Exclusive: Betting on the Future: Building an Esports Betting Ecosystem from the Ground Up

Marek Suchar stands out in iGaming for his deliberate approach to connecting global innovation with the specific needs of local markets. As Managing Director and Co-founder of Oddin.gg, he’s spent the past seven years building what he calls “the industry’s only true end-to-end Esports ecosystem.” From high-integrity odds feeds to interactive BetBuilder tools, Oddin.gg’s approach has redefined how operators can engage a new generation of bettors, especially in emerging markets like Africa.

In this exclusive iGaming AFRIKA Magazine interview, Marek shares how eSims could be the continent’s breakthrough product, why localisation is the key to long-term success, and what African operators can learn from the most mature esports markets around the globe.

iGaming AFRIKA: Please tell us more about yourself and your role at Oddin.gg.

Marek Suchar: I co-founded Oddin.gg in 2018 after several years in finance and business development, including time at Citi. My background is in financial management, but I’ve always been drawn to innovation and disruption, and Esports betting presented both.

At Oddin.gg, I lead our global partnership initiatives and market strategy, working closely with iGaming operators and platforms to help them build competitive, engaging, and profitable Esports offerings. I focus on strategic partnerships, market expansion, and aligning our technology with the evolving needs of bookmakers, particularly in emerging markets, such as Africa.

iGaming AFRIKA:  Can you describe how Oddin.gg has evolved since its founding, and what makes your approach to esports betting unique in the B2B space?

Marek Suchar: We launched Oddin.gg with a clear goal: to build an esports betting solution from the ground up, rather than retrofitting traditional sports betting models. Today, we offer the industry’s only end-to-end Esports ecosystem, covering odds feed, widgets, risk management, BetBuilder, iFrame, 24/7 content, and more.

What makes our approach unique, especially in emerging markets like Africa, is that we don’t treat Esports as one-size-fits-all. We cover both core esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends, and electronic simulators, what we call “eSims”, such as eFootball and eBasketball.

For Africa, eSims are often the more immediately relevant product. They’re familiar to bettors because of their similarity to virtual sports, but with real human players instead of RNG, offering a higher level of integrity. That’s where we see the biggest opportunity for African operators today: using eSims to offer 24/7, fast-cycle content backed by real competition and proven risk management.

iGaming AFRIKA: With esports betting revenue projected to reach $2.8 billion globally in 2025, what do you see as the key drivers behind this explosive growth?

Marek Suchar: It’s driven by a generational shift. Younger audiences are native to digital content, and, in many cases, Esports are their sports of choice. Millennials and Gen Z want fast, interactive entertainment. They’re used to streaming, gaming, and social media, not waiting for scheduled matches. Esports and eSims mirror that consumption pattern perfectly.

But for regions like Africa, we see the immediate driver being eSims specifically. Virtual sports have long been established across the continent, and eSims build on that by offering the same 24/7 availability but with real human players and streamed matches. That makes them more engaging, with a higher level of integrity. For our partners, eSims now represent 8–15% of real sports handle globally, so it’s not just a filler product. It’s a proven growth channel, especially in markets where Esports are still emerging and where player behaviour leans toward familiar formats.

Add to that improved infrastructure, better data feeds, more engaging markets, and products like our BetBuilder, and you’ve got a recipe for growth. Many of our global partners already rank esports among their top five sports by handle, with up to three-figure year-over-year percentage growth in betting volume.

iGaming AFRIKA: How do new features from gaming software providers such as BetBuilder products make gaming even more interesting for bettors in Africa?

Marek Suchar: Personalisation is key, especially in mobile-first markets, like Africa. Our BetBuilder lets bettors create virtually unlimited unique bet combinations within a single match, whether in Counter-Strike 2 or eFootball. 

But it’s not just about predicting a winner; it’s about allowing bettors to express how they think the match will unfold. That level of engagement leads to higher retention and bigger stakes. It’s flexible, scalable, and built for the next generation of bettors, and we’ve already seen double-digit percentage increases in margin for our partners using it.

iGaming AFRIKA: A significant challenge for African Esports players is the limited access to reliable infrastructure necessary for full participation in the sport. How can operators and service providers collaborate to improve infrastructure, thereby fostering the growth of Esports across Africa?

Marek Suchar: The core Esports ecosystem, big tournaments and teams, will take time to grow in Africa. But betting-focused content like eSims doesn’t depend on that infrastructure in the same way, which is part of its appeal. eSims provide 24/7 content streamed from professional international studios, so African operators can tap into high-integrity esports content without waiting for local scenes to mature.

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That said, local investment is still important. Operators and providers can collaborate by supporting grassroots Esports hubs, sponsoring events, and engaging regulators in honest conversations about building a healthy, sustainable ecosystem. It’s a step-by-step process, but eSims help bridge that gap today while core esports grow in parallel.

iGaming AFRIKA:  Africa’s Esports betting market is projected to reach $37.5 million in 2025, according to Statista. How do you see this market evolving over the next five years, and what opportunities does it offer for operators?

Marek Suchar: Africa is one of the most promising long-term regions for Esports. With over 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population under 30, a fast-growing mobile-first audience, and local competitive gaming gradually gaining traction, the foundations are already in place. 

Over the next five years, I expect two parallel tracks: operators scaling up their eSims offerings, and a gradual rise in local Esports activity, most likely through tournaments, influencer engagement, and increased investment in tech infrastructure. Operators who approach this with a localised strategy and focus on UX, payment flows, and relevant content will build long-term loyalty rather than chasing quick wins.

Read the full interview in our digital magazine: