[IN PICTURES] Where top dogs play… Yobetit!

We meet with the young Maltese game-lover CEO, Nikolai Livori, and the team of ambitious individuals behind Yobetit

Yobetit CEO Nikolai Livori with his three living mascots
Yobetit CEO Nikolai Livori with his three living mascots

As we enter the office of Yobetit, a converted San Gwann house overlooking the valley, we are instantly welcomed by not only the friendly office manager Stefania, but also Skeeve, Yobetit’s living mascot, a handsome Jack Russell terrier, and his pack, Lily and Peppa. As Nikolai Livori, Yobetit CEO and founder, showed us around the office, we quickly notice that the dogs are a major part of the office life and the iGaming brand.

Nikolai relates that his dogs are his teachers and that his sportsbook and gaming company reflects the lessons that he has come to learn from them:

1. Loyalty and trust

2. Rewards

3. Good companionship

4. Ears trained. Eyes open. Always.

The team at Yobetit
The team at Yobetit

No wonder that their witty logo has been inspired by this – “where top dogs play”!

Nik, thanks for welcoming us into your offices. Tell us about Yobetit.com and what drives you?

I started the company alongside a small team of likeminded individuals with a vision to offer the best possible sportsbook product online. Yobetit.com was created in 2012 after the betting company I had previously been working at was sold. The Yobetit team and the passion they show every day drives me, knowing we are all pushing for the same goals creating a safe and fun gaming environment.

Inside Yobetit's office in San Gwann
Inside Yobetit's office in San Gwann

The fact that we are based in Malta makes us want to contribute to the local society. In fact we have just dedicated a chunk of our marketing budget to organising local charity events in the near future.

You have an interesting background in I.T., online gaming, sports betting mixed with your experience with computer science, A.I. and mathematics. Can you tell us how you got involved in this industry in the first place?

A few years ago I had developed a platform which currently forms part of the core application. Having a mathematical and I.T. background and an affinity to financial markets, I started doing all sorts of trading from forex, crypto-currencies, commodities and also sports odds. Naturally, we created a product which has now evolved into a fully-fledged sportsbook and plan to take it further.

We love that your office is a converted San Gwann house. It’s truly a different environment from other gaming companies in Malta. How does this environment affect your operations?

Always balancing work and play at Yobetit
Always balancing work and play at Yobetit

I love this new office as it’s away from the busy city centres, offering a more relaxed working environment. The large open-plan setting makes it easier to work together as a team. Keeping a dynamic environment is what makes this work - start-ups and investments being my other work-related passion. 

We know you’re the local betting company on the block, but what are some of your other unique selling points?

Yobetit.com has a customer first mentality and is highly product driven. We take decisions based on these two core elements – we are fun and rewarding.  If you couple that with one of the broadest betting suites in the market, available on mobile too, our players benefit from an exceptional product, within a safe and secure environment regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority.

We enjoy your minimal design – it’s bright, intuitive and easy. What was the inspiration behind your playing environment?

Gamification is a skill I acquired over the past years by involving myself in game development projects. Applying game-design elements and creating engaging products is something I have a passion for. After we incorporated Skeeve in our logo, we decided to freshen up the brand, so we redesigned the whole user interface. We bridged our website from having a traditional complex interface to one which is much more user friendly, catering for all levels of player.

What are your most popular promotions now?

That's tough – we have blockbuster weekly offers as well as staggered featured offers covering the world’s largest sporting events. If I was to choose one that hits close to home, it’s our unrivalled promotional coverage of the BOV premier league here in Malta. 

Do you plan to have more products on Yobetit.com?

Yes of course, but first we are focusing on becoming the player's number one preferred sportsbook in Malta and Europe. Our Casino and Lottery products will follow soon.

Would you like to offer our readers a special promo code or discount? 

Sure. Join us and receive €10 free upon signup + 100% deposit bonus. You can get it here.