GMB - Tell us where Digitan was born and what are its main advantages for iGaming operators?
Suren Khachatryan - Our story started in 1999 in Armenia, as a National Lottery, then growing into a B2C company and finally becoming a software, platform, and Sports Betting solutions provider. Today we have more than 1,000 employees, 35+ partners worldwide, and more than 400 land-based betting shops worldwide.
Our main advantages are as a business we listen very closely to our customers’ existing needs, but also their future needs. Our technology stack is highly scalable and customised and that is a growing requirement from operators as they wish to have a deeper level of inclusive engagement into the co-development of their product and their brands roadmap with their technology platform partners.
How is the brand considered in Europe and what are its more important clients?
Our brand is growing across Western and Eastern Europe, of which the sales enquiry pipeline has continued to expand. In 2017 we completed 50 integrations which was a 100% increase on the previous year.
The business is committed to a multi-jurisdictional technical and regulatory compliance strategy which is required to grow the business across several international markets. Many may perceive regulation and professional standards as a hindrance to innovation and growth, our leadership team sees this as an opportunity for market penetration and expansion and fully supports these processes. In 2018 we are expecting to secure the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) licenses.
This was your first time at SAGSE. Why did you decide to come from Armenia to show up here?
Yes this was our first show at SAGSE and it was a great experience. Latin America has always been a market of growing interest of which Digitain has received a solid number of enquiries over the years’. As part of the businesses overall expansion strategy, our leadership team decided it was important to attend key exhibitions in the region in order to engage operators looking at alternative platform providers.
What is the importance that Latin America can have for Digitain in its business plan? How do you evaluate this market?
There are many factors to evaluate such as the country’s economic growth and stability, the technology infrastructure and the current or planned regulatory landscape as it pertains to forms of online gambling and of course the general consumer demand towards gambling as a form of entertainment.
We believe like many incumbent operators, and new entrants that Latin America has solid growth potential over the medium to long term and therefore is an attractive market for a platform provider such as Digitain to grow its business pipeline.
What impact and interest of visitors did you have in your stand in SAGSE?
This was our first time attending SAGSE and showcasing our multi-channel Sports Betting and Gaming Platform and we have been delighted with the number of pre-booked meetings and walk-up’s to the booth during the show. The key interests from visitors are that our platform is scalable and can be localised. Using our API also provisions the ability for the client to customize the front-end user journey and user experience and allows the brand to be agile and flexible, and in control of the product roadmap to adapt to fast-changing market conditions. With an extensive payment gateway, bonus engine, CRM system, and dedicated customer support 24/7, the platform provides everything needed for fast market entry for clients.
Brazil is a huge market that surely you have studied, is that so? What conclusions did you draw?
Yes Brazil is a huge market with over 200 million population and growing and with estimates that market for online gambling could be valued at $2 Billion. Of course since 2014 there has been ongoing discussion concerning the purpose of regulating and authorising games of chance such as bingo, sports betting and casino games.
Brazil can have a gainful online gambling market, but only if it legalizes and regulates these activities in a pragmatic approach towards a balanced licensing regime, a taxation framework and until then our business like many others shall keep a watching brief as the market unfolds.
Is the lack of clear regulation in Brazil a problem for Digitain's business?
Every business I’m sure would welcome a clear and concise understanding of how to enter a market. No one likes uncertainty, as uncertainty creates risk, which needs to be calculated as to the pros and cons, not only for your business, but your supply chain, of which iGaming has a complex and heavily interlinked ecosystem. Ultimately it comes down to the businesses risk appetite whether to serve a market which may have a degree of unclear regulation.
Which of your products do you think could have a better penetration in the Brazilian market?
If and when Brazil does sanction a measured licensing regime, and a taxation framework, it would be our sports betting solution that would resonate most with potential operators, given its ability to be customised quickly to the operator brands requirements.
Source: Exclusive GMB
