{"id":460,"date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gbc.ng\/future-of-sports-betting-is-bright-even-if-present-appears-cloudy\/"},"modified":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","slug":"future-of-sports-betting-is-bright-even-if-present-appears-cloudy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gbc.ng\/index.php\/future-of-sports-betting-is-bright-even-if-present-appears-cloudy\/","title":{"rendered":"FUTURE OF SPORTS BETTING IS BRIGHT, EVEN IF PRESENT APPEARS CLOUDY"},"content":{"rendered":"

(London).- The future of legal sports betting is bright \u2013 and mobile \u2013 in spite of society\u2019s struggles, according to Daniel Kustelski, CEO and co-founder Chalkline Sports.<\/em><\/p>\n

US betting and gaming will re-surface from the current COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever, and with a \u2018hard shift\u2019 towards mobile and online betting, according to Kustelski.<\/p>\n

The industry faces an\u00a0unprecedented challenge.\u00a0Land-based casinos are closed\u00a0and the country\u2019s nascent online sportsbooks are betting on emergency rations, having been starved of live sports.<\/p>\n

And yet Kustelski is backing his fellow operators and suppliers to weather the storm and use it to their advantage when it comes to betting legislation progress.<\/p>\n

CHANGES FOR THE LEGAL BETTING INDUSTRY<\/p>\n

Kustelski\u00a0also believes it will power a\u00a0renewed drive towards online and mobile-based wagering\u00a0which will have far-reaching implications for all concerned.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI know that we are in for some rough days ahead, but we will emerge stronger than before. I believe that there will be a material change to the gaming industry, with a hard shift to towards online and mobile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith much of our team having come from a land-based casino group, we\u2019re acutely aware of the challenges that lay ahead. But I\u2019d suggest that online and mobile options will be table stakes for any gaming bill in any state that has not yet regulated, and states with regulated gaming options will face pressure to open up mobile quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will undoubtedly be small delays in legislative sessions, but overall, this will drive the industry forward. States will need revenues, the industry can provide jobs, and sports fans are going to find ways to engage with their favorite sports, teams and players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chalkline Sports offers mobile and\u00a0personalized live-odds competitions\u00a0that engage sports bettors of all experience levels. In the absence of most live sports in recent weeks, they have run a series of\u00a0free play games, including\u00a0horse racing, Tom Brady\u2019s free agency, and NBA 2K Players\u2019 tournament.<\/p>\n

Kustelski, who was general manager of sports betting at Sun International in South Africa before joining WatchandWager.com as chief operations officer, is now set to speak at the forthcoming\u00a0ICE North America Digital, which takes place virtually on\u00a0May 11-15.<\/p>\n

CONNECTING WITH CUSTOMERS<\/p>\n

He is also convinced that now is\u00a0not\u00a0the time for operators to quit their\u00a0marketing efforts, despite sensitivities around the impact of the global pandemic.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe opportunity for you and your customers is different from what it was even one month ago, but sports fans crave distractions now more than ever, and when you work in sports betting, your job is to provide people with the engagement they love.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always loved the Jeff Bezos quote about engaging with the end user: \u2018The most important single thing is to focus obsessively on the customer. Companies that have built a strong and authentic relationship with customers will find ways to communicate with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is your company\u2019s opportunity to tap into the seeds you\u2019ve planted in the past and have an authentic conversation with your customers, even in the worst times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kustelski believes those times will be made a whole lot better with the help of one of the industry\u2019s leading bodies. He added: \u201cOne thing cannot be overstated: the strength of the American Gaming Association, and what they can do to help the industry. From the days of Frank Fahrenkopf and Jim Murren, to Tim Wilmott, Trevor Croker and Bill Miller \u2014 the AGA will get us back on track.\u201d<\/p>\n

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