Odgers previously held several key marketing positions at Sportpesa, Sportingbet, and Greatodds before she became Virgin Bet’s head of marketing in July 2025.
With the launch of the Virgin Bet brand in South Africa set for March this year, Odgers has now taken on the role of general manager. In this position, she will lead the company's initiatives to establish itself within Africa’s largest market.
Her extensive marketing background brings a distinct perspective that she believes will differentiate both herself and Virgin Bet in a competitive landscape.
“I think many people will echo the sentiment that our business has largely become a marketing business,” she expressed to iGB. “In iGaming as an operator, marketing is a cornerstone to the success or failure of your operations, and oftentimes having a non-marketing background can hold you back from that investment.
“With a brand like Virgin Bet, it’s essential to have someone focused on the brand and who can adopt a bold strategy to leverage early brand equity.”
Despite the optimistic beginnings in South Africa, Odgers acknowledges that achieving sustained growth will hinge on more than just strong marketing efforts. “At some point, obviously, your product has to be good enough to retain customers, but for now, the brand is something that’s going to attract South Africans to us,” she noted. “Being marketing-focused is helpful, but it’s just one aspect of the bigger picture.
“I’ve been in the industry long enough and have worked with several operators to bring a solid financial background and product-focused experience into this role. So yes, marketing is foundational, and while it sets me apart, I’m also very focused on compliance, finance, and customer satisfaction.”
Odgers elaborated on the surprisingly strong reception Virgin Bet has received in South Africa. She noted the market is responsive to established brands like Virgin.
“My initial reservations were that it’s a brand new brand,” she admitted. “Everyone knows Virgin, but Virgin Bet is still relatively unknown in South Africa. Thus, we set conservative targets for our first quarter of operations.
“But going in with a trusted brand and a quality product, South Africans are willing to give you a try. It’s particularly exciting since this market is saturated with established competitors who have significant brand equity. That a new player can enter and attract customers is genuinely thrilling.”
When asked about her success metrics for Virgin Bet in a year, Odgers pointed to market share without revealing specific targets. “Market share is a goal for all tier-two operators in South Africa, as we all vie to gain traction and compete,” she stated. “We’d love to reach a point where I can confidently claim we’re among the top tier of operators, and then build from there.
“Market share is essential for us. At the same time, I’m focused on cultivating our customer retention base, which I view as a significant measure of success. A healthy retention rate suggests our product is working, and we’re making the right enhancements to meet customer needs.”
The ongoing World Cup has sparked a conversation about the marketing expenditures surrounding major sporting events. Ed Birkin, Managing Director of H2 Gambling Capital, suggested that while it might seem the industry overspends on marketing, a lack of spending could lead to diminished visibility among competitors.
Odgers feels the situation varies depending on an operator's customer demographics and the extent of casino offerings. She cautioned against basing an entire annual marketing plan on singular events like the World Cup.
“I don’t believe a four-week tournament should dictate your entire marketing strategy for the year,” she said. “There should indeed be an increase in focus, but crafting an entire campaign around such a short tournament appears short-sighted.
“Additionally, spending a large portion of your budget on a single event can lead to quick burnout. If you invest significantly in an ad, it’s exposed frequently during that four weeks, causing viewer fatigue by the end. When a whole league season kicks off in August, your CFO or CEO will want to reuse that ad, but you’ll run into ad fatigue in a short time. Therefore, the budget shouldn’t pivot entirely on a single big tournament, but it’s reasonable to allocate extra for acquisition during such periods.”
Kyle Goldsmith has been with Clarion since December 2023, transitioning from sports journalism to become a senior reporter focused on Latin America with iGB.
