“The bookmaker’s job is to make sure that people want to bet”

1xBet’s team talked with Focus Gaming News about the company’s achievements in 2022 and prospects for 2023.

Exclusive interview.- The year 2022 is drawing to a close and Focus Gaming News spoke with 1xBet about the company’s highlights of the year, future projects for 2023 and what it thought about the FIFA World Cup 2022. 

We are approaching the end of the year. What lessons and challenges did 2022 leave you with?

The year 2022 is a time of big sporting tournaments, above all, the Olympic Games in Beijing and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. These kinds of events always attract new players, even those who haven’t followed sports much in the previous 4 years. And as a global bookmaker, you have to be ready for them.

What does this mean? Firstly, you have to be able to convince the newbies to use your exact offer. For that, you need to have the capacity to clearly describe the benefits a player will get when he decides to register with you. 

Secondly, you need to come up with new and exciting promotions that will attract potential players and those who have been with you for a long time.

That being said, it’s important to remember that even apart from such high-profile events, there are plenty of other exciting tournaments happening around the globe every day. 

The world doesn’t stand still. Players have new interests – we see this most clearly in the example of esports betting, which at 1xBet is becoming more and more popular every day. That’s why we actively support esports tournaments and teams, trying to contribute to the discipline’s development. 

The expectations are high, and the pressure is on, but it feels good – you have to meet the highest standards to be the best.

Throughout the year, 1xBet has closed many agreements and continued to expand its operations worldwide. What benefits will these agreements bring in the future?

I will be honest with you: when we conclude a deal, we immediately start thinking about what will happen next, and how the new collaboration can be extended for the future. Let’s say we sign an agreement with a football club for some specific markets – then we think about how the partnership could spread to a global reach after that.

As for the benefits, of course, the main benefit of partnership agreements is the opportunity to gain new audiences. An occasion that comes up for both parties involved. Every day hundreds of thousands of people around the world bet on 1xBet, and if even a tenth of them starts cheering for the club that has become our partner, it is already a significant contribution to the popularity of such a club. 

Conversely, we gain access to a fan base that trusts the club and gets a chance to enjoy a new, positive betting experience with us. We have plenty of exciting offers for newcomers, which will help them get excited and could be the start of a great friendship with 1xBet.

This year saw the FIFA World Cup. What conclusions can you draw about the event?

Of course, any conclusions can be drawn sometime after the tournament is over when our analysts will be able to assess all the figures. But I can already say that the tournament has drawn a lot of interest, even against the background of the very successful World Cup 2018.

Why so? First of all, many people were attracted by the unusual timing of the championship. For the first time ever, it was held in November-December, which led to a change in the entire football calendar. Unusual conditions (including climatic) for the national teams from different countries made the tournament matches even more unpredictable. 

And, of course, our players tried to capitalize on that. When the Morocco side finishes in the top four and leaves Belgium, Portugal, and Spain unscathed on their way to the semi-finals, it’s a thrilling story that makes you want to bet on the underdogs. 

We saw a lot of sensation – even Argentina’s brilliant national team lost to Saudi Arabia in their first match of the tournament. It’s always interesting, it makes people want to bet, to catch the defeat of the favourites. And the bookmaker’s job is to make sure that people want to bet, not only during such big events but for the whole four years until the next World Cup.

What are your main goals for 2023?

In brief, to gain a foothold and develop in the markets where we are already among the leaders and have an influence on the development of sports in the world. Also, to open up new countries and niches for ourselves. 

When I talk about niches, I am talking about sports and original promotions that can interest players and partners. We offer bets not only on sports but also on events in many other areas, from show business to space.  The global nature of the line means that you should always be ready to catch new trends – and use them. And we are ready. Stay tuned!