“Our ambition is to continuously launch new products and formats tailored to U.S. bettors and sports fans”

In 2021, you moved to New York, where Better Collective established its headquarters. How has your perspective on the U.S. market changed over these years?

Over the past years, my perspective on the U.S. market has evolved alongside the developments within the market. Since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, we have seen an interesting opportunity in the U.S. with immense potential. As the market has continued to develop over time, we’ve recognized the dynamics and unique challenges it presents. The regulatory changes and the growing sophistication of U.S. bettors have underscored the need for agility and deep market understanding to thrive. Overall, the U.S. remains an exciting and promising market for Better Collective.

What are the biggest challenges that the U.S. market poses for affiliates? Are they related to regulations, or perhaps the player profile?

The U.S. market presents a mix of challenges for affiliates. Regulatory complexity is certainly at the forefront, as each state has its own set of unique rules and compliance requirements that must be met. This fragmented landscape demands a tailored approach to ensure compliance while maximizing opportunities. Additionally, the player profile in the U.S. is diverse and constantly evolving, requiring us to continuously innovate and customize our offerings to meet varying preferences and behaviors. Creating a balance between these factors is crucial for sustainable growth.

Do you think that providing business partners with an adequate level of acquisition and retention while delivering engaging content to the audience is a challenging task? Or does it naturally go hand in hand?

Providing business partners with strong acquisition and retention metrics while delivering engaging content to the audience is not an easy task, but it’s one that ideally goes hand in hand – and one that Better Collective historically has excelled at, and one where we differentiate ourselves. Our high focus on highly engaging products and content makes us able to retain and reactivate users for our partners at a very high level.

High-quality, engaging content naturally leads to better user engagement and retention, which, in turn, benefits our business partners – both endemic and non-endemic. The key is to maintain a commitment to excellent content creation and leverage data-driven insights to continuously enhance the user experience and drive value for our partners.

Do you see any general trends in the U.S. market, particularly in the context of regulations, that may impact affiliate operations? Are these trends positive or negative for affiliates?

We are observing a trend toward stricter regulatory oversight in the U.S. market. While this requires affiliates to be more meticulous in their operations, it also fosters a more transparent and trustworthy environment between all parties. As co-founders of both RGAA in the U.S. and RAIG in the UK, we believe that affiliates who prioritize compliance and adapt to these changes will likely find themselves in a stronger position moving forward.

The industry of affiliates is, even all bundled together, very small – and not always given sufficient attention, so through RGAA and RAIG we have great collaborations to both deliver compliant content – but also make industry stakeholders and regulators aware of what we do, and the value we add to the ecosystem and safer gambling efforts.

With the acquisition of Playmaker Capital, this year already seems quite intense for Better Collective. How significant was this move for the company, and what new perspectives does it open up for you?

The acquisition of Playmaker Capital was a crucial milestone for Better Collective. Besides making us a leader in South America, it substantially expanded our footprint in North America with well-positioned sports media brands through Yardbarker and The Nation Network, including DailyFaceOff in both the U.S. and Canada.

These brands complement our strategic vision of becoming the leading sports media group globally. This move allows us to leverage Playmaker Capital’s extensive network and media assets to enhance our content offerings and deepen our engagement with sports fans, regardless of location. It opens up new avenues for growth and innovation, positioning us well for the future.

What are Better Collective’s goals in the U.S. market, and what are your immediate plans to achieve them? Is there something you hope to accomplish before the end of 2024?

Our primary goal in the U.S. market is to solidify our position as the go-to partner for businesses – both endemic and non-endemic – seeking brand activation in an engaged sports context. We aim to achieve this by having a diversified brand portfolio led by Action Network and enhancing our content quality, while investing in technology to provide unparalleled user experiences and retention. Our ambition is to continuously launch new products and formats tailored to U.S. bettors and sports fans alike, and further ensure sustainable growth and engagement.