Utku Sarper: “Businesses should constantly improve their products in accordance with the requirements of the players”
Utku Sarper sat down with Focus Gaming News to talk about TVBET attendance at ICE London and his expectations regarding the event.
Exclusive interview.- The gaming industry is changing and those companies that do not quickly adapt to the new demands of users will fall by the wayside.
Utku Sarper, TVBET Business Development Manager, knows that this implies a great challenge, but he is willing to face it.
In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Mr. Sarper spoke about the new markets the company hopes to reach, the challenges presented by the current Covid-19 pandemic and the situation in Ukraine and what are his expectations for the current year.
How are you preparing for ICE London and what are your expectations for the exhibition?
After a long break, we are happy to exhibit at Exxcel yet again. This is truly one of the most important exhibitions in the gambling world and finally, it will be the first time representing TVBET. It’s very exciting.
TVBET will present itself at the stand S3-130 and we will be happy to get in touch with both current and new business partners. This time, we plan to gather our global representation, and the stand will amaze a few! The expectations are high, especially after such a long break and a limited number of events.
“The biggest focus is on acquiring new business and presenting the new product features.”
Utku Sarper, TVBET Business Development Manager.
What products are you most eager to showcase?
During last year we have been focused on our priorities and started developing more features. We listened to the feedback from our existing partners and industry standards and wanted to do something about it. Nowadays player engagement is something that needs to go along with the game development itself. We will be releasing automated cashback functionality, Freebets and Chat function.
Last year you were able to conclude agreements with 60+ partners, what’s the picture for 2022?
This year, the targets are even higher. We hope to break last year’s records. During the past year, TVBET created a new Sales team, where onboarding took place and multiple deals were closed. In 2022 the majority of the work that I and my team have done will evolve and blossom.
There are different things that affected our work, mostly the situation in Ukraine. We do pray for the health and lives of our colleagues and wish for a quick end to the war. Market presented a great perspective, however, it seems it will have to wait.
The business should adapt to new realities and look for ways out of a difficult situation. We really hope that soon everything will be over and everyone will be able to return to their normal rhythm.
The company intends to continue to make a significant emphasis on Africa and Latin American markets, how do you expect to achieve that goal?
Yes, we actively began to develop these markets last year, and we continue to strengthen our positions there this year. We already locked a few opportunities in the market, and more are pending. This goes hand in hand with compliance and getting the necessary approvals for Colombia and Argentina. We also expect that more regions will legalize online betting, which will also allow us to expand.
African development shows great potential, we expect to go live in the Western Cape and other jurisdictions with the help of our devoted Partner in Q2. I must admit it’s been a challenge to convert the prospects into the closed deals there, seem like there is more uncertainty and mistrust towards our product, but once live, those doubts disappear instantly.
This is what we will try to work on in the following months- to present the potential of our games, especially 5bet, 7bet, KENO and WheelBet and prove what great numbers they can generate.
What’s the key to the recovery and expansion model despite the pandemic crisis?
We believe that with Covid-19 and extensive quarantine measures, the focus has shifted to online betting and gambling. Pre-pandemic era, many players preferred to place bets at land-based points, with Covid-19, the situation changed dramatically, and everyone began to evaluate the world of online betting.
In order to continue to be interesting to players, businesses should constantly improve their products in accordance with the requirements of the players. Bettors are becoming more and more demanding, if Game providers do not upgrade products, in particular sound, visuals, interface, etc. you can very quickly become obsolete in the industry.
“Gambling and betting need constant development and movement.”
Utku Sarper, TVBET Business Development Manager.
How does the situation in Ukraine affect the industry?
Personally, I think that the situation in Ukraine will hit the gaming market. Many companies are already refusing to cooperate with Russia, even those who have not done this yet are likely to do so.
As for Ukraine, we had high hopes for the Gambling market, as gambling was recently legalized there. But until everything is restored, it will take some time for us to fully continue building partnerships there and take back up where it was left.
But the worst thing about all this is the human loss of life. We have many colleagues in Ukraine, and we are very worried about them and pray for a quick ending to the war.
