Combining a modular product suite with proactive player protection
This article first appeared on the World Lottery Association.
Read the full and original article here.
OpenBet, a leading content, platform and service provider to the sports betting industry, is committed to supplying WLA members with flexible, reliable solutions that uphold responsible gaming principles. In this interview, Nikos Konstakis, Group Chief Product Officer at OpenBet, and Dr Michael Auer, Founder and Director of OpenBet’s responsible gaming supplier, Neccton, discuss their latest advancements in modularity and player protection for the lottery landscape.
What technological developments has OpenBet made since becoming a WLA gold contributor last summer?
NK: The competitive landscape for operators is fierce, requiring more agility and adaptability. OpenBet delivers a modular solution of bespoke services that tailor to the complex needs of lottery operators, adding valuable functionality to their existing ecosystems and helping them elevate their proposition in a dynamic market.
We empower World Lottery Association (WLA) members to navigate the demanding and competitive landscape through a modern, modular tech stack. Our new multi-tenant solution delivers best-in-class feeds, content management, pricing, and risk management services, ensuring unwavering quality, reliability, and flexibility. This modernization not only guarantees a faster time to market but fosters greater customization to maintain an edge against competitors.
Underpinning this, we remain committed to proactive harm prevention. Responsible gaming is a thread that runs through all our work. Following our acquisition of Neccton, we continue to make huge investments in our responsible gaming tools.
OpenBet now partners with 18 WLA members worldwide. How can your modular product suite help them build on their core offering?
NK: Control and flexibility remain key priorities for WLA members in ensuring they adhere to the association’s high standards of corporate responsibility. At OpenBet, we understand this and are committed to the WLA Responsible Gaming Principles and Framework as a gold contributor. We are a trusted partner with members’ interests at heart.
Lotteries operate in specific and varied geographies around the world and their legacies rely on their technologies, partners, and operating models. OpenBet’s modular suite provides freedom for partners to outsource the full vertical and focus on marketing, acquisition and retention, or pick certain areas to own while outsourcing the rest. The product solution fits within player account management (PAM) system or business intelligence (BI) tools.
How can OpenBet’s products offer peace of mind to lottery operators, while delivering a different proposition to other providers?
NK: Lottery operators are laser focused on stability and being able to localize their offering in a way that competes with global competition. In addition to our robust, reliable platform, we have zero downtime during all key sporting events and process upwards of 3 billion bets per year. The flexibility of the proposal allows our partners to localize it in a way that suits market needs and empowers them to look closer at their customers’ specific requirements.
OpenBet’s Neccton has an established reputation for excellence among global WLA members. How can lotteries specifically benefit from your technology?
MA: We already work with 18 lotteries across Europe, North America and New Zealand. Lotteries work hard to meet the requirements of their member association, along with local requirements such as jurisdictional law. Their purpose is to serve society and many donate to charities, research, or public bodies as a result. They commit to exercising caution when it comes to responsible gaming and player protection. A solution like Neccton, which is trustworthy and academically sound, aligns with lotteries that operate to the highest ethical standards.
As a result of partnering with lotteries, we have been able to publish several academic studies relating to lottery data. Our partners have provided anonymized player data that enables us to conduct peer-reviewed research and develop tools that will be useful for lottery players.
As a player protection software provider, what are lottery operators’ main concerns around compliance and how does Neccton alleviate those?
MA: Lottery providers benefit from large player numbers and high brand recognition, which leads to a heightened need for player protection tools and the prevention of harm. As with operators across other verticals, proactive measures trump reactionary ones in tackling problem gaming. Neccton’s AI-powered player protection technology helps operators to inform players about changes in their behaviour, through nudges, personalized messaging, and limit setting, in order to prevent the development of problems further down the line. This approach ensures lotteries are aligned with social responsibility and public benefit requirements.