By adding new sports to the Setka Cup tournaments roster, BETER is now delivering even more ‘fast’ and reliable content for sportsbook operators, said BETER’s Chief Product Officer Alex Lobov.
We spoke to Lobov about strengthening its foothold in the fast sports betting niche through the addition of beach volleyball, risk management and countering the threat of match fixing, as well as why all of its sports ‘encapsulate the demand for ‘fast content, which has quickly become so popular and profitable for betting operators.
SBC: Why is the Setka Cup so engaging for punters? And where is it different from the traditional consumption of sports content?
AL: If we take table tennis as an example. Such a fast and thrilling table tennis tournament, which features matches round-the-clock, perfectly meets the demands of the betting industry. In the Setka Cup, competitors face each other in gripping one-on-one clashes, which last for, on average, 30 minutes.
This means that bettors find out the outcome of such a match much quicker than they would for, say, a football, hockey or basketball match. It’s also worth noting that bettors can place a range of live bets, for example on who will earn the next point or win a set, with a total of up to 20 markets available for each event.
And to make tournaments even more engaging for fans, Setka Cup’s dedicated team has created unique media channels, including Setka Cup TV, which covers sporting and educational events linked to table tennis.
Each week, they publish video reviews of players and match highlights. What’s more, the Setka Cup website is also a platform where fans can find statistics for all matches and players, all of which are updated in real time.
BETER provides more than 7,500 Setka Cup’s matches per month and streams up to eight matches simultaneously, which increases customer engagement even further.
SBC: Of course the product must be profitable for the operator as well as fast and engaging for the customer. How is the Setka Cup meeting both sides of this, and how are you ensuring reliability of content over long periods?
AL: With BETER, clients can count on predictable margins and we ensure that they get in-demand, reliable, 24/7 products, as we offer a large number of events and comprehensive stats for every player and match.
Setka Cup 24/7 events fill free airtime on sportsbooks and provide thrilling content which engages customers. This means such content is both interesting for bettors and also profitable for betting operators.
The reliability of sports content is a key priority for us as it forms a cornerstone of our business. Setka Cup events have been held since 2018 and the organisers have worked tirelessly since then to ensure that everything connected to this tournament runs like a well-oiled machine.
Being powered by BETER, each Setka Cup sport is a high-tech product that features live streaming, live data, and odds. Thanks to our in-house IT systems and automated trading platform, we have an accurate live event data feed, as well as precise mathematical models. which are designed with the specific needs of each individual sport in mind.
What’s more, this is also complemented by our dedicated team of traders, each of whom have a wealth of expert knowledge and experience of this sector.
SBC: Let’s pick up on the trading element. How are you helping operators to manage risk from Setka Cup markets and protect them from the threat of fixing?
AL: Setka Cup has its own fraud prevention policies to ensure that all Setka Cup matches are fair. To this end, Setka Cup uses a variety of methods and procedures, such as polygraph tests, which are conducted by an independent polygraph examiner.
In fact, all competitors are required to agree to take a polygraph test as a pre-requisite for taking part in the Setka Cup. This means that both the participants and the jury are aware of the potential risks and clearly understand the impact of engaging in match fixing can have on their reputation and ratings.
If we receive any information about alleged match fixing, we start our standard investigation procedure. Competitors who are under investigation are barred from participating in Setka Cup events until the end of said investigation. If it transpires that an athlete has engaged in match fixing, we immediately halt any co-operation with them.
Our system of preventive measures and procedures helps us to avoid such situations and the development of the community surrounding our brand plays a vital role in this process. Our players are loyal to us and the opportunities we give them are extremely valuable.
SBC: And finally, we mentioned beach volleyball as a new sport added just last month; what is the process for making such additions?
AL: We are constantly working to improve our products. We collect customer feedback, which we use to enhance the functionality of our products and services, as well as the quality of our content and further diversify the variety of sporting disciplines we offer.
All new Setka Cup sports have to go through a trial period in order to test their profitability and effectiveness. In order to do so, BETER checks all the relevant key metrics, technical aspects and develops efficient, 24/7 schedules and ranking systems.
Beach volleyball has passed the trial period with flying colours and we are glad we can help our clients offer even more to their customers. We added 16 matches, which are held every day, and comply with international FIVB standards of 2×2 beach volleyball.
More than 150 players, from beginners to Masters of Sport in volleyball and beach volleyball, have already signed up to take part in the Setka Cup. What’s more, the ranking system divides players into groups of equal skill levels, making matches even more entertaining.