#bofcon2017 – Looking Good…What do investors want to see in market enterprises?

Following a period of mass consolidation and sector realignment, is the betting industry still an attractive proposition for enterprise investors? A Betting on Football expert panel assess current market conditions and challenges awaiting investment and enterprise stakeholders.

Professional venture investor Christian Elder Founder of Dreamworx Online, tells the audience that value may have diminished in the betting sector as market has become consolidated and stakeholders look solely for proven revenue generating assets.

Elder backs his statement, detailing that pro-investors may look to ‘fresher ground’ within new digital markets such as e-sports, where enterprises and products can prove to be more disruptive. He further states that at present it feels like ‘betting stakeholders are not pushing for innovation’ creating a stagnant marketplace.

Mark Blandford founder of industry Venture Capital firm Valhalla Investments, counters Elder’s point of view. From a VC level he states that he is propositioned regularly by entrepreneurs wanting to disrupt the market and bring new innovation into play.

Blandford details that Valhalla will only review start-ups with a proven point of concept. As expected standards will vary in enterprises seeking investment, but Blandford is adamant that innovation can thrive in betting pointing to consumer engagements in other  markets through personalisation and mobile delivery that have yet to impact the sector.

As COO of FTSE-listed GVC Holdings, Shay Segev is well aware of the pressures facing executive teams of leading operators. Though the industry has seen mass consolidation, Segev adds cautions to stakeholders detailing that a poor acquisition can be costly and can lead to loss of market share.

Segev states that stakeholders have to be diligent in their review of assets and targets, assessing whether an enterprise can really add value to a firm’s operations and future growth strategies.

As investment manager in private equity group Penta Investments, Marek Smrha backs Segev comments on reviewing assets and undertaking diligence. However, he further details that investors have to be more intricate with the targets they wish to acquire or invest in.

Whilst many investors place a high emphasis on technology and operational gains, Smrha states that in international market where betting stakeholders want to expand, investors must be able to gauge whether the target company really understands its regional consumer and local market, judging whether the target company has created a dynamic regional consumer proposition…