“We see growing mainstream acceptance of esports”

Oddin.gg was recently named the fastest-growing company in Central Europe by Deloitte. What were the key factors that fueled such impressive growth? How do you plan to sustain this momentum?  

Several factors contributed to our rapid growth. First, we identified early on the immense potential of esports and recognized that traditional sports betting models simply weren’t adequate. Our focus has always been on developing technology that aligns with the fast-paced, data-driven nature of esports, ensuring maximum uptime and reliability in betting environments.

Beyond technology, our team has been a key driver of success. We’ve brought together technical experts, risk management specialists, and esports enthusiasts – including former professional players – who deeply understand the ecosystem. That expertise is reflected in everything we do.

To sustain this momentum, we will continue investing in AI to enhance real-time odds accuracy, risk management, and automation, ensuring our esports betting solutions remain best-in-class. We’re also expanding our global reach and working closely with partners to refine our offerings for emerging esports betting markets.

As you said, company is heavily invested in AI. What role does AI play in shaping Oddin.gg’s product offerings, and how does it enhance the betting experience?

AI is a big part of our operations, forming the foundation of our data-driven approach to esports betting. We leverage machine learning algorithms to analyze the deluge of in-game data generated by esports matches – thousands of actions every minute.

This real-time analysis allows us to refine our odds continuously, ensuring accuracy and reflecting the dynamic nature of esports. AI also plays a role in our risk management systems. Our algorithms are designed to detect suspicious betting patterns and anomalies, helping our dedicated risk management team mitigate fraud and maintain the integrity of the betting environment, even in lower-tier tournaments.

AI-powered probability models simulate potential event scenarios, helping us refine match outcome predictions with greater accuracy. This blend of AI and human expertise ensures unmatched precision and reliability in our odds and risk management. While we already use AI extensively, we see an even bigger role for LLMs (large language models) in the future, particularly in personalizing the betting experience, generating customized betting recommendations, and potentially influencing game design based on user insights.

Our data- and AI-driven approach ensures industry-leading uptime and continuous improvements in live betting, meeting the expectations of a new generation of bettors.

How has your experience working with AI in the pharmaceutical industry translated into your work at Oddin.gg?

My background in pharmaceutical industry mobile development provided valuable experience in building scalable, high-performance applications—skills equally essential in esports betting infrastructure.

Esports, however, comes with its own challenges. The high-speed nature of in-game data requires real-time processing, and the constant evolution of games and strategies means our systems must be highly adaptable. The ability to optimize performance, ensure reliability, and handle complex data streams has been key here and it continues to shape how we innovate at Oddin.gg.

Let’s go back to esports. This market is growing rapidly. What trends do you believe are shaping the industry, and how does Oddin.gg differentiate itself from competitors?

Several key trends are shaping the industry. We see growing mainstream acceptance of esports, with viewership and engagement increasing significantly. Mobile betting is also a major driver, as is the demand for live, in-play betting experiences.

Oddin.gg stands out because we’ve built our entire infrastructure around esports from day one. Rather than applying traditional sports betting principles, we focus on real-time data, dynamic odds models, and a trading approach tailored to esports’ unique characteristics.

One of our biggest strengths is our commitment to uptime and reliability, which ensures that operators can offer consistent, engaging markets to bettors. Additionally, our specialized risk management approach also helps us maintain market integrity even in lower-tier tournaments, which many providers struggle to cover effectively.

Oddin.gg now holds six North American sports betting licenses. What opportunities do you see in the U.S. market, and what challenges have you encountered while expanding there?

The U.S. market represents a massive opportunity for esports betting. We believe it has the potential to become the largest regulated esports market globally, and we’re proud to be leading the charge with multiple state licenses. The growing popularity of esports, combined with the increasing legalization of sports betting, creates a perfect storm for growth.

However, expanding in the U.S. comes with challenges. Navigating its complex, state-by-state regulatory landscape requires time, resources, and expertise. Our approach has been to work directly with regulators, helping them understand the unique characteristics of esports betting and ensuring that our solutions meet the highest compliance standards.

With esports betting projected to generate nearly $800M in revenue in 2024 in North America alone, how is Oddin.gg positioning itself to capture a significant share of this market?

We’re taking a long-term, strategic approach to the North American market. Expanding our licensing footprint is a priority, but it’s also about ensuring that our solutions resonate with U.S. bettors.

One way we achieve this is by adapting betting formats to local preferences, enhancing engagement and interactivity. This includes the development and rollout of innovative products like our BetBuilder, which allows for a more personalized and engaging betting experience, similar to the popular single-game parlays seen in traditional U.S. sports betting. We believe this type of product, tailored specifically for esports, will be a key differentiator in attracting and retaining bettors. Additionally, our partnerships with local operators help us refine our offerings to fit regional market expectations.

Finally, we are also investing in marketing and branding efforts to increase awareness of Oddin.gg and our solutions throughout North America.

Esports betting requires a different approach compared to traditional sports. What are the biggest technological hurdles in offering reliable odds and risk management for esports?

The biggest challenge is the sheer volume and velocity of data. Esports matches generate thousands of in-game events per minute, requiring specialized technology to process, interpret, and adjust odds in real time.

Another key factor is the demand for live content among the new generation of bettors that esports attracts. To address this, we offer a dedicated stream of 24/7 live betting content, featuring both human PvP matchups and bot-driven clashes, ensuring continuous engagement even outside of major tournaments.

Additionally, esports is constantly evolving. Unlike traditional sports, where rule changes are rare, esports titles receive frequent updates that can dramatically alter team strategies and player performance. Our trading models are designed to adapt quickly, ensuring our odds remain accurate as the meta shifts.

Fraud prevention is also a priority, particularly in newer or lower-tier tournaments. Our risk management framework is built to instantly detect irregular betting patterns, maintaining market integrity and ensuring a fair betting experience for both operators and bettors.

Seven years ago, Oddin.gg was a startup—today, it is one of the leaders in esports betting. What is your long-term vision for the company over the next five years? Where is your limit? Is Oddin.gg considering expansion beyond esports betting?

At Oddin.gg, our long-term vision is to continue driving the evolution of esports betting, creating sustainable revenue opportunities for the esports ecosystem while maintaining the highest standards of fairness and integrity.

We definitely plan to expand our product offerings, introducing new betting formats and features that meet the growing demands of esports fans and bettors. A key focus is helping to build the credibility of esports and esports betting, particularly in the U.S. market, where regulation is still evolving.

But there is more. We strongly believe that esports is rapidly emerging as a major entertainment vertical, and we aim to be at the forefront of this cultural shift. Beyond our core business, we are actively exploring cutting-edge technology that enables the creation of fully immersive virtual worlds, new gaming experiences, and advanced esports betting platforms. We are also innovating new ways to visualize data, enhancing engagement for viewers and bettors in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

After years of professional involvement in esports, does it still remain a passion for you?

Absolutely, esports is still a huge passion for me. While my role has shifted from playing to building the infrastructure that supports esports betting, I still closely follow the scene.

I may not have as much time to play as I used to, but I continue to keep up with CS2 and other major titles. Esports is constantly evolving, and staying connected to it on a personal level helps inform the work we do at Oddin.gg.

During my research, I discovered another well-known Vlastimil Venclík in the Czech Republic—a filmmaker and actor. Do you think one day your name will be more associated with esports and technology than with Czech cinema?

(Laughs) That’s an interesting question. I’ll leave the filmmaking to him while I focus on esports and technology! Whether my name becomes more associated with esports than Czech cinema is ultimately up to the future, but I’m certainly working hard to make that a possibility.