Sportradar has taken a decisive step beyond its traditional role as a sports data powerhouse with the launch of Playradar, a new iGaming brand designed to unify sportsbook, streaming and casino into a single, seamless ecosystem.

At its core, Playradar reflects a fundamental change in player expectations. Instead of fragmented platforms, users now demand a continuous experience where entertainment, betting and gaming coexist.

The Rise of the “Always-On” Gaming Experience

Playradar introduces a 24/7 live experience centre, where players can watch live sports, place bets and engage with casino-style gameplay simultaneously. This model aligns with a broader industry shift toward always-on engagement, where the goal is no longer just acquisition — but retention and session depth.

By combining sports data, live streaming and casino products such as slots, table games, arcade titles and virtual sports, the platform creates a unified engagement loop that keeps players within a single ecosystem.

Leadership Driving Execution

A key part of this strategy is the appointment of Edo Haitin, former CEO of Playtech Live, as EVP of iGaming. With more than two decades of experience across iGaming operations and live casino development, Haitin brings the operational expertise needed to scale Playradar effectively.

His focus is on delivering hybrid gaming experiences that blend sports and casino — capitalizing on the growing demand for sports-casino convergence.

Cross-Sell as the Core Growth Engine

CEO Carsten Koerl described iGaming as a “natural and scalable extension” of Sportradar’s business, and a “strategic acceleration” of its long-term roadmap.

At the heart of Playradar is a clear commercial objective:
to optimize cross-sell between sportsbook and casino.

By increasing session length and player value, Sportradar is addressing one of the industry’s most critical challenges — sustaining engagement in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Regulated Expansion, Scalable Model

Playradar will operate exclusively in regulated markets, with initial rollout planned across the United Kingdom, North America and Latin America from 2026.

This reflects a disciplined approach to growth — prioritizing compliance, scalability and long-term sustainability over rapid but risky expansion.

A New Category: Hybrid Gaming

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Playradar is its introduction of proprietary hybrid content, blending live and historical sports events with interactive gaming mechanics and casino experiences.

This signals the emergence of a new category where users no longer distinguish between betting and gaming — they engage in both simultaneously.

Final Take: Owning the Engagement Loop

Playradar represents more than a product launch — it is a strategic repositioning.

By leveraging its strengths in data, streaming and operator distribution, Sportradar is evolving into a full-stack iGaming infrastructure provider.

In the next phase of the industry, success will not be defined by who has the most users — but by who can keep them engaged the longest.

And with Playradar, Sportradar is building exactly that:
a platform designed to own the entire engagement loop.