SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Sportsbooks face a multitude of challenges before launch, with a plethora of decisions needed to build out a functional and engaging platform for users.
Many turn to platform providers, whether that be a white label, turnkey, or modular solution, to ensure that they can launch quickly and cost efficiently.
One aspect that often goes under the radar is the frontend. After all, this is the part that players actually see; it’s crucial to build something that is appealing and, more importantly, usable.
That is the thought of Marian Melnychuk, Sportsbook Delivery Director at Symphony Solutions, the company behind BetSymphony.
Melnychuk, in a conversation with SBC News, explained that while having a flashy and feature-packed frontend is nice to have, the core capabilities should be a frontend that works, doesn’t lag, and is technically capable of carrying out bets and letting users browse different markets.
He said that many operators face these challenges when building their sportsbook: “Here at Symphony Solutions we work with a lot of people in the industry in this situation. In a lot of these examples, their frontends just show the events, and the results of players’ bets. To actually make this customisable there is a huge difference and rather than just building the same app with additional features, it is more like starting from scratch.”
He added: “The straightforward approach is when you take a backend then develop a frontend where they both communicate with each other. This approach is okay but you must understand that the frontend simply has to work quickly and there shouldn’t be too much logic to it. Also, the backend must be powerful enough that it can handle a large number of users at the same time. There needs to be a middle layer where the logic can be stored so both the backend and frontend can be stable and not overloaded.”
Ambitions in Africa? Better have the right frontend
One region in which being able to customise a frontend is essential, in Melnychuk’s view, is Africa. Often players in Africa play mobile first, but typically on lower-spec devices and with poor network capabilities.
Consequently, having a high-spec, feature loaded frontend in these markets is redundant. But in other markets, it is completely appropriate. This is why customisation is so important.
Customisation is a high priority for BetSymphony; the firm’s business model means that its operator partners buy and own the source code, therefore able to customise the frontend to their heart’s content. Operating on a no revshare basis also offers operators more flexibility.
As Melnychuk explained: “Clients can then develop and adapt the product with their own team. This gives them complete flexibility—whatever changes they need, they can implement without restrictions.
“If the architecture is done properly—as it is in our case—it also becomes easy to customise the front end from our side. For example, we’ve built theming capabilities into our system. This allows different themes to be applied based on brand, country, or other factors. Sometimes simply changing a few CSS files can make the interface look and feel entirely different, even though it’s still the same underlying code base.”
Symphony Solutions can help operators to identify where they can customise their frontend too. Promising to go far beyond what a white label provider can offer, the company can help to introduce new features and styling beyond just theming. With a no revenue share sportsbook offering, BetSymphony is a fully managed sportsbook platform that offers full freedom not only in terms of source-code ownership.
Beginning with rigorous analysis of the market, the players and what devices they use, Melnychuk said that his team can consult and build what works best for each client.
“With us, you can own the platform and we can sit down with the team and think how to implement the frontend, we build a roadmap and implement the features that actually build value,” he added.
The conversation turned towards client demands and current trends for sportsbook frontends. Unsurprisingly, Melnychuk noted that most are built mobile first then expanded for bigger platforms such as desktop.
This naturally brings up challenges that must be considered.
“When you’re designing with a mobile-first approach, it’s really important to think about network performance,” said Melnychuk. “On desktop, the connection is usually more stable because users are in one place and not moving. But with mobile devices, the situation is very different — users could be on a bus, a train, or anywhere, and their network connection can change at any moment. It’s unpredictable. It’s so complicated. It’s so critical.”
Frontend tech in the AI age
Ultimately, in an age driven by AI and other advanced technologies, there is so much opportunity for operators to create engaging and practical solutions on their frontend.
Melnychuk walked SBC News through the process, noting that the first step is theming and integrating the operator’s branding.
“The next step typically involves content. We’ve implemented a custom CMS within the platform, which allows us to add brand-specific content. This can significantly change how the brand feels and is perceived.
“After that, we review which elements can’t be changed through theming or the CMS. Even the CMS offers a lot of flexibility, like toggling features on or off or rearranging components. We try to use those capabilities as much as possible before identifying the small percentage—usually less than 10%—that requires custom development.”
He added: “Once those exceptions are identified, we estimate the work required and move forward with development. The biggest advantage here is that nearly everything is possible to implement. However, based on our experience, we sometimes advise clients against certain changes. Not because they’re impossible, but because they can be expensive and bring very little value. In such cases, we try to guide the client toward a more efficient solution.”
Wrapping up the conversation, Symphony Solutions’ sportsbook lead was asked to identify a key trend to keep an eye out for. As sportsbooks look to keep ahead of the game, leaning into Melnychuk’s expertise can help to point out new features or UI designs.
He explained his prediction that players will seek more conversational ways of betting in the coming months and years. Influenced by other apps such as dating apps and the rise of LLM chatbots, players will seek conversational and simpler betting experiences.
Symphony Solutions has already tapped into the AI revolution, launching BetHarmony – an AI Agent model seeking to replace traditional chatbot assistants to help with customer support, casino gaming and sportsbook betting options.
Melnychuk explained: “I believe the future is moving toward more conversational interactions. We’ll likely see less traditional UI and fewer on-screen components, and instead more personalised, targeted content tailored to what the customer actually wants.
“We already see tools on the market that offer highly personalised search results and customised landing pages for users. I think this trend will continue to grow.
“Currently, many sportsbook platforms still rely on complex and information-heavy interfaces. But as these platforms evolve and become even larger, it won’t be practical to keep adding more details to the screen. Instead, the shift will be toward simplifying the UI while delivering more relevant, personalised content to each user.”
