Last month’s ICE Barcelona 2026 once again set the tone for the year ahead, bringing together operators, suppliers, and regulators at a moment when the betting industry is navigating both rapid expansion and increasing complexity. Against that backdrop, DATA.BET used the show to highlight how its product portfolio has evolved beyond its esports roots, with a growing emphasis on traditional sports, engagement tools, and turnkey sportsbook solutions designed for regulated markets.
In this exclusive interview with Yogonet during the third day of the show, Javier Santos Arango, Business Development Manager at DATA.BET, reflects on the company’s transition into classic sports betting, the concrete results achieved so far, and the role of innovation in driving operator performance.
From Bet Boosts and Picture-in-Picture features to Latin America’s rise as a strategic growth region, Santos Arango outlines where DATA.BET is seeing momentum today and how the supplier is positioning itself for its next phase of expansion.
Last year, DATA.BET made the move into traditional sports betting. One year on, how far along are you in that transition, and what concrete results can you point to so far?
Over the past year, we’ve made substantial and measurable progress in our transition into traditional sports betting. What began as a carefully staged, long-term decision has already delivered tangible results.
We’ve successfully signed several clients who now use DATA.BET for classic sports, and their performance metrics clearly validate the move, with a 56.4% increase in GGR across active partners.
At the same time, we expanded our data ecosystem by signing new agreements with additional data providers, including Genius Sports, Odds Composer, and others. This allowed us to significantly extend market coverage, for example, by introducing Player Props for basketball and expanding our tennis offering.
From a regulatory and technical perspective, receiving GLI certification in Brazil was a significant milestone. It confirms that our product fully meets local market requirements and provides confidence for operators in regulated environments.
Equally important has been operators’ feedback. The response to our classic Odds Feed has been very positive, particularly regarding reliability and market depth.
In addition, our Sports Widgets have proven to increase user LTV, reinforcing the product’s commercial value. Based on current traction and demand, we expect our sports offering to reach the same level of relevance and scale as our esports solution in the near future.
You’re presenting tools like Bet Boost and Picture-in-Picture at ICE. What specific operator or player pain points were these features designed to solve?
Both Bet Boost and Picture-in-Picture were designed to address specific engagement and usability challenges faced by operators and players alike.
Picture-in-Picture solves a common player pain point: the need to switch between watching a match, tracking key statistics, and browsing markets or placing bets. With this feature, users can follow live action and essential stats while navigating odds or placing bets, even when switching between browser tabs.
Bet Boost, on the other hand, is designed to increase odds on selected combinations in order to stimulate engagement and drive betting volume.
Both tools were developed with the same strategic goal: to extend active session time on operators’ platforms, improve user engagement, and increase player lifetime value.
Your slogan here is “Betting That Works.” In practical terms, what does that mean differently today compared to a year ago?
“Betting That Works” reflects our focus on building sportsbook solutions that are technically strong, easy to integrate, and commercially effective. We introduced the slogan last year to align with our core values and the next stage of our growth.
Our sportsbook is developed fully in-house, with a strong technical and trading foundation. This allows us to deliver complex functionality through a simple integration process.
For operators, this means they can add a sportsbook without operational complexity. We handle the technology, trading, and product side, supported by a personalized approach and 24/7 assistance before, during, and after integration.
For casino operators in particular, the sportsbook represents an additional revenue stream. While sports betting may be new for many of them, our Single Page Application (iFrame) solution enables fast deployment with minimal technical effort.
In practice, the results are clear: casino partners that add our sportsbook see players engaging across both casino and sports, driving up to a 4x increase in LTV and around 12% additional revenue compared to game-only behavior.
How does your risk management approach differ between esports, virtual sports, and traditional sports?
Our risk management approach is built on experience. For esports, we rely on official data and the direct input of our trading team, including ex-professional players who have a deep understanding of each game and its dynamics.
This expertise is transferred into virtual sports and applied to traditional sports as we expand our portfolio. Across all verticals, we continuously analyze market behavior and monitor risk management processes 24/7 to maintain stability and performance.
What markets are presenting the biggest opportunities at the moment? Brazil has emerged as a major jurisdiction. Has this market, and LatAm in general, become a focus for the company?
Europe and Latin America currently present the biggest opportunities for us, with Latin America being a clear focus area—particularly Brazil.
Last year, we obtained Brazilian GLI certification and partnered with our first major Brazilian brand, Rei do Pitaco. Since then, we have continued to expand our presence in the region and are actively looking for additional partners in Brazil, Chile, and Peru.
DATA.BET previously mentioned gaining traction in Africa. Which African markets are showing the most momentum?
Africa is not a new market for us, but in 2026 we plan to give it greater attention than in previous years. We are closely monitoring the region’s development and momentum and see it as increasingly relevant to the business.
DATA.BET is well established in esports. As more suppliers move into that space, what still genuinely differentiates your esports product today?
Our differentiation in esports comes from a combination of extensive market coverage, an expert trading team, AI-driven models, and licensed content. Together, these elements deliver consistent and reliable performance for our clients.
We see strong value in both verticals. Esports remains a core part of our offering, while traditional sports is emerging as an additional growth driver as we continue to expand our product portfolio.
Finally, for operators walking past stand 5G31 today, what’s the one thing you most want them to understand about where DATA.BET is headed next?
We are focused on continuing to expand and refine our products while increasing market presence and coverage. For operators looking for a solution that delivers real performance—not just in metrics, but in revenue and player LTV—DATA.BET is about integrating betting that truly works.
