Hmayak Arakelyan, Digitain: “Players must always remain at the heart of any product”

Hmayak Arakelyan, Regional Sales Team Manager at Digitain, gave an exclusive interview to Focus Gaming News to discuss the company’s upcoming presentation at SBC Summit.

Exclusive interview – A new edition of the SBC Summit is just around the corner, with the novelty that this year, the event will be held in Lisbon, Portugal and, according to its organisers, it will have an unprecedented number of attendees.

Digitain will be one of the companies present at the event and, to find out more about its attendance there, Focus Gaming News spoke to Hmayak Arakelyan, regional sales team manager, who also gave an overview of the company’s achievements so far this year and shared his views on the keys to attracting audiences in an increasingly competitive ecosystem.

Digitain will be attending SBC Summit. What are your expectations of this event?

This is the first SBC Summit to take place in Portugal, so we’re expecting a lot from it. It also marks a new step for the SBC: It’s bigger and better, and we’re awaiting more attendees than ever before. We have been fully booked for the first two days of the show, and I believe the third day is about to be booked as well. Of course, the biggest achievement and result will be new agreements that we will sign at the show.

We’ve been shortlisted in four categories for this upcoming SBC Summit: Sportsbook Supplier Of The Year, Platform Provider Of The Year, Virtual Sports Supplier, and Multi-Channel Supplier. These nominations further solidify our growing reputation and we’re confident they will attract more visitors to our booth. 

I believe many people will love to visit our beautifully designed stand and Beach Bar to experience our carefully crafted products. The positive feedback we receive from our partners is one of our greatest rewards.

You have introduced several products this year. What will be the highlights of Digitain’s presentation at the SBC Summit?

Our presentation for this upcoming SBC Summit has many exciting products. We’ll present our main products, which include Sportsbook, Centrivo iGaming Platforms, Paydrom, and Virtual Sports. This year, we’ve reached a significant milestone by expanding our offerings to include affiliate and CRM products. Our Centrivo team has developed innovative solutions that are sure to attract attention – Centrivo Affiliate and Centrivo CRM.

Our CRM has been designed to meet all the needs of operators. It provides detailed customer feedback, enabling our partners to create targeted campaigns that address their players’ specific preferences. Centrivo Affiliate, on the other hand, complements our CRM and platform with comprehensive reports that facilitate traffic generation. Its automated features make it a highly desirable solution for affiliate managers and affiliates alike.

Our commitment extends beyond developing new products. As our partners continue to experience month-over-month growth with our sportsbook, it’s crucial to maintain its momentum and introduce innovative features. Our nomination for “Sportsbook Supplier of the Year” is a testament to our achievements thus far.

One such achievement is our groundbreaking “Autobet” feature, which enables users to set preferred odds ranges for selected events and markets. When an odd matches the specified range, a bet is automatically placed based on the user’s settings. Additionally, our in-house Bet Builder is now available to all our partners with enhanced features like league and margin control, providing localised betting experiences

You can discover all these incredible solutions and products at our stand during the event!

You have also secured different agreements in various parts of the world during the first half of 2024. What is the current landscape for Digitain in the European market?

Partnerships are essential for us, and we value each new addition as it reinforces our brand. That’s why we’re proud to have signed many deals in the European region this year. It’s been an ecstatic year crowned with success. 

Partnering with King.rs in Serbia provided valuable insights into the market’s specifics and the gambling landscape in southeastern Europe. We’re excited to announce that we’ve secured another deal in Serbia, launching soon. Stay tuned for the official announcement!

Our presence extends to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, and, through a licensed partner, Portugal.

Of course, we’re not planning on stopping at the moment; we have ambitious plans for this market, and we’ll increase the number of partners over there during the year.

“Partnerships are essential for us, and we value each new addition as it reinforces our brand.”

In an industry constantly evolving with new technologies and an increasingly demanding audience, what is the key to providing innovative products that attract the public?

Players must always remain at the heart of any product. They’re the ones we do it for. So, we ensure we cater to them and develop solutions that meet their needs. This requires listening to them and using data to provide relevant experiences. Data collection is crucial, and integrating AI solutions can help when analysing player behaviour, which makes decisions more accurate. We used to emphasise “Mobile First,” but as one of my partners astutely pointed out, the trend is shifting towards “Data First- Mobile Second.”

It’s not the only thing we must stay attentive about to be successful, though. We also focus on identifying current trends and following the ones that can bring value to the players.

Do you believe it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a balance between simplicity to achieve audience retention and the sophistication and variety of betting options?

We believe that sophistication should never come at the cost of accessibility. The system of our products is increasingly complex in terms of how they function behind the curtain and security. However, we keep the UI/UX as simple as possible to ensure players can place their wagers effortlessly. 

For instance, our Bet Builder has been enhanced recently. On paper, it looks like a complex solution as it lets players connect several bets, but it remains intuitive and engaging for the players. So much so, that it’s become one of their favourite features in our sportsbook for the increased winning opportunities, independence, and flexibility, it brings them.

“We believe that sophistication should never come at the cost of accessibility.”