Founded in 2024, scoreconnect is helping operators rethink player engagement through AI-powered automation, real-time content and targeted messaging, writes Lauren Harrison.
As acquisition costs continue to rise and retention becomes increasingly important for long-term survival, the company believes operators need to move beyond traditional CRM campaigns towards more connected, real-time player experiences that drive engagement.
To learn more about this approach and explore their direction of travel, iGamingFuture’s Curtis Roach met with scoreconnect CEO Antonio Ruggeri for an exclusive interview.
Read on as they discuss the evolution of player engagement, the growing role of AI and messaging platforms and probe why Antonio believes the future of sports betting lies in bringing content, community and wagering into a single space.
Curtis began by asking:
Operators continue to face rising acquisition costs and increasing player churn. How important is the integration of CRM, live sports content and betting functionality in creating more seamless and engaging player journeys?
“I think operators need to accept a simple reality: Most players don’t wake up thinking about placing a bet. They wake up thinking about sports, their favourite teams, the match they watched last night, or the game coming up this weekend.
“For years, the industry has treated CRM, content and betting as separate functions. The player doesn’t see it that way. The operators that will outperform over the next few years will be those that can connect these elements into a single experience.
“If a player receives a relevant update, sees a live score, reads an interesting insight and can place a bet immediately without friction, engagement naturally increases.
“At scoreconnect, we believe the conversation itself is becoming the new front door to the operator.
“Instead of waiting for players to come back to your platform, you stay connected with them through the channels they already use every day. That creates more touchpoints, more relevance and ultimately better retention.”
Many operators possess vast amounts of customer data but still struggle to deliver timely, personalised experiences. What role will real-time content, live scores and behavioural triggers play in helping operators move from reactive CRM campaigns to predictive engagement strategies?
“The industry has spent years collecting data. The problem is not data, but timing.
“Many CRM campaigns are still based on what happened yesterday, last week or last month. By the time the message arrives, the moment is often gone.
“The real opportunity is understanding what the player is interested in right now.
“If someone regularly follows Brazilian football, interacts with content about Flamengo and bets on specific markets, for example, there’s no reason to wait until they become inactive before communicating with them.
“Operators should be engaging with that player while the interest exists.
“Real-time content, behavioural triggers and AI allow operators to become more relevant. Not necessarily by sending more messages, but by sending fewer messages in a smart way, so that each actually matters.
“We live busy lives, balancing work, personal commitments and multiple digital distractions. Our attention spans are getting shorter by the day.
“This is why communication must be–or rather must become–useful. So that operators become useful too, and engagement follows naturally.”
With player expectations increasingly shaped by social media, instant messaging and real-time digital experiences, how must the sportsbook product evolve to remain relevant and engaging during major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup and beyond?
“Players compare betting experiences with the best digital experiences they use every day. They compare them against platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
“During events like the FIFA World Cup (although now this is true for everything) players expect immediacy. They want updates instantly. They want relevant information without having to search for it. They want to discuss matches with friends – and react to what’s happening in real time.
“The traditional sportsbook experience, where a player opens an app, searches for a market, places a bet and leaves, feels increasingly outdated.
“I believe the future is much more conversational.
“Players will consume content, receive updates, discuss events and access betting opportunities within the same environment.
“The sportsbook doesn’t disappear. It becomes part of a broader experience, rather than the experience itself.
“That’s one of the reasons we see so much potential in messaging platforms. They already sit at the centre of people’s digital lives.”
Do you see the industry moving towards a more unified experience where content consumption, community interaction, CRM engagement and wagering exist within a single environment? If so, what challenges must operators overcome to make that vision a reality?
“Yes, in fact, I think we’re already moving in that direction.
“If you look at how people consume sports today, they are constantly switching between apps. They watch a match, check statistics, chat with friends, read news, browse social media and place bets. The experience is fragmented.
“The long-term opportunity is in bringing these interactions closer together.
“I don’t think the future belongs to operators that simply offer more markets or bigger bonuses. Most operators can do that. The real differentiator will be engagement.
“And the challenge is that most operators still operate with disconnected systems.
“CRM sits in one place, content in another, player data somewhere else and communication channels somewhere else again. Creating a truly unified experience requires those systems to work together seamlessly.
“The second challenge is organisational rather than technical.
“Product teams, CRM teams, trading teams and marketing teams often work independently.
“The player experiences a single journey, but many operators still manage it in separate silos.
“The operators that solve this will create stronger player relationships, improve retention and reduce their dependence on ever-increasing acquisition spend.
“Ultimately, the industry’s biggest opportunity is not finding more players, because that number is finite. It’s in building better relationships with the players it already has, giving them the best experience they can.”
Editor’s Note:
When we consider sportsbook innovation, it has often revolved around the product rather than the experience.
But Antonio makes a compelling argument that the industry’s next seismic shake-up won’t be driven by what’s on the bet slip, but by everything surrounding it.
In his view, bettors no longer separate content, communication and betting the way operators do, but move seamlessly between messaging, live scores, social media and sportsbooks, expecting immediate and relevant interactions.
The problem, he argues, is that the experience remains fragmented. CRM, content and betting are often managed by different teams – a disconnect that manifests throughout the consumer journey.
For Antonio, this is where the opportunity lies: Bringing all these spaces together into a single experience, where useful, timely content–backed by data and predictive analytics–naturally creates betting opportunities, while also fostering a social and community-driven experience.
Ultimately, Antonio reminds us that the industry’s biggest opportunity is not finding more players – that number is finite. It is in building better relationships and experiences with the players we already have.
