New Kambi CEO claims modular services will be a key supplier battleground
Werner Becher talks up firm’s Abios, Shape Games and Tzeract products as he prepares to take the reigns of the Stockholm-listed company at the end of July
New Kambi CEO Werner Becher has claimed the fight for supplier supremacy will be played out across modular services in the coming years.
Former Interwetten and Sportradar executive Becher will replace Kristian Nylén on 25 July as boss of the sports betting supplier and has already laid out his expectations for the sector.
Speaking as part of an in-house interview, Becher was questioned on where he sees the main challenges and opportunities for the business under his reign.
While Becher pointed to the fact larger operators had moved to bring tech in-house in recent years, Kambi’s positioning to provide modular services would put it in good stead.
Kambi has lost both DraftKings and PENN Entertainment since 2021 as partners, but a pipeline of major clients, including Svenska Spel, LiveScore Group and Bally’s has helped offset these departures.
However, Becher said his efforts will focus on ensuring Kambi remains the “turnkey sportsbook supplier of choice” for the industry, but specific services will be a key battleground moving ahead.
He said: “I think Kambi has a powerful edge in this field with its modular services benefiting from the power of its large global network.
“For example, its sports and esports odds are already being consumed by millions of players around the globe, providing valuable data insights which then sharpen odds and inform product development.
“As an operator, the opportunity to take a modular service from Kambi, rather than anyone else, should be an appealing one,” he added.
The incoming CEO went on to note that he thinks both esports betting supplier Abios and frontend developer Shape Games could become “leaders in their respective fields, if they’re not already”.
On potential market expansion, he added: “In terms of our AI-trading division, Tzeract, there are a lot of niche suppliers out in the market so Tzeract’s test will be to develop its offering beyond soccer, and I know the technology has been built in a way which will allow them to do just that.
“When it comes to the Kambi sportsbook, competition in Europe is different to competition in Latin America, for example, and I know Kambi has successfully taken slightly nuanced approaches to each.
“However, as mentioned before, Kambi has built a fantastic reputation built on a high-quality product and service and I determined to see that continue to ensure, whatever the market, Kambi is considered the outstanding choice,” he concluded.