Mario Ovcharov, CEO of UltraPlay, talks about trends in the gambling industry and shares opinion about future plans.
– What makes UltraPlay so special software development company in the online gaming industry?
– The innovation and creativity is moving us forward in every aspect of our business and it’s a vital part of our corporate DNA. By offering advanced betting solutions since 2010, we have solidly positioned our brand as a synonym of a trusted partner in the online betting market and beyond. We were the first to adopt Bitcoin as an alternative way of wagering back in 2012 when the most popular cryptocurrency now was hardly known and much less attractive than is today. Moreover, we are the pioneers in eSports betting reaching unrivaled coverage, most diversified and richest portfolio which made us known as the industry’s leaders in this gaming vertical. The size of our team and our odds provision is focused entirely on eSport and its expansion.
The numbers don’t lie and we have been recently awarded with the Best B2B Digital Product Solution at G2E Asia Awards for our eSports betting feed ODDS.gg. We don’t pretend to be special, but the feedback we receive from our partners, their players and the industry in general is what make us going beyond and setting the bar higher.
– What is the main focus of UltraPlay in eSports?
– We focus on shaping the future of eSports betting by providing new and avant-garde solutions to all gaming operators who are willing to step into eSports and start making much better profits combined with the enhanced excitement they can offer to the players. We constantly upgrade our eSports products – adding new game titles tournaments and markets, upgrading our models for pre-match and live betting, as well as improving the UX so that players feel the maximum thrills of betting.
We really like sharing knowledge and experience gained throughout the years with the shareholders of the entire online gaming ecosystem, and those that need to establish their business or enhance their approach towards different kinds of gaming verticals.
Particularly, eSports has always been a focal point of our company and will continue to be such. It comes naturally by the fact that people following eSports are growing exponentially year by year. We envisioned the great impact eSports would have on the gambling industry back when we first started covering it and now we are happy to see our predictions were absolutely right.
Let’s give you a simple example of how significant eSports is now. People who follow eSports spend about 8 hours per week playing video games while watching Television for only about 4 hours. That’s a trend to be further expanded and analyzed but those who started offering eSports odds already are ahead of the game.
– What are the major problems, challenges this industry has to face and what solutions would you suggest for these problems?
– We usually think of specifics and challenges that lead to improvements, innovation and creativity. Firstly, you should know that you are not selling products to the eSports community. What you do sell is emotion. You create a bond between fans, players, organizations, and your brand that if cultivated properly is powerful enough to hold a lifetime. Having that in mind, practices that have worked for other gaming verticals do not usually work for eSports betting. This fast-paced sector runs by dynamics of eSports itself – the new game rules, new leagues and their updates that come out regularly or the audience that is constantly seeking for something hotter or more technically advanced to be added to their favorite games. Key answers to those challenges are the competence and confidence companies can provide through products and solutions to their partners and the entire betting ecosystem.
– What trends in the gambling industry do you observe?
– Technology is leading the way of how gambling industry develop. We observe all kinds of breakthroughs that shape the future of the gambling market. Blockchain technology is a great example of how gambling is evolving to levels that haven’t been imagined before. More and more cryptocurrencies are coming to provide better user experience, faster and secure transactions and last but not least the excitement of using the latest world’s innovative technology. We have entered the market with our own cryptocurrency eGold that will be soon used for wagering on eSports. A true innovation on the gambling market which will incentivize the players and will give a perfect answer to the crypto fans.
Besides technology, we see that traditional sectors of gambling are now moving or joining forces with the hottest trends on the market now. This synergy will continue to grow and gain popularity all around the globe. Emerging markets will open towards unexplored areas and core markets will strengthen positions with the advantages many of the cutting-edge technological solutions offer to players such as eSports.
– What are future plans and projects of UltraPlay?
– We will continue delivering our award-winning eSports betting solutions and the innovative concepts the industry’s constantly looking for.
Blockchain technology is also a main strategy goal to be further develop on our end with the ICO project we successfully completed at the beginning of the year. Our own eSports betting cryptocurrency will become the first choice payment method for the gamers worldwide and we will take full advantage of Blockchain technology for betting.
Regarding our plans for market’s expansion, we are looking to enter new emerging markets with huge potential on sports and eSports betting. We are doing business on many markets worldwide, focusing on Europe and Asia. With the PASCA repeal, there is another emerging market we could be of great support to with our unrivaled online betting solutions. Our eSports betting suite is extensively developed over the years by being the first to add many of the games that are offered pre-match or live today. Basically, this is an expertise we are willing to share with all interested to start offering eSports and enter this very exciting sector with huge audience in the United States.
This interview has been published in GamblersPost on 07.06.2018.