For many casino operators, expanding into sportsbook remains firmly on the strategic roadmap, but often they fail to reach implementation.
The hesitation rarely comes from a lack of opportunity. Instead, it stems from a series of long-standing assumptions: sportsbook is expensive to launch, difficult to operate, and unlikely to generate returns without significant investment. But the market and Altenar’s experience tell a different story.
As player expectations evolve, casino and sportsbook products are becoming increasingly complementary. Sportsbook can offer a more cost-efficient route to acquisition, while cross-selling players into casino increases their overall value.
With multi-product players typically delivering higher LTV, combining both verticals can lower acquisition costs and generate more revenue from every customer.
Myth #1: Launching a sportsbook is too complex
It is often assumed that integrating a sportsbook requires large development teams, lengthy implementation projects, and specialist operational expertise. In practice, much depends on working with a provider that has extensive integration experience.
Perhaps even more importantly, operators no longer need to build sportsbook expertise internally from day one.
With managed trading services, risk management, business support, and 24/7 operational assistance, providers increasingly act as long-term partners rather than technology vendors, allowing casino operators to concentrate on growing their business instead of managing sportsbook operations.
Myth #2: Sports betting is a lower-margin product
Another common misconception is that a sportsbook is inherently a lower-margin product than a casino. In reality, sports betting can deliver strong margins, particularly as operators increase their mix of higher-margin products such as Same-Game Parlays and player props.
In the U.S., player props can generate margins of around 9%, while Same-Game Parlays can deliver even higher returns.
But the value of a sportsbook goes beyond the revenue it generates directly. Major sporting events create regular reasons for players to return to the platform, increasing engagement across the wider product ecosystem and creating more opportunities to play casino. Rather than taking revenue away from casino, sportsbook can help grow casino revenue by adding a new revenue stream while driving more activity and value across both products.
Myth #3: The return on investment is uncertain
Perhaps the greatest concern is whether a sportsbook will generate sufficient value to justify the investment. While every market is different, successful implementations increasingly demonstrate that sportsbook delivers value beyond betting revenue alone.
Its real strength lies in increasing retention, extending customer lifetime value, and giving operators additional opportunities to reconnect with players throughout the sporting calendar.
Every major tournament becomes another engagement opportunity. Every weekend of big fixtures becomes another reason for customers to return. Every live event creates another moment for cross-selling between sportsbook and casino.
Altenar’s real case study
The experience of U.K. operator L&L Europe demonstrates how sportsbook can strengthen an established casino business rather than complicate it.
L&L Europe spent almost a decade building a successful online casino portfolio, growing to more than 2 million players across seven brands, including AllBritishCasino, PubCasino, and QuickBet. Until 2022, the company operated exclusively in the casino vertical.
Recognizing changing player expectations within the U.K. market, L&L Europe partnered with Altenar to introduce sportsbook, not simply as another product, but as an extension of its existing entertainment offering.
The solution was built around scalability across multiple brands, supported by advanced front-end widgets, promotional tools, localized sports content, regulatory compliance, and continuous trading and risk management support.
The impact was significant. Between 2023 and 2026, sportsbook users increased fourfold during the first year before tripling again over the following period. Monthly sportsbook GGR grew by 312%. Sportsbook became a catalyst for wider business growth.
Rather than operating as an isolated vertical, it strengthened player retention, created new cross-sell opportunities, and enhanced engagement across the operator's entire brand portfolio.
Charlie Williams, Commercial Director at Altenar, said:
We still hear operators describe sportsbook as if it's a completely separate business that competes with casino. In reality, the strongest results come when both products are designed to complement each other through optimized player journeys.
Sports create recurring moments of engagement. If those moments are supported by the right technology, personalization, and operational expertise, sportsbook becomes much more than an additional vertical — it becomes a driver of reduced acquisition costs, higher retention through cross-selling, and increased long-term player value.
As competition intensifies across regulated markets, operators are looking beyond acquisition alone and placing greater emphasis on retention and lifetime value. Viewed through that lens, sportsbook is no longer simply an additional product.
For an increasing number of casino-first operators, it is becoming an important part of building a more resilient, more engaging, and ultimately more competitive gaming ecosystem.
