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Suren Khachatryan – Digitain – World Cup expansion and beyond

Multi-channel sports betting platform and technology provider Digitain has enjoyed a successful 2017, expanding into a number of new markets in addition to strengthening its sportsbook offering.

With 2017 quickly drawing to a close however, Suren Khachatryan, CEO of the Armenian based firm, who are set to appear at both Betting on Football and Betting on Sports in 2018, has been reflecting on the year, and discussing plans to ramp up Digitain’s global footprint ahead of next year’s World Cup in neighbouring Russia, and beyond.

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SBC: You recently announced a partnership with Pokerdom, how essential is it to partner with CIS facing brands keeping in mind the Russian World Cup on the horizon?

SK: Pokerdom is the biggest online poker operation in the CIS, and had been looking for a top-notch sportsbook supplier for some time, with an eye to football’s crown jewels appearing in their own backyard.

Not only did securing the deal provide a feather in the cap of our leading sports-betting platform, but it also allowed us to put another key flag in the CIS sands ahead of the World Cup 2018. Of course, the World Cup is hardly a tough sell, wherever you operate.

However, partnerships with operators in these CIS-facing territories definitely indicates we’re best-placed to capture World Cup demand among a football-mad commonwealth. After all, proximate venue and time zone mean these CIS players are primed to follow all the action at peak times throughout the tournament, benefiting from Digitain’s myriad of pre-match and in-play options on every World Cup game, available through both our online and offline channels. In short, it’s a happy collision of timing and geography.

SBC: A number of new expansions have been launched in 2017, how does Digitain plan on strengthening and growing its platform in 2018?

SK: As I alluded to, we have a slate of forthcoming deals with CIS-facing operators, so we are keen to extend this trend of providing elastic, fully-localised solutions. To which end, we have broadened our reach across eastern Europe and central Asia (notably in Romania, Bosnia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and naturally Armenia with TotoGaming).

In the more emerging markets, we already enjoy African partnerships in Kenya and Nigeria. While we will soon announce a presence in both the Philippines and Brazil, too, which is very exciting. We are also in talks with a number of UK independents, so we are keen to grow from our strong cornerstones of leading technology, coupled to a seamless integration model.

SBC: Are there any markets in particular that are holding the focus of Digitain?

SK: I think the opportunities in Africa and Brazil are particularly exciting, if we cast our gaze to the long-term. Smartphone-adoption rates have continued to escalate, and accordingly significant opportunities remain in these territories’ collective mobile space, where advancing online usage for a ramping network points towards a gaming upsurge. Of course, as with Africa, LatAm has its regional and cultural specifications, often premised on regulation. However, Digitain’s omni-channel platform and cutting-edge mobile offering (which effectively mirrors our website’s functionality) can be effortlessly integrated to meet any operator requirements.

SBC: How key are events such as Betting on Football and Betting on Sports? Particularly with these global expansion plans in mind?

SK: Betting on Football and Betting on Sports have become must-stops on the gaming conference circuit, gaining in stature and significance each year. However, with all the issues the industry is facing over the coming year, it’s more important than ever that all suppliers and partners come together to exchange ideas and niche knowledge so that we can best assess and address these challenges as a cohesive front. As a result, I’m particularly looking forward to attending 2018’s speaker-sessions, and networking with peers old and new to explore the customary business opportunities.

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Industry growth strategy and new market expansions will be a key topic at the ‘Betting on Football 2018’ (#bofcon2018) conference. To find out more about both events click on the banner below. 

SBC News Suren Khachatryan - Digitain - World Cup expansion and beyond

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