GIA Huddle with Tim Pool and Amir from BayZ Esports

Introduction

• Participants: Tim Pool (Gambling Insider), Amir (BayZ Esports, CCO)
• Amir's Role Change:
  • From COO to CCO
  • Third C-level executive added
  • Focus on external commercial roles (sales, marketing)

Plans for 2023

• Critical Deals Closed:
  • ESL Faceit Group: 3-year exclusive match data deal
  • Blast: 2-year exclusive deal
  • Securing content portfolio for stability
• Product Portfolio Enhancement:
  • Live match product is set
  • New odds product, Bodex
  • Expanded product sphere and partnerships
  • One-stop-shop for esports data (odds products, risk-managed products, data visualization)

Trends in Esports Betting (US)

• Growth Status:
  • 30 states allow for online betting
  • 9 states permit esports betting (e.g., New York, Colorado, Ohio, Nevada)
  • Challenges with state-by-state regulations
  • Companies face extensive screening processes
  • Need for regulations to allow more innovation

Trends in Esports Betting (International)

• Professionalization of the Market:
  • Emergence of big players
  • Acquisition activities (e.g., ESL Faceit merge, SEVI Group buyout)
  • Saudi Arabia's significant investment in esports ($38 billion)
  • Major European influence (Germany: ESL, Grid, Bitcraft)
  • Entities covering the value chain
  • Failures of unsustainable business models expected

Importance of Data

• Data Scraping Issues:
  • Early methods involved 'AI-based' video feed data scraping
  • Issues with consent and data integrity
  • Regulatory challenges, especially in the US
  • Shift towards validated, directly sourced data
  • Need for future-proof, integrated data systems
  • Example: BayZ's infrastructure supporting products like Sportsflare's flash markets

Marketing Esports Betting

• Educating the Industry and Players:
  • Sufficient content and product availability
  • Importance of recognizing esports as more than video games
  • Encouragement for C-level focus on esports
  • Importance of having esports specialists
  • Common issue: Lack of unified strategy within large groups (e.g., Flutter)