Joe Asher, President of Sports Betting at IGT and David Bretnitz, VP of Sales, Americas at Kambi discuss their latest innovations, milestones and how they are uniquely positioned to help tribes grow their sports betting businesses.
IGT PlaySports
Joe Asher, President of Sports Betting at IGT
igt.com/playsports
UNIQUE PRODUCTS: In 2023, we launched our latest innovation, the PeakBarTop with Sports. This product is unique in the market and allows patrons to play poker, slots, and bet on sports all on the same piece of equipment, providing a complete gaming experience. This versatility is particularly valuable for tribal operators who are focused on maximizing their casino floorspace and adding new revenue streams.
MILESTONES: Our recent launch of the PeakBarTop with St. Croix Casinos represented a significant milestone as the first-ever installation of this product. The PeakBarTops have yielded great results across all three of their locations in Wisconsin. We are excited to expand the availability of our PeakBarTop product in Wisconsin with our partners at Oneida, who will be the next customer to leverage the product.
Our on-premise mobile solution has proven to be a winner for tribal operators as well, allowing customers to bet on sports across the reservation. Snoqualmie Casino in Washington serves as a prime example of the success achieved through the implementation of our mobile product, giving them a competitive edge in the local market.
INSIGHTS: My advice for tribes looking to enter the sports betting market is to research your suppliers carefully and pick a trusted partner who will be with you for the entire experience. One of the reasons that we’ve been so successful in Indian Country is due to the existing relationship with IGT gaming. Operators who have worked with IGT know that we have a deep level of trust among our partners, and we offer our expertise and support around the clock to help them succeed. Our PlaySports team is very experienced – some of the people have been in the sports betting industry for decades – so our casino partners know they are getting the best advice from industry experts.
Kambi
David Bretnitz, VP of Sales, Americas
kambi.com
UNIQUE PRODUCTS: Kambi is a trusted provider to many tribal operators throughout North America, including Desert Diamond Casinos, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Potawatomi Casinos & Hotels, Prairie Band Casino & Resort and Seneca Gaming Corporation, providing them with the high-performance online and on-property offering needed to engage existing customers and acquire new ones.
Having extensively developed our range of terminals, over-the-counter services and digital signage prior to launching in North America in 2018, we have continued to enhance our products and technology to continue providing a truly cutting-edge service. This includes Kambi’s unique Bring Your Own Device technology, which enables players to engage with a tribe’s sportsbook and build their bets on their devices – scanning a QR code at the property to place them quickly and easily – as well as state-of-the-art kiosks, which offer intuitive betting experiences and reduce queues at busy times during the biggest sporting fixtures.
MILESTONES: We extended our reach with a series of significant new partnerships throughout 2023, teaming up with Potawatomi Casinos & Hotels, Prairie Band Casino & Resort and Warhorse Gaming to supply these operators with a bespoke range of sports betting kiosks, bar-top terminals and over-the-counter service support. Signing new commercial agreements is a priority for Kambi, but no more so than ensuring these partners can launch quickly and with all the ongoing support they need to grow their brands and establish meaningful market share. This was clearly demonstrated in our partnership with Warhorse Gaming, with the operator’s Warhorse Casino Lincoln becoming the first sportsbook in Nebraska shortly after the partnership was signed – illustrating Kambi’s pedigree in facilitating market-first launches.
INSIGHTS: For any tribe looking to boost brand recognition and share of wallet in its target markets, launching sports betting with a partner that has a track record in offering real strength of product and support through launch and beyond is a path worth exploring. Not only does sports betting bring a new generation of customers through the doors of the casino – driving additional revenue from the sportsbook itself – it’s also proven to empower enhanced returns across the casino floor as these customers engage with other parts of the offering including table games and hospitality.
