FSB Technology’s Bob Akeret: “We Are Focusing on Establishing FSB as the Leading Technological Provider in NA”

Growth is a buzzword for companies in our sector but a few events are more impactful than expanding into new markets. In the age of tailored and personalized solutions, FSB Technology holds the promise of success.

The provider of bespoke iGaming and sportsbook solutions has expanded into the United States through a partnership with USBookmaking, bringing its technical prowess to what would soon be the world’s second-largest sports betting market.

FSB, though, isn’t entirely new when it comes to the United States, with operational hubs already established on the East Coast, Midwest and West Coast. This new opportunity builds upon the company’s efforts in the country and allows FSB to continue developing its growth strategy further.

FSB is confident in its success, too, offering USBookmaking ‘a suite of next-generation technology’ in the words of FSB CEO Dave McDowell. Speaking of technological innovation, FSB does well across the board.

It delivers on cutting-edge solutions fit for the retail sector and iGaming, sports betting platforms, and more. Scalability and accelerated growth are guiding principles and they come with powerful underpinning software. Today, we sit down with FSB Technology’s Vice President of Operations, North America, Bob Akeret, to discuss the company’s ambitions in the North American market.

Q: Let’s start from the top. What made you choose USBookmaking as your latest partner in the United States?

USBookmaking is a company that has built an incredible reputation across the US. It is operationally agile and flexible, which makes it a natural partner for FSB. In addition, it has significant market access throughout the country which it will be able to further leverage via our cutting-edge platform, technology and service offering.

Q: Are you looking to sign up with more partners in the US and can you tell us who you will be partnering with?

Yes, absolutely. The US is a key part of our overall strategy for 2021 and beyond. We are heavily committed to the US market, and have devoted substantial resources to building our product specifically for operators in North America. We have taken a more considered approach to our rivals rather than pushing to be first to market after the PASPA repeal.

This presents us with a huge opportunity to engage operators that launched with legacy technologies that they have quickly learned are not fit for purpose and onboard them to our modern, scalable solution that allows them to deliver a superior player experience.  

To support our product and service offering, we have built out a dedicated US team and have boots on the ground in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Iowa. We plan to add more talent over the coming months as we shift up a gear and drive further growth.

Q: FSB provides a modern, versatile technology platform. Do you have sectors that you are keen to prioritize or is it going to be a push through all verticals from here on in?

Ultimately, FSB’s sportsbook is its core strength. It is these technologies and services that have been recognised by the wider industry through the various awards that we have received over the past two years.

That being said, we remain passionate about other verticals such as casino and will continue to invest time and resources into these moving forwards. But for the foreseeable future, sports will remain our primary focus.

Q: Legal challenges are slowly disappearing from the US landscape. What does this mean for FSB and your future in the country? How important is the United States to you as a market?

Regulation is absolutely the best way forwards as it ensures that consumers are protected at all times. It is something FSB has always championed and embraced. It is still early days for the US market, but responsible gambling must be a priority and operators, platform providers and game developers must take this into account from day one.

I would argue that technology providers from Europe entering the US market are best placed to do this as we have the experience and technical capabilities from markets such as the UK to meet the highest possible safe gaming standards from the get-go.

FSB, for example, uses artificial intelligence-led tools that monitors player behaviour and notifies the operator so they can make an intervention if required.

Like most industry stakeholders, we believe the US has the potential to become the largest regulated market in the world and this is why we are focusing so heavily on establishing FSB as the leading technology provider in North America. 

Q: With the quick shift in the legal landscape, do you feel you have a certain pace you have to keep up with or rather let opportunities develop organically and steer your growth as naturally as possible?

Our clients will steer the growth as they will let us know what they require and we will have to deliver it. Of course, we can do this due to the agility and flexibility of our platform which makes it adaptable and customizable to their specific needs. This is what will drive our growth, as well as onboarding new partners over the coming months.

Q: A lot is happening down in South America. Will FSB look to expand further in the region this year?

LatAm is an incredibly interesting region for us and one we’re exploring and looking at closely. As and when opportunities arise, we will absolutely take them. We will take a considered approach to the region and look at each opportunity on its own individual merit.

This is to make sure we approach each market with respect and cultural understanding, and tailor our product for that part of the world.

Q: What are your expectations for 2021? What opportunities are you hoping to explore and are you able to tease some of the upcoming initiatives from FSB this year?

We want to continue driving growth in the US where we have a number of opportunities that we’re exploring. We’re in a great place in the US as well as the other markets where we are active, but if you’d have asked us the same question last year, we could never have anticipated that we’d be adapting quickly to a pandemic.

For example, when there was a hiatus on live sports we launched our Remote Darts League which was an unbelievable achievement. We are always looking ahead and now more than ever, we’re proud of our flexibility as this allows us to meet customer demand when they need us the most.