(AsiaGameHub) – Issue 40 of SBC Leaders magazine hits stands today, showcasing interviews with executives from Fanatics, bet365, Hard Rock, FanDuel, DraftKings, Betsson, Apuesta Total, and Allwyn.
Developing a standout product that resonates with sports fans is crucial for establishing a robust sportsbook brand, according to Selena Kalvaria, Chief Marketing Officer of Fanatics Betting & Gaming, in the latest issue of SBC Leaders magazine.
In the cover interview, Kalvaria shares the reasons behind her move from a thriving high fashion career to the sports betting sector, as well as her observations post-transition.
Fanatics is a household name among U.S. sports fans, courtesy of its extensive replica sportswear and merchandise arm—and that unparalleled reputation was the initial draw for Kalvaria to the role.
Since joining the company, Kalvaria has realized that the brand’s name would hold little weight with bettors if the online gambling team hadn’t emulated the clothing division’s fan-centric approach to product creation.
The company’s Fair Play injury refund feature was so well-received by customers that competing sportsbooks have copied it, while FanCash mirrors the interactive nature of retail loyalty programs for betting users.
“You need to create an outstanding product and offering that people value—and the team that was here before me excelled at striving to have the top product in the market,” Kalvaria states.
“By integrating FanCash and focusing on Fair Play, our connected ecosystem, and loyalty program—all of which are central to our brand identity—we constantly improve the experience for both customers and fans. That’s the core purpose of Fanatics.”
Also featured in the cover story, Mark Hughes, Chief Trading Officer at Fanatics, notes that in a competitive landscape with long-standing competitors, offering the right product can help “give customers no reason to depart”. Though he admits those rivals have “some very strong offerings”, Hughes is sure his team has nailed their product.
“We’re at a stage where our product is of extremely high quality, our loyalty program operates across all channels, and we have long-term customers who are highly engaged,” Hughes remarks.
“Everything has fallen into place. We now receive plenty of customer feedback stating, ‘I signed up for FanCash, but your product is just as good as FanDuel or DraftKings’.”
No One Is Forecasting an Apocalypse for Sportsbooks
One of Hughes’s responsibilities is to craft “reasons for customers to switch over and stay” — and as a U.S. operator, this involves attracting users of prediction markets.
Yet, even though Fanatics has rolled out its own Fanatics Markets platform, Hughes doesn’t anticipate that platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket will be able to compete with licensed sportsbooks in the long run.
“Matching our product range will be challenging. If things develop such that there’s a parlay product with high margins and generous offers, then maybe they can compete,” he notes.
“But without that, I don’t view them as the same product—even if they appear and feel very similar to customers. I find it hard to see them eating into our market share significantly in states where sports betting is legal.”
This perspective is shared by James Cooper, Senior Vice President of FanDuel’s Flywheel & New Ventures division (which focuses on identifying and launching new high-growth products), in another part of the magazine.
FanDuel Predicts is one such product; it has helped expand the operator’s total addressable market into states like California and Texas, where legal sports betting isn’t widely accessible.
Even though Cooper was directly involved in launching one of these products, he doesn’t think prediction markets will harm the legal sports betting industry significantly.
“We don’t consider the sportsbook ecosystem to be outdated in any way, and it remains our guiding principle,” he states.
“Sports betting is still the most straightforward and well-established method for fans to interact with sports results—especially in regulated markets that offer strong consumer protections and tangible benefits to states.”
The magazine also includes Marc Dunbar, President of IMGL, assessing the debate surrounding the legal standing of prediction markets.
bet365 Sets Sights on Top Position in U.S. Market
Although prediction markets have been making headlines, bet365’s growth in the U.S. over the past year has received little media attention.
The UK-based operator initially adopted a careful strategy for the U.S. market, but unlike many European peers that spent lavishly during the post-PASPA gold rush era, it is now starting to flourish.
It has become a top-five operator in many of the 17 states where it operates, a feat that Trip Stoddard, Head of Business Development for North America, credits to the company’s investments in localization and technology.
Stoddard is pleased with the progress made in recent months, but no one should assume the company will be satisfied with its current position among the competitors vying for market share behind FanDuel and DraftKings.
“If you look at bet365’s history and everything we’ve accomplished globally, we don’t enter markets where we’re okay with being in the top five. We don’t enter markets where we’re okay with being in the top three,” he says.
Stoddard adds: “We’re here to be number one. There’s obviously a top two. We’re keeping an eye on them, but we’re customizing our product and marketing to a point where we don’t just believe we can compete with them— I’m confident in saying we think we can outperform them.”
A Tour of the Global Betting Landscape
Issue 40 of SBC Leaders also features interviews with Steph Sherman, Chief Marketing Officer at DraftKings, discussing customer acquisition during the World Cup, and Donald Tabone, Chief Information Security Officer at Betsson, on the threats cybercriminals pose to operators.
Additionally, Rafi Ashkenazi, Chairman of Hard Rock Digital, reflects on his career in the gambling industry; Kenneth Morton, Group CFO at Allwyn, provides insider insights into the OPAP merger; and Gonzalo Perez, CEO of Apuesta Total, talks about the Peruvian market.
Moreover, the issue includes an in-depth analysis of emerging market opportunities in Latin America and an exploration of why industry lobbying efforts keep failing.
You can get a copy of SBC Leaders issue 40 at the SBC Summit Americas in Fort Lauderdale this June, or access the digital version here.
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