SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Brendan O’Kane, CEO of OtherLevels, discusses how next-gen experiences, powered by advanced technologies such as Generative AI (GenAI), are transforming how operators connect with their audiences without the need for full-scale system rebuilds.
The ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences has become essential; turning raw data into immersive, media-rich interactions is vital. This evolution isn’t just about offering tailored content. It’s about creating moments that resonate, generating customer value and building lasting loyalty, while also being light on resources used to achieve results.
Visual storytelling, especially short-form video, is increasingly the medium of choice for audiences. This approach is impactful across the customer journey, touching every phase from acquisition to retention.
During in-session activities, a next-gen experience takes engagement to the next level. Whether it’s delivering a video of live match highlights with recommended bets or a personalised in-game offer tied to player behaviour, these experiences keep customers entertained and immersed. Critically, integration must be no-code – using existing tools and minimal effort to deliver impactful, on-brand content.
Flexible solutions
Delivering these experiences effectively requires reaching customers across multiple channels with consistency. Whether using in-house CRM or leveraging platforms like Salesforce or Optimove, hyper-personalisation ensures that every interaction is timely, relevant, and aligned with the customer’s context.
This flexibility is vital; operators don’t need to rebuild their systems from scratch. Instead, solutions like OtherLevels’ Experience Platform can integrate seamlessly into existing set-ups, providing a platform to bridge the gap without overhauling what’s already in place.
Without a content and media engine to transform personalisation data into channel-ready experiences, an operator is faced with multiple integrations, and content and media creation tasks. Given the pressures on resourcing and priorities, this often becomes a deep ravine that is never crossed.
The hyper-personalisation process
At their core, these next-gen experiences begin with understanding the individual. Operators have access to an incredible wealth of customer data, from betting patterns to game preferences. Yet, this data often remains siloed, static, and underutilised. Evolving it into something meaningful requires a journey that seamlessly combines personalisation, content, media, and delivery channels.
The foundation lies in harnessing AI-driven personalisation models to recommend sports, teams, markets, or games based on each customer’s unique preferences. With the explosion of cloud-based AI and ML services, personalisation has been commoditised, with incredibly sophisticated personalisation models now available as services from all the dominant cloud service providers. Operators have the choice to either build personalisation in-house or leverage low-cost outsourced services.
However, a recommendation is just a string of data, as per the following example. It is the starting point for an effective experience, but requires augmentation with content and decisioning to decide if it is appropriate to engage a customer at that moment, and transformation into the desired media for the optimum channel.
It is about not just recommending a market to a customer, but enriching the recommendation with live odds, contextual statistics, and insights into the game, at the right time and the right channel, creating a truly personalised experience for the customer.
The next-gen experience outcome
The business case for next-gen experiences is clear. Personalised, rich experiences create stronger customer value by making every interaction feel personal and engaging. Operators see higher conversion rates when personalised experiences are delivered in context and in the moment. Most importantly, this approach elevates brand differentiation. In an industry crowded with similar offerings, rich, media-driven experiences are an essential component of the brand and marketing mix.
Looking ahead, the role of video and audio will continue to expand. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have reshaped how audiences consume content, setting expectations for immediacy, relevance, and visual appeal. In this evolving landscape, those operators that embrace next-gen experiences today are positioning themselves to lead tomorrow.
