Cause to celebrate

New York has sat in the crosshairs of mobile sports betting operators for a long time. Until the beginning of 2021, the state stood its ground against the expanding influence of online betting, but former governor Andrew Cuomo opened the door this year by agreeing to a $212bn state budget for 2022.

the state gaming regulator awarded nine online licenses

Last week, New York moved one step closer to the introduction of legal mobile wagering when the state gaming regulator awarded nine online licenses. The winning bidders made up two consortiums, one headed by FanDuel and the other by Europe-based gaming supplier Kambi.

As Kambi prepares for its entry into the highly-coveted mobile market, VegasSlotsOnline News caught up with its vice president of sales Sarah Robertson. In the exclusive interview, she explains why Kambi has set its sights on the state and how the supplier expects to fend off competition.

Firstly, congratulations on receiving authorization for the New York market. How important is this milestone in Kambi’s US expansion?

Kambi was delighted to receive a coveted ten-year mobile sports wagering platform license. The regulator ran an extremely competitive Request for Applications process involving some of the biggest brands in US betting, and not only was the consortium led by Kambi successful in its bid, it also achieved the highest score.

the US has been a key market for us”

This feat is a testament to Kambi’s track record in the US market. Since taking the first legal post-PASPA online sports wager, the US has been a key market for us and we will continue to set the benchmark for excellence in online and on-property sportsbook provision.

What are your expectations for New York mobile betting as a whole?

New York mobile sports betting has the potential to become a huge market. With a population of more than 20 million, it is the most populous state to regulate online sports wagering to date and the fact so many operators wanted to be part of the market highlights its potential.

Plus, there is a clear appetite for regulated mobile wagering given the number of New Yorkers estimated to be crossing state borders to place bets in states where it’s already legal.

The competition will be high in New York. What will the Kambi sportsbook offer the state’s bettors that others might not?

As I mentioned previously, Kambi has an exemplary record in the US sports betting market and we have shown time and time again we know what it takes to succeed in the face of stiff competition. Not only did we process the first post-PASPA wager in 2018, but we also took the first legal on-property bet in New York State in 2019 in partnership with Rush Street Interactive. In short,

we bring a level of experience to New York that few can match.”

We’re also excited to showcase many of our recent innovations to New York bettors. Among these is our Game Parlay product, which enables bettors to combine wagers within the same game and multiple selections across more than one game, as well as different sports. Our internal data shows that the function is proving incredibly popular, with almost 50% of NFL bettors placing a Game Parlay bet since launch. This will only be available in New York through our partner Rush Street Interactive

What are Kambi’s main plans for 2022 in regards to North America?

New York is clearly going to be a major priority for Kambi in the coming months as we prepare to launch in early 2022. Beyond that, we were delighted to have recently signed agreements with two tribal operators, Desert Diamond Casinos and Saginaw Chippewa Gaming. We look forward to working closely with both teams to deliver exciting sports betting experiences to their patrons in Arizona and Michigan, respectively.

From a product perspective, Game Parlay will remain a major focus for Kambi next year with plans to add further player props and game props from high-profile leagues including the NHL, MLB, NBA, and NCAAB.

As our CEO Kristian Nylén said in our Q3 2021 report, the future looks incredibly bright for Kambi, not least in North America, and we have a very strong and varied sales pipeline. With New York mobile betting set to go live, more US states set to regulate, and Canada legalizing single-event sports wagering, 2022 is sure to be another exciting and busy year for Kambi.