Dear Reader,
This article was originally published in the SCCG Management Weekly Newsletter #20 on November 25, 2020.
You can receive early access to articles like this, and other content by signing up for the weekly newsletter by clicking the button below.
Thanks for being part of the SCCG community!
LOOKING BACK AT 2020
We have all grown, together, in the face of a year that resisted foresight, and demanded agility and transformation. As a company, we turned into the storm, embracing technology and ways to work that gave us one of our most busy and productive years. Today, we take a look back at this challenging year.
GROWING OUR SERVICE FOOTPRINT
In Las Vegas, we moved and remodeled our office, and we opened new offices in Calgary and London, to better serve new and existing business development efforts, and in terms of new capabilities:
- We partnered with RSM and its founder, Bruce Bundrant who joined our Advisory Board to grow our sports and entertainment marketing capabilities.
- We partnered with Esanda Recruitment and its founder, Dennis Van Maanen to grow our iGaming talent recruitment capabilities.
- We partnered with LRI Media based in Australia and the UK to bring Affiliate Digital Marketing for iGaming and Sportsbooks to our US partners.
INVESTING IN ESPORTS
It’s no secret that we love esports here, despite all the challenges that this it faces as establishment industries try to figure out how to bring this global entertainment phenomenon into the mainstream.
- We invested heavily in esports with our work with the national brand for venue based gaming and entertainment, Gameworks
- Established a partnership with Prague-based esports risk management and data provider, Oddin
- Partnered with Malta-based sports gaming technology developer, BOA Solutions
- ICE dove deep with us, appointing Stephen Crystal as ICE ambassador of Esports and Gaming.
FOCUSING ON BETFRED USA SPORTS
As the US and North American business development partners for this amazing international Sports Betting and iGaming company, we made strong progress and some significant wins for our partners.
We opened the following sports wagering / igaming markets:
- Iowa sports betting market through a partnership agreement with Elite Casino Resorts
- Colorado sports betting market with Saratoga Casino Black Hawk
- Pennsylvania sports betting market with Wind Creek Bethlehem,
- Las Vegas, NV sports betting market with Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
FOCUSING ON SPORTS BETTING
Sports Wagering and iGaming continue to grow and expand into the newly opened and still to open markets across the US. We invested a lot of time and attention to this huge opportunity.
- We added key business development leaders Dave Antony, Chris Barranco, Tony Naughton and Kelli Weaver to the SCCG team.
- We partnered with Bettorlogic and its CEO, Andrew Dagnall, to bring its digital engagement sportsbook marketing capabilities to the US.
- We partnered with GoldenRace and its CEO and Founder, Martin Wachter, to bring their global market leading, award-winning Virtual Sports product in the North American Tribal and Commercial gaming markets.
- We renewed our US business development partnership with Malta and UK licensed Scout Gaming Group, the leading global B2B supplier of Daily Fantasy Sports solutions.
- We partnered with leading sportsbook and lottery supplier, and DGJ Group subsidiary, Sporting Solutions, and their Managing Director of Sporting Solutions, Edward Peace, to speed their go to market strategy in North America.
- We partnered with eFanGage and the Backal Hospitality Group to bring its Social Sportsbook Platform for Venues – Bars, Restaurants, Arenas and Stadiums, powered by Scout Gaming Group, to the US.
COMMITED TO NETWORKING
We continued to be active in industry networking activities through online tools, participating in the following industry media events:
- Sports America 2019 at the Meadowlands, New Jersey, to debut the Betfred American sports betting platform
- National Tribal Gaming Commissioners and Regulators Spring Conference
- Wisconsin Gaming Regulators Association
- Oklahoma Tribal Gaming Regulators Association
- Spotlight on Sports Betting Executive Q&A
- Smile Expo “Betting on the Future in the face of COVID-19
- Interview with Yogonet Gaming News
- SBC Digital Summit, North America Panel, “The Next Generation of Venues”
- Comped Travel Interview with Stephen Crystal
- BWG Strategy Teleconference on Live Casino and Sports Betting Q&A
- MaxBetMedia Podcast, “Bathtub Full of River Water” to discuss how the early evolution of riverboat gambling could predict the future of online gaming
- SBC Summit Barcelona – Digital, for the US Networking Session
- 2020 Coingeek Virtual Conference Panel Discussion on Cashless Casinos and How Blockchain Technology can create a Better and Safer Gaming Experience.
- TEN Dynamic Digital Event on Recrafting Player Engagement
- BWG Strategy Event, Live Casino and Sports Betting Outlook Q&A
- SIGMA Virtual Expo – Malta Event on the explosive growth of sports betting and gaming in America.
THE WRAP UP
As we enter into the last US holidays of 2020, we go with appreciation for our friends, family and partners who have made this year’s successes possible.
We go with gratitude into 2021, looking forward to the experiences and opportunities to continue to grow, understanding that success is not a zero sum game. Success is the natural outcome of hard work, good partners, strong value propositions and a little bit of luck. We embrace and welcome all of those things.
If you are interested in being part of our exciting vision for 2021, please reach out. We would love to hear from you.
