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Interview with Bernhard Blaha
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Bernhard Blaha, the co-founder of HEROcoin and herosphere.gg, is a serial entrepreneur, buzzing with new ideas that can change the present landscape of gaming industry. Blaha, who claims to “have more ideas every day than I have time to implement in a lifetime”, opens up in this interview about his HEROcoin and herosphere.gg and betting industry in general.
He foresees an “enormous” future for block chain technology in the betting arena. What follows is our wide-ranging interview with one of the young and vibrant potential change-makers in the betting industry. Read on.
Question 1
I’d first like to ask can you begin with a few words about yourself ? It’s always nice to hear top-class professionals say a few words about themselves for our audience.
I am the Co-founder of HEROcoin & herosphere.gg. My responsibilities stretch from operational topics to finding legal & tax solutions. Having founded successful companies before, I bring practical expertise in addition to my knowledge gathered from my studies in technical (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria) and economic (University of Applied Sciences Vienna) areas. I am a very early adopter of many technologies, ranging from home automation to cryptocurrencies.
Question 2
You have co-founded two ventures: Herocoin.io & Herosphere.gg. Can you tell us more about how the two ventures have been going?
Sports has been a fascination for people since time immemorial. The emotions that are involved with winning and losing touch every fan. We loved little challenges with our friends or soccer teammates. But it’s a hassle to collect the money from everyone and document all the results. So my current co-founders and I created a platform with the goal of bringing back fun and joy to betting by allowing people to challenge their friends, family and colleagues on various sport events via an online platform called “the social bet“ back then. At the same time, the e-sports market started to grow rapidly.
Today, the most famous games are MOBA games like League of Legends and DOTA2, shooter games like Counter Strike and sport simulation games like FIFA. People follow the competitions live in stadiums or through live streams. As of August 2017, there have been 100 million people playing League of Legends only and there is an expected viewership of over 300 million people by 2020. Also, the fantasy element becomes more popular in e-sports. Just a couple of days ago the German authorities officially accepted e-gaming as sports and forecasts say e-sports will very soon overtake American Football regarding the fan size.
All that made us decide to focus our resources and build herosphere.gg.
Today our platform www.herosphere.gg counts over 250,000 registered users.
In order to take the product to the next level by fighting major issues the classic online betting industry faces today, we started to further explore how the blockchain technology could potentially help solving those problems: The HEROcoin (PLAY) was born – designed as a decentralized ERC20 token on the Ethereum blockchain.
Question 3
What exactly do you mean by “the decentralized solution for online betting”?
Well, online betting, as it is, has been untouched for a long time. It has the paradigm “the house always wins” and is quite prone to manipulation. Users always bet against a bookmaker instead of each other and due to middlemen there are much higher costs involved.
The blockchain makes every single bet transparent, it allows real peer-to-peer betting, and it is much more resistant to attacks.
But because HEROcoin is an ERC20 token it can be much more than just a currency for gambling. The main goal is to create transparency, trust and security. In addition, 1% of all pots played is given back to all token holders. Additionally, anyone who creates contests for the community or a closed group is being rewarded. There is no bookmaker involved but the system runs the bets. HERO at the same time creates a transparent network, allowing a natural expansion by its own community. It is designed so that not only our own platform but existing providers too can implement HERO and emerging ones can build their systems on our HERO network and community.
Question 4
At Herocoin.io, your main intention appears to be to change the “the house always wins” phenomenon in the traditional betting. But how beneficial do you think it is going to be for the end user when compared with online betting exchanges like betfair.com?
betfair.com definitely brought an innovative aspect to the traditional world of betting and made an important step forward. But what we do is completely disrupt the industry. With betfair.com the “broker” is just another user. We actually created a new way of “betting” and not just simply improved it. herosphere .gg will be much more about fantasylike American Football. Also, you can create private contests just for your friends or community and challenge them. The pot stays within this group. HEROcoin will bring the aspect of fairness, transparency, lower risk of manipulation and can be used by anyone in order to build their idea on the existing infrastructure.
Question 5
You have marked the end of 2018 as a deadline for completing the full development HEROcoin and the legal and financial aspects of its implementation. Can you shed more light on the remaining targets for its full deployment?
Right now we focus on the first re-launch of herosphere.gg, which will appear with a new design for the user and a state-of-the-art use of technology for the technical infrastructure. It does run already with more than 250,000 registered users, but will be lifted to the next level by Q2. From there we will step by step evolve the platform and see how the use case with implementing the HEROcoin over the next months will work.
For us the product is key! So we focus completely on developing a user-friendly product on the blockchain that is a lot of fun to use. We will also add more and more fantasy elements. But it does not stop there. As HEROcoin is designed to be integrated with any third party, we allow all of the traditional betting providers that see the potential to connect to our ecosystem. The upsides are very obvious: Nearly zero development effort and a lot of marketing benefits via our big HERO community.
In the long term, this means for HEROcoin to become the go-to tool for any betting provider who either wants to reduce payment provider fees or wants to increase trust levels with its users – which is every betting provider ever.
The goal for the next five years is both: to become the ecosystem for betting on the blockchain and grow one of the biggest e-sports communities.
Question 6
How do you see the betting industry evolve in 2018? Any predictions on any disruptive technologies? We’d love to hear!
The potential of the blockchain is enormous. It can help to finally bring innovation to a business that has been operating on their own terms for ages, but my colleagues just come back from one of the biggest gambling fares – the ICE in London, where you can see that we are still at the beginning where everyone does know it’s coming and could completely change the entire industry as we know it but focuses and strategies aren’t clear yet.
Once users understand that with automated contracts on the blockchain, for example, direct pay-outs of prize money can be handled, they will push for a transformation to this new technology. They will also soon realize that costs are lower than in the traditional online betting.
As we see in the numbers, e-sports just started to become popular and will only start to enter the mass market within the next years. The next generation grows up with watching Twitch and Youtube bloggers rather than classic sport events on TV.
Media rights trade is becoming a serious business and is expected to grow from only $50 million in 2016 to over $300 million in 2020. The coming year will see the e-sports economy grow to $696 million, a year-on-year growth of 41.3%. Brands are expected to spend $517 million on e-sports.
On a related matter, we have yet to find the peak of what blockchain technology can actually do for the gamers: Oracle systems are, due to quickly rising, but low spread of blockchain usage, still months or years from getting relevance, but once they do they will allow for fully democratized betting systems. Those mechanics allow for the data that is provided by big data warehouses so far to be fetched and processed by users.
As for the online betting industry, it needs to jump on the train if it does not want to stay
behind. As I have seen a lot of payment providers adding cryptocurrencies already to their
portfolio, providers will start to evaluate not only the e-sports market but also blockchain
possibilities.
Source: European Gaming Media and Events
A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.
Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”
Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.
According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.
There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.
Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”
Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”
What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.
Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.
ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
More information: https://slotegrator.pro/
ABOUT TURBO GAMES
Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.
Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.
The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.
More information: https://turbogames.io/
Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.
From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.
Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.
Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.
Participating in the event
As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.
To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair
About Games Factory Talents
A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.
To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents
810 THE SPREAD
Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.
Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”
Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”
Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”
The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:
6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.
9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.
12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.
4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.
8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio
BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.
For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.
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