How Pragmatic Play Sports is delivering measurable value to operators globally

Is your sportsbook platform truly maximising your margins? Can margin optimisation drive significant revenue without increasing operational costs?

In this episode of Connected with Pragmatic Solutions, our CEO, Ashley Lang, sits down with Gareth Crook, Senior Vice President of Sports at Pragmatic Play, to discuss how the company is empowering operators to grow efficiently and profitably, whether launching sports for the first time or re-platforming from legacy solutions.

Entering the game: Pragmatic Play’s strategic expansion into sportsbook

In a fiercely competitive space where differentiation and data agility are paramount, Pragmatic Play has made a bold entrance into the sportsbook market. Following years of dominance in verticals such as slots, live casino, and bingo, the company has extended its hallmark of innovation and quality to sports betting, led by industry veteran Gareth Crook.

Crook brings over two decades of sports betting experience to the table, with a career spanning retail trading at William Hill to executive leadership roles in digital gaming. His deep operational insight and product-first mindset have shaped Pragmatic’s sportsbook into a comprehensive and performance-driven platform.

A full-stack, managed solution with margin optimisation at the core

Operators entering or evolving their sportsbook strategy typically face a mix of complex questions: Do they have internal trading expertise? Are they equipped for real-time content management? How do they access premium data feeds across global markets?

Pragmatic Play Sports answers these challenges with a comprehensive approach. Their offering includes:

• A flexible frontend and CMS that allows operators to customise and configure sportsbook experiences in real-time.

• A sophisticated backend trading engine built in-house for speed, transparency, and operational scale.

• Fully managed trading and risk services, enabling clients to outsource up to 100% of the operation.

• Official data partnerships, giving access to premium betting feeds through a single aggregated contract.

"Our priority is to help operators increase sportsbook margin, and I think too few place enough emphasis on that," Crook noted. “Just a 1% improvement can mean a significant increase in revenue.”

Success cases in regulated markets

Crook reports measurable success among current partners, including high-profile brands such as DAZN Bet and QuinnBet. 

• DAZN Bet, a sports media powerhouse, partnered with Pragmatic Solutions and Pragmatic Play to launch its sportsbook offering in Spain, Germany, and the UK, three highly regulated and competitive markets. With certification delivered in record time, the collaboration demonstrates the platform’s agility and compliance readiness.

• QuinnBet, a racing-heavy operator in the UK and Ireland, selected Pragmatic for its ability to deliver a best-in-class racing product. The result? Strong market feedback and visible performance traction within months of launch.

Crook shares that KPIs such as sportsbook margin, bet frequency, and player value have shown notable increases following platform migrations.

Supporting growth across all operator maturity levels

Pragmatic Play Sports caters to various types of operators:

• Casino-first operators looking to add sports as a new vertical, even if they lack an in-house sports betting trading team or internal sports knowledge. Pragmatic Play provides the necessary trading functions and advisory services.

• Large-scale, sports-first operators who may want more control and influence over their strategy. Pragmatic Play can accommodate a "hybrid model" where operators take more control if they have sufficient internal resources.

 Looking ahead: esports and player market expansion

With continued investment in product innovation and a growing client base, Pragmatic Play Sports is rapidly establishing itself as a top-tier choice in the sportsbook provider space.

Their product roadmap highlights include:

• A new esports vertical, designed to meet the growing demand for competitive gaming content in regions where it resonates most.

• Enhanced player prop markets, especially popular in the US, where bettors are increasingly focused on individual player stats.

Seamless access for Pragmatic Solutions clients 

Pragmatic Play Sports is fully accessible to all operators using the Pragmatic Solutions Player Account Management (PAM) platform. The integration has already been successfully deployed with leading brands such as QuinnBet and DAZN Bet, delivering a fully compliant, secure, and streamlined sportsbook solution.

By leveraging the existing PAM infrastructure, operators can activate the sportsbook with minimal technical effort, accelerating time to market while maintaining full control over their player data and operational workflows.

5 Key takeaways

• Pragmatic Play Sports delivers a fully managed, in-house sportsbook solution.

• Single-contract access to official data ensures speed, accuracy, and compliance.

• Partners like DAZN Bet and QuinnBet report measurable performance gains.

• Seamless integration with Pragmatic Solutions PAM simplifies activation.

• Upcoming features include esports and expanded player prop markets.

Watch to the full podcast episode here