E sports betting – the new frontier in sports betting in africa

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 AFRICAThe 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?

Characteristics

Very social Street smart

Open to changesVery tech-savvy

Confident

Overview

Achievement is importantWant to save the world

Need to know whyDesire instant and constant feedback

Optimistic about the future

WHAT DOES THE ESPORT CONSUMER LOOK LIKE?

They spend more time in front of screen.They own high-end devices.

South AfricaMedian Age: 25

InternationalsMedian Age: 28

50%Male

51%Male

50%Female

49%Female

ESPORT 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 Africa

TWITCH STATISTICS

Minutes watched per month

Unique viewers per month

16 Billion 3.2 Million

8.1 Million 2.3 K

INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICA

Unique Twitch connections from South Africa are around 160,000+.

TWITCH 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.tv

MOBILE 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 Internet users

14%

Active social media users 13 Mn Number of active social media users

25%

Mobile connections 85.53 Mn Number of mobile connections

9%

Active mobile Social users 10 Mn Number of active mobile social users

20%

TIME 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 21M

MOST 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

How?

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.

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 read with purpose

Multitasking on multi devices; as a result they appear to be far more interested in owning an iPad than a vehicle

Millennials are not interested in traditional advertisement and are attracted to personal and personalized proposals

With this generation, we can observe a clear transition from a world built around the information flow dispersed by TV, to one where a far more personalized media flow is developed around the individual and guided by two main criteria: satisfaction and sharingThey prefer to purchase from a company that

supports a cause they care about (if price and quality were equal)

75% of millennials are never offline (even at night)

82% of millennials’ trust in an organization rises if it has an account on Social Media

They like downloading video and sharing pictures (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook,Google +)

They like powerful visuals (pictures, videos), memorable audio, compelling scripts

90% of millennials use coupons

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


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


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 game

OK, 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.


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 theirengagement approach are at great risk of near-term obsolescence.

With the Btobet’s software bookmakers you can perfectly meet the millennials expectations.

Here’s how to get started.

1Don’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.


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.


2

72% want to connect seamlesslyacross the devices

consume content across multiple devices


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.


3

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.


4

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.


5

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.


6

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.


7

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.


8

BTOBET OMNICHANNEL PLATFORM


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’ NEEDS

How?

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.

BENEFIT FROM APPROACHING TO ESPORTS WITH BTOBET



How?

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.

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.



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.



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.



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.



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.

BtoBet Ltd.Advance House 375 Manwel Dimech StreetSliema SLM1058 Malta

Ph:+356 27135974Mail: [email protected]: BtoBet

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E sports betting – the new frontier in sports betting in africa

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