ESPORTS BETTING, THE NEW FRONTIER OF SPORTSBETTING IN AFRICA - BtoBet
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ESPORTS BETTING, THE NEW FRONTIER OF SPORTSBETTING IN AFRICA
ESPORTS BETTING OVERVIEW
eSports has garnered the attention of everyone from major investors, brands and
advertisers, to gaming houses. According to international analysis, eSports will
definitely play a key role in the future of sports betting, with an estimated global
wagering market of $24 billion by 2020.
FOCUS ON SOUTH AFRICA
The international gaming scene had more time to develop eSports entertainment,
nevertheless, South Africa is quickly catching up to the international level.
Factors setting the pace in South Africa:
- money involved -
- timing -
WHAT ABOUT ESPORTS ENTHUSIASTS IN GENERAL AND IN AFRICA?
The core eSports enthusiast is attractive to the typical sportsbook:
young (18-24 year olds), over 30% of current eSports fans have
engaged with some form of betting online, with disposable income
and a strong propensity to gamble.
Statistics says the young population in Africa and South Africa live
in the urban areas where generally new trends like eSports expand.
We can expect that eSports enthusiasts will be more
concentrated in the most populated and urbanized areas.
WHAT DOES THE ESPORT CONSUMER LOOK LIKE?
Overview Characteristics
Achievement is important Very social
Want to save the world Street smart
Need to know why Open to changes
Desire instant and constant feedback Very tech-savvy
Optimistic about the future Confident
WHAT DOES THE ESPORT CONSUMER LOOK LIKE?
They spend more time in front of screen.
They own high-end devices.
Internationals South Africa
Median Age: 28 Median Age: 25
50% 51%
Male Male
50% 49%
Female FemaleESPORT MARKET IN SOUTH AFRICA
eSports has until recently largely been an underground
movement in South Africa.
South African gaming industry nowadays is at over R2.6 billion, with
estimations to reach R3.6 billion by 2019.
There are 4 million of gamers across the country, and yet, they have
remained a market segment which is largely unidentified nor targeted
by South African business.
Over 33 000 people attended rAge* in 2015, a clear indication
of the high level of interest in gaming in this country.
*rAge is an eSports Expo in South AfricaTWITCH STATISTICS
Unique Twitch connections
from South Africa are around 160,000+.
INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICA
Minutes watched per month 16 Billion 3.2 Million
Unique viewers per month 8.1 Million 2.3 KTWITCH STATISTICS
Twitch boasted 1,477,380 impressions (or page views)
with a total of 17,006,400 minutes (or 283,440 hours) of footage
watched by South African visitors.
That’s a pretty staggering number in its own right, but according
to the numbers offered up for this article, each unique user watched an
average of 19.57 hours of content on the site. Basically, eSports
enthusiasts and fans spend more time watching twitch.tv then regular TV.
*Source: Twitch.tvMOBILE AND ONLINE MARKET IN SOUTH AFRICA
Snapshot of S. Africa digital statistical indictors
Indicator 2016 Indicator Growth since 2015
Total Population 54.73 Mn
Active internet users 26.84 Mn Number of active 14%
Internet users
Active social media users 13 Mn Number of active social 25%
media users
Mobile connections 85.53 Mn Number of mobile 9%
connections
Active mobile Social users 10 Mn Number of active mobile 20%
social usersTIME SPENT WITH MEDIA – SOUTH AFRICA
Figures representing users’ own claimed activity *
AVERAGE DAILY USE OF THE INTERNET VIA PC OR TABLET
4H 54M
AVERAGE DAILY USE OF THE INTERNET VIA MOBILE PHONE
2H 59M
AVERAGE DAILY USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA VIA ANY DEVICE
2H 43M
AVERAGE DAILY TELEVISION VIEWING TIME
2H 21MMOST POPULAR GAMES AMONG MILLENNIALS
The most popular eSports genres watched by gamers are MOBAs
(multiplayer online battle arena) such as League of Legends and Dota 2,
which account for 58% of total hours watched on Twitch. Shooters such
as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty, Halo 5, and Rainbow
Six Siege make up 27% of hours watched. And strategy games such
as StarCraft II and Hearthstone account for 10%,
or 47.3 million hours watched.MOST POPULAR GAMES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Dragon Age: Inquisition
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Dota 2 is also the most popular game in South Africa
with more than 207 different teams last recorded competing the DGL
(The largest Dota 2 competition in South Africa.)
The DGL is constantly evolving with more than 11,000
eSport teams created to date.TRADITIONAL BOOKMAKERS – GRASP THE NEW TREND
eSports’ fan base is composed by around 90 million people worldwide and
operators must be prepared for this fast growing phenomena avoiding to loose
ground on their competitors. eSports target is completely different from the
traditional pointers and it is important to understand millennials’ preferences
in order to attract and retain them.
Operators need strategies and suitable instruments to take
Millennials stick to their brand.
How?
By considering the age of the target, their preferences and providing
them with offers in line with their expectations.HOW CAN A TRADITIONAL BOOKMAKER START
A DIALOGUE WITH ESPORTS FANS?
To conquer this new slice of the market, you must understand who the potential
customers are. The overwhelming majority of eSports enthusiasts, both athletes and
spectators alike, belong to the generation known as millennials, i.e. the first generation
to have grown up in the “Internet Age” - a generation that has always been connected
and ahead of the game in terms of technological advancements.MILLENNIAL’ IDENTITY
They are interested in acquiring skills and they Multitasking on multi devices; as a result they
read with purpose appear to be far more interested in owning an
iPad than a vehicle
Millennials are not interested in traditional With this generation, we can observe a clear
advertisement and are attracted to personal transition from a world built around the
information flow dispersed by TV, to one where a
and personalized proposals
far more personalized media flow is developed
around the individual and guided by two
They prefer to purchase from a company that main criteria: satisfaction and sharing
supports a cause they care about (if price and
quality were equal) 90% of millennials use coupons
They like powerful visuals (pictures, videos), 82% of millennials’ trust in an organization
memorable audio, compelling scripts rises if it has an account on Social Media
75% of millennials are never offline They like downloading video and sharing
(even at night) pictures (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook,Google +)GET COMMUNICATING – THE WAY THEY LIKE IT AND EXPECT IT! To be prepared to this new target, operators have to choose friendly ways of communication, through mobile and social networks and adopt some peculiar strategies Operators must follow forums to understand who their target is and what they think They have to boost their brand’s presence They have to write good content and helpful information and inspiration to acquire credibility, to capture millennials’ interest and create positive value association with the brand Their style of information must be concise, direct and personal, appealing and cheeky
GET COMMUNICATING – THE WAY THEY LIKE IT AND EXPECT IT! They have to plan fun campaigns, use #hashtags, to publish infographics, slideshow videos, videos on social medias They have to find and involve influencer and vloggers They have to use widgets emblazoned with the team logo and clear reference to eSports Concerning choice of bonuses or promotions they need to gamify incentives and personalize them Operators have to dedicate a special section to eSports because it is not to be treat as a traditional betting environment
GET COMMUNICATING – THE WAY THEY LIKE IT AND EXPECT IT!
First of all, operators must work on their brand reputation
to capture millennials attention.
They have to start thinking millennials!
The multi-channel approach ensures that each player can access whatever is desired,
at a time convenient to them, using the device best suited to their specific wants and needs.
It is precisely in this context that the world of betting is to participate - using the same
language and channels, becoming an additional channel for satisfaction and sharing in itself.GET THEIR ATTENTION!
The addition of specific images based on the chosen eSport and icons which
are typical of social networks or internet communication
Inserting a calendar with the tournament schedule
Including a statistics centre for the analysis of the performance of Teams
participating in a specific match
A concise guide on how to bet
Enter up-to-date news as a preparation for the event
Ability to share articles via social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Reddit)
Streaming with pre-game interviews; presentation of upcoming events
and odds with technical opinions
Creating a social company profile through to connect with fans
Streaming of the gameOK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
We know this new generation thinks differently, and that also counts for customer service,
about how they want to be treated in business interactions. It is a generation of consumers
defined by the digital world that they’ve known since infancy.
They expect to be treated specially. And everything that operators have done
so far with their customers, might have worked, but it won’t with the millennials.
The biggest paradigm shift that has occurred when it comes to acquiring millennials as
users is the transition from closing a deal to helping the user. The traditional model - always
be closing - has now become - always be helping. Millennial users expect you and your
brand to stand for more than the bottom line – placing a bet, closing a deal. When they feel
like a brand genuinely cares about them and not just the money, they are spending more and
they will quickly develop an affinity for the brand and build brand loyalty.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
On the other hand, millennials are self-reliant and technology dependent, but not necessarily tech savvy,
and they expect instant gratification. They don’t just like speed and ease of use, they expect it.
When it comes to customer service, the average Millennial is going to look for both the ability to
communicate the way they like, be it through text or Twitter, and maintain that level of customization
made possible when speaking to an agent in real-time. Therefore companies who don’t adapt their
engagement approach are at great risk of near-term obsolescence.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
With the Btobet’s software bookmakers you
can perfectly meet the millennials expectations.
Here’s how to get started.
1
Don’t underestimate the user’s knowledge of your platform.
Don’t dribble away employee hours on activities that the users can do better themselves.
You’re not going to catch a millennial asking for directions. They’ll much more likely be conferring
with the Google Maps app on their tablet. Treat them individually and with respect.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
2
Building customer loyalty the hard (and only) way.
Millennials have different ideas of where humans should fit into customer service delivery.
If an app or algorithm can deliver what they need, so much the better. Which is one reason most
millennials consult their smartphones first–even when they’re in your store and a
human – a human paid to assist them is standing at the ready.
In particular, don’t wear them down by requiring them to contact you for the transactional details.
Don’t force customers to contact you due to your own bad design and lazy implementation.
A millennial customer isn’t willing to call you to find out whether and when their bet was placed;
they want to proactively receive an automated, instant confirmation in their inbox or on their phone.
A millennial will be annoyed if they has to call the operator to track down your physical
(read: GPS-friendly) address because only your PO Box is on your website.
This isn’t to say there’s no role for a human-to-human service interaction or contact. But the
interaction should be at the choice of the user, not because your systems are sloppy or incomplete.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
72%
want to connect seamlessly
across the devices
consume content across multiple devicesOK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
3
Focus on the experiential.
New service models need to focus on helping customers discover and enjoy experiences,
not just on getting them, figuratively, from point A to point B. You have to give your users the
possibility to feel the Omni channel experience.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
4
Understand customer self-determination.
Allowing the user to control their own moves needs to be a component of your new,
millennial-friendly service model. Give up old notions of control and replace them with a transparent
model that allows, wherever possible, your customer to be in the driver’s seat.
Embrace crowdsourcing: You can’t control site reviews, match and odds discussions, or much else,
except by providing the most extraordinary customer experience possible and letting your customers,
and your critics, hash out their discussions of it in public.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
5
Become a speed freak.
Millennials are superb multi-taskers who put a premium value on convenience.
Millennials’ internal time clocks and customer expectations are shaped by the instant gratification
they’ve grown accustomed to from the online/smartphone experience.
Speed and efficiency are of the utmost importance: in how quickly you respond to a customer
question, offer personalized bonus etc.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
6
Leave your users time and space to breathe.
Don’t overflow with ads. We know Twitch, which accounts for 43% of all livestreaming with over
100 million users consuming an average of 3.7 million hours of content per month,
is the place where you reach millennials via ads, but remember, nearly 2 of 3 millennial use
AdBlock on their browsers. Create engaging content, videos that will go viral or free
content – those are the most effective ways which will not bother the millennials and they
will gladly share the content with their peers. And that is what you need.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
7
Maintain your values.
When millennials do business with your company, they’re more likely than previous generations
to care about the social values of that company: its social responsibility, green profile,
and how ethically it does, or it doesn’t do business. They will reward your company if its behavior
mirrors their own ethics, and punish your company if it doesn’t.OK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
8
Speak their language.
The new generation is exceedingly informal, and has different words, and methods,
of communicating. Jay Coldren from Marriott says: “The Millennials want to converse in their
own language, according to theirown rules. They speak in tweets, texts and Facebook posts.
If you want to reach them, you have to speak in their native tongue. And you have to be completely
authentic.” When in doubt, follow this millennial rule: Authentic, caring communication is in;
scripted service is out.BTOBET OMNICHANNEL
PLATFORMOK, YOU’VE GOT THE ESPORTS FANS’ ATTENTION. NOW WHAT?
The millennial world can bring its wallet power to you, or to someone else.
It all depends on how you serve them.
You can’t afford to lose such a big, specific and interesting market audience.
Implementing eSports in your product and service portfolio is of utmost importance.
Getting onboard to the eSports via the BtoBet eSport solution you can communicate
the millennial individually with the least of efforts, so you can make them
feel special with personalized offers rewarding all in automatic and gain their
permanent trust and loyalty.ADVANTAGES OF USING THE BTOBET’S ESPORTS SOLUTION
TO MEETING MILLENNIALS’ NEEDSADVANTAGES OF USING THE BTOBET’S ESPORTS SOLUTION
TO MEETING MILLENNIALS’ NEEDSBENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligence
BtoBet has decided to dedicate a special section of its gaming solution to eSports,
offering bookmakers its intelligent software integrated with Betradar’s high
performing eSports solutions, and the opportunity to experience the promising new eSports
environment with protection from Fraud Detection & Prevention services, direct real-time
data from game servers and CS: GO Streaming service with the lowest
possible delay (Exclusive ESL deal).
BtoBet can help them expand their business beyond the traditional sports betting.
Betradar’s solutions and BtoBet’s AI software are a perfect combination to face the
eSports market providing benefits for bookmakers and Millennials.
How?BENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligence
Our shareholders spent two years analyzing the market to come up with a
technologically on top of the market product – BtoBet’s B Neuron thinking platform.
We are nowadays able to improve eSports fans’ experience by offering the type of
entertainment that suites them and providing operators with fitted tools to manage
their business with flexibility.
Through our high technology, we allow operators to enjoy the possibility of registering
Millennials, monitoring the behaviour of each registered eSports enthusiast, and verifying
their preferences while playing in order to provide automatic and personalized suggestions
and rewards in line with every Millennial’s wish. BtoBet’s software features can perfectly
fulfil this particular target’s priorities creating rapid, automatic and personalised
multi-channel answers.
How?
The wide offer of Betradar’s eSports Pre-match and Live Betting
channel – Live Scores and Statistics – combined with our AI software, enables operators
to set business strategies and elaborate specific offers in line with the new generation’s
expectations, facing the new eSports challenge.BENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligence
The multi-channel approach ensures that everyone consumes what they want,
when they want, in a way which satisfies them and using the most appropriate tool.
It is precisely in this context that the traditional bookmaker needs to get involved,
using the same language,the same channels, becoming an additional channel
for satisfaction and sharing.
We are without doubt faced with a different target to that represented by traditional sport.
A product with specific features that should not be placed within the sports fixtures,
but to which a special section must be dedicated in which end users find themselves
in a familiar environment.
Just like in poker and casino games; BtoBet offers the tools to create a dedicated and
independent section that can be inserted within the website, or even set for a corporate
website specifically dedicated to eSports.BENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligence
Communication should also take place independently of traditional sports both in terms
of graphics, documentation and video and communication to the target users described
a moment ago.
The content of this page is different from that of a traditional sport.
There are more gaps because, even though events are scheduled and frequent, there are
not so many of them. This allows us to apply an innovative design which highlights
the elements that generate passion in eSports fans. We must allow the possibility
of adding widgets with a clear Team logo, specific icons of the chosen eSport,
background images that recall characters or phases of the game, configurable
modern fonts usually used in eSports.
Another important aspect is the ability to add information tools: Tournament Calendar,
Tournaments and Teams Statistics, insertion of news for the presentation of the game
in which the challenge and the bets are presented together.In addition there is a concise
betting guide, because the end user needs to learn about how to bet and gamble safely.BENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligenceBENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligence
It is comprehensive set of informative material that meets the end user’s requirements
and becomes a reference point for users themselves.
This information can be spread and broadened through the sharing channels available
within this page.
It is the operator who becomes, therefore, an additional communication channel
also thanks to the creation of a social company profile.
Finally, there is video communication to spread the news, and that’s how BtoBet
customers can integrate into their front-end, mobile or shop their streaming dedicated
to the presentation of a match and teams.BENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET
The high performing eSports betting with Btobet’s artificial intelligence
BtoBet is developing the betting on offer by adding a series of unique markets
to the existing one. ESports are an endless source for the creation of markets because
the variability of the games, the multitude of objectives, the dynamism and the sequence
of actions create betting opportunities both for the pre-live and live offer.
In this context, finally, advanced tools will be used to find out about and analyse customers.
Every single activity will be recorded and monitored, and thanks to the intelligence of our
Recommendation Engine, the operator will be able to direct
and customise the communication and the offer for every single user.BiG Africa Summit Presented by: Eventus International Limited Suite 1104, Crawford House, 70 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong Email: info@eventus-international.com Telephone: +852 5511 8385 BtoBet Ltd. Advance House 375 Manwel Dimech Street Sliema SLM1058 Malta Ph:+356 27135974 Mail: sales@btobet.com Skype: BtoBet
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