Interviewed for Gioco News, Altenar’s regional director Francesco Papallo speaks on the unique scope of a traditionally prevalent sports betting market that many global companies and landscapes look to as a point of reference.
Speaking with Francesco shed incredible light on how the market works, and how a sportsbook product, like the one developed by Altenar, can achieve success in a landscape filled with devoted sports lovers and generational bettors.
What draws operators to the Italian sports betting market?
Francesco explained that “Italians seem to be true sports betting enthusiasts. Surely because the providers who deal with them know how to meet their requests and offer increasingly modern and secure online platforms.”
Continuing, Francesco explained that though the country is a historically big fan of soccer, providers offer a wide range of sports to tailor content to the diverse face of the betting culture in the country. Francesco added, “In fact, online betting is not limited to soccer but also allows you to wager on a wide range of sports, thus meeting the tastes of anyone who follows championships such as basketball, tennis, or ice hockey and boxing, for example.”
With security in mind, how does Altenar’s product compare to other providers on the market?
Francesco explained the importance of security and responsible gaming in the Italian sports betting market, and as a result, it became clear that those looking to operate within the unique landscape must adhere to local laws and regulations.
Francesco noted, “Those who use betting sites know how important it is to choose a reliable site. For betting sites, first, you need to check if they have an authorized license and have been issued by ADM.”
Altenar’s regional director for the Italian market continued, “Each website must display the official logo of the agency. In this, Altenar, one of the industry's best sportsbook software providers, strictly aligns the wants of the operator and governing bodies with what they offer to clients.”
Strict adherence to local law supports responsible gaming for players and allows the industry to grow in the right areas, from technology advancements to increased content availability.
What is a feature of the Italian market space—either a product/feature or regulation—that you think should be adopted by other betting landscapes?
Altenar’s regional director detailed his response to the above question by saying, “Well, at the moment the betting market in Italy has some limits from the point of view of the features compared with other countries, but being a mature market it can certainly offer the experience.”
He continued, “On the front end, for example, there are a series of customizations that currently apply only in Italy but which could be a starting point for foreign countries, precisely to give the player a better user experience.”
Being well-versed in the Italian market, what trends do you predict rising in popularity, and is that something Altenar can offer to operators and players?
Speaking on the competitive nature of the sports betting market, Francesco outlined what most excites him about the future of the landscape and what could come as a product of this competitive drive.
Francesco exclaimed with excitement, “Betting on Esports is the answer!” and explained further that “From what can already be seen in the world of Esports betting, it is a constantly growing business in Italy. Now, video games have become a real discipline. It has also been authorized by the International Olympic Committee, which has thought of an ad hoc competition: the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS). In short, there is little reason to be surprised that such an important business has been created around the world of Esports.”
Interestingly, Francesco forecasts the growing interest in Esports: “Italy is still quite behind compared to other nations, but the players show that they are interested in it as it's a market in constant growth.”
Altenar’s regional director continued, “I believe there will be many developments, and there will be a lot to learn, both for bettors and bookmakers, for example in risk management and markets offered. I am confident that they will have a permanent share of the turnover once they are established and become more widely used. Altenar has been offering a variety of Esports on the international market for several years now, therefore observing the restrictions set by ADM, it can be very competitive also in Italy.”
Why is Altenar the perfect provider for the Italian market?
Altenar’s regional director explained why their product is desirable for the Italian market: “The first value that gaming companies look for is trust, and Altenar makes this its strong point: stability and flexibility.”
Noting that, “guaranteed stability and allowing the operator to concentrate on other aspects, it will be natural for the player to rely on a site where he knows that he will not experience delays in placing a bet, that during peak moments he will not suddenly find the site down, and where he knows that he will be treated based on his individual needs and not as part of a vague mass of other players.”
Why do you think the Italian market is revered in the way that it is?
Francesco explained with an inherent passion for the landscape that “Italy is considered one of the main European markets. The numbers in betting turnover confirm its position. Altenar always keeps an eye on all regulated markets and certainly, this is one of the reasons why this country attracts many betting providers. The current regulation, which imposes restrictions on gambling, is somehow seen as a challenge from both a technical and software perspective.”
Noting that “it is not easy to build software that allows you to operate in Italy’s betting industry, but those with the capability can distinguish themselves in such a complex market.”
In your opinion, what does the future hold for the sports betting market in Italy?
Francesco continued to explain that the future of the sports betting market looks healthy and promising for both existing and potential operators. When answering the above question, Altenar’s regional director replied, “The Italian betting market is going through various challenges, also as a result of the political and institutional situation in the country, but a strong positive signal has arrived with the extension of the licenses until 2024.”
Continuing, “the extension of betting licenses could represent the first step toward reform and the definitive reorganization of the legal gaming sector in Italy—something that the industry, one of the richest and most contributory in terms of tax revenue in Italy, seems to particularly need.”
If you’re looking to harness Francesco’s expertise and Altenar’s product, you should know what the current sportsbook offers and what’s coming for the Italian market…
-
8 different feed providers (and more are coming), which guarantees a comprehensive sports offering.
-
A bonus tool able to manage the most commonly used types of bonuses (FreeBet, RiskFreeBet, CashBack), and the 0% Margin tool that can increase the odds on selected matches.
-
Player Special Markets on sports such as Soccer, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Baseball, and American Football. Positive feedback has also come from Live bets on Basketball players in the NBA and Formula 1 Live with 5 active markets. In Italy, not all competitors offer these types of bets;
-
Risk management and 24/7 active support, along with expert user segmentation services.
-
Mobile App – a stand-alone managed project.
Francesco added, “Last but not least is the betting and event management service (Asseverazioni), which is carried out by a highly professional team in collaboration with ADM.”
Continuing with, “one of the innovations for the new season is the Front End, managed entirely by widgets, where the operator can customize his site as he wishes.”
You can contact Altenar today to discover how its sportsbook can be tailored to your needs and access a wealth of knowledge about one of the world's most unique betting landscapes.
