantly, prices also remain homogenous between screens and tills.”
Further details of Arkle include a centralised field-book and risk-management facility, framing and defining liabilities and alerts in real-time across retail networks.
Meanwhile, real-time security triggers allow operators to take action before expensive pay-outs are processed, and NET 4.7 Framework Technologies and SOL Servers support trading, preventing disruption even if a shop server is down.
The software has already had a strong background in UK and Irish bookies, having been adopted by Flutter Entertainment for its 600 Paddy Power outlets.
Star Sports’ upcoming integration of the tech into its 20 UK shops comes after the firm appointed Russ Weisman as its new Chairman, as the firm seeks group-wide product diversification.
Ben Keith, Founder of Star Sports Founder, added: “Retail has rebounded robustly since the dark days of the pandemic, and Star Sports is renowned for harnessing responsive and innovative products which help the industry deliver the best customer experience.
“We’re happy to be adding Arkle to that mix, as we continue to upgrade and enhance the betting shop journey for our customers in the UK. Arkle is a fine example of best-in-breed software that is more robust, resilient and agile than legacy EPOS systems which are simply no longer fit for purpose.
“We now have the fastest bet-slip editor on the market, which also enables staff to remotely edit between shops in real-time. In short, Arkle gives Star Sports and our shop staff market leading-event data in a clear and easy-to-navigate format. It’s a real boost for both increased activity and total inter-store peace of mind.”
