While at last week’s London Affiliate Conference (LAC), the Income Access Team met with iGaming-focused affiliates who are revolutionizing the industry with their innovative brands. One of the groundbreaking companies we met with at LAC was BetWiz. The UK-based firm has developed iOS and Android apps to provide football bettors with accurate match predictions and other services.
At LAC, we spoke to BetWiz Chairman and Chief Executive Francis Charig, who shared his views and insights on the firm’s new mobile apps as well as industry trends.
Income Access: Hi, Francis, can you tell us about BetWiz’s experience at LAC 2014?
Francis Charig, BetWiz (left): Just before LAC, BetWiz attended the ICE Totally Gaming conference in east London, where we looked across the industry and noted in particular the extent of the surprising lack of emphasis being placed on mobile compared to, say, games.
At LAC itself, our time was spent explaining to online bookmakers and the related affiliate programmes what BetWiz is doing, as our objectives go beyond the sign-up of new customers. We also sought to increase existing client ARPU through the provision of our compelling football prediction information service. The vast majority of those to whom we spoke understood the value of the BetWiz brand and are taking a proactive approach to working with the company.
IA: This is BetWiz’s first appearance at LAC, Europe’s largest annual affiliate marketing event. Francis, can you describe how your brand has evolved over the course of last year and what we can expect in 2014?
FC: We’ve focused on delivering iOS and Android apps that provide best-in-class football predictions for our consumers. Given our focus on the development of our apps, the website for BetWiz was a secondary concern.
Looking forward, in 2014 you will see the continuing development of the BetWiz website, a web version of the app and also a first foray into TV. My background is in the consumer electronics industry, and we are combining my network and knowledge of that sector with the BetWiz team’s expertise in gaming and its network of leading sportsmen.
IA: The iGaming industry has seen many changes recently: legalisation in three US states, the possibility of a UK point-of-consumption tax and news that the Dutch market will soon open up. What developments do you expect this year?
Following on from Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, expect to see numerous other American states following suit. Much the same will happen in Asian markets, as it is a way of raising taxes and, in the case of Japan, attracting Chinese tourists. The Dutch market is an example of the same dynamic of the acceptability of gambling happening in Europe.
At BetWiz, our focus is football and we will offer broad coverage of leagues and tournaments around the world to any new market, in the knowledge that there is a latent pent-up demand, wherever that may be.
IA: What advice do you have to newcomers to the affiliate industry and smaller players? How can they best position their brands in 2014?
As new markets open up, there are numerous opportunities because the established brands in the UK are not necessarily the established brands there. It’s also in these new markets where there will be high levels of conversion – consumers who don’t yet have an affiliation to one brand or another.
Globally, I think we all have to appreciate the move into mobile and also recognize the fact that it is where dynamics are no longer constant that commercial opportunities lie.
Income Access: Thank you, Francis, for sharing your insights with us. We wish the BetWiz Team a successful 2014.
For more information on BetWiz, please contact Francis Charig.
