By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
With more than 12 years working in the gaming industry, what are the main lessons that the betting market has taught you?
The first lesson is that there is no single betting market. There are two absolutely different realities, online betting and in-person betting. Online betting is a very complex reality, with zero tolerance for error because there are thousands of users who catch those mistakes on the fly with bots and other technological tools and make the most of them (and I’m talking about errors in odds or markets open for a few seconds). The in-person market is something else. The user is more recreational. There are more pre-match bets and a much lower average ticket. Another learning is about promotions. The dynamics of the Spanish online gaming market, and in general of any international market, is based on recurrently granting incentives in the form of bonuses, freebets or similar. The average user is not able to convert these incentives into real money on a regular basis, and yet those who do manage to do so are usually a small group of people who consistently take advantage of these promotions. Sometimes, people abuse them by purchasing verified accounts, for example. We do not compete on quality or product. The market has based its competition on price (quotas and promotions). With complete certainty, this dynamic leads the market to not be sustainable in the long term, because excess consumption is generated in some and commercial costs for operators, and the great critical mass is left aside. There is the recreational user who spends 20 or 30 euros per month and does not aspire to big bonuses or rewards. He/she simply aspires to have a good experience, to enjoy events with a little more excitement and nothing more. If we only compete on odds and promotions, our clients will be bots trading bets and bonuses.
What analysis do you make of the current situation of online gaming in Spain? What do you think are the main challenges that the industry is facing?
The Spanish market is mature in terms of gaming offer, although it continues to grow strongly considering the data for 2023. It will be necessary to analyze whether it is at the expense of the in-person business or if there is a mix between cannibalization of in-person business and spending growth in global terms. The game offer is good. Some things are missing, such as more live casino, but, in general, there is no problem in that sense. The challenge of fighting against illegal gambling is different because the lack of advertising and the constant cornering of the legal operator, together with the generalized restrictions on the entire customer base, is causing the user not to distinguish legal from illegal gambling, or directly decide to play illegally to avoid the restraint to which they are subjected. In Spain, we live in a heavily regulated environment. The General Directorate of Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) has put all its efforts into adopting measures based on general limitations for the more than one and a half million people who play online each year. This is nothing more than trying to put doors on the field. All studies indicate that the rate of problem gambling in Spain, however it is measured, is not worrying. It is even decreasing, according to some studies by state authorities. The focus, in my opinion, should be placed on specific people, on those who show signs of developing inappropriate behavior related to gambling, but these signs cannot be based on an expenditure of 600 euros per week. It may seem better or worse to us, nonsense, or something out of the ordinary, but spending 1800 euros in three weeks in gambling does not necessarily indicate risky behavior, as they have written in a standard, just like buying the iPhone 15 that costs 1,400 euros either denotes a disorder in which it does so. Control measures must be applied to individuals and stop thinking about groups, which is very fashionable. Those who have a problem -and we try to help them- are not stigmatized. They are stigmatized by treating those who do not have it as if they did.
What does JOKERBET offer its clients that the competition does not?
We do not know if it is provided by the competition or not. We simply treat our customers as we would like to be treated in any business we visit. We firmly believe that offering a top-notch product is of no use without top-notch service.
What is your assessment of JOKERBET’s operations in 2023?
The balance has been very positive. In addition to having grown strongly in our figures in general, we have managed to develop a range of measures and technological innovations that allow us to be closer to our clients, understand them better and, therefore, offer them a greater experience. People who make up the JOKERBET team are focused on a model of service excellence, with a level of cohesion and alignment that makes me feel especially proud and lucky to work with them every day.
In a few weeks, you will be participating at G&M Events Spain, a gaming industry gathering that will take place at the Admiral Casino & Lodge San Roque in Cadiz on April 3-4th. Could you tell us more about your expectations about the event and what you think these meetings provide for the betting sector?
The expectations for me at this type of event are usually focused on refreshing personal relationships, exchanging impressions with suppliers and competitors, as well as seeing new developments in the industry. In short, it is an exercise in enrichment and refreshment that is absolutely necessary from time to time.