Flutter seeks startups to enhance Paddy Power retail offering

Flutter’s looking for new companies with ideas for in-store experiences and self-service terminals.

UK. Flutter Entertainment is seeking new startups to help it enhance the retail offering at its 625 Paddy Power betting shops in the UK and Ireland.

The company’s Alpha Hub “global innovation community” has opened a call for firms with “tenacious ideas” for the use of data and analytics, in-store experiences and the future of self-service terminals. 

Flutter said it wants to attract retail customers with a shop experience that “can’t be replicated online”. Amid the move to online and omni-channel betting verticals, Flutter says it wants to develop a “frictionless, intuitive self-service” offering, using reliable hardware and software. 

It wants to improve its in-store product and also enhance data collection and analysis from its shops to better use customer insights. Interested companies are also invited to share ideas on safer gambling and improving the retail entertainment experience in general.

Successful start-ups will take part in paid proof of concept trials, gain data on Flutter’s high-street business and receive product feedback and tailored mentoring sessions. There may also be opportunities to work with other Flutter brands, such as The Stars Group, Tombola and Betfair, and with the Alpha Hub’s extended partner network. 

Flutter’s looking for companies to address questions in the following areas: 

Data & Analytics

• How do we improve data collection and analysis from shop activity?
• How do we create customer insights to help improve the shop experience?
• How do we ensure we gather and process the right data to best protect our players?

In-Store Experience

• How can we improve in-store betting engagement and experience for customers?
• How can we provide better customer support and engagement in shops?
• How can we attract more customers into shops with novel, immersive viewing experiences that can’t be replicated online?

Future of Self-Service Terminals

• How can we enhance the customer experience and empower customers with the next generation of frictionless, intuitive self-service functionality?
• How do we ensure we’re building our solutions on the most reliable and 

Rob Smith, head of emerging technologies at Flutter, said: “If you follow the world of retail, there’s a very good chance you’ve heard of Paddy Power. The brand is one of the most eye-catching and popular in the industry, with a huge retail footprint that spans 625 retail outlets managed by thousands of colleagues who provide an outstanding service to customers all over the UK and Ireland.

“But we never rest on our laurels. Although we have the scale of a leader, we maintain the mindset of a challenger, so we’re constantly innovating in a race to the top for our customers. If your company can help us do that, we’d love to hear from you. In return, you’ll get the chance to run a paid proof of concept in our retail estate with the support of a global network powered by Flutter Entertainment.”

The Paddy’s Start-up Showcase innovation call will take place in three stages:

Stage 1: Applications, which close on 20th May 2022 and can be submitted online.

Stage 2: Pitch to Retail, where select start-ups will be invited for an initial conversation with the Paddy Power Retail team over Zoom.

Stage 3: Workshops, Demos and a Final Presentation, an action-packed day of focused discussions, workshops and discussions with a variety of Flutter stakeholders

In February, Paddy Power announced plans to update more than 40 of its retail betting shops in the UK and Ireland with digital displays provided by BoscaSports. The upgrades will be complete by the end of 2022 trading, the bookmaker said.

BoscaSports provides integrated sports display solutions to retail outlets including betting shops and racecourses. Other customers include the UK Tote, Britbet, Tote Ireland and MST in Italy.

In December, Paddy Power fell foul of the UK Advertising Standard Authority for offering “risk-free bets”. Online ads that ran in The Sun newspaper in the UK and Ireland had offered players a “£20 risk-free first bet”.