Hi, it's Leanne Johnston from Affiliate Insider, and I'm joined by Kiryakos from Better Collective, who was also the previous founder of betteradies.gr, which is one of the most popular Greek affiliate sites in iGaming. Thanks for joining me today. How are you doing?
SPEAKER_01Thank you, Lial, for the invitation. It's my pleasure to be here. Brian, and I'm looking forward to Quick Bookbacker Awards in 10 days from now.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it's coming up soon. So I wanted to just talk a little bit about your journey because it's been one that I've been a part of since almost the very beginning. So before we talk about the awards, let's talk a little bit about the journey that betteradies.gr has had and and where you are today. So take us back and tell us a little bit about your affiliate journey.
SPEAKER_01It was back in 2008. Three years after we moved to Thessaloniki, where we have now the offices, also the PC offices. And we opened a new office and started hiring people. It was one year after that also Theo joined us. And that's how we uh continued the journey, but our others we at the same time we started creating some new projects, new websites about uh betting and but also for casino.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Uh it was Bet Home and uh Casino Slot. Um and uh the the the big uh the first big competition for us was uh World Cup 2014.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um after that uh we moved to a bigger office, uh we increased our staff and uh also we hired uh developers in-house. Um actually we expanded also our portfolio even more. Um it was also after two years in 2016, uh, when we won the best foreign language affiliate website in IGB Awards.
SPEAKER_00I remember that. I think I remember celebrating that night with you as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. That that was a milestone, yeah, for us. And uh two years after uh 2018, uh we started negotiations uh with uh uh BC and uh at the end of July we joined uh BC Group. That's the the journey.
SPEAKER_00That's been the journey, the the short version, but I'm sure the long version is pretty interesting, and and um you know there were a lot of journey uh you know, entrepreneurial learnings that you have on the way. Now the Greek market has been a very interesting space, um, and you guys have sort of coined it. So can you talk a little bit for our our our listeners about what's so special about the Greek market and how you've been able to evolve with the opportunities that you've built and what's coming in 2020?
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Yeah, we have a new gobbling bill that voted uh back in October, which uh will be enforced uh hopefully in 2020. Um close to uh June or something like this. We are still awaiting uh the final decision from uh the government. Yes. Um it I think that uh this will stop the temporary um situation we have now for almost seven years, and uh we'll have a permanent solution which will be something very stable and uh maybe uh some uh from the big bookmakers that used to be in the big market, such as William Hill or uh I don't know, Gladberges, but fair, will to will decide to come back to the big market because now um uh I think uh although the cost uh it's uh it's quite big because it's uh three million uh for uh sports wedding and uh for license and for seven years and uh two millions for casino. I still think that there is potential in the market and um uh there is the operators uh can generate margin uh as uh we have um a lot of people that uh are very familiar with uh gabbling in Greece.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so you think the market is actually poised for you know growth, uh for more opportunity for brands to re-enter? Um and what about from the affiliate perspective? I mean, obviously, better collector is a huge you know, affiliate conglomerate, and you're part of that now. But what about for newer affiliates? Is this still opportunity to diversify in that market, or do you think that it's it's not closed?
SPEAKER_01Actually, uh uh in this law uh there is also a section about affiliates, so affiliates uh should be certified from now on. And uh I think uh also this gives a good um point to uh operators like uh Better Collective because uh we would like to be transparent, we would like to be uh the first ones to uh uh uh uh make uh everything uh in compliant a way. And uh I think that the Hellenic Gaming Commission um uh we have uh a lot of work uh to be done uh during 2020 with affiliate. Uh the the the um uh the rules and uh the conditions are not uh still uh clear, but I think in the next uh months uh everything could be finalized.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so it's quite an exciting time. Now, talking about exciting, I am very excited to be joining you at the awards in a couple of weeks or a couple of days' time. So talk to us a little bit about why these awards are being hosted by Better Collective in Athens and you know what what we can expect from them and just you know what why you wanted to actually you know pay homage to some of these brands that you've been working with.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, I think that those awards will be special because uh uh the whole procedure uh was uh unbiased, and uh uh I think um also we have uh certification from uh one of the big four uh auditors that uh we have certification that everything uh will be uh done in uh the correct way. Um the first time that we have uh bookmaker awards in Greece, and uh I hope uh all bookmakers that operate uh will join us and uh will join forces actually to promote that event because I think that uh when we have um such events uh in uh a market like uh a small market like Greece, yes, uh it's a great time for all of us to be in at the same time, at the same place, and uh um talk about the same things that uh all of us uh are really excited.
SPEAKER_00I mean, apart from the networking opportunities, it is a great opportunity to sort of really um you know get in front of your clients. And and this is what I love about the uh about what Meta Collective is doing is that you know it's always been the operator that wants to you know approach an affiliate, but you guys are really proactive in the way that you reach out to operators and to you know suppliers and business partners as well. You know, you you you I think um you're always exhibiting at events and actually making yourself accessible, whereas most you know affiliates sort of they're not contactable, you know, as contactable. So I really love that about about the ethos of the business and and how you guys run that. So I'm gonna end our podcast here today and just say thank you so much for your time and for sharing a little bit of your insight in in what is becoming a very exciting market to look at. And I'm really looking forward to seeing you in 10 days' time at the awards. So thank you very much for sharing your time on your insight.
SPEAKER_01Looking forward. Yeah, looking forward to seeing you in our answer, Leanne. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Finally, after all these years. But thanks very much for joining me on our Three Questions podcast today, and we'll catch up with you again soon.