Interwetten boss Dominik Beier: "We want to be a reliable partner for sport"
Competition operations across almost all disciplines are suspended worldwide. Interwetten boss Dominik Beier is nevertheless confident in the tennisnet interview.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Apr 18, 2020, 02:14 pm
tennisnet : Mr. Beier. How would you describe the current situation for betting providers in general and Interwetten in particular?
Dominik Beier : Basically, the fact that most of the sporting events are no longer necessary has of course taken away the business basis. After there are extremely few sporting events, there is very little to bet on. However, I have the feeling that after the first phase of the crisis, when there was a certain amount of shock, we now see a great deal of creativity in order to still save the business. There is always talk of the Belarusian football league that is still playing. And table tennis is also played in some places.
tennisnet : What has arisen from this creativity?
Beier : We are relatively fast and agile because we don't carry an insane amount of overhead costs. For example, we organized FIFA tournaments with our partnerships, which we also streamed live. We were the first to accompany the virtual Formula 1 Grand Prix series. We also tried to connect customers there. From this perspective, I would say that we have mastered this crisis quite well so far.
tennisnet : Do you notice that betting customers are now turning to other offers?
Beier : Only to a very small extent. I think they are two completely different target groups. The customer who trembled and bet with Dominic Thiem games - it is difficult for these customers to get enthusiastic about another product.
tennisnet : Especially in the field of tennis, Interwetten is well positioned these days.
Beier : Virtual Tennis is a product based on artificial intelligence. Historical data is used, from which a game is then created. Virtual tennis will of course never be able to compensate for a real tennis match, but in the transition period it is a very funny product. Not only for tennis, by the way - we also have many other sports in our portfolio.
tennisnet : There is a special feature at Interwetten ...
Beier : In our lounge you can watch several disciplines at the same time, from soccer, tennis to basketball. And we'll add more sports in the coming weeks.
tennisnet : In which disciplines are you particularly optimistic?
Beier : Of course we follow this every day. I very well believe that the ball will roll again in various football leagues in Europe in May. The exchange with our sponsoring partners such as VfL Wolfsburg or TSG Hoffenheim shows us this. On the one hand, there are huge economic interests behind it. But it's also important to give people back some form of normalcy. Sport is clearly the best way to do this. Even if the games will of course take place in Germany or Austria without spectators at least until the end of the season. In the United States, the president rushed a few days ago. And there it is again about completely different sums. There are very crazy ideas like those from the NBA to charter a ship, go to the Bahamas and play the games there.
tennisnet : A summer tour is currently being discussed behind the scenes in Germany and Austria in order to create tennis practice and above all income opportunities for tennis professionals. What role could Interwetten play in this?
Beier : This is very interesting for us for several reasons. We have been supporting sport for more than 30 years and have always been a loyal and reliable partner. We support tennis, are partners at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel and at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. That is and remains our goal: to be a reliable partner for sport. We think the proposed initiative is good. And we are also needed. We made a very clear commitment.
tennisnet : Are you aiming to be the main sponsor of a tennis tournament?
Beier : If you approach us, we are of course an interested contact. But we are very happy with the existing packages. In our view, there is therefore no urgent need. If there are any opportunities, we are interested.
tennisnet : The ATP Tour 500 tournament in Hamburg could be about ...
Beier : Germany has been trying for 20 years to regulate the sports betting market properly. Since this has still not succeeded, planning security is lacking in Germany. That is why, with the exception of football, we have shied away from large investments. That is why we as an industry have wanted nothing more than a regulated market for years. We want to be regulated, even if that sounds almost masochistic. However, if this turns out to be too restrictive, sport and the media landscape will also suffer. Because we are among the largest investors in both.