Sports trading offers an exciting career opportunity for sports enthusiasts. We chatted to the Head of Sports Trading at Digi, Alex Notman, about what a day in the life of a Sports Trader looks like.
How did you get into Sports Trading?
I grew up in a small town in northern Sweden where summer days are few and far between and every spare moment was either spent on a football pitch or ice hockey rink depending on time of year. Once I reached the realisation that I wasn’t going to be the next Henrik Larsson or Tomas Brolin (which probably happened much later than it should have!) I started looking into other avenues where my passion for sports could materialize into some form of career.
This was during a time when online poker was booming which piqued my interest for the online gaming industry. Whilst failing to become the next Stu Ungar or Phil Ivey I was also running a rather unsuccessful casino affiliate business (I ran out of friends and family members to recruit). The one good thing that came out of all this was that I got in contact with a lot of people who were working in the gaming industry, one of which introduced me to GNUF/Betway. This was my ‘Eureka!’ moment as I realised that the role of a Sports Trader would allow me to utilize my interest in sports, mathematics and analytics, and actually get paid to do so.
In 2010 I took a gamble and relocated to Malta and within two weeks I got an interview at Betway which landed me the job as a Swedish Customer Support Agent / Bet Settlement Executive.
Fast forward to 2017 when a decision was made to open up an additional trading location housed by DigiOutsource in Cape Town. I was honoured to be chosen to travel down and spend three months setting up the department which initially consisted of six Junior Sports Traders. Three months turned into six and I was eventually offered to relocate permanently and take up the role as Head of Sports Trading. Today, our Digi Trading group is made up of 65 employees and three different departments (Sports Trading, Trading Support and Sports Behaviour).
Describe a day in the life of a Sports Trader at Digi.
Similar to the sporting events our work revolves around, every day is different. Each day brings constant new challenges which the teams unfailingly turn into new successes. Sports Traders stay on top of our various sporting markets and analyse upcoming events, fixtures and market trends to ensure our pricing remain optimal which ultimately drives company revenue and success.
I often talk about four main areas in Sports Trading which is pre-match trading, in-play trading, bet settlement and customer profiling. These four areas cover the full event cycle, from analysing upcoming fixtures and creating product offerings to manage these fixtures as they take place and ultimately ensuring that they are settled correctly. All of this whilst closely monitoring customer behaviour and market trends. In addition to this, we collaborate with a wide array of different departments within the business to ensure our product is offered in a fun and exciting yet responsible manner.
What advice would you give someone who is interested in pursuing a career as a Sports Trader?
The general misconception is that extensive knowledge and a keen interest in sport is all that it takes to be a successful Sports Trader. The reality is that you also need a sound understanding of mathematics (especially fundamental probability) to be able to successfully manage the various trading tasks. If you have the sports knowledge and interest and are interested in pursuing a career in Sports Trading, study up on probabilities. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced result driven environment where your daily duties revolve around the sport you love – Sports Trading is definitely for you!
What is your favourite thing about #DigiLife?
Working closely with some incredibly talented, smart and driven people from all over the world which provides endless opportunities to grow both on a professional and a personal level.
Looking back at my eleven years with the business, which has taken me all over the world, and the successes and opportunities I’ve been fortunate enough to receive – I can’t help but feeling that we are only getting started.
Think you’ve got what it takes to be Sports Trader? Apply now: https://bit.ly/35WHQHP
