Digitain’s new Head of the International Business Development, Simon Westbury, explains the company’s ambitious plans for global expansion – and how its flexible tech can meet the needs of any market.
iGAMING TIMES: First of all, congratulations on your new appointment. Can you explain why you chose to work for Digitain?
SIMON WESTBURY: Thank you! I am delighted to be leading Digitain’s drive into the UK and wider regulated markets. Without a doubt, Digitain is a global leader in the industry and has a wealth of tech talent behind it, along with some of the brightest trading minds I’ve ever seen.
I am very excited by the ambitious expansion plans that I have seen on my recent trips to Armenia and am especially looking forward to being part of the continued Digitain success story. We’ve just opened our first UK office to cap a fantastically productive year, as well as being nominated for a host of EGR B2B Awards and winning in the ‘Skill Games Supplier’ category earlier in June.
iGT: In a best case scenario, where would you like to see Digitain’s products launch over the next two years – and what is your strategy for achieving that?
SIMON WESTBURY: I see us expanding our global footprint from Europe, through Asia and on to Africa and LatAm, with the industry’s most flexible, scalable and efficient sports betting platform. When it comes to sportsbook tech, we’ll be letting its quality do the talking for us. We cover 65 sports, taking in 7,500 league and more than 3,000 betting markets. We also offer odds on 35,000 live events each month, while our casino solution has 3,000-plus games from major casino suppliers such as Novomatic, Microgaming, NetEnt and Playson.
The overall growth of the iGaming industry remains incredibly encouraging, particularly in these growth markets, and the international advance of sportsbook continues unchecked in most developing countries, and we aim to stay on top of that. That said, innovation remains the watchword, both in the markets you offer and the tools with which you allow your clients to engage. Staying positively demarcated from the competition is naturally crucial, and that’s what Digitain does best with our ever-evolving product portfolio. We’ve experienced substantial growth in several international markets over the past 12 months. Strategically, in order to accommodate this expansion, we will be opening sales and business development offices in four core areas, including the Philippines. These offices shall locally service existing clients and partner needs as well as increasing our inquiry pipeline.
iGT: Digitain has always done well in emerging markets in particular. How important are these markets in 2019, and why is your business model and / or tech proving such a good fit?
SIMON WESTBURY: In short – very. I would argue that if you’re not awake to fast-developing markets such as LatAm (and, by all means, throw in the likes of Asia, India, Japan and Africa), then any platform provider worth their salt is going to fall behind. The projected volumes in these jurisdictions are so large, you can’t disregard them.
Consider the overall population of Latin America, as well as its steady growth, not to mention its largely untapped status, operators can easily make big returns if they target the region with localised solutions. Furthermore, it is vital to acknowledge that this new wave rides on the crest of mobile – just witness the 19 percent year-on-year growth for mobile platforms in the region. These predictions project that there will be some 235 million-plus smartphone users by 2021.
Our omni-channel tech provides for that and more. With a flexible solution that can provide for whatever infrastructure conditions are required, we’re able to deliver a localised service that will satisfy any operator’s needs.
iGT: Incoming or tightening regulation is obviously a defining feature of the global gaming market at the moment. What role can a platform play in this, sometimes febrile environment?
SIMON WESTBURY: As more and more markets open, flexibility for multinational operators is key. A platform that allows operators to work in multiple markets while automatically adjusting to each country’s various frameworks is essential. At Digitain, we think internationally but act locally. In short, our rare blend of wide-ranging products and adaptable tech affords us the chance to craft customised cross-platform solutions, whatever the demands of the regulator and marketplace.
iGT: Can you talk us through what you’re showcasing at iGB Live 2019, and what you hope to achieve from the show?
SIMON WESTBURY: We’re always excited to attend iGB Live in Amsterdam. It’s proven fantastically successful in past and we look forward to what we’re sure will be another successful show in 2019. The conference sessions are always a valuable tool to hear about the latest trends in the industry and give an educational edge against the backdrop of a busy exhibition floor.
Digitain’s powerful sportsbook is in the vanguard for propelling sports betting into a new era across the igaming planet, and we’re looking forward to showcasing it. Our unique software caters to a burgeoning portfolio of operators across the globe. It provides an intuitive multi-lingual, multi-currency, customisable interface that can be easily integrated, using unique APIs, with new or existing platforms, whether you are an online or land-based operator. At last count, our platform partnerships number in excess of 100 operators, and we hope to have built on that number before the week’s end!
