Gambling tech giant Playtech and Gold Rush Entertainment have partnered to launch self-serve Ohio sports betting kiosks.
The entry into the Ohio market is a first for both companies. Playtech Vice President of Operations Jonathan Doubilet commented. He said the company feels Ohio is the perfect place to break into the US market.
“We’re confident that Ohio is the ideal place to start, leveraging our expertise and strong track record to deliver self-service betting kiosks across the state. We’re excited for this type of gaming to expand and look forward to introducing further products across the growing US market.”
Playtech will provide sports betting kiosk software and Gold Rush will provide the kiosks.
Playtech is leaning on experience to find success in competitive Ohio market
Analysts at PlayUSA expect Ohio to be a top-five betting market. While that presents a huge opportunity for revenue for first-timers like Playtech and Gold Rush. It also means they’re up against dozens of companies looking for a piece of Ohio sports betting dollars.
A spokesperson from Playtech told PlayUSA the company isn’t intimidated by the competition. “The product will speak for itself and we are convinced that the service will be top class, with attention paid to local preferences and intricacies,” the spokesperson said.
Well-planned promotions are a key part of Playtech’s Ohio strategy.
“Over the years, we have learned a thing or two about customer satisfaction and together with Gold Rush, we will bring Ohioan sports fans fun and unique promotions on their favorite sports and events,” Playtech’s spokesperson said.
Kiosk rollout will focus on small businesses in big cities
Playtech and Gold Rush plan to concentrate their sports betting kiosk launch. The launch strategy focuses on independent businesses in the state’s three biggest cities:
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
Once Playtech and Gold Rush find their footing, they will look for opportunities to launch in bigger retail chains.
Gold Rush’s Illinois business attracted Playtech
Playtech settled on Gold Rush based on the company’s performance in neighboring Illinois. A company spokesperson characterized Gold Rush as “a good bunch of people to do business with”. And that the companies share similar mindsets. The spokesperson continued:
“After reviewing their marketing and operational expertise, we felt they would make a great partner franchise to team up with in Ohio and their success thus far in securing retail locations is a testament to this. We also have a great alignment of company philosophies, placing product and customer care as our joint top priorities.”
Playtech expects the partnership to cause a shift in the Ohio sports betting kiosk market. “As the market matures and retailers begin to understand that not all products are created equal, I am extremely confident that there will be a shift from other providers to the Gold Rush/Playtech offering,” the spokesperson said.