Warren Russell, W2
W2 Global Data is sponsoring Betting on Football 2017, the fourth edition of the largest international football and betting trade conference at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the 3-5 May event, we spoke to Warren Russell, Chief Executive Officer, about why football is such an attractive sport for betting and how the market is changing from a consumer perspective.
SBC: Why is football such an attractive sport for betting?
WR: Football is a hugely popular sport that is almost universal. There are many significant championships and regional events such as the Euros, Copa America and of course the World Cup. Many people believe they can outsmart the bookmakers and that is the main attraction for them.
SBC: From a consumer perspective, how is football betting changing?
WR: Football betting has gone from being able to bet on the final score of the game in a branch, to ‘live’ in play betting, to being able to bet on anything. It ranges from who will score the next goal, to the minute of the next goal or who will win the next corner.
SBC: How can betting & football stakeholders work better and more effectively together?
WR: New technology allows access to new markets and ways of betting to generate new income streams and build on the popularity of the sport, as well as providing more betting opportunities on the sport. From W2’s point of view, we are here to support the operators with age and identity verification to ensure they comply with legal requirements.
SBC: What new technology do you feel will have the biggest impact on football betting?
WR: I believe that if you can use machine learning, and if you are able to video the game directly into Artificial Intelligence (AI) you might be able to see the patterns that are more likely to lead to certain results. This could be used in setting the odds or marketing strategies.
SBC: What key agenda, debate or discussion do you want to hear at BOFCON 2017?
WR: I think the event will be a fantastic opportunity to meet up with all the key players in the industry and find out all the latest developments and trends.
You must be logged in to post a comment.