888 switches from Kambi to Spectate sports betting platform in UK
Operator concludes month-long customer transition as sportsbook moves onto new proprietary technology
888 has successfully launched its new Spectate sportsbook platform in the UK following the conclusion of a month-long migration of its UK player base from Kambi’s platform.
888 has successfully launched its new Spectate sportsbook platform in the UK following the conclusion of a month-long migration of its UK player base from Kambi’s platform.
The UK version of the Spectate platform includes Betfeed functionality, which provides a rundown of all sports bets, allowing players to filter out the most popular bets, as well as a Betfinder system allowing customers to search for available markets.
In addition, the platform fully integrates with 888’s new Control Centre safer gambling tool, handing players the option to set deposit limits while providing information on how to avoid at-risk gambling.
“It’s been in the planning stage since the beginning of 2020,” 888 CEO Itai Pazner told EGR. “We understood the potential impact of a bad migration, so we were very cautious we got this one right.
“We tested the platform many times as we wanted to make sure the customer experience was as good as the experience they had with the Kambi platform. We did not create too many changes and we made the migration as smooth as possible.
“Eventually, we plan to have all our sportsbook operations on the new platform. But for now the vast majority of our trading is on the Spectate platform including Sweden, Ireland, the UK, and several other markets which have now transitioned,” he added.
However, Pazner dismissed talk of an immediate exit from the Kambi platform on a global basis, with the 888 CEO paying tribute to the B2B sportsbook supplier, which has been partnered with 888 since 2013.
“It’s not our agenda to get rid of Kambi. They’ve been a good partner. They are a very solid sportsbook operator and we have a high level of cooperation with them,” said Pazner.
“For now, we’re working on a hybrid model between the two platforms, but there will always be markets where it’s better to keep Kambi for longer, rather than to transition to Spectate,” he added.
The new platform, which has already been in operation in Sweden since April 2020, is built on the former BetBright technology acquired in March 2019 and forms part of 888’s aim to bring its technology in house.
888’s online poker and online casino operations already operate on proprietary platforms, via the Poker8 and Orbit innovations, with sportsbook the last operational area to be moved across.
“For us, it’s more of a commercial decision, as we want to be able to pursue our own product vision rather. Our strategy has always been to own our full end-to-end technology stack.
“Without owning the product vision, it’s very difficult to make the changes that are demanded by customers,” Pazner explained.
“The other thing with sports betting is the connection between trading and marketing, and the flexibility of adapting your trading to marketing is extremely important.
“When you own the trading yourself, it’s much easier to do that. It’s not that you can’t do it with a third party, it’s just much more complex and less flexible,” he added.
EGR understands Spectate will be the preferred platform for all new sportsbook launches in the US market, including forthcoming launches in Colorado, Indiana and Iowa.
Addressing the firm’s pre-existing US operations, Pazner revealed 888’s focus will be on rolling out the Spectate platform in new markets before migrating the existing ones over from Kambi.