Bet builders have become a fundamental part of sports betting in recent years, not just in football, but across a whole host of sports.

The 2026 World Cup is now just around the corner, and operators will be trying to gain an edge on each other ahead of the biggest event in football through bet builder innovations. 

Ahead of his appearance at the SBC Summit Malta, Ivan Gojić, Chief Sportsbook Officer at Entain CEE, speaks exclusively to SBC News on how the business is developing its sportsbook across its many brands. 

With the World Cup now just around the corner, what are the opportunities for Entain CEE in terms of promotions, new markets and attracting new players on sites?

The World Cup is still the biggest moment we have in terms of acquisition and engagement, that hasn’t really changed.

For me, it’s about how you set things up end-to-end. Not just one-off promotions, but building an ecosystem where generosity, product and trust all work together. That’s something we’ve been focusing on over time.

Now we’re adding more product depth on top of that, and I’m confident we’ll deliver a really strong World Cup experience for our customers.

Most sportsbooks are now offering some form of bet builder. How does Entain CEE ensure its bet builder is innovative and regularly developed as competition intensifies? 

Bet builders are no longer a differentiator by default, they’re expected. So the question isn’t whether you have one, it’s how good it actually is.

We don’t see bet builder as a separate product, but as a core part of the offer. The goal is simple: no friction. Whether you’re building a bet or cashing out, it should feel seamless.

The bar keeps moving. Speed, stability and a wide range of player props are now baseline, so we’re pushing beyond that. You’ll see that with our next iteration quite soon.

How have sportsbook products like bet builders developed at Entain’s CEE brands STS and Supersport since the companies’ acquisitions?

Both STS and SuperSport had solid foundations, but they were operating in a more traditional setup before the acquisition.

The biggest shift since then has been treating bet builders as a core part of the product, not just an add-on. We’ve expanded coverage, improved the underlying trading models, and made sure it sits naturally within the user journey.

It’s less about adding features, and more about making it central to how people bet.

With STS an important CEE brand, how significant will Entain’s World Cup performance in the region revolve around whether Poland qualifies through the playoffs?

Poland qualifying obviously helps. Engagement goes up, activity goes up, everything lifts. And it’s a different atmosphere when the whole country is involved. We see it in Croatia each time.

That said, it’s still the World Cup. We have to be ready either way. The focus for us is building a strong, customer-friendly ecosystem, not relying on one outcome and reacting if it doesn’t happen.

If a key nation doesn’t qualify, does this place a heavier onus on bet builders to maintain customer engagement in that market? How can companies be creative with bet builders in these circumstances?

If a key nation doesn’t qualify, you feel it, but that’s where product matters more. This is exactly where bet builders play a bigger role. You’re giving users the tools to build their own angles into games, rather than relying on national sentiment. Creativity comes from adding context and making the experience feel relevant, even if their team isn’t there.

Kick-off times are a little awkward for European audiences. How will you keep bettors engaged in this context?

The kick-off times aren’t ideal for European audiences, but that’s not a new challenge.

It just shifts the focus. Pre-match becomes more important, content becomes more important, and you need to give users reasons to engage even if they’re not watching every game live. It’s about being present before and after, not just during. And with a packed sports calendar around it, there’s more than enough to keep engagement high.

Entain recently rolled out horse racing bet builders in the UK. Could this product enjoy similar success in the company’s CEE markets?

It’s no secret that horse racing isn’t a core product in CEE in the same way it is in the UK. So while horse racing bet builders could be an interesting addition over time, it’s not a priority right now. First we focus on what really matters in our markets. That said, bet builder as a concept is now a must, regardless of sport.

With markets becoming more congested and regulators more stringent, what is Entain doing to keep its substantial sports betting market share in a number of countries?

Markets are getting more crowded, and regulation isn’t getting any easier. The only real way to defend your position is through product quality and execution. You can’t outspend everyone forever, and you can’t rely on legacy. You need a product that works, that’s reliable, and that people actually enjoy using. It sounds simple, but a lot of operators still don’t get the basics right.

Speaking generally, what are the biggest challenges facing sports betting in 2026, in your view?

The biggest challenges are fragmentation and pressure on margins.You’ve got more competition, more regulation, and higher expectations from users at the same time. That makes it harder to scale and harder to differentiate. There’s less room for mistakes, and less tolerance from customers.

How is Entain preparing its sports betting operations and products for these challenges?

For us, it comes down to being more focused and more agile in how we deliver.We’re investing in core product capabilities, improving speed and quality, and making sure we’re not overcomplicating things. Big organisations tend to try and do too much.The real advantage comes from doing a few things very well and executing consistently.

On a more personal note, were there any key drivers to return to the business after nearly eight years at Superbet?

Superbet was a big part of my journey and it genuinely felt like home. It’s a strong company with a very clear vision, and an owner who is truly visionary and close to the business.

But at that point, it felt like the right moment to move on. The scale of Entain, combined with the potential in CEE, made it a very interesting challenge. It was an opportunity to apply what I’d learned in a different environment and at a different level.

What do you think SBC Summit Malta attendees will learn about sportsbooks, the evolution of the bet builder product and their importance to the industry?

I think people will take away that bet builders, among other features (and products), are no longer just an add-on. They’re becoming central to how sportsbook products are built and how users engage with them. The shift is from static betting to something more interactive and more personalised. And the operators who understand that properly will be the ones that stay relevant.