COO for SIS Limited: Designed to Add Value

_{Andy Purkiss, CEO for SIS Limited, spoke to Casinos.com about his company’s plans for the future. (Image: Courtesy of SIS)}

Established in 1986, Sports Information Services (SIS) Limited delivers a range of around-the-clock services, including short-form greyhound and horse racing betting content, to more than 400 retail, online casino, and sportsbook customers in over 50 countries.

The Milton Keynes-headquartered firm's end-to-end solutions additionally run to virtual racing, fixed-odds number draws, and eSports entertainment designed to give operators a vast array of high-quality and engaging content to attract customers and drive revenues.

Casinos.com spoke with the Chief Operating Officer for SIS Limited, Andy Purkiss, about his company’s wide range of solutions as well as its entry into the embryonic American market and its plans for the future.

How was SIS Limited established and what did its initial offering entail?

"We originally formed as Satellite Information Services and started by introducing live picture racing broadcasts to betting shops. Prior to that, bookmakers typically only took audio commentary and shop staff had to manually provide result updates by writing them down on whiteboards.

"Today, we are at the forefront of live picture and data delivery via more than 450,000 annual betting events while also being one of the world’s leading suppliers of content, production, facilities and technology. 

"We can provide operators around the world with coverage of over 60,000 races per year from over 170 racetracks and produce 8,760 hours of annual content for our partners."

Why did you subsequently decide to enter the eSports and fixed-odds numbers draw sectors?

"In 2019, we complemented our live racing content by beginning to offer our competitive gaming eSports product. This is a high-integrity and around-the-clock product built for sportsbooks to address all of the issues that exist with existing traditional eSports tournament-based betting offers and is proving to be hugely popular with operators worldwide.

"The very next year, we acquired 49’s to add a third string to our bow in live fixed-odds numbers draws. We initially took ownership of the 49’s live draws product and that has since grown to include 39’s and Fast 15’s. Again, it’s a proposition that has global appeal."

What is it about the race betting content from SIS Limited that stands out when compared to that from your competitors?

"One important aspect that sets us apart is platform stability. Downtime is lost money for operators and our solution is unmatched in this regard. Across a portfolio of 30 channels, with over 21 of these running around the clock. 

"We can handle increased streaming traffic and business expansion needs through our platform’s auto-scaling feature and multi-cloud approach, which allows us to efficiently serve a continually expanding and global user base.

"We make life as easy as possible for our partners. All of our profitable short-form betting content is supplied as an end-to-end product, including live-streamed pictures with market-leading low latency and satellite delivery for operators with limited high-speed broadband."

How have the subsequent releases of your competitive gaming product and fixed-odds numbers drawn offerings been received?

"The biggest selling point around competitive gaming is that it has been created specifically for sportsbooks and with integrity at its core. We are the only provider to be Gold Standard approved by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). 

"It’s produced in-house and proven to deliver superior margins to operators, adding as much as 10% sportsbooks value via over 200,000 annual eSoccer and eBasketball events.

"Our popular numbers content is also driving around-the-clock revenues for both retail and online bookmakers. It is designed to appeal to a diverse betting audience and our portfolio is built around the world-famous 49’s Original Live Draw. It’s a product that has huge engagement, including across social channels where end users are essentially advocating the product. That is a rarity in our industry."

Earlier this year, SIS Limited launched its competitive gaming eSports product for sportsbook operators in the American state of Ohio. Why did you decide to enter the embryonic American market and how has this innovation been received?

"We recently went live in our twelfth American state and our partnerships with the likes of FanDuel and Bet365 have proven to be very fruitful. The American journey for competitive gaming began when we became New Jersey’s first-ever non-tournament eSports provider through a partnership with Bet365 in July of 2022. 

"Since then, the product has gone from strength to strength to produce some excellent results for our partners. The fact we offer eBasketball obviously aligns with betting preferences for sportsbook customers in the region but eSoccer is also performing very well."

Are you considering bringing your competitive gaming product to other American markets?

"We will definitely continue to focus on the roll-out of competitive gaming in new states in America. The fact we have enjoyed a lot of success already indicates that there is a real hunger for the product in the country. 

"Looking at our other products, we recently brought fixed-odds horse racing wagering to sportsbook customers in Colorado for the first time through a launch with Bet365. 

"The aim here is to continue to attract a wide range of casual bettors, given the odds formats align with other sports. 

"As a company, we are committed to the successful future of racing, and this is reflected in the fact we deliver a portion of turnover directly to Colorado horse racing."

SIS Limited recently extended its alliance with Greyhound Racing Ireland to showcase even more major feature events throughout 2025. How did this deal come about?

"We have long been a key partner of Greyhound Racing Ireland, and we have long-term agreements in place with Bet365, Betfred, Paddy Power and William Hill to deliver its content across both British and Irish retail and digital channels. 

"Our commitment to greyhound racing in general has been consistent ever since we started business and our approach to the sport is grounded in sustainability and flexibility. We produce content for operators on a daily basis, with 25,000 annual races from 15 tracks."

From January 20 to 22, you will be exhibiting inside Spain’s Fira Barcelona Gran Via as part of ICE Barcelona. What can those attending this show expect to see on your stand?

"We are excited to be a part of the relocated show in such a fantastic city. It’s a chance for us to showcase to both new and existing clients the range of products we have that can add value to sportsbooks. From racing to live fixed-odds numbers, draws and eSports, we have proven that we have solutions that appeal to a global audience. 

"Recent platform integrations have helped to get our products out to operators at greater speed than ever, so we are hoping that we can attract plenty of interest from sportsbooks of all sizes. We will be on stand 5G18, and we look forward to warmly welcoming all visitors to our booth."

What one innovation are you most looking forward to showcasing at the exhibition in Barcelona?

"Our eSports solution provides a major growth opportunity for both SIS Limited and our operator partners, so we are expecting there to be plenty of discussions around a product that provides more than 200,000 high-integrity and low-latency betting events every year.

"That said, our booth has been designed to reflect the fact that we offer three separate but complementary product verticals. It’s an exciting time to be part of the company and we look forward to the show."