Altenar has spotlighted changing bettor expectations, noting that a new generation of users is seeking more personalised and seamless experiences. These demands were discussed at the NEXT Summit New York.
Matthew Ferrara, Altenar’s North America sales manager, participated in a panel alongside representatives from Fanatics and Stokastic. The panel highlighted a move towards mobile-first, on-demand betting behaviour.
Betting as Part of Digital Entertainment
Betting is increasingly becoming integrated within a broader digital entertainment ecosystem. Users are engaging socially through group chats, reacting to live events, and consuming content alongside wagering activity.
Sportsbooks are evolving from transactional platforms to being part of a wider user experience, shaped by real-time interaction and community engagement.
User Expectations Driven by Digital Standards
User expectations are increasingly influenced by digital products outside the betting sector. Speed, simplicity, and seamless user experience are now considered baseline requirements.
Any friction, particularly during peak betting moments, can directly affect user retention.
The Challenge of Market Presentation
Ferrara also highlighted challenges related to product design, specifically the way betting markets are presented to users.
“If you go to a sportsbook and there are 3,000 options, for the recreational user it can be quite intimidating,” he said.
The issue is less about the number of available markets and more about relevance and structure. Users accustomed to personalised digital platforms expect similar experiences in sports betting.
“Everything’s catered to us based on our interactions. Sports betting should be no different,” Ferrara said.
Altenar’s Product Strategy
Altenar’s product strategy focuses on improving content relevance and reducing the need for manual search.
They aim to create more intuitive interfaces tailored to user behaviour.
- Improving content relevance
- Reducing the need for manual search
- Creating more intuitive interfaces
The company is also aligning its development approach with broader digital trends across sectors such as social media, e-commerce and artificial intelligence.
“We look at the broader digital landscape and ask: what do users expect today, how are products evolving across social media, ecommerce, AI and everyday digital applications – and how do we bring those standards into the sportsbook experience,” he said.
The discussion concluded that sportsbooks must adapt to evolving user expectations. The focus should be on reducing friction, improving relevance, and integrating more closely with how users interact with digital content.