Sep 2026
THE FUTURE OF LIVE CASINO Global Gaming Insider speaks to live casino suppliers from across the industry, assessing a key sector and where it goes next EMEA: Interviews and insights from a who’s who of online gambling APAC: A closer look at the face of New Zealand’s new gaming regulations AMERICAS: Previewing the Global Gaming Awards ceremony in Las Vegas
COO, EDITOR IN CHIEF Julian Perry EDITOR Tim Poole Tim.Poole@globalgaminginsider.com STAFF WRITERS Will Underwood, Kirk Geller CONTENT WRITERS Marieta Ležaić, Jack Found LEAD DESIGNER Olesya Adamska DESIGNERS Medina Mammadkhanova, Gabriela Baleva JUNIOR DESIGNER Monika Petrova ASSISTANT DESIGNER Tanya Aleksova ILLUSTRATOR Christian Wüst
Julian Perry, COO, Editor-in-Chief
Tim Poole, Editor
MARKETING DIRECTOR Mariya Savova
EDITOR’S LETTER
HEAD OF DIGITAL Tom Powling FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICER Svetlana Kamulya
I
VIDEO PRODUCER Callum Flett
am filled with pride to present our September issue of Global Gaming Insider magazine. It's a popular edition, and rightly so, as we bring you a true array of global gaming coverage. Starting off with our cover feature on live casino and finishing with our Sports Betting Focus, this magazine includes... live dealer, crash games, fast games, platforms, aggregation, land-based table games, operator viewpoints, regulation, legal viewpoints, M&A, new products, prediction markets, sports betting and data. That's also across all three of our staple regions, EMEA, APAC and Americas, and includes our staple features: Taking Stock, Movers & Shakers, Facing Facts, the Event Calendar and a double helping of Gaming in Pictures. You can see why I'm so proud of this one. As always, we've got a broad range of topics –but it's about the quality not just the quantity. That starts with our live casino roundtable, in which Iconic21, Pragmatic Play, Imagine Live and Winfinity give us real insight into how live dealer has progressed –and will progress in the future. While all four have unique perspectives – and it is refreshing not to have everyone just repeat the same messages – they are in agreement that AI dealers won't ever fully replace the 'human' side of live casino. But that will be interesting to assess against the test of time... Naturally, the digital sector takes up plenty of our focus in the EMEA segment, featuring Spribe, Galaxsys, Soft2Bet, Comtrade Gaming, Aardvark Technologies, Z-Gaming, Hub88, Kwiff and more. In the APAC section, Oren Dalal also explores the live casino and digital sectors, but from the M&A viewpoint. Company valuations today are impacted by whether that company is operating wholly in regulated markets or using an offshore model... In the Americas, we preview the Global Gaming Awards, Jan Fencl discusses prediction markets and Habanero talks all things LatAm. Meanwhile, after a momentous World Cup that surpassed all expectations both entertainmentwise and industry-wise, we also reflect on a busy summer in our Sports Betting Focus. Kirk Geller kicks us off by assessing the World Cup's legacy and what it may mean for 'football' in the US. On top of that, we bring you fascinating Betby data that shows revenue is still strongest among bet builders. Microbetting still has a long way to go in terms of making actual money... There is change afoot within sports betting, too, as Betby launches a new product it hopes will transform the industry. On the very next page, EvenBet also tells us about its new rebrand! So we have plenty for you, as we prepare for SBC Lisbon – one of the headline shows of the year. And there is still plenty to be achieved in Q4. The industry is changing heading into 2027, with experimental new products, new approaches to work and the ongoing adaptation of how AI can best benefit organisations. But don't let any of it fool you: there is still a bustling market out there. Don't let regulation become an excuse for a lack of innovation; don't let competition become an excuse for poor performance. Those who truly apply themselves will succeed. Whoever you are, if you are reading this, make sure you're one of them. TP, Editor
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Deepak Malkani Deepak.Malkani@globalgaminginsider.com Tel: +44 (0) 204 591 3117 ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Michael Juqula Michael.Juqula@globalgaminginsider.com Tel: +44 (0) 207 039 9186 SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER William Aderele William.Aderele@globalgaminginsider.com Tel: +44 (0) 203 884 9277 ACCOUNT MANAGERS Irina Litvinova Irina.Litvinova@globalgaminginsider.com Tel: +44 (0) 203 855 0662 Serena Kwong Serena.Kwong@globalgaminginsider.com Tel: +44 (0) 203 787 4615 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Joe Church Joe.Church@globalgaminginsider.com Tel: +44 (0) 203 882 9693 AWARDS SPONSORSHIP MANAGERS Michelle Pugh Michelle.Pugh@globalgamingawards.com Tel: +44 (0) 207 360 7590 Ben Bannister Ben.Bannister@globalgamingawards.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 078 2453 CREDIT MANAGER Rachel Voit WITH THANKS TO: Gary Francis, Sharon McHugh, Amnon Liebermann, Anna Efimova, Giorgi Tsutskiridze, Hayk Sargsyan, Andrew Cochrane, Oren Dalal, Joshua Gibbs, Janez Gašparin, Charles Lee, Gabriel Kolawole, Milda Mikelioniene, Simas Denisovas, Z-Gaming, Paul Sculpher, Dr Joerg Hofmann, Maureen Beddis, Joshua Gibbs, Jan Fencl, Darren Small, Karel Corcoran, Kirill Nekrasov, Evenbeter, Data.Bet, EGT, Weike Gaming Technology, Konami & Betby
Global Gaming Insider magazine ISSN 2978-5723 (Print) ISSN 2978-5731 (Online) Produced and published by Players Publishing Ltd
All material is strictly copyrighted and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of Global Gaming Insider but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.
CONT 14
XX
GARY FRANCIS
COVER FEATURE 14 Expert roundtable
Live casino experts (pictured above) speak exclusively to Global Gaming Insider about the past, present and future of the sector
32 Lessons learned
46 Obtain and retain
34 A new era
48 Is Austria learning from Germany?
Galaxsys CEO Hayk Sargsyan reflects on the supplier’s expansion across regulated markets
Soft2Bet CCO Andrew Cochrane speaks about the supplier’s recent appointments and expansions
36 Mass migration
Comtrade’s Janez Gašparin explores the complexities of migrating millions of player accounts
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
38 Emerging opportunities
27 Taking Stock
40 Platform flexibility
28 Movers & Shakers 29 Facing Facts 30 The social element
Global Gaming Insider speaks to Spribe about crash game innovation and social interactivity in the sector
SHARON MCHUGH
Aardvark Technologies CEO Simas Denisovas speaks on AI and the African landscape
The Z-Gaming team provides a how-to guide for operators scaling across EMEA
42 Side betting’s blind spot Global Gaming Insider contributor Paul Sculpher explores the offline world of table gaming
44 The tech-content balance
Hub88’s Director of Product Gabriel Kolawole assesses the evolving role of aggregators in today's industry
Kwiff CEO Charles Lee discusses the UK market and evolution of operator retention techniques
Global Gaming Insider contributor Dr Joerg Hofmann explores...
50 Product reviews
ASIA-PACIFIC 53 Taking Stock 54 Movers & Shakers 55 Facing Facts 56 The permission test
Global Gaming Insider contributor Oren Dalal explains how APAC M&A is undergoing a transformational shift
ENTS XX
AMNON LIEBERMANN XX
60 New Zealand in focus
Global Gaming Insider unpacks New Zealand’s new online casino framework
62 Product reviews
AMERICAS 65 Taking Stock 66 Movers & Shakers 67 Facing Facts
72 Stop making bad decisions faster
PlayAIO CEO Joshua Gibbs on iGaming data’s “context problem” and why it matters
74 Evolving user understanding
As prediction markets grow, users must keep pace. Jan Fencl, Responsiblo Founder & CEO, explains more…
ANNA EFIMOVA
BONUS BETS 78 Gaming in pictures x2! We bring you a double edition
82 Event Calendar What's coming up?
76 Making early moves
Habanero Business Development Manager Milda Mikelioniene explores the supplier’s LatAm journey
77 Product reviews
68 Global Gaming Awards The most prestigious gaming ceremony of 2026 is almost upon us...
70 Preview: G2E 2026
Maureen Beddis, AGA SVP of Membership and Events, looks ahead to this year’s G2E
Sports Betting Focus p.84
COVER FEATURE
ROUNDTABLE
THE FUTURE OF LIVE CASINO Global Gaming Insider Editor Tim Poole speaks to live casino suppliers from across the industry, assessing a key sector and where it goes next
Sharon McHugh Director of PR, Pragmatic Play
Amnon Liebermann Head of Distribution Channels, Imagine Live
Gary Francis Director of Business Development, Iconic21
Anna Efimova CCO, Winfinity
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ROUNDTABLE COVER FEATURE
Ultimately, what’s important to players is what’s important to operators. Players are looking for engaging and authentic experiences, with strong win potential, while operators are looking for content that keeps them coming back for more. That demand continues to drive investment in live casino innovation, whether that’s new game formats, greater personalisation or more immersive environments. Pragmatic Play aims to combine cutting-edge technology with exceptional presenters and feature-rich products to deliver entertainment players love.
It will continue to form the core of the industry, and this situation is not expected to change. No other area requires the same level of operational effort, with actual studios, decor, tables, cards, dealers, shifts, as opposed to the apparent lower level of complexity found in RNG products. It is exactly this level of complexity that enables it to maintain its current status. However, focusing solely on live casino games has its limits. Providers who have only live tables will, at some point, receive a query from an operator asking whether they also offer slots, instant games, crash games and this kind of question comes more frequently than most live-only providers anticipate. Operators do not buy out individual verticals; instead, they look for partners who can grow with an expanding range of offerings. Having depth in live casino is the starting point, but having a wide variety of formats is now a necessary condition.
How important is live casino for operators today, compared to slots and sports betting?
While live casino isn’t the biggest vertical by revenue, I would argue that it is one of the most important strategically. Looking at raw numbers, online casinos are still the anchor, accounting for roughly half of global online GGR. RNG slots make up around 61% of online casino revenue, compared to about 28% for live dealer games. Sportsbook is another major source of revenue and one of the fastest-growing verticals, showing around 14% growth in 2026, driven in part by the expansion of the US and Brazilian markets. So, if you are asking what pays the bills today, it is still slots and sports. Where I would push back on a simple ranking is regarding the trajectory and quality of revenue. Live casino is growing faster than the overall online casino market, at around 19% year-on-year versus roughly 11%. In mature markets, live already accounts for up to a third of online casino revenue. Therefore, the way I would frame the portfolio is this: slots are the cash-flow base, sportsbook is the acquisition and scale play, and live casino is the retention and margin layer.
Live casino is no longer an afterthought added to round out a casino tab. It has become a core driver for player acquisition and retention, especially for audiences seeking a genuine, interactive experience. Operationally, it is also very different from RNG. A live casino requires studios, dealers, technology, training, risk management and quality control, all running around the clock. It is a complex business, but that complexity gives operators more ways to stand out. Today, the debate is not whether operators need live casino. It is whether they have the right quality, content and experience for their players. We are also seeing a clear shift towards a multi-supplier strategy and away from single-provider dependency.
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Gary Francis Speed and personalisation. Or the speed at which personalisation is achieved. Since players have become accustomed to moving through highly personalised digital environments in other areas of their lives, they’ve carried that expectation into the casino. A standard studio feed now seems a bit dull, which has caused providers to have to speed up the process of taking a custom, branded environment from initial idea to final go-live without compromising on production quality. Improved logistics, shorter timeframes and more authentic methods of tailoring a game environment to an operator’s specific identity. This kind of discipline has been the main achievement of the past year and is not limited to live casino. There is now the same demand for speed and specificity across all areas that operators interact with, because when players expect personalisation in one place, they expect it everywhere.
Sharon McHugh There have been significant advancements across the industry, not least in the way AI is being explored. For us, the human element is still central to the live casino experience, as trust, authenticity and the interaction between players and presenters are what make live casino unique. Other technologies have also advanced at pace. Pragmatic Play’s Gates of Olympus Roulette represents the pinnacle of digital and physical effects in live casino. Another example is Smart Studio, which lets operators customise the live environment to match their own brands and promotions. Behind the scenes, scalability may not grab headlines, but delivering fast, uninterrupted gameplay to an increasing number of concurrent players globally is critical. Players expect reliability as much as entertainment, so investing in resilient infrastructure remains just as important as the onscreen experience.
What are the biggest advancements live casino has made in the last 12 months?
Amnon Liebermann The most obvious evolution is the shift toward true localisation. Operators no longer accept a standard blackjack or roulette table with a translated UI. They expect localised dealers, authentic regional accents, bespoke studio environments and gameplay tailored to the target market. Speed to market has also become critical. Operators want partners who can take a concept, understand the brief immediately and execute without getting bogged down in lengthy development cycles. Behind the scenes, AI is delivering practical value. While industry chatter remains focused on AI-generated dealers, the real impact today is operational: monitoring dealer performance, detecting unusual player behaviour, managing risk and streamlining floor management. Finally, baseline production standards have jumped. Advanced camera tech, sharper visual presentation and modern studio design mean players notice the quality long before the first card is dealt.
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Anna Efimova Security and fraud prevention. Fraud is becoming increasingly organised and professional. We are no longer talking solely about individual players or small groups. There are dedicated teams with offices, shifts and KPIs whose entire job is to attack casinos systematically. With the growth of crypto casinos, VIP products, higher limits and faster payouts, there is more money to be made from successful attacks. The resulting losses can run into millions. The goal now is to recognise the warning signs early and prevent an incident from affecting the game or the player. At Winfinity, we use several security tools, including recognition cameras combined with AI-powered monitoring, that can automatically trigger a security workflow.
COVER FEATURE
ROUNDTABLE
Gary Francis Europe still has the largest portion of regulated online casino revenue, largely due to the increasing share of live dealer content. In the AsiaPacific region, the fastest growth is being driven by mobile-first gaming. In Latin America, regulatory frameworks are opening up quickly enough to require providers to rapidly develop licensing playbooks. All of these responses can be justified, yet none of them actually answers the actual question. The straightforward view is that the size of the market depends entirely on your own operator network and licensing objective. A company focusing on regulated Anglophone markets will have a completely different set of opportunities than one aiming at Central and Eastern Europe or Latin America. The market does support scale in all areas, but it doesn’t indicate where you should direct your capacity in the next quarter. The largest market is the one that you are actually in a position to enter.
Sharon McHugh Mature iGaming markets, such as those in Europe, are well-established locations for live casino games. Regulated markets across other continents may hold more immediate growth potential, with Latin America a particular focus for us at the moment – as demonstrated by the opening of a new live casino studio in Colombia offering a mix of popular and localised Pragmatic Play content.
What are live casino’s biggest geographical markets across the globe?
Amnon Liebermann Europe remains a massive, mature region, but treating it as a monolith is a mistake. Player preferences in Italy differ radically from those in Sweden or Greece. North America continues its expansion, state by state in the US and the Canadian provinces. The commercial upside is huge, though each jurisdiction carries its own operational hurdles. Latin America is growing quickly and offers many opportunities for live casino gaming. But again, localisation matters. Countries may share the same language, yet have different accents, cultural preferences and styles of interaction. Offering a game in Spanish does not necessarily make it local. Asia remains a powerhouse vertical, particularly for core titles like baccarat, but blackjack is gaining pace. However, it is an incredibly nuanced region, both culturally and regulatory wise. The takeaway is simple: a blanket product doesn’t work globally anymore. Providers must understand hyper-local nuances and adapt accordingly.
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Anna Efimova Europe is the largest region at around $42bn in online GGR. It is the most mature and best-regulated home for dealer-hosted play. Asia-Pacific is the other heavyweight and the true engagement powerhouse. It is the fastest-growing region, with a roughly 12% compound annual growth rate, driven by massive live baccarat volume, though much of it still runs through offshore or grey-market channels. North America sits third and is climbing as regulation develops across the US. The most exciting growth story, though, is Latin America. Brazil added around $4.5bn in regulated GGR in its first year, and the regulated share of the Latin American region has risen from 28% in 2024 to 52% in 2026. Africa is a smaller, mobile-first follow-on market, up around 27% from a low base and led by Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
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COVER FEATURE
ROUNDTABLE
Gary Francis Growth is ongoing – and the most evident sign is not any one particular technology but the nature of the content itself. Game shows are increasing in number because they offer a solution that standard table formats do not: they allow operators to introduce novelty into a vertical that would otherwise just involve repeating the same classic games. There will be more experimentation with new kinds of bet structures and multiplier mechanisms, along with further work on AI, though this will mostly take place behind the scenes rather than at the table. The situation in which AI replaces dealers will not occur – the whole idea of a live casino is that a real person is running a real game in real time; and removing that element is not an evolution of the category, it is the creation of a completely different product. Hyperpersonalisation will cease to be an optional feature and will move towards becoming a standard practice.
Sharon McHugh I think we’ll continue to see more innovative live casino experiences alongside greater use of AI and automation. While AI will play a role in shaping the industry’s future, the real impact is still unfolding. What won’t change is player demand for engaging, authentic experiences they can trust. Pragmatic Play continues to invest in the things that matter most: exceptional presenters, premium studio environments, cutting-edge production and a diverse portfolio that appeals to every type of player. From classic table games to thrilling game shows, our focus is on creating immersive experiences that keep players engaged. We’re continually refining and expanding our portfolio, with an exciting pipeline of new products and feature updates planned over the coming year.
Where does live casino go in the next 12 months?
Amnon Liebermann Operators will become far more selective with their supplier rosters. They will look past sheer volume of games and prioritise operational reliability, integration speed, execution quality and how well a provider understands their bottom line. The core games will remain important. Blackjack is still blackjack and roulette is still roulette. The difference will be in how those classic games are presented, localised and adapted to different audiences. Demand for dedicated, branded studio environments will also continue to rise. Operators want distinct brand identity, delivered fast. Reliability will be another major focus. Live casino runs 24/7, so providers need strong infrastructure and backup systems that allow them to maintain service if something goes wrong at one location. Ultimately, operators expect speed without sacrificing quality. Delivering one without the other simply won’t cut it.
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Anna Efimova I think live casinos are going to become much more technology-driven and highly personalised, with AI at the centre of that change. We will see more practical uses of AI rather than just experimental features. Voiceto-voice translation is a great example. It can remove language barriers in real time and make the same live experience accessible to new markets. We will also see more AI dealers and other AI-powered formats. However, technology shouldn’t take away the core elements that make a live casino truly “live” – human interaction and emotion. AI is simply a tool to help us localise games, personalise them for different audiences and make it easier to scale the experience across different markets. For me, the interesting story isn’t about AI replacing live casino; it is about AI making a genuinely live experience possible for more players and in more formats.
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COVER FEATURE
ROUNDTABLE
Gary Francis There is no choice among the three. It’s more of a stacked arrangement, the human dealer serving as the fixed element with all the other features added on. The value AI brings is about expanding the range of possibilities around what already exists: enabling a higher degree of personalisation, allowing for quicker operational decisions and providing tools that enable the dealer to concentrate on the table rather than on the logistical aspects behind it. Iconic21’s iDealer Blackjack is a good example of this principle in action, with a layer of AI that is added on top of an otherwise lonely RNG blackjack table. Sticking with live play rather than prerecorded content is still the correct approach, since it is the genuine experience being purchased. I’d also say technologies will continue to emerge faster than most current roadmaps anticipate, in areas no one is yet confident of predicting.
Sharon McHugh As much as AI is becoming part of the conversation in live casino, the word to focus on here and now is “live.” That’s what makes the vertical so compelling. It’s the connection between a presenter and the players, creating an atmosphere that extends far beyond the few seconds it takes for the roulette wheel to spin or the cards to be dealt. Technology has an important role to play, whether that’s enhancing production, personalising experiences or improving efficiency, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the human interactions players value. We see that every day in our game shows, where a presenter’s personality and energy make all the difference. For us, the future isn’t necessarily about choosing between AI and people. It’s about using technology to enhance the experience while keeping the human element at its heart. That’s what builds trust, creates entertainment and keeps players coming back.
What is the future of live casino – AI, video or human?
Amnon Liebermann I believe the future remains distinctly human, backed by video production and AI support. The human element is the foundation of live casino. Players choose live tables for authentic interaction, personality and spontaneous energy. Strip that away and, while you might still have a functional game, you no longer have live casino. Video capabilities will continue to advance, bridging the gap between the player and the physical table. AI-generated dealers may find an audience and create a new type of product, particularly for younger players. But I do not think they will replace human dealers across traditional live casino anytime soon. For now, AI can add more value behind the scenes by helping providers monitor quality, manage risk, detect unusual behaviour, improve scheduling and make better operational decisions. It isn’t a choice between AI, video or humans.
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Anna Efimova Live casinos are “live” for a reason. The strongest part of the experience is still the human connection. This includes the dealer, the interaction, the emotion and the feeling that something real is happening in front of you. I don’t think technology can ever fully replace that. What AI can do is make the experience smarter and easier to scale. It can help us adapt content to different markets, personalise the experience and make the dayto-day operations much more efficient. Therefore, I do not see this as a choice between human dealers and AI. The human remains at the centre and AI works around them. It is not about replacing the human element, but rather using technology to make that element more relevant, more personal and easily available to a much wider audience.
COVER FEATURE
ROUNDTABLE
EDITOR’S TAKEAWAYS How important is live casino for operators today, compared to slots and sports betting?
What are the biggest advancements live casino has made in the last 12 months?
Our expert contributors all agree that live casino forms a core element of today’s market – but mainly from a growth perspective. The vertical is no longer an “afterthought,” though it is not yet the biggest moneymaker on a casino platform, either.
Several different areas were identified by our speakers here (isn’t it great when everyone doesn’t just say the same thing?). There was emphasis on how the speed of games has improved, as well as personalisation – a key area given players are now so used to this in other areas of their lives.
Live casino is growing quickly, so its revenue generation will only increase. Currently, however, it can mainly be seen as the “retention and margin layer.” You cannot run a platform with live casino alone – but you cannot run a platform without it. Indeed, it is a true differentiator for player experience.
Localisation was highlighted, as well as the impact of AI – but more behind the scenes than taking over the frontend live casino experience. Finally, security and fraud prevention has improved over the past year, in response to a growing threat from criminals.
What are live casino’s biggest geographical markets across the globe?
Where does live casino go in the next 12 months?
There was universal agreement among our contributors that Europe is the main, most-regulated hub of live casino, while Asia was also mentioned as a key region.
Expert focus here went to the “nature of the content,” with game shows increasing, alongside the innovative use of AI and automation (behind the scenes). There was an additional warning that operators will become far more selective with their supplier rosters.
Growth prospects were identified in Africa, although the biggest current driver of growth has pretty unanimously been highlighted as Latin America – particularly Brazil.
“Hyperpersonalisation” will continue to see industry attention, although there was pushback against AI dealers from some of our speakers. Live casino delivered by a fully AI dealer was argued to be a completely different product and that live casino needs to remain “human” to retain its “live” element.
What is the future of live casino – AI, video or human? While others in the industry may argue to the contrary, there was unequivocal agreement among our experts that the human element must remain strong for the future of “live” casino. Continuing last question’s theme, it was suggested there is no actual question of “AI, video or human.” Our contributors feel the three work in tandem and that AI can help support the backend processes that enable human presenters to deliver. Game shows are become ever more popular – and these are presented in a very “human” way. Indeed, whether this will change in time, the verdict here was unanimous in declaring the human element “the foundation of live casino.”
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EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 27
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28
36
Taking Stock
Movers & Shakers
29
Facing Facts
30
Q&A: Spribe
32
Interview: Galaxsys
Q&A: Soft2Bet
Interview: Comtrade Gaming
38
Aardvark on Africa and aggregation
40
Q&A: Z-Gaming
42 Paul Sculpher on side bets
44 Interview: Hub88
46
Kwiff CEO Charles Lee talks all things retention
48 Is Austria learning from Germany? Dr Joerg Hofmann explores
50 Product reviews
EMEA
SHARE PRICES
TAKING STOCK Global Gaming Insider highlights suppliers’ monthly stock prices from the opening day of the past six months across the EMEA region, observing March – August 2026 PLAYTECH
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• Six-month high: August (729.2 SEK) • Six-month low: March (547 SEK) • Market capitalisation: US$14.6bn (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: August (375.2 GBp) • Six-month low: July (320.6 GBp) • Market capitalisation: US$1.34bn (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: March (19.58 USD) • Six-month low: August (12.34 USD) • Market capitalisation: US$3.74bn (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: June (176.4 SEK) • Six-month low: March (104.9 SEK) • Market capitalisation: US$500m (as of 6 August 2026)
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EMEA
PEOPLE & HR
MOVERS AND SHAKERS The EMEA region experienced leadership transitions at both operator and regulator levels, including Banijay Gaming, the Botswana Gambling Authority and FDJ United
Antoine Jouteau CEO, Banijay Gaming
Tshepang Magang CFO, Botswana Gambling Authority
Virginie Christnacht CCO (Communications), FDJ United
With over 20 years of experience in technology, digital platforms and e-commerce, Jouteau has been appointed as Banijay Gaming’s new CEO. Just before taking on Jouteau, Banijay acquired France’s second-largest casino operator – Joa – which operates a nationwide network of 33 casinos and generated approximately €430m ($491m) in gross revenue for 2025. Ater this year’s completion of its Tipico acquisition, this is an important transitional period for Banijay. Jouteau says his priority will be to meet with Banijay Gaming’s personnel in Europe to “listen, learn and understand what makes each business successful.” However, his main experience lies away from gaming.
Having originally joined the Botswana Gambling Authority in 2018, Magang has officially been promoted to CFO, after the regulator expressed confidence in her leadership experience. Prior to serving with the regulator, Magang worked with KPMG in Botswana as an Audit Supervisor. She will now take responsibility for financial planning, budgeting, treasury management, procurement oversight, investment planning, revenue optimisation and regulatory compliance. The Board believes her appointment will strengthen the Gambling Authority’s regulation of Botswana’s gambling sector, while also maintaining sound financial governance.
Christnacht will join the French operator’s Executive Committee on 14 September, taking responsibility for its communications strategy, reputation and engagement with stakeholders in France and additional markets. The appointment comes during a wider organisational and operational transformation for the operator, following FDJ United’s acquisition of Kindred Group in October 2024. FDJ United’s recent expansion will only strengthen the need for maintaining a consistent communications strategy. To that end, Christnacht has previously advised executives on strategic communications, reputation management, crisis response and public relations.
In addition to her native Setswana, Magang is also proficient in foreign languages, including French and English
Christnacht led the French Government’s Department of Communications for two years and served as Deputy Press Advisor to the Office of the French President
Jouteau also serves as a Senior Advisor to FAMAE Impact, an environmental impact investment fund located in Paris
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EMEA
DATA
FACING FACTS Building on our Africa focus in the August issue, Global Gaming Insider examines South Africa’s rapidly expanding gambling market TOTAL SOUTH AFRICA GGR
80 70 • Total industry GGR has grown significantly over the past decade, reaching ZAR 74.50bn ($4.50bn) for FY25, up 25.6% from 2024 (the fiscal year ends 31 March)
60
In ZAR bn
50
• Despite a sharp pandemic-related dip in FY21, the industry experienced a rapid recovery and subsequent growth spurt, with revenues more than tripling over the following four years
40 30
• Prompted by this substantial growth, the South African National Treasury plans to introduce a national 20% tax on online GGR, in addition to existing provincial taxes of 5%-9%
20 10 0 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25
HISTORICAL GGR SHARE BY VERTICAL
80 70 60
Gaming machines
Land-based casino
Bingo
• Sports betting has reported huge growth in market share, rising from 17.1% in FY16 to 69.9% by FY25
50 40
• Driven primarily by the rapid expansion of digital platforms, betting has become the dominant gambling vertical in South Africa, having significantly overtaken the falling land-based casinos
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• Online betting accounted for 85.5% of total betting revenue by FY25
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INNOVATION
IMMERSIVE INTERACTIVITY Spribe CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze speaks exclusively to Global Gaming Insider about digital engagement, evolving EMEA trends and developing the social gaming experience As online gaming continues to evolve, player engagement is increasingly being shaped by experiences that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of casino gameplay. Social features, live interaction and gamification are becoming central to how players discover, experience and return to digital gaming products; while operators are placing greater emphasis on content that can build lasting engagement across increasingly competitive regulated markets. For Spribe, this shift has been closely tied to the evolution of its flagship Aviator offering, with the supplier continuing to develop an
ecosystem around its defining crash game title. From live chat and community-driven mechanics to challenges and new features, the company has sought to make gameplay more dynamic, interactive and connected. Indeed, CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze underlines below how changing player expectations are influencing Spribe’s approach to innovation, as well as the opportunities emerging across the diverse EMEA landscape. He outlines the company’s focus on localisation, scalability and partnerships in regulated markets, while highlighting Central and Eastern Europe,
“The biggest opportunity lies in continuing to redefine what online gaming can be”
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alongside a handful of key developing jurisdictions across Africa as offering significant potential. Tsutskiridze also explores the growing importance of mobile-first entertainment and the increasing appetite for community-driven experiences, arguing that the industry’s next phase of innovation will be defined less by the volume of content available and more by the quality of engagement it creates. How do you reflect broadly on the innovations made so far this year ? This year has been about building on the momentum of Aviator by enhancing the player experience rather than simply adding more content. We have continued to evolve our social engagement tools, expanded gamification features and strengthened the
INNOVATION
live ecosystem surrounding our games. At the same time, we’ve invested heavily in scalability, ensuring operators can launch and manage our products with greater efficiency across regulated markets. Innovation at Spribe has never been about technology for technology’s sake. Every new feature is designed to increase engagement, create shared experiences between players and deliver measurable value to operators. That philosophy continues to guide our roadmap as we look beyond traditional casino mechanics, toward more immersive forms of online entertainment. What are Spribe’s key priorities across EMEA and where are you seeing the strongest opportunities for growth? EMEA remains an incredibly diverse region, so our strategy focuses on combining global scale with local relevance. Our priorities include expanding partnerships in regulated markets, supporting operators with localised experiences and continuing to strengthen the Aviator ecosystem through social and promotional features. We’re seeing particularly strong opportunities in fast-growing regulated jurisdictions across Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and selected African markets, where mobile-first entertainment continues to accelerate. These regions combine increasing digital adoption with strong demand for engaging, community-driven gaming experiences. As regulation matures, we believe operators will increasingly look
EMEA
for premium content that drives long-term and growing demand for innovative player retention rather than short-term entertainment experiences. acquisition alone. We also see continued opportunities across emerging regulated markets in Central and How have player behaviours and Eastern Europe, where operators are investing preferences across EMEA influenced in differentiated products that help them stand online gaming innovation in recent years? out in increasingly competitive environments. Players today expect far more than traditional Rather than focusing solely on market size, gameplay. They want entertainment that we look for jurisdictions where innovation, feels dynamic, social and immediate, with localisation and long-term partnerships can experiences they can share and return create sustainable growth for both Spribe and to regularly. Mobile-first behaviour has our operator partners. accelerated this trend, while younger audiences increasingly value community interaction Looking ahead, what do you see as the alongside gameplay itself. biggest opportunities and challenges These changing expectations have for Spribe across EMEA over the next encouraged the industry to move beyond 12–24 months? conventional casino formats. Features such The biggest opportunity lies in continuing as live chat, tournaments, achievements, to redefine what online gaming can be. As challenges and real-time engagement have player expectations evolve, there is enormous become essential rather than optional. At potential to build richer, more social and Spribe, these behavioural shifts have reinforced more immersive entertainment experiences our belief that successful games should create that extend beyond traditional casino ongoing experiences rather than isolated products. At the same time, the industry faces sessions. Innovation is increasingly driven by increasing regulatory complexity, higher player engagement, not simply by adding more expectations around responsible gaming and titles to a portfolio. growing competition across every market. Success will depend on balancing innovation How important are live, social and with compliance while maintaining the trust interactive experiences to the future of both operators and players. of online gaming, and how is Spribe For Spribe, the priority remains clear: responding to this shift in player continue investing in product innovation, expectations? expand our presence in regulated markets We believe live, social and interactive and strengthen the ecosystem around our experiences will define the next generation games. We believe companies that focus on of online gaming. Players increasingly want long-term engagement rather than shortto feel part of something larger than an term trends will be best positioned to lead the individual game – they want competition, industry over the coming years. conversation and shared moments that make each session more engaging. This philosophy has been central to Spribe since Aviator was first launched. Features such as live chat, Challenges and communitydriven mechanics were introduced to make gameplay more interactive and rewarding. More recently, we’ve taken this vision further with products like Aviator Live, creating experiences that blur the line between gaming and live entertainment. Our focus is on delivering products that encourage participation, strengthen communities and keep players engaged long after a single round has ended. Are there particular EMEA markets where you see significant untapped potential, and what makes these markets especially attractive to Spribe? Several EMEA markets continue to offer significant long-term potential, particularly those undergoing regulatory development and rapid digital transformation. Parts of Africa remain especially exciting, driven by strong mobile penetration, youthful demographics
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ONLINE CASINO
FAST AND FURIOUS Galaxsys CEO Hayk Sargsyan speaks to Global Gaming Insider about the supplier’s expansion across regulated markets and the innovation behind its new fast game formats Galaxsys has been expanding its presence across regulated markets. Which regions are currently the biggest priorities for the company and why? Our focus has always been on building sustainable growth through partnerships and market adaptability. We are particularly focused on regulated and fast-growing markets across Europe and Latin America, and other emerging regions where operators are looking for innovative content that can help them differentiate. Each market has its own player preferences and regulatory requirements, which is why we place a strong emphasis on flexibility. Our portfolio of fast games, slots and promotional tools is designed to adapt to different audiences while helping operators increase engagement and retention. As we continue expanding globally, our priority is not simply entering new markets, it is building long-term relationships with local partners and delivering products that create real value for their players.
Tell us about Instawin. You describe the product a new swipe-based fast game format. What inspired the decision to incorporate social media-style interaction? The inspiration behind Instawin came from understanding how people interact with digital content today. Social media has changed user behaviour and people are now used to quick, visual and interactive experiences where every swipe brings something new. We wanted to take that familiar interaction and transform it into a completely new gaming experience. Instead of traditional buttons and repeated actions, Instawin creates a natural flow where every swipe reveals a new postcard-style outcome, instantly showing a win or loss. The goal was to create something that feels immediately accessible while still delivering the excitement and anticipation players expect from instant games. What makes Instawin unique is that it introduces a new gameplay format rather than simply improving an existing one. Do you believe Instawin has the potential to become a flagship title for Galaxsys, and how do you plan to support its growth following launch? Yes, we believe Instawin has the potential to become one of Galaxsys’ most important and topperforming titles. What makes it exciting is that it is not simply another fast game, it introduces a completely new mechanic and creates a new way for players to interact with instant-win content. Following launch, our focus is on building strong operator partnerships, gathering player feedback,and continuously improving the experience. The concept behind Instawin also creates significant opportunities for future development, including new themes, features and variations of the gameplay format. That’s why we see Instawin as more than a single title; we see it as a foundation for a new direction within the fast games category.
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There is also Infinity, which Galaxsys describes as a first-of-its-kind crash game with a continuously running coefficient.
What inspired the decision to move away from the traditional round-based crash format? The crash game category has grown significantly, but we saw an opportunity to rethink how the format could work. Traditional crash games are built around separate rounds, where players wait for one event to finish before the next begins. With Infinity, we wanted to create a more continuous and dynamic experience. The continuously running coefficient introduces a different rhythm, allowing players to engage with the game flow in a more seamless way while keeping the excitement and decisionmaking elements that make crash games popular. Innovation has always been a key focus for Galaxsys. Our goal is not just to follow successful formats but to explore how they can be improved and create experiences that feel new for players. Finally, how has Tower Rush performed since its launch, and what factors have influenced its performance among players? Tower Rush has been one of our strongestperforming fast games, showing excellent engagement since its launch. Its success comes from combining simple, easy-to-understand gameplay with an exciting risk-and-reward dynamic that keeps players involved. The game’s universal appeal has driven millions of views on social media, particularly on TikTok, where clips of intense Tower Rush action have gone viral, further amplifying its reach and visibility. The title has also become a favorite among affiliates and streamers, who use its dynamic gameplay to attract audiences, generate buzz and maximize engagement. By turning every game session into shareable content, Tower Rush has created a selfsustaining cycle of virality and conversion that benefits operators. Tower Rush highlights Galaxsys’ commitment to innovation and quality. By combining visually striking graphics, intuitive mechanics, and a universally appealing gameplay loop, the title delivers a premium experience for players, while ensuring high conversion and retention rates for partners.
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PLATFORM FOCUS
AMBITION BEHIND GROWTH Soft2Bet CCO Andrew Cochrane reflects on his first few months in the role and the senior leadership arrivals helping shape the supplier’s growth strategy This year, Soft2Bet has welcomed new arrivals to the management team. How would you describe the atmosphere among senior leadership? I’d say what you are seeing is a natural evolution of the business into a dedicated provider of market leading B2B iGaming solutions, leveraging a foundation of a very powerful technology stack, and some very talented people that have been carefully building for the future, over the last 10 years. We are currently systematically assembling a senior leadership team of proven industry experts, some announced and some still to be released, with proven commercial acumen to spearhead that B2B growth. By bringing our platform and pioneering MEGA entertainment engine into an exclusive B2B environment, we believe we are perfectly positioned to share our commercial success with equally ambitious, growth-driven
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operators in selective markets. It’s without question a very exciting time to be here at Soft2Bet, as the potential is massive. You arrived as CCO in Q1, alongside two new VPs and two EVPs since. How have these appointments helped spearhead your strategy this year? They have been instrumental in injecting an added layer of commercial rigour and global network depth into the organisation from a B2B perspective. These are handpicked individuals with years of experience in high-stakes regulated B2B environments, which is precisely what is needed when you are asking Tier-1 operators to trust you with their core infrastructure. Currently, they are helping redefine our commercial delivery, with the platform at the centre of our priorities. As mentioned before, I believe we are at the entry point for Soft2Bet becoming one of the leading B2B providers in iGaming over the next few years. How do you reflect on your H1 expansions and the execution of your 2026 roadmap overall? H1 has clearly demonstrated that our platform is a highly effective solution for driving operator profitability in regulated markets. The advantage we are looking to leverage is that we are in a very small number of companies able to provide a full end-to-end proprietary iGaming ecosystem. This is critical to our partners, as it affords a much cleaner, more cost-effective corporate infrastructure, and the flexibility ultimately allows us the power to configure, localise and deliver products and features that administer tangible results. It has been a solid period of execution that proves our business model is perfectly tuned to accelerate our B2B aspirations alongside our partners’ commercial growth, and capture valuable and sought after market share. Nothing proves this more pertinently than with our announcement of the imminent launch of the World Poker Tour on Soft2Bet technology in a major North American market later this year, a tier-1 brand in a tier-1 market.
What does your recent appointment of Ryan Collinge as EVP of Group Partnerships signify? Ryan’s arrival is a clear statement of intent regarding how we intend to scale our B2B pipeline. Because our commercial model structurally anchors Soft2Bet to the longterm financial success and prosperity of our operators, we have to be highly selective with whom we work. We are looking for ambitious, well-capitalised partners who match our expectations for global growth, and Ryan has the precise industry profile needed to broker those high-prestige alliances. His focus is centred on identifying established brands running on legacy third-party software and demonstrating the clear commercial upside of migrating to Soft2Bet. We can show premium operators that they can retain absolute control of their brand, while providing the secure infrastructure to power them to the top of their selected markets. What can you tell us about your plans for the final quarter of 2026, as we begin to look to the year ahead? As we look towards the final quarter of the year and into 2027, our focus is entirely on institutional B2B scaling and strategic growth. We have more key senior hires on the way to further bolster our operational capabilities, and our pipeline of Tier-1 migrations is already underway, with exciting announcements to publicise in the near future. On the regulatory front, we are systematically preparing our Soft2Bet Platform and MEGA frameworks to enter expansion into highgrowth markets with existing and new partners. We are sidestepping mass-market volume, instead focusing our corporate and engineering resources on delivering a premium, fully supported onboarding experience for a curated group of partners. Soft2Bet is extremely well positioned for growth, and our goal for the upcoming months and years ahead is to firmly secure our place as the absolute provider of choice in our targeted markets – globally.
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TECHNICAL FOCUS
ZERO-DOWNTIME MIGRATIONS Janez Gašparin, Comtrade Gaming Head of Data Engineering, speaks with Global Gaming Insider about the complexities of migrating millions of player accounts When an operator needs to migrate player accounts en masse, what are the biggest challenges? Migrating player accounts from one platform to another presents many challenges – and the number of player accounts is only one of them. Every migration involves understanding different operating models, adapting to different platform architectures, and managing the human factor throughout the project. Furthermore, it is important to ensure effective collaboration with the incumbent platform provider. The quality of the source data, as well as the level of cooperation during the migration, can have a significant impact on the project‘s timeline and overall complexity. When migrating one million or more player accounts, the biggest challenge is transferring such a large volume of data with as little downtime as possible for both the operator and players. To achieve this, every stage of the migration process must be optimised.
What role can AI play in making such migrations more efficient? At Comtrade Gaming, we have delivered platform migrations for more than 20 years, successfully moving operators from tens of thousands to more than ten million player accounts. Each operator brings its own business rules, legacy systems and data structures. AI helps us adapt our existing migration tools much faster to the specific requirements of each project. We use it to prepare migration plans, improve data mapping, generate migration code and customise testing and validation tools for each migration. AI also analyses source data to identify anomalies, inconsistencies and data quality issues before the migration begins. One practical example of AI in action was during a zero-downtime migration project. We analysed historical player activity to identify when individual players were least likely to be active. Based on these insights, we scheduled player account migrations in optimal batches, reducing the probability of interrupting an active player session to around 1%.
the migration process. Our approach includes detailed planning, clear procedures, trial runs, validation controls and multiple rounds of testing before going live. Each migration follows a proven process that is adapted to the specific needs of each operator. We verify migrations through automated checks, record counts, balance reconciliation and account testing, ensuring key player data such as account details, balances, KYC information and payment methods are accurate before and after the move. AI further strengthens this process by analysing source data, identifying anomalies and inconsistencies, and automatically generating migration-specific validation scripts and test scenarios, reducing manual effort while increasing confidence in the final result. Finally, is zero-downtime always achievable at such scale? From our experience, true zero-downtime migrations are relatively rare. However, they are technically achievable and we have successfully delivered projects using this approach. It comes with significantly higher complexity, infrastructure requirements and project costs, as both platforms must run in parallel while player data is continuously synchronised. From our experience, many operators achieve a better balance by accepting a very short maintenance window, often less than one hour. This simplifies the migration, reduces costs and lowers implementation risk, while having virtually no impact on the player experience. Ultimately, the right migration strategy depends on the operator‘s business priorities, regulatory requirements and budget. Zerodowntime is possible, but it should only be chosen when the additional investment delivers clear business value.
Can you explain how you handle players who are actively logged in and playing during a migration, ensuring their experience remains uninterrupted? For most operators, we recommend a carefully planned migration with a short maintenance window, typically under one hour, providing a simpler, more predictable and reliable approach. Where zero downtime is required, the legacy and target platforms run in parallel. We migrate player accounts in carefully planned batches based on periods when players are least active. Before each migration cycle, we automatically detect whether a player is currently active. If they are, the player account is excluded from that batch and migrated later, ensuring both business continuity and complete data consistency throughout the migration. Comtrade Gaming is an iGaming platform provider delivering
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How do you verify that every player account has been migrated accurately and that no data has been lost, duplicated or corrupted? Verification is not a single activity performed after the migration, it is built into every stage of
scalable, API-first solutions that help casino and sportsbook operators succeed in regulated markets. Our enterprise platform unifies player account management (PAM), bonusing, gamification, CRM, payments and integrated content into a flexible ecosystem designed to accelerate innovation, simplify operations and support sustainable growth
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EMERGING TRENDS
FLEXIBILITY AT SCALE Aardvark Technologies CEO Simas Denisovas explores AI’s evolutionary track, emerging trends, the African landscape and more... How have your game development strategies have been influenced by AI in recent years? AI has become an increasingly important part of modern development, and I see that as a very positive evolution. Used effectively, it can make processes significantly faster and more efficient, from analysing data and supporting testing to accelerating everyday development workflows. At Aardvark, we’re very open to AI and the opportunities it creates. It helps our teams reduce repetitive work, move faster and focus their time where it creates the most value. But there is an important distinction: every major decision, product direction and meaningful development remains human-led. AI is a tool that supports our people; it doesn’t replace their experience, creativity or judgement. The technology is evolving incredibly quickly, and I believe companies that learn to use it intelligently will have a clear advantage. For us, the goal is to use AI where it genuinely improves speed and efficiency while keeping people at the heart of what we build.
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What emerging player trends and habits have you observed across EMEA regions this year? One of the clearest trends is that digital audiences increasingly expect experiences to be fast, intuitive and designed around mobile use. At the same time, EMEA is far too diverse to talk about one universal type of user. European markets can differ significantly from African and Middle Eastern markets in terms of regulation, digital infrastructure, payment preferences and consumer behaviour. Even within Africa, habits can vary substantially from one country to another. What I find particularly interesting is the growing expectation for convenience. People are accustomed to seamless digital experiences in banking, entertainment, retail and other areas of everyday life – and those expectations naturally influence every digital product they interact with. For technology providers, this means continuously looking at performance, accessibility, user experience and local relevance rather than assuming that one product experience will work equally well everywhere.
and marketing teams are to what customers actually need, the more relevant and credible your communication becomes.
How has operating at the intersection of game aggregation and development provided a unique perspective? Being involved in both aggregation and development gives us an interesting perspective because we see the ecosystem from more than one side. Aggregation provides exposure to a broad range of content, integrations and operator requirements, while development requires you to think much more deeply about the product itself – how it is built, how it performs technically and how it fits within a wider offering. That perspective is valuable when communicating about products because it keeps the conversation grounded. Rather than focusing only on what looks good from a marketing perspective, you understand the operational and technical considerations behind bringing content to market. For me, that is important. Good marketing should reflect the reality of the product. The closer your technology, commercial
What can you tell us about any new releases you have in the pipeline? Aardvark Originals currently includes six titles: SkyPilot, Mines, Limbo, Crash, Dice, and Plinko, with Crash, Dice and Plinko being the latest additions to the portfolio. For us, this is an important area of development, and we’re continuing to invest in expanding the portfolio. Our development priorities are shaped by what we learn from our partners, market developments, and the performance of our existing products. For us, innovation isn’t simply about releasing something new; it’s about making sure what we build has a clear purpose and delivers real value. We have more in the pipeline, but I’d rather keep some surprises for later. What I can say is that we’ll continue strengthening Aardvark Originals and the wider Aardvark ecosystem; with the same focus on quality, flexibility and speed that guides our broader product development.
Would you classify Africa as the most exciting region for iGaming growth within EMEA? I’m probably biased given our experience in the region, but Africa is certainly one of the most interesting markets to watch within EMEA. What makes the continent particularly interesting is the combination of demographics, increasing digital adoption, evolving payment infrastructure and markets that are developing at very different stages. That creates both opportunities and challenges. At the same time, I would hesitate to describe Africa as one emerging market. South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and other markets each have different regulatory environments, infrastructure and consumer behaviours. Understanding those differences is essential. Africa is home to one of the youngest populations in the world – and its long-term potential remains incredibly compelling.
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EMERGING MARKETS
AVOIDING ERRORS The Z-Gaming Team analyses market behaviour, launch timings and platform flexibility, in this how-to guide for operators across the EMEA region What are the biggest challenges operators face when entering emerging markets, and how can platform providers better support them? The biggest mistake is assuming all emerging markets behave the same. While they often share strong growth potential, each market has its own payment ecosystem, player value dynamics, acquisition channels, player preferences and operational realities. In many cases, payment infrastructure is also expensive or difficult to optimise. Success comes from adapting to those differences rather than forcing a standard approach. Another important challenge is strategic. Operators entering new markets need to be clear about what kind of business they are building. Some are focused on rapid acquisition and short-term returns, while others prioritise retention, trust and lifetime value. Increasingly, we also see operators running multi-brand portfolios across different markets from a single operational framework, which creates another layer of complexity. Platform providers should therefore do more than deliver technology. They should help operators align their operating model with the realities of each market and support it with reliable infrastructure, local expertise, flexible integrations and the ability to adapt quickly. How is Z-Gaming helping businesses launch and scale more efficiently? In high-growth markets, timing is often decisive. A delayed launch can mean missing the most valuable entry window, especially in fast-moving or highly competitive segments. This is particularly relevant for operators running multiple brands or testing different propositions, where speed enables faster learning cycles and quicker optimisation. But even long-term brands benefit from reducing time to market, as earlier entry allows them to start building presence and trust sooner. Our approach is to remove unnecessary build time by providing a proven technology foundation that is ready to launch from day one. 40
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That is why we use a white-label structure at the technology layer, giving operators immediate access to core platform capabilities such as content, payments, integrations and automation. At the same time, operators are not locked into a rigid operating model. They retain full control over key business functions such as payments, CRM, marketing and risk, allowing them to shape execution around their own strategy. The result is a faster launch process without sacrificing operational flexibility.
of every player rather than relying purely on volume. This does not reduce the importance of acquisition, but it does shift attention towards how effectively players are retained and re-engaged after they join. Different business models approach this differently, but the underlying goal is the same: improving return on acquisition. Automation plays a key role in this shift by enabling timely, consistent engagement without manual intervention, allowing operators to react to player behaviour in real time while reducing How can providers deliver technology operational workload. When combined with that meets core operator needs, but also integrated gamification tools such as loyalty allows for flexibility? programmes, quests, cashback, referrals and The best platforms provide structure without rewards, operators can create more structured restricting how a business is run. Operators often and engaging player journeys. face a trade-off between speed and control. Some solutions are fast to deploy but rigid in execution, How does focusing on emerging markets while others offer flexibility but require shape Z-Gaming’s product development significant build time. This becomes even more strategy and areas of innovation? complex when operators are managing different Where you build ultimately shapes what you brands or strategies under one portfolio. build. Our focus on emerging markets has Our focus is on separating the technology naturally directed our product development layer from the operating layer. We provide the towards areas that have the greatest infrastructure, automation and core systems, operational impact: efficiency, automation, while giving operators flexibility in the areas that localisation and player engagement. These actually shape player behaviour and commercial markets often require operators to move performance. Rather than investing heavily quickly, adapt to different conditions and in visual page builders or superficial front- manage multiple approaches at once. That end customisation, we prioritise flexibility has influenced how we design our platform, in the systems that shape player behaviour with an emphasis on flexibility, scalability and commercial performance. and ease of operation. For example, our tiering system can be While compliance and regulatory configured around different progression models, requirements remain essential, they have activity requirements and retention rules, while not dictated the majority of our product our points-and-rewards system allows operators roadmap. Instead, we have been able to to define how players earn, spend and exchange invest more heavily in features that directly value across their ecosystem. The goal is not improve operator performance, player simply to customise the interface, but to give engagement and long-term growth. operators meaningful control over how their As these markets continue to evolve, business works. adaptability and operational efficiency will only become more important. Our goal is How are automation and gamification to continue building technology that helps driving efficiency? operators launch faster, execute more effectively As acquisition costs rise, operators are and build sustainable businesses across some of increasingly focused on maximising the value the industry’s most dynamic markets.
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BLACKJACK
THE SIDE BET BLIND SPOT Paul Sculpher, Director of GRS Recruitment and long-time Global Gaming Insider contributor, discusses table game pacing in the land-based casino arena I imagine most readers of this publication are involved in the online world. From a casino perspective, it must be nice to be in a position where game supply is unlimited and you’ve every bit of data imaginable. In the offline world of table gaming, where every seat costs money to provide and as many customers are time limited as wallet limited, game pace is critical. Side bets (on
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card games in particular) are a time-honoured way to boost theo (theoretical loss) per player hour. If we are reasonable and say the base game runs around 2% (with sub-optimal play and increasingly tough rules), adding side and jackpot bets with double-digit edges starts to balance the equation. You’ll hear many an old school manager bemoan how customers lose too fast via side bets, or complain how they’re not “proper” blackjack, whatever that is, but one thing that’s not looked at enough is the effect they have on game pace. A good proportion of side bets need a different denomination chip than the base game, and the delays caused by changing chip denoms for players are a killer. It’s exacerbated with inexperienced dealers and onerous security procedures, but each chip change can easily cost you 3-4 seconds. IT’S EASY TO ERR... I have a couple of superb examples of how badly it’s possible to mess this up. Earlier this year, I was in a UK casino with a card game with a side bet with a 1000/1 max payout. The operator, presumably mindful of potential liability, kept the maximum low, but wanting to make money, kept the minimum relatively high. That led to, on a £5 ($6.75)base game, a betting range of £3 min to £4 max on the side bet. Forcing every player to change for £1 chips every hand or two is just a brutal murder of game speed, for the sake of saving a tiny bit more liability. The other example is even worse. On a consultancy trip overseas, I was at one casino
where they doubled most of their minimums on a weekend night – yay for dynamic pricing! However, this ended up meaning in the local currency the jackpot bet was 10, one side bet was 25, one was 50 and the base bet 100. Infuriating; and made sure the game moved at the speed of stink at all times on the busiest days of the week. FINDING THE BALANCE It’s a balance for sure and, in bricks-and-mortar land we just don’t have the data to make a fully data-driven decision. I don’t even think there’s comprehensive data available on the basics of how much side bets affect game pace, and then you’ve got things like player dissatisfaction to take into account. Maybe they want to play side bets for £1 when you’ve set them at £5 – you can measure the change in participation rate, it’s tough to precisely measure the effect on game pace, but you’re never going to accurately assess how many players leave your site to go play down the road. All that said, a mixture of using the data we do have along with informed pit experience can get us closer to an optimal mix, or at least can steer us away from abominations like the ones noted above. You need the tools to do the job, though, and in this little micro example, that can include suitably denominated physical chips. For example, if you decide £2 is the right level for your side bet minimums, get yourself some £2 chips and reduce chip change requirements. That kind of question, however, leads to the topic for next issue’s article… misaligned agendas between operators and corporate offices...
EMEA
AGGREGATION
A BROADER PERSPECTIVE Gabriel Kolawole, Director of Product at Hub88, explores the evolution of aggregation as a technology sector Broadly, how do you reflect on Hub88’s year so far, as we approach the fourth quarter? It’s been a strong year, both in terms of growth and the maturity of our product ecosystem. Over the last 12 months, we have significantly expanded our product portfolio and evolved how we develop our roadmap. By strengthening our product leadership team and the product management function, we have moved from a reactive development model to a more customer-aligned and product-led approach. We have invested more time in understanding the pain points our operators and suppliers face day to day, combining their feedback with platform analytics – and identifying where their workflows most commonly encounter friction. The result is we are building solutions that help partners operate more effectively, launch new content faster and scale with less complexity. This shift has contributed to the growth and recognition we have seen across the business.
Are aggregators now technology platforms first and content platforms second? It is not as simple as saying that, because highquality content remains fundamental to our offering. What has changed is the expectation around the aggregation platform. Operators are focused on reducing operational overhead and avoiding stitching together multiple third-party technologies. If they are already integrated with an aggregation platform such as Hub88, they expect that platform to provide as broad an ecosystem of tools as it does content. Our role is to make our partners’ businesses easier to run. We provide capabilities such as our award-winning HubConnect, Page Insights, AI-assisted recommendations and soon, streamer support and a Promo Launcher, within a single environment. The aggregation engine remains the foundation, but the real value now comes from the technology and intelligence built around it. The more we can simplify workflows, the more efficiently our partners can operate and the faster they can respond to new market opportunities. Which markets globally will define the next phase of aggregation growth? Aggregation is most useful where there are many operators working across multiple jurisdictions, each needing local content and local compliance. That combination of fragmentation and localisation is where an aggregation platform tends to add value. Latin America and Africa are both worth watching. Brazil’s move to a regulated framework created a large, competitive operator base, while other markets across both regions are opening on their own timelines. Africa in particular shares many of the characteristics that suit aggregation, being mobile-first and spread across multiple licensing regimes. These are the conditions where a strong integration and compliance layer becomes valuable.
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How do you ensure you add value as an aggregator, rather than simply sitting in the middle of the supply chain – and how has this been changed by AI? The biggest advantage we have as an aggregator
is visibility across the ecosystem. We work with hundreds of operators and suppliers across multiple markets, which gives us a much broader view of player engagement, promotional performance, trends and market behaviour than any single partner would typically have. This broader perspective allows us to create value through insight, innovative tools and optimisation. AI strengthens that position considerably. HubAI, for example, operates across different contexts and it is informed by much richer datasets. This enables us to build smarter recommendation systems, identify emerging trends earlier and help partners make better-informed decisions about their player engagement strategies and campaigns. AI allows us to transform aggregated data into actionable intelligence that directly supports our partners’ growth. What can are your plans for the rest of 2026 and beyond? Our focus for the remainder of the year is removing friction from operator workflows and giving partners greater control through HubConnect. A key area is promotions, with a new Promo Launcher enabling operators to create and manage campaigns directly from the back office, including bulk creation via CSV. Promotions will automatically be routed to suppliers for approval, reducing manual coordination. We are also introducing streamer management tools to centralise approval, tracking and invoicing, improving transparency and ensuring revenue exclusions are processed efficiently. Player Analytics Pro will help operators move beyond static reporting towards campaign planning, providing data-backed forecasts and recommendations aligned with goals such as growth and retention. Operators will also be able to launch tournaments across multiple suppliers directly from the platform, with greater control over customisation, scoring and leaderboards. Finally, we are exploring AI-driven recommendations for player incentives and campaign planning, alongside simpler invoicing.
EMEA
OPERATOR FOCUS
BEYOND THE SPIN How do you add surprise to a game already built on surprise? Kwiff CEO Charles Lee talks strategy! Supercharging has been part of Kwiff since day one. For more than 10 years, our sportsbook has aimed to give players something different. Every time you place a bet, there is the potential for your odds to be Supercharged. The 10/1 weekend acca you’ve placed on the Premier League suddenly turns into 100/1 in front of your eyes. You do not know if it is coming – and that is exactly the point. The concept in general adds another layer of entertainment to sports betting. You have
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GLOBALGAMINGINSIDER.COM
a match, race or event unfolding in front of you, sometimes over a couple of hours or even days. There is plenty of room around the core bet to add something extra, and that’s where much of the industry’s innovation has focused – whether through Bet Builders, Cash Out or other product features. But supercharging in the casino is a totally different proposition. Particularly with slots, the spin is already the entertainment. It is energetic, fun, visual and built around anticipation and surprise. The question we kept coming back to was simple: how do you supercharge something that is already designed to be exciting? CASINO SUPERCHARGE: LOOKING BEYOND THE SPIN This led us to focus on the moment immediately after a spin. Rather than limiting rewards to the outcome of the game, operators can create an additional layer of surprise that sits outside the core mechanic. The reward might be cash, free spins or something else entirely and, importantly, it doesn’t have to be tied to whether the player won or lost. That distinction matters. When unexpected rewards are treated as part of the overall entertainment experience, it reinforces positive engagement. The same thinking can be applied beyond casino. Across sports betting, we’re seeing growing interest in mechanics that soften disappointment without removing uncertainty, whether through more flexible settlement models, personalised rewards or other product innovations. The objective isn’t to eliminate losing; it’s to create more moments where players feel positively surprised, even when an individual outcome doesn’t go their way.
MORE BANG FOR YOUR BET Casino rewards often feel more naturally suited to live casino games. There is more theatre around the product and a long history of personalised rewards. Slots players can have a very different experience. The game itself is often brilliantly entertaining, but the relationship between the player and the operator can be far less visible. Outside conventional bonuses and CRM campaigns, there are relatively few opportunities for operators to create memorable touchpoints. That creates an opportunity to think differently about how engagement is built around the game, rather than relying solely on the game itself. The important distinction is making these experiences part of the product rather than treating them as short-term promotions. That changes how players perceive them and how they contribute to long-term engagement. IS THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE MORE POWERFUL THAN OPERATOR GENEROSITY? Early results show players respond positively to unexpected moments. While we’ll continue refining the mechanic, it reinforces a broader point: players increasingly value experiences that feel genuinely surprising rather than simply more generous. As content becomes increasingly commoditised, competitive advantage no longer comes from simply offering more games. It comes from designing experiences around those games that players genuinely remember. Sometimes innovation isn’t about changing the spin itself – it’s about changing everything around it.
EMEA
AUSTRIA-GERMANY
LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR Dr Joerg Hofmann, Senior Partner at Melchers Law and Global Gaming Insider contributor, asks: is Austria following Germany’s regulations? The basic principles of the new draft bill seem to be heavily inspired by those of its neighbour... is that a good idea? When Austria’s Federal Ministry of Finance circulated its draft amendment to the Gambling Act (Glücksspielgesetz) in mid2026, it became apparent that its authors had been looking very closely across the border at their western neighbour. Austria’s lawmakers have often been fond of looking to Germany for guidance: the new gambling regulation is no different. Germany had, after all, just been through exactly this transition from an online gambling monopoly to an open licence framework. The Austrian reform is not least a consequence of the recognition that the monopoly offering failed to achieve adequate channelling despite its exclusive position. It is very much to be welcomed that this monopoly is being phased out, as it clearly has not proven effective. The decisive question, however, is not what Austria is borrowing from Germany, but whether it is borrowing the right things.
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WHAT AUSTRIA GOT RIGHT: THE ARCHITECTURE Let’s start with the positives, because there are real ones. The draft introduces two landmark cross-operator systems: a central exclusion register (Sperr-Register) covering all licensed operators, and a separate Online Gambling Supervision System functioning as a cross-operator deposit limit register (LimitRegister). This is the architecture that serious regulators build. Germany’s equivalent, the Limit-Datei under Sec 6c Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (‘Glücksspielstaatvertrag 2021), caps the default cross-operator monthly deposit at €1,000 ($1,150) and has been broadly operational since the Interstate Treaty came into force. Austria is following this structural logic, and that is the right call. A mandatory access and identification system, staff training on problem gambling, a tiered warning system from player
information to account bans, and mandatory self-limitation covering monetary and timebased maximums per day, week and month round out a player protection framework that is meaningfully robust on paper. These elements, modelled on the German example, are to be welcomed without reservation. Further good adoptions: the draft also creates a dedicated supervisory authority, mandates a safe-server giving the regulator real-time access to all gaming transactions and introduces a genuine multi-licence system for online gambling with an unlimited number of licences. That is a significant liberalisation and, on channelling grounds, it is the right starting point. THE CENTRAL BENCHMARK: CHANNELISATION Here is where the analysis needs to go into greater detail. Player protection instruments,
AUSTRIA-GERMANY e.g. deposit limits, exclusion registers and RIGID DEPOSIT LIMITS: PUSHING HIGHcooling-off periods, have zero effect on players STAKES PLAYERS TO THE BLACK MARKET who have migrated to unlicensed platforms. The Austrian draft sets a hard statutory deposit limit of € 1,680 per month for players aged 26 THE COOLING-OFF ISSUE: and over, and €250 per week for players under QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE 26. The problem here is rather structural. A GERMAN APPROACH recreational player who wagers €50 per session Under Sec 14 para 2a Z 3 of the draft, operators is entirely served by this limit. A higherseeking an online gambling licence must have frequency player, not necessarily a problem ceased offering unlicensed services in Austria gambler, simply a more engaged one, hits the by 1 January 2027, failing which they face a ceiling well before month-end. At that point, lock-out of 18 months, extended to 24 months the licensed platform is simply unavailable. for withdrawals after 31 December 2029. The unlicensed one is not. At first glance, this appears logical. But the The Interstate Treaty 2021 sets its standard mechanism is fatally flawed in practice. Austrian cross-operator limit even lower, at €1,000. law does not fix a date by which the first online Under graduated statutory conditions it can be licences will actually be issued. The existing raised for individual players to a maximum of monopoly licence expires in September 2027, but € 30,000. German market developments since nothing guarantees new licences will be ready at 2021 are nonetheless no channelling success that moment. Germany’s experience shows that story. The one-size-fits-all deposit limit shuts licensing procedures at the outset of a young and out high-stakes players. new regulatory system can run for many That goes without saying. According to the months, sometimes even years. Players who monitoring report for spring 2026 by the Dutch do not have access to operators that already gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit, hold a valid Austrian licence will largely depending on the calculation method used, turn to other operators that they find on the around 91% to 95% of Dutch players gamble black market. exclusively with licensed operators. However, The comparative evidence is instructive. measured in terms of gross gaming revenue When Denmark transitioned to an open (criterion: money), the channelling rate stands at licence system in 2012, there was no mandatory only 53%. This is a clear indication that looking market exit. Applicants could file before solely at the number of players is not sufficient. opening day and trade legally from day one, The Austrian proposal allows players with channelling rates eventually exceeding aged 23 and over to apply for a higher limit, 90%. The Netherlands defined workable provided there are no signs of risk and rules of conduct for a seamless transition additional monitoring measures have been put into its market opening on 1 October 2021. in place, which essentially follows the same Finland explicitly avoided any mandatory logic of individual assessment as in Germany. pre-exit phase in its current transition. Even Rather than rigid statutory figures, the better Germany recognised the importance of a approach would be to equip the new gambling smooth transition into the new regime, using authority with the flexibility to adjust deposit a transitional period that required unlicensed thresholds at regular review intervals. operators to bring their offerings into advance conformity with future licence conditions. GERMANY’S TRACK RECORD: Austria, as things stand, would go further than A CAUTIONARY TALE all: a fixed exit date with the re-entry date left The Interstate Treaty 2021 was designed with entirely open. That can only end badly. good intentions: channelling the population’s My esteemed Austrian colleague Dr Christian natural gambling instinct into orderly Rapani addressed this with great acuity in a frameworks and countering black-market statement to the Federal Ministry of Finance growth. Four years in, the honest verdict is that in Vienna as early as July 2026. His proposed the framework has fallen significantly short. solution is straightforward: cooling-off and the The combination of a monthly cap of €1,000, a lock-out period should function as a sanction for minimum spin duration on slot machines that a lack of willingness to engage with regulation is too long for many players, bonus restrictions, but not as a precondition for that willingness. a lengthy individual pre-approval process The mechanism should be linked to the date for each individual game title, and a sports from which licence applications can actually betting offering that is hardly competitive has be submitted. Operators who submit their meant that the licensed German market is applications without delay may continue structurally less attractive to large groups of offering their products until the regulator players than offshore alternatives. has reached a decision; those who do not The devil is often in the detail. The centralised will be excluded from the market. This pre-approval process in which the supervisory preserves the effectiveness of the instrument authority GGL must clear each individual and closes the gap in regulatory control. One game before it can be offered has produced could not put it more appropriately. lengthy processing times, bottlenecks and
EMEA
significant administrative burden. In Germany’s current evaluation phase, the findings will in all likelihood drive a shift towards certification by accredited laboratories or white-list solutions. Austria should not wait to draw the same conclusion. Third-party certification by internationally accredited testing laboratories achieves the same safety objectives at a fraction of the cost and without delay. THE BOTTOM LINE Austria’s Glücksspielgesetz 2026 draft is not a bad piece of legislation. The cross-operator limit register, the exclusion database, the mandatory player protection infrastructure, and the move to an open multi-licence framework are all architecturally correct. The goal of combining a competitive market with effective player protection is the right one. However, the arguments against the ‘channelling’ approach, both in relation to the cooling-off mechanism as currently designed and to the rigid deposit limit structure, are compelling and by no means hypothetical. ‘Channelling’ is not an additional optional element of gambling regulation: rather, it is the fundamental prerequisite on which all other regulatory objectives depend. Austria has the advantage of going second. It should use it not to replicate the German framework wholesale, but to take what works structurally, fix what demonstrably has not, and build a licensed market that is genuinely competitive with the unlicensed alternative. That is the only version of this reform that actually protects players.
Dr Joerg Hofmann GLOBALGAMINGINSIDER.COM
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EMEA
PRODUCT REVIEWS
WHAT’S NEW ON THE MARKET? Need to know the latest products on the gaming market? Global Gaming Insider has you covered EGT 3 POTS LINK EGT’s latest jackpots 3 Pots Link Animals and 3 Pots Link Cherry will be presented at G2E Las Vegas 2026 The Bulgarian gaming equipment manufacturer Euro Games Technology (EGT) will participate in this year’s edition of G2E Las Vegas, where it will traditionally demonstrate its new developments. Among the highlights in the company’s selection will be the latest series of multi-level jackpots 3 Pots Link, including 3 Pots Link Animals and 3 Pots Link Cherry. 3 Pots Link Animals is a progressive jackpot with five levels, two of which are progressive – MEGA and GRAND, and three fixed levels – MAJOR, MINOR, and MINI. The package includes 3 titles –
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Ventura Ox, Ventura Tiger, and Ventura Dragon, and as the names suggest, their main characters are beloved animals, that are ready to offer exciting adventures and tempting rewards. 3 Pots Link Animals blends highly engaging gameplay with randomly triggered bonus functionalities and innovative metamorphic mechanics. Three independent bonus features can be triggered separately or in combination, creating a dynamic gaming experience where every spin offers new possibilities and every bonus unfolds differently. 3 Pots Link Cherry is also a five-level progressive jackpot featuring two progressive alongside three fixed levels. The jackpot invites players to dive into the world of its two games,
Burning Crown and Shining Clover, where the original metamorphic gameplay is enhanced by three randomly triggered bonus mechanics. They can be activated individually, in combination, or even trigger one another during play. The 5×8 jackpot bonus and unique game-specific features of 3 Pots Link Cherry add even more thrill to the game, delivering a captivating player journey. Powered by the Exciter IV platform and compatible with all cabinets of the popular General and Supreme Series, 3 Pots Link Animals and 3 Pots Link Cherry are shaping up to be the next irresistible offering from EGT’s portfolio. Don’t miss the chance to stop by the company’s booth 2452 at G2E Las Vegas from September 29 to October 01 and learn more about them!
LEAN TO OPERATE
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THE IGAMING PLATFORM DESIGNED FOR OPERATORS WHO WANT TO LAUNCH FAST AND SCALE EFFICIENTLY IN EMERGING MARKETS. Z-Gaming is built around a simple principle: remove unnecessary platform cost and operational friction so operators can reach profitability faster.
LEAN
TO OPERATE
Automation-first architecture that reduces manual workload and headcount requirements.
QUICK TO BREAK EVEN
Low overhead, fast launch and monetisation built around effective retention depth.
RETENTION FIRST BY DESIGN
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Operators retain full control of licences, payments, data, operational execution, and marketing strategy.
Automation-first architecture, built-in retention systems, and flexible commercial structures allow teams to launch lean operations without heavy internal infrastructure.
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Taking Stock
Facing Facts
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Movers & Shakers
Live casino: The M&A landscape
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Market focus: New Zealand
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Product reviews
APAC
SHARE PRICES
TAKING STOCK Global Gaming Insider examines the monthly stock price from the opening day of the past six months across the APAC region, observing March – August 2026 GENTING MALAYSIA
LAS VEGAS SANDS 56
2.05
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2
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1.95
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1.9
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1.85
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1.75
0
0 Mar
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• Six-month high: March (55.68 USD) • Six-month low: July (45.96 USD) • Market capitalization: US$29.7bn (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: May (1.97 MYR) • Six-month low: August (1.76 MYR) • Market capitalization: US$2.37bn (as of 6 August 2026)
MELCO RESORTS
SKYCITY ENTERTAINMENT
4.4
0.9
4.2
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3.8 0.6
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• Six-month high: March (4.18 USD) • Six-month low: July (3.14 USD) • Market capitalization: US$1.02bn (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: March (0.71 AUD) • Six-month low: June (0.42 AUD) • Market capitalization: US$405.71m (as of 6 August 2026)
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APAC
PEOPLE & HR
MOVERS AND SHAKERS While new appointments were unveiled in the UAE by GCGRA and Wynn Al Marjan Island, Digitain also looked to support its continued expansion across regulated Asian markets
Ahmad Hesham General Counsel and Board Secretary, GCGRA
Andrea Aguirre-Jugueta VP of Private Access, Wynn Al Marjan Island
Terry Lee Head of Asia Region, Digitain
The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) appointed Hesham as General Counsel and Board Secretary, following an eight-year tenure as Senior Legal Advisor to the UAE’s Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Hesham brings experience in advising governments, regulators and public institutions on legislative and governance matters across multiple jurisdictions. The Authority continues to build out the UAE’s commercial gaming framework, maintaining, as anticipation builds for a potentially huge market aimed at attracting high-value players.
Aguirre-Jugueta will focus on creating personalized guest experiences with Wynn Marjan Island through curated partnerships, tailored client strategies and a high-functioning service model. Based in Ras Al Khaimah, she will lead development of the resort’s Private Access program, which is designed to build long-term relationships with discerning non-gaming guests, influential individuals and brand ambassadors. Aguirre-Jugueta joins Wynn after nearly 10 years at Solaire Resort in the Philippines, where she held several senior leadership positions across retail, customer experience and strategic partnerships.
Lee will be expected to develop Digitain’s operator relationships and identify opportunities suited to local regulatory and commercial requirements in Asia. The country presents a complex expansion environment for suppliers, as online sports betting rules differ substantially across the region. Highlighting the importance of localization, Lee’s focus will be on establishing Digitain as a “major presence” within Asia’s key regulated markets. The supplier has already placed greater emphasis on regulated-market access, previously securing authorization to enter Great Britain, Ontario, Denmark and Bulgaria.
Hesham holds a joint PhD from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University, as well as a master’s degree from Cairo University
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Along with her experience in hospitality, Aguirre-Jugueta also volunteers as a Radio Show Co-Host for RockEd Philippines
Lee’s social media showcases his particular interest in puzzle games, including mini sudoku, queens and tango
DATA
APAC
FACING FACTS Global Gaming Insider explores South Korean gaming beyond just casino tourism YEARLY GGR (KRW TRN) 1 TRILLION KRW = $731 MILLION
12 10
6
• In the post-pandemic period, South Korea’s total GGR has shown steady recoveryled growth, increasing from KRW 9.61trn ($7.11bn) in 2022 to KRW 11.86trn in 2025, a cumulative rise of around 23%
4
• However, the pace of growth has slowed each year, with GGR rising 10.5% between 2022 and 2023, 7.1% in 2024 and just 4.3% in 2025
2
Total GGR
8
0
2022
2023
2024
2025
HISTORICAL GGR BY VERTICAL
4 3.5
• All verticals experienced growth across the 2022 to 2025 period, reflecting a broad upward trend in South Korea’s GGR
3
• The Lottery consistently generated the highest GGR throughout the 2022–2025 period, scaling from approximately KRW 3.1trn up to nearly KRW 3.7trn
2.5 2
• Since the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign-playeronly casinos experienced the highest growth rates, surging from roughly KRW 0.7trn to over KRW 2.2trn
1.5 1 0.5 0
Lottery
Sports Toto
Kangwon Land
2022
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Horseracing
Foreign-player-only casinos
2025
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APAC
M&A FOCUS
MERGERS: THE PERMISSION TEST Oren Dalal, Founder and Publisher of GamingMarkets.com and Global Gaming Insider contributor, explains why APAC live casino and iGaming M&A is becoming harder to underwrite on scale alone In live casino and iGaming M&A, the first conversation usually centers on scale. Buyers look at platform depth, studio capacity, distribution, brand recognition, player reach and commercial relationships. In APAC, however, that is only the opening question. The more difficult issue comes after the commercial review: what is the asset actually allowed to do once the deal closes? A live casino business may have strong technology, good content and valuable relationships. Those strengths lose force if the product cannot lawfully reach the customer, if revenue depends on a fragile market structure, or if the supplier
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model is vulnerable to a change in policy or enforcement priorities. APAC also resists broad regional assumptions. Australia and Southeast Asia create different acquisition problems. One may be defined by a hard product boundary. Another may turn on the line between domestic regulated activity and offshore-facing exposure. In other markets, access may be controlled by design or still waiting for a legal framework.
with due diligence, but it also limits the direct online casino opportunity. A target with Australian exposure is a difficult fit for a simple B2C online casino expansion thesis. For live casino or iGaming buyers, the more relevant opportunity may sit around regulated wagering and adjacent infrastructure: payments, compliance, responsible gambling systems, customer data, controlled affiliate activity and B2B technology that fits within the local framework. AUSTRALIA’S HARD BOUNDARY The deal logic changes. Australian Australia offers buyers a relatively clear split customers may be attractive. A brand may between prohibited online casino products and have recognition. Still, the acquisition case licensed wagering activity. That clarity helps comes back to the product, customer journey,
APAC
M&A FOCUS
“It is still a useful case study because it forces buyers to separate two very different categories: regulated domestic digital gaming activity and THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TEST Southeast Asia raises a different set of questions. It offshore-facing models” is not a single market, and the Philippines cannot marketing model, payment flow and supplier arrangements. Each has to fit inside the rules. Clearer boundaries can narrow the field. In Australia, a stronger target may be one built for the regulatory perimeter rather than one trying to work around it.
stand in for the whole region. It is still a useful case study because it forces buyers to separate two very different categories: regulated domestic digital gaming activity and offshore-facing models. That distinction matters in live casino. A platform, studio, streaming provider or software vendor may look like a technology asset. Its risk profile changes with the location of players, the operators it serves and the activity covered by the underlying approval. Live dealer infrastructure often sits between operator, platform, studio, content provider, payment layer and customer. That can make it commercially valuable, but also harder to assess. The asset may not be the operator, yet it may still depend on the regulatory position of the activity it supports. The Philippines makes the point clearly. Policy action there extended beyond offshore operators to specified support providers, including live studio, streaming, IT and gaming-platform businesses. For buyers, the lesson is narrow but important: supplier
status alone does not remove dependence on the underlying activity. A live studio or streaming layer can be valuable when attached to permitted and well-controlled activity. The same type of asset needs closer review when revenue depends on customers, operators or products outside a stable approval framework.
Both examples return to a practical deal problem. Limited access, prospective access and operating access sit at different stages. In fast-moving gaming markets, commercial expectation can move faster than the legal architecture. That gap is often where M&A risk begins.
WHERE ACCESS IS LIMITED Singapore and Thailand belong in this analysis as boundary cases. Singapore points to controlled access. Remote gambling is a limited authorized market rather than an open commercial field. Supplier opportunities may exist in the wider gaming ecosystem, but broad B2C remote-gambling access is a separate issue. Thailand raises a different risk. Political discussion around casino and entertainment complex development can create optionality. The withdrawn 2025 proposal, however, did not create an enacted licensing or market-access framework.
WHAT BUYERS SHOULD ASK For buyers, diligence has to go deeper than product and growth. Where does the revenue come from? Which customers generate it? Are they inside a permitted market structure? What activity does the license or approval actually support? Does it attach to the operator, the venue, the product, the platform, the supplier relationship or something narrower? A license is not a generic asset. Its value depends on the activity it permits, the customers it reaches and whether the commercial model survives a change of control. Supplier exposure needs the same discipline. In live casino, the acquired asset may be a studio, dealer operation, software layer, streaming stack, content library or managed-service function. Each one should be tested against the activity it supports. Asset size alone may not reveal whether revenue and approvals remain durable after closing. Buyers may need to examine customer geography, approval quality and compliance architecture as closely as scale. CONCLUSION APAC remains important for live casino and iGaming. It is too uneven to underwrite as one growth story. Australia (and perhaps soon New Zealand) narrows the direct online casino opportunity through clearer product boundaries. The Philippines underlines the need to separate regulated domestic activity from offshore-facing exposure. However, Singapore and Thailand add the same warning from different angles: controlled access, prospective access and operating access require different M&A assumptions. So, for APAC live casino and iGaming M&A, the real test is whether the business is still allowed to work the way the buyer expects after closing.
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Oren Dalal is Founder and Publisher of GamingMarkets. com, covering regulation, licensing and market structure in the global gaming sector
APAC
NEW ZEALAND FOCUS
OPPORTUNITY VS RESTRICTION New Zealand’s new online casino framework marks a major shift from an offshore-dominated market to a regulated environment New Zealand has taken a significant step towards regulating online casino gambling, replacing a longstanding grey market with a structured licensing framework under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026. With the licensing process now officially underway, only 15 licences will be available to operators. Applicants will face a highly competitive process, alongside strict requirements covering advertising, player protection, financial compliance and responsible gambling. The new regime is expected to strengthen consumer protection and regulatory oversight. However, it also raises questions about market access, competition and channelisation... THE MAGIC 15: OPERATORS COMPETE FOR AVAILABLE LICENCES On 17 July, New Zealand opened the first stage of its regulated online casino market, inviting operators to apply for one of 15 available licences. Applicants were required to submit expressions of interest by 14 August, pay a NZ$19,000 (US$10,970) application fee and demonstrate at least NZ$7.5m in capital, alongside providing detailed ownership, management and compliance disclosures. Successful licence holders will be required to pay a quarterly levy of 3.5% of online gambling profits, with penalties applying for late payments. Under the new framework, each licence will apply to a single brand, and no operator will be permitted to hold more than three licences. Initial licences will be issued for up to three years, with the possibility of renewal for periods of up to five years. Previously, New Zealand consumers could access offshore online casino platforms without a dedicated domestic licensing framework.
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ADVERTISING RESTRICTIONS AND MARKETING CONTROLS Under the new framework, licensed operators will face strict controls on online casino advertising, including restrictions on placement, broadcast timing and promotional methods. Advertisements will not be permitted to appeal to under-18s or target audiences where more than 20% of viewers are underage. Prohibited advertising practices will also include sponsorship and endorsement promotions, affiliate marketing, messaging that encourages impulsive play, personalised spend-focused advertising and references to other gambling activities. Launching the regulated market with strict advertising and marketing controls may limit opportunities for consumer education and awareness of licensed operators. This presents a particular challenge in a market that was previously accessible to grey-market operators and continues to attract illegal operators, especially as the latter increasingly use sophisticated brand spoofing techniques to imitate legitimate licensed brands. PLAYER PROTECTION AND HARM MINIMISATION REQUIREMENTS Player protection will, understandably, be a central element of New Zealand’s new regulatory framework. Licensed operators will be required to provide tools that allow players to set deposit and spending limits, alongside regular prompts to review those limits. Additional requirements will include breakin-play features, session reminders, time-out options and self-exclusion tools that must be available within 24 hours. Operators will also be expected to identify customers showing
signs of gambling harm, provide appropriate interventions and apply exclusions of up to two years where necessary. Beyond gambling controls, operators will be required to verify customers’ identity, age and eligibility before account activation. Creditbased payment methods will be prohibited, customers will be limited to one account and one deposit method per platform, and changes to deposit methods will be subject to a 24-hour lock period. These requirements reflect a broader international shift towards stronger player protection standards across regulated gambling markets. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE NEW MARKET? Overall, the regulatory framework is likely to favour larger, well-capitalised operators that have both the resources and operational expertise required to meet the new requirements. This, again, reflects a broader market trend internationally. Companies with an existing grey-market presence in New Zealand may benefit from established customer relationships and familiarity with local player behaviour, however, as there will be no “cooling off ” period in the market. Despite its relatively small population, New Zealand is an attractive opportunity due to its high internet penetration, affluent consumer base, English-speaking market and established gambling demand. But it is now over to the big players to try and make a success out of the region, avoiding the pitfalls of over-advertising and lax compliance, yet offering a competitive enough product to keep channelisation low. As always, it will be a tricky balance.
APAC
PRODUCT REVIEWS
WHAT’S NEW ON THE MARKET? Weike Gaming Technology’s Long Hua Fu Gui is a progressive link built on choice and multipliers LONG HUA FU GUI In today’s competitive progressive jackpot market, operators are looking for games that do more than offer large jackpots – they need products that sustain player engagement, encourage repeat play and perform consistently on the casino floor. Weike Gaming Technology’s Long Hua Fu Gui Progressive Link is designed with these objectives in mind. Inspired by the dragon, an enduring symbol of prosperity, strength and good fortune in Asian culture, Long Hua Fu Gui features two complementary titles – Ma Shang Ying and Jie Jie Ying. Together, they are built around a simple philosophy: multiplier-driven excitement combined with player choice. Players can tailor their free game experience
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by selecting different volatility options, choosing between longer feature sessions with steadier rewards or shorter, higher-risk opportunities with greater winning potential. Ma Shang Ying delivers anticipation through powerful win multipliers, while Jie Jie Ying keeps excitement high with stacked substitute multipliers that can significantly enhance winning combinations. These complementary gameplay styles broaden the series’ appeal across different player preferences. At the centre of the experience is the opportunity to win the coveted Double Jackpots, creating memorable jackpot moments that distinguish Long Hua Fu Gui from conventional progressive links. Combined with frequent feature opportunities and intuitive gameplay, the
series is designed to keep players engaged throughout every session. Presented on Weike’s premium WeFortune cabinet, Long Hua Fu Gui combines vibrant visuals, immersive audio, and striking presentation to attract attention on the casino floor. Available in both progressive link and standalone configurations, it offers operators the flexibility to tailor deployment to different venues and player segments. By combining meaningful player choice, complementary game experiences, and rewarding multiplier mechanics with the excitement of a Double Jackpots, Long Hua Fu Gui delivers a progressive link designed to create lasting player appeal while providing operators with a compelling addition to today’s Asian gaming floor.
65
Taking Stock
66
Movers & Shakers
67
Facing Facts
68
Preview: Global Gaming Awards Americas
70
The AGA previews G2E
72
Make better decisions... not faster ones
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Jan Fencl talks prediction markets
76
Habanero talks all things LatAm
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Product reviews
AMERICAS
SHARE PRICES
TAKING STOCK Global Gaming Insider examines supplier stock prices from the opening day of the past six months across the Americas region, observing March – August 2026 LIGHT & WONDER
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• Six-month high: August (64.35 USD) • Six-month low: April (46.22 USD) • Market capitalization: US$27.97bn (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: June March (89.95 USD) • Six-month low: July (75.09 USD) • Market capitalization: US$6.45bn (as of 6 August 2026)
GOLDEN MATRIX
INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT 8.4
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• Six-month high: March (8.22 USD) • Six-month low: August (6.85 USD) • Market capitalization: US$185.4m (as of 6 August 2026)
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• Six-month high: July (13.38 USD) • Six-month low: April (6.28 USD) • Market capitalization: US$168.2m (as of 6 August 2026)
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PEOPLE & HR
MOVERS AND SHAKERS A number of headline-worthy appointments hit the Americas region, including a new CEO for Interblock, Lotto.com’s COO hire and enhanced regulation personnel in Chile
Kay Oswald CEO, Interblock Gaming
Ruxandra Tereanu COO, Lotto.com
Francisco Javier Leiva Vega Director of Institutional Relations, AgruGaming
Following former Interblock CEO John Connelly’s decision to step down from the role in February, the supplier had been searching for a new Chief Executive to lead long-term growth strategy. They are big shoes to fill but Interblock’s pursuit ultimately steered the organization to Oswald, who yields over 25 years of experience across a multitude of industries, including technology, hardware and fitness. After serving as KOHPA Technologies CEO for over two years, Oswald joins Interblock in place of Interim CEO Bala Ganesan – who will return to his full-time position as Oaktree Managing Director.
Having spent 13 years working with Flutter Entertainment, Flutter UK&I and FanDuel in various leadership roles, Tereanu will now oversee operational strategy and execution for Lotto.com’s anticipated US expansion. The former FanDuel VP of Business Operations spoke of the “enormous” opportunity to join Lotto.com, including the chance to “reach new customers, enter new markets and continue growing contributions to the state programs that benefit from lottery revenue.” CEO Thomas Metzger echoed the sentiment, saying Tereanu’s leadership will be “instrumental” to Lotto.com’s next phase of growth.
AgruGaming continues to expand its leadership team after originally forming in June 2026, adding Chile’s first Casino Superintendent, and the longest-serving official to hold the role, in Francisco Javier Leiva Vega. As Chile’s Congress debates legislation that would establish a regulatory framework for online gambling, AgruGaming seeks to represent suppliers across game technology, live casino, sports betting, payments, marketing and cybersecurity. Believing Chile’s online gaming industry is “lagging behind” fellow LatAm markets, Leiva joins AgruGaming after serving as Marina del Sol Development Manager for nearly five years.
While currently based in New York, Tereanu still showcases her European background by maintaining proficiency in the French and Romanian languages
While attending Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Leiva served as President of Sociedad Deportiva Stade Francais, a sports social club fostering inclusive play
Oswald was a volunteer at Paws Chicago for over eight years, representing the city’s largest humane organization for animal welfare
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DATA
AMERICAS
FACING FACTS Global Gaming Insider examines the evolution of Ontario’s online gaming market, analyzing its growth since launching in April 2022 ONLINE GGR (NON-ADJUSTED) BY VERTICAL H1 2026 (CA$BN) 79.0%
1.4% 19.5%
Online casino Online sports betting
• Online casino dominates Ontario’s online market, with NAGGR of CA$1.86bn (US$1.34bn) for H1 26, accounting for 79.1% of the total (CA$2.35bn) • Sports betting generated CA$0.46bn, representing 19.6% of total revenue
P2P Poker 1 CA$ = 0.72 US$
• Poker remained a niche segment. But isn’t it interesting? A healthy online casino market and clear legislation has prohibited any idea of prediction markets...
ONLINE GGR (NON-ADJUSTED) BY VERTICAL (CA$BN) • The regulated market began operations in April 2022, with total online NAGGR more than doubling since the first full year of operations, rising from $1.07bn in H1 23 to $2.35bn in H1 26
Online casino
Online sports betting
Total online
2.5 2.0 1.5
• Throughout the period, online casino was consistently the largest vertical, with NAGGR increasing from $0.76bn in H1 23 to $1.86bn in H1 26
1.0
• Sports betting has also shown growth, but far less than that of online casino – the dominant vertical in Ontario
0
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ONLINE PLAYERS (M) 8 6.5 6
• Since 2023, the total online gaming player base has more than doubled, increasing from 3.8 million in H1 23 to 7.71 million in H1 26
4.5 4
• Player numbers experienced significant acceleration between H2 24 and H1 25, surging by more than one million from 5.38 million to 6.46 million
2.5 2 0
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AMERICAS
AWARDS
CREATE, INNOVATE The 13th annual Global Gaming Awards Americas will celebrate standout success over the past 12 months, including some of the industry’s best product innovations Each year, gaming suppliers in various sectors look to take a commanding lead of the competition, whether through the land-based and digital titles played by millions, or the technology that helps power the industry as a whole. Building upon its prestigious legacy in North and South America, the Global Gaming Awards Americas returns to Las Vegas on September 28, during the Global Gaming Expo at The Venetian. As part of the Product Innovation of the Year honor, the Global Gaming Awards Americas will celebrate the Shortlisted product that set the highest standard in
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gaming innovation. With the full Shortlist having been unveiled on September 1, suppliers such as Interblock, Ainsworth, Aristocrat and Galaxy Gaming have all showcased examples of worthy innovation. PAST CHAMPIONS; CURRENT NOMINEES Former winners Incredible Technologies and Inspired Entertainment will be looking to take home the honor once again, nominated for their respective SuperSync Progressive and Cash Bank mechanic hardware. The SuperSync Progressive assists operators with tailoring jackpot frequency and
values to match the needs of different floor environments, while the Cash Bank mechanic enhances Inspired titles such as Wolf It Up Again and Bigger Piggy Bank. In recent months, Interblock’s AMUSE portfolio also grew its presence across casino floors, having partnered with Foxwoods Resort Casino to launch a new Innovation Zone at the Tribal property – featuring the likes of Destroyer: Naval Strike, Showtime Frenzy and Cosmic Crash. Also making the Product Innovation of the Year shortlist was Ainsworth’s Just Chillin’ title, which marks a new era in game development through the
AWARDS supplier’s use of AI-assisted math modeling and graphics generation. A new era of innovation has recently hit casino floors – with many suppliers relying on the use of familiarity to help drive traffic toward its latest releases. For Galaxy Gaming, the supplier focused its next generation of games around one of the most recognizable board game brands in the world, Monopoly. Galaxy Gaming’s Monopoly table game progressives help present the latest developments in how land-based casinos adapt to player preferences, and may cap off a strong debut by taking home the Product Innovation of the Year honor on September 28. Marking a familiar face at the Global Gaming Awards Americas ceremony, Aristocrat has also been shortlisted for its Awager digital product, which enables live-streamed physical slot machines and electronic table games (ETGs) from dedicated studios. With digital innovations becoming a requirement for nearly all gaming suppliers in today’s landscape, it comes as no shock to see such products earn a place on the Product Innovation of the Year shortlist. Not to be forgotten are those who continuously find new ways to expand the payments scene in gaming, including Paysafe’s Pay with Crypto functionality and
LEAD PART
AMERICAS
the Global Gaming Awards America will once again showcase gaming’s unrivaled ability of gaming to continuously elevate its standards. Winners are determined by a panel of senior industry executives, each bringing extensive expertise and market knowledge of gaming operations across both North and South America. The voting process is independently adjudicated by KPMG US to help ensure full transparency and integrity is maintained, with judges selecting a winner and runner-up for each Global Gaming Awards Americas category. The G2E conference and tradeshow unquestionably serves as a fitting setting for the Global Gaming Awards Americas, as the latest innovation and launches from across the industry are unveiled throughout the fourday event. Representing a culmination of such expansion, the Awards bring together leaders from every operator, supplier and organization within gaming each year. The Product Innovation of the Year award is one of many honors distributed during the ceremony, covering each sector this exceptional industry has to offer. The Global Gaming Awards Americas are honored to shine a light on the most notable success gaming has witnessed over the past 12 months, powered by Global Gaming Insider. With such a strong field for the Product ELEVATING STANDARDS No matter which nominee walks away with Innovation of the Year category, it’s anyone’s to the Product Innovation of the Year Award, play for on September 28. Pavilion Payments’ Tap2Play solution. Having launched in April 2026, Pay with Crypto allows sportsbook bettors to fund their accounts from crypto wallets, extending to service daily fantasy and iGaming consumers as well. Tap2Play looks to simplify the depositing process for casino players by eliminating the need for ATM or cashier cage trips, offering a bar code which links directly to funding capabilities. Coming off Q1 2026 where the operator set new records in net revenue, adjusted EBITDA and net income, Rush Street Interactive (RSI) – in collaboration with Sightline Payments – introduced its new BetRivers banking solution to consumers in late 2025. BetRivers Debit represents the first integrated banking solution for regulated gaming. As part of a collaboration forged with MGM Resorts International, Cammegh joins the Shortlist by developing Mercury 360 – a US-specific configuration designed to ease the demands of North American casino floors. Mercury 360 was created for highvolume environments, large gaming spaces and challenging climates, incorporating Cammegh’s proprietary Voustone composite bowl technology.
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G2E PREVIEW
THE FLOOR IS SET Maureen Beddis, SVP, Membership and Events at the American Gaming Association, looks ahead to another promising G2E As the summer winds down, the American Gaming Association is looking forward to G2E 2026: the premier event that brings together the people, products, insights and innovations that are shaping the future of the gaming industry. Last year we celebrated our expo’s 25th anniversary. This year, we will supercharge the conversation about the next 25 years of gaming success. Innovation has always been central to G2E. This year’s conference floor will showcase what is transforming gaming. From the newest slot designs to regulatory innovations and technologies, attendees will have the opportunity to experience firsthand the
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innovations that are redefining how operators engage customers, improve efficiencies, and prepare for the future. Show spaces are specifically designed to maximize the experience for attendees. The Meeting Zone offers a convenient setting to conduct business. The Networking Lounge provides opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the industry. Our Media Zone remains the central hub for journalists covering the latest news from G2E. The New Exhibitor Zone will allow those to easily connect with first and secondtime exhibitors. This year, however, we are introducing a new addition to the show floor: the Business and Tech Zone. This dedicated space is to showcase and connect the innovators that support the full spectrum of gaming.From marketing and loyalty programs to cybersecurity or to workforce technologies, the space will facilitate discussions and sessions that foster new connections that will continue to shape the future. The conversations happening on stage will be just as important as those taking place across the exhibit hall. This year’s keynotes will bring together industry leading CEOs to discuss the trends shaping the industry’s future – from the continued evolution of integrated resorts and expanded entertainment offerings to the growing convergence of gaming and technology. Attendees will also hear discussions on prediction markets as well as a conversation focused on resilience in an increasingly dynamic environment. Those discussions will continue throughout our education program, which features more than 100 sessions and over 300 speakers – many of whom will be making their G2E debut – and representing every corner of the gaming ecosystem. Alongside the core education tracks on regulation, tribal gaming, and responsibility, we’re introducing new content on digital
technologies, lottery, emerging gaming frontiers, visionary leadership, and investments and startups. Whether you’re looking for practical operational insights or strategic perspectives on where the industry is headed, this year’s program offers something for every attendee. Recognizing that schedules don’t always allow for a full week at the show, G2E also offers OneDay Education Passes. Each day is organized around the following themes, making it easy for attendees to build an experience that aligns with their interests and priorities. • Monday, September 28: Digital Technologies, Marketing, New Gaming Frontiers, Traditional Gaming • Tuesday, September 29: Global Gaming, Lottery, Total Property Experience • Wednesday, September 30: Payments, Responsible Gaming, Sports Betting Whether you’re joining us for one day or the entire week, you’ll have access to high-quality educational content tailored to help you make the most of your time. Finally, we are thrilled to feature the return of the G2E Dealer Championship. After an incredible inaugural competition last year, we’re expanding the championship to welcome dealers from across all North America, including the United States, Canada and Mexico. Dealers are at the heart of the casino experience, creating memorable moments for guests every day, and this competition celebrates the exceptional talent and professionalism they bring to the industry and our guests. Last year, Elleonor Hoffman from Graton Resort reigned best dealer, and we’re excited to welcome her back this year to crown the next champion. The future of gaming is being shaped every day – and there’s no better place to be part of that future than G2E. We look forward to welcoming 20,000+ attendees from around the world for another week of learning, collaboration and innovation!
Raptor. Now Larger Than Life. Putting proven content on a bigger stage. The Raptor A865 combines Ainsworth’s strongest-performing games with our largest and most immersive Raptor cabinet yet giving players more ways to experience the games they already know and love.
October 2026 Global Gaming Insider Ainsworth Ad.indd 1
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AMERICAS
DATA FOCUS
STOP MAKING BAD DECISIONS FASTER PlayAIO CEO Joshua Gibbs addresses iGaming data’s “context problem” – and why understanding it is crucial for an industry in transition The iGaming industry does not have a data shortage. It has a context problem. Operators collect enormous volumes of information across player activity, payments, bonuses, marketing, fraud, compliance and product performance. Yet in many businesses, those sources remain disconnected. Data sits across different systems, platforms and departments, often making it difficult to build a complete picture of what is actually happening across the business. The result is a familiar contradiction: more dashboards,
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more reports and more technology, but not always better decisions. The challenge is not necessarily having access to more information. It is being able to bring the right information together, understand what it means and turn it into something useful. When teams are working from different datasets or looking at performance in isolation, important patterns can easily be missed. Data and finance teams are often pulled into reactive work. They reconcile invoices,
prepare compliance reports, clean inconsistent datasets and answer urgent questions. All of that matters, but it leaves little time for the questions that could actually change performance. Where are players dropping out of the journey? Which acquisition channels are genuinely profitable? Where is the business wasting money? And perhaps most importantly, what is the data telling the business that it has not yet noticed? This is not unique to gambling. The 2025 FP&A Trends Survey found that data
DATA FOCUS
AMERICAS
“The iGaming industry does not have a data shortage. It has a context problem”
teams spend 46% of their time collecting and validating data, while only 31% is spent generating insights and driving action. In organisations with poor-quality data, the time spent collecting and validating information rises to 59% AN INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION For years, strong year-on-year growth made the questions easier to ignore. If revenue kept rising, inefficient spending could be hidden inside wider expansion. That is becoming harder. Many legacy iGaming markets are in a state of transition. The UK has raised its remote gaming duty, the Netherlands implemented a deposit restriction, Brazil is discussing removing casinos and many other markets are going through some form of change. Growth is more uneven – and several major operators are showing pressure. FDJ United reported a 4.5% decline in revenue for the first half of 2026, primarily stating the cause was due to troubles in the UK
and Netherlands. Flutter reported that US revenue fell by 6% in the second quarter, driven by a 15% reduction in sportsbook revenue. More strikingly, US adjusted EBITDA fell from $400m to $119m. DraftKings faced similar numbers in its Q2 report... When growth is difficult, metrics change, an operator can report a 40% increase in registrations, a 20% rise in activity within a target segment or a 20% increase in platform logins. Each number can be presented as a success. None of which proves the business is profitable. Was the increase driven by a major promotion? Did a bonus code appear on a public forum? Was a streamer paid £20,000 ($26,900) to promote the site? Did those players remain active after the incentive ended? Without the full context, the KPI shows only as a vanity metric and not a trend towards success. Consider a simple example. An operator spends £50 acquiring a player and gives that player another £50 in bonuses. The true acquisition cost is £100. However, these costs sit across 2 or 3 different databases and in some cases the acquisition cost sits on a separate tool, never to be seen by operations. While the bonus cost sits in the player account management system. If those systems are not connected, the financial report may recognise only the £50 media cost. At £50 of player revenue, the report shows break-even. In reality, the player is still £50 negative. The same player appears profitable in one report and loss-making in another. The business has only 50% visibility of the player’s direct acquisition cost, and its reported break-even point is half the real figure. THE VALUE OF SEPARATING METRICS Even that may understate the problem. Payment fees, provider charges, gaming duties, affiliate commissions, chargebacks and fraud costs are often stored in separate systems. This is why revenue, GGR, NGR and player contribution cannot be treated as interchangeable. A business can grow revenue while weakening contribution. It can increase registrations while increasing waste. Lifetime value can create another layer of false confidence. A model may estimate what a player could generate over 18 months, but predicted value is not realised profit. The
question is simpler: how long must that player remain active before the full acquisition cost is recovered? This is also where AI can make the situation worse. AI does not automatically identify that a commercial definition is incomplete. It works with the information, rules and assumptions it is given. If bonus costs are missing, the system may optimise towards players who look valuable but are unprofitable. It will not fix the flaw. It will scale it. NOT JUST AI – THE NEXT STAGE OF DATA MATURITY Before automating acquisition, retention, fraud or player value, operators need to answer basic questions. What is a profitable player? Which costs should be attributed to that player? Where is each cost stored? Which system is correct when two sources disagree? The next stage of data maturity in iGaming should not begin with another dashboard or AI tool. It should begin with connected costs, clear commercial definitions and a shared understanding of profitability. Once those foundations are in place, data teams can stop preparing numbers and start uncovering the insights that drive sustainable growth. Only then can automation improve decisions – instead of making bad decisions faster.
Joshua Gibbs GLOBALGAMINGINSIDER.COM
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PREDICTION MARKETS
EVOLVING USER UNDERSTANDING As prediction markets continue to evolve, regardless of regulatory opposition, user understanding has to keep up. Jan Fencl, Responsiblo Founder & CEO and Global Gaming Insider contributor, tells us more... Prediction markets have often been explained in very simple terms. Will something happen, or not? Will a team win, will a candidate be elected, will an event take place? That simplicity has been part of their appeal. It makes the product feel accessible, especially through sport, entertainment or public events. But the category is now moving quickly. What began for many users as a yes or no experience is expanding toward a broader trading style environment, closer to crypto, finance andmore com plex market mechanics. The experience may still look simple, but what sits behind it is changing.
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The scale of that change became especially clear during the World Cup. Kalshi recorded nearly $9.4bnin trading volume for June, up from about $5.3bn for May, while Polymarket International rose to roughly $4.3bn from $3.5bn. World Cup-related prediction market volume reportedly passed $5.4bn by late June. These numbers matter not only because they are large, but because of what drove them. Sport is no longer a secondary use case for prediction markets. It is becoming one of the main ways a broader audience meets the category. WHAT THIS SHIFT MEANS FOR TRADITIONAL OPERATORS For gambling and betting operators, that shift matters. Prediction markets are no longer competing only for niche political or crypto native audiences. They are increasingly appearing around the sporting moments that have always driven betting engagement. Traditional sportsbooks do not need to become trading platforms, and many may never want to. But they cannot ignore a category that is attracting sports fans and competing for moments of participation that once belonged more clearly to betting. If users get used to more markets, faster products and wider choice, established betting will need to explain its own value more clearly. At the same time, the range of markets is widening. What used to feel like a narrow event-based category now stretches across entertainment, economic indicators, commodities, crypto and financial benchmarks. This does not make prediction markets the same as sports betting, crypto trading or financial investing. They remain distinct formats with different rules and regulatory questions. But for users, the boundaries can become harder to read. A market that looks straightforward may still be shaped by pricing, liquidity, fees, volatility and settlement. Perpetual futures are the clearest current proof point. At the end of May, the CFTC approved
KalshiEX’s bitcoin perpetual contract, and Kalshi’s crypto perps reportedly passed $1bn in trading volume within the first week, including more than $100m in the first 24 hours. That activity makes the point difficult to dismiss. Perps have no fixed expiry and rely on funding payments to keep prices close to the underlying market. They can also introduce leverage, margin and liquidation risk. Once those mechanics enter the user experience, users need to understand more than the outcome itself. WHY TIMING IS EVERYTHING The issue is not whether users are capable of understanding these products. The issue is whether the industry gives them the right context at the right moment. A fan may arrive through a match, a team partnership or a market that looks easy to read, but the journey can quickly become more technical. Liquidity, fees, volatility, leverage and exit risk are not concepts people should have to discover only after opening a position. They need to be explained before the decision feels routine. That means responsibility has to become more practical. Many platforms already publish explainers, risk pages and educational material. That is important. The next step is making sure this information appears while it can still influence a decision. Before a user opens a higher risk position, the platform should explain in plain language what fees, leverage, funding and liquidation can mean in practice. The aim is not to slow innovation or make every experience feel heavy. It is to make sure users are not learning the most important mechanics only after acting. This is where the next standard for the category may be set. Not only in how quickly platforms add markets, but in how clearly they help people understand them. The category will keep moving – and that is not a problem in itself. The real test is whether user understanding moves with it.
AMERICAS
LATAM
FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGE Habanero Business Development Manager Milda Mikelioniene speaks with Global Gaming Insider about the supplier’s Latin American journey and future opportunities Habanero has been active in LatAm for some time. How would you describe the company’s journey in the region? It all began around 2018 when we developed our first meaningful partnerships in Mexico and Colombia. These initial connections opened the door to a region that has since become a cornerstone of our business. From those early relationships, we learned a great deal about LatAm’s diverse markets. The decision to enter Colombia as soon as it was regulated was a defining moment. It set the tone for how Habanero would approach the rest of the region, always aiming to be present early in regulated markets. That approach has consistently paid off, from Colombia through to Mexico, Peru, Brazil and beyond.
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What has changed most over the years is the nature of the conversations we have. In the early days, operators wanted to understand who Habanero was and what our games could do. Today, they approach us with a clear understanding of our content. That shift in dynamic is probably the clearest sign of how far we have come in the region. More recently, Habanero secured accreditation in Peru in 2024. Why did the company decide to enter the market, and how did it approach its expansion there? Peru was never a market we stumbled into without a clear plan. We had been watching it develop for some time before we received our accreditation. The regulatory environment in Peru has developed with a level of patience and structure that not every LatAm market has, creating a more stable foundation for longterm growth. Beyond that, the player base has a strong retail heritage that aligns naturally with the kind of content Habanero produces. Our games are built on strong mathematics and are designed to feel familiar to players transitioning from landbased to online and Peru fits that profile well. Brazil is one of the world’s most closely watched markets. How do you see the market evolving, and what opportunities does this create for Habanero? Brazil is at a fascinating point in its development. The initial rush to enter the market has passed, and now the focus is shifting to who can build something that actually lasts. That transition naturally favours suppliers like Habanero, who have invested properly in the region and have been there for nearly a decade. That said, there are still complexities to navigate. The game certification process remains operator-by-operator, creating cost and administrative overhead for suppliers. As the market matures, operators will become more
selective about who they work with, favouring suppliers who understand the region. This criterion positions Habanero as a natural Brazilian long-term partner. How important is localisation to Habanero’s approach, and how does the company tailor its content for audiences across the region? Localisation has always been central. It is about understanding what players in a specific market respond to culturally and which gameplay dynamics will appeal. One of Habanero’s advantages in LatAm is that we have spent years developing a deep understanding of each market. Differences shape how we position our content in different markets and how we work with operators to ensure our games connect with local players. Our technical scalability also plays a significant role. It enables us to adapt our content quickly and efficiently to meet specific market requirements. Looking ahead, what are Habanero’s priorities for LatAm, and which markets do you believe hold the greatest potential for future growth? In terms of markets, Brazil and Peru are both huge priorities right now. Brazil because the scale of what is possible there is unlike anything else in the region. Colombia and Mexico remain incredibly important to us too. Colombia is one of the most mature regulated markets in LatAm and continues to perform strongly, while Mexico has depth that we are only just beginning to tap into fully. Everything we have been building across LatAm over the past decade is finally coming together. We have some really exciting announcements coming that will further cement our position, and there are markets we are entering where players have not yet experienced what we bring to the table. We have a lot more planned for the future.
PRODUCT REVIEWS
AMERICAS
WHAT’S NEW ON THE MARKET? The latest release from Konami Gaming finds itself sparkling on the casino floor... KONAMI GAMING – SPARKLE COMBO Symbol transformations shine brighter than ever in Konami Gaming’s new Sparkle Combo. Inspired by the success of Konami’s Triple Sparkle series, this original triple bonus game brings back the full reel Wild transformations, jackpot wins, captivating art and iconic characters, with plenty of surprises. Sparkle Combo is available with two debut base games, each featuring a recognizable Konami brand and original math: Sparkle Combo Solstice Celebration and Sparkle Combo Majestic Moon. The series’ new triple bonus feature is teased through perceived persistence in growing piles of gems, which can overflow into 10 free games with nudging wilds, extra wilds, a bonus reel frame and/or random multipliers. Refreshing nature scenes shine across the screen, from the flower-covered meadows of Solstice Celebration to the enchanting night skies of Majestic Moon. Recognizable sun and moon hero characters shine from above the center of the reels, joining players in the journey. This 40-line slot series glimmers with excitement from the first spin, with stacked Wilds rolling across all reels throughout primary play. Any time two or more reels are covered in framed symbols, any reels with partial frames then nudge to fill the entire reel and there is a chance for all framed symbol positions to transform to a new “Wheel Spin” symbol! The Wheel Feature gives players a chance at random credit prizes, bonus awards and progressive jackpots, with one spin awarded for every “Wheel Spin” symbol collected. Sparkle Combo is a gem of a game series on Konami’s all-new Solstice 49C machine. It provides a full-fledged demonstration of Solstice 49C’s novel acrylic lighting elements, interacting with in-game features across a dynamic color spectrum to eyecatching effect. In addition, the series is available with animated LED sign and filler options, in bank and pod configurations.
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PHOTO GALLERY
GAMING IN PICTURES Global Gaming Insider looks back at the images that defined the industry, including Foxwoods, Interblock, Resorts World Sentosa & more
Global Gaming Insider’s Kirk Geller travelled to Foxwoods Resort Casino for the launch of its new Innovation Zone, in partnership with Interblock Gaming
Resorts World Sentosa expanded its hospitality portfolio by opening the Four Points by Sheraton in Jurong, Singapore
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PHOTO GALLERY
Ocean Casino Atlantic City reopened its doors after reports of fire and floods at the property, costing at least $1m in losses
Leeds United partnered with Boyle Spor ts as its official UK & Ireland betting sponsor, featuring prominent branding and exclusive fan experiences GLOBALGAMINGINSIDER.COM
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PHOTO GALLERY
Following an action-packed summer for gaming markets around the world, Global Gaming Insider once again captures the most prominent storylines. A picture, as they say, paints a thousand words
Resor ts World NYC expanded its casino floor space in July, adding over 1,400 slot machines to its portfolio of ETGs and live dealer offerings
North of the border, Great Canadian Entertainment sold its Elements Casino Chilliwack property to the Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe, marking a “transformational milestone” for the reservation
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PHOTO GALLERY
Marjan and Wynn Resorts broke ground on the future site of Janu Al Marjan Island, currently scheduled to open in 2029
Adamas Grand Casino received Jamaica’s first ca sino op erator licence, clearing the path to launch op erations at Princess Grand Jamaica GLOBALGAMINGINSIDER.COM
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EVENTS CALENDAR
2026
UPCOMING EVENTS: SEP
24 - 25
SPICE CENTRAL ASIA Tbilisi, Georgia
SEP
28
GLOBAL GAMING AWARDS AMERICAS Las Vegas, US
Held in Georgia, SPiCE Central Asia 2026 looks to offer a unique opportunity for industry stakeholders, policymakers and operators. Indeed, at this show, they can explore the transformative landscape of gaming regulation, economic impact and technological advancement.
Representing the most prestigious and trusted Awards in gaming, the flagship Global Gaming Awards event returns to Las Vegas for its 13th edition to recognise and reward the most successful companies and individuals from the Americas region.
Networking: Both days of the summit will offer a networking drinks event, while SPiCE Central Asia 2026 attendees feature a diverse array of operators, affiliates, regulators and technology providers.
Networking: Each year, the Global Gaming Awards Americas brings together the most respected operators, suppliers and executives into one space. It is the biggest C-level gathering at one time in the industry.
spiceseries.com/sca
globalgamingawards.com/vegas/2026/
SEP/OCT
SEP/OCT
28-1
GLOBAL GAMING EXPO (G2E) Las Vegas, US
29 -1 SBC SUMMIT Lisbon, Portugal
G2E represents the premier event for US gaming, consistently bringing together the industry’s top operators, regulators, suppliers and tribal leaders to explore innovation, gain actionable insights and build the partnerships that drive the country’s continued success.
The ever-growing SBC Summit delivers certified insights that drive real business growth. The conference features six themed stages, expanded market and vertical coverage, expert-led academic support, hands-on masterclasses and innovation showcases.
Networking: Attendees can connect through keynote sessions, networking events, receptions and dedicated meeting spaces which are designed to foster collaboration across the gaming ecosystem.
Networking: As part of its 2026 edition, SBC Summit Lisbon is expecting over 40,000 delegates, 11,000 operators, 6,000 affiliates, 800 exhibitors & sponsors and 600 speakers to take over Portugal from 29 September to 1 October.
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SPORT BETTING FOCUS
CONTENTS 88
THE WORLD CUP AFTER-EFFECT North America just hosted the World’s biggest sporting event. So what happens next for US sports betting?
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SLOT BETS Can slots and sports betting cross over completely? With its new product, Betby’s betting on it...
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EVEN BETTER EvenBet Gaming, now Evenbeter, tells us all about its new rebrand
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PLUG AND PLAY The Data.Bet team works us through its plug-and-play sportsbook, avoiding the complexity of “becoming a bookmaker”
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BETBY DATA Global Gaming Insider unpicks exclusive World Cup wagering data supplied by Betby
SPORTS BETTING FOCUS WORLD CUP
FROM GRASS TO TURF Following a historic showing from operators during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, attention now turns to the NFL season – with insights offered from executives at both FanDuel and Sportradar “Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” The acclaimed Russell Baker quote helps describe the tempestuous relationship some can have with the warmer season, especially those who enjoy a multitude of live sports. Without the popularity of football – both in terms of soccer and the NFL – basketball, hockey and college football, operators have struggled to survive the ironic cold front. In 2026, however, the US was presented with a tantalizing gift in the form of co-hosting the FIFA World Cup tournament, providing an incredible stretch of activity prior to the start of the NFL season in September. Beginning in June and extending into July, the 2026 FIFA World Cup helped generate record betting volume among a variety of operators, including industry goliaths FanDuel and DraftKings. Traditional sports betting operators were not the only entities to take advantage of such an opportunity, though, as the rise of prediction markets became even more noticeable throughout the global tournament. Despite potential roadblocks like time-zone difficulties attempting to derail a historic betting period, the 2026 FIFA World Cup not only reached unprecedented heights in wagering
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volume, but also helped close the gap to the NFL regular season. HITTING EVERY WORLD CUP GOOOOOOOOAL! For DraftKings, the 2026 World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain represented the most-wagered soccer match in the operator’s sportsbook history, generating over 2 million bets between moneylines, totals and props. When compared to the event’s previous edition in Qatar, DraftKings volume increased 650%, while the operator also witnessed a 245% rise in active Spanish-language soccer customers during the global tournament. The results support findings made by technology organizations such as Sportradar throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sportradar’s SVP of Managed Trading Services Darren Small highlighted activity seen from LatAm players, in conversation with Global Gaming Insider. “From our perspective,” Small explained, “we saw a real increase in activity around that LatAm region, including real interest in bet builder markets. “That was really refreshing and good to see. We anticipated that it would be an area in which we would take a lot more bets and an increase in that interest but, actually, what we saw was phenomenal.”
WORLD CUP SPORTS BETTING FOCUS
While time-zone discrepancies forced even the most passionate fans – including Small – to miss a game or two at the World Cup, the Sportradar executive confirmed results still “exceeded our expectations” and even remained “complimentary” of such challenges. Backed by DraftKings highlighting individual bets on players such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, Small also noted the increased activity witnessed for player-specific markets. He continued: “Apparently, all the striker superstars decided to turn up at the World Cup at the very beginning! That helps very much when, all of a sudden, everyone was interested in those top names. Haaland, Mbappe, Harry Kane and Messi started scoring goals for fun. People were looking at how they could back Harry Kane to score or Jude Bellingham to score, number of corners, goals at halftime, etc., which was really driving that activation.” For DraftKings’ biggest rival in FanDuel (although less predictable competition will soon be covered), the 2026 FIFA World Cup represented “the biggest soccer moment” in the operator’s history, according to FanDuel Sportsbook Managing Director Karol Corcoran. Similar to its sports betting counterpart, Argentina-Spain became the largest individual soccer event by active customers for FanDuel, increasing handle 200% from the the previous record holder, the 2024 Copa America Final. The introduction of Super Sub markets – which automatically transferred player prop wagers to the substitute of a backed player – resulted in users taking home over $24m in wagers that otherwise would have been deemed as losing tickets.
“The impact prediction markets had on the global event serves as a reminder of their evolution” “We are committed to putting the customer at the center of everything we do. Through insights from real customers, we identified opportunities to simplify soccer betting, reduce common pain points and build products that reflected how fans experience the World Cup,” Corcoran said. “The enthusiasm we saw throughout the tournament reinforced that soccer is a sport fans are looking for new ways to engage with, and we were thrilled to deliver that for our customers throughout the tournament.” PREDICTION MARKETS HIT THE WORLD CUP STAGE Not to be forgotten during the global tournament is the eventful rise of prediction markets in the US, quite difficult given the number of advertisements running across various social and digital channels for the likes of Kalshi and Polymarket. Kalshi confirmed the operator brought in over three million new customers over the course of the World Cup, as well as driving $1.9bn in trading volume for its tournament winner market alone. After all, it was all over advertising hoardings throughout the tournament!
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SPORTS BETTING FOCUS WORLD CUP
Over 60 World Cup-related markets exceeded $50m in trading volume for Kalshi, while the operator also managed to sign partnership agreements with figures such as Lionel Messi and Timothée Chalamet, expanding its tournament presence. No matter where one turned during the global event, it seemed as if prediction market branding could always be found, which may mirror exactly what traditional sports betting operators have felt over the past 12 months or so. In Polymarket’s case, the operator reported over $4bn in trading volume for its own tournament winner market, helping prediction markets account for 27% of all US legal sports betting volume during the World Cup. Many will argue the term “legal” being associated with prediction markets, but ultimately US residents helped the vertical achieve record heights by trading on contracts related to the World Cup, showcasing demand from the most loyal players. DraftKings highlighted activity for its DraftKings Predictions platform as well, having set a new record for trading volume and active customers on the World Cup Final. Hinting at the new innovation for prediction markets, combo trades accounted for 20% of all World Cup trading volume for DraftKings Predictions. In recent weeks, Polymarket and Kalshi have both unveiled efforts to extend their combo trading capabilities, which serve as a counterpunch to parlay offerings from sports betting operators. While DraftKings and FanDuel are both celebrating World Cup performance, the impact prediction markets had on the global event serves as a reminder of their evolution. As the NFL regular season quickly approaches on September 9, how operators look to expand their own event contract offerings could be a defining moment in the history of both.
BETTING ON THE NFL
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“As sports betting and prediction market operators move from football to… football, the mounting competition between both sides will surely be the focus point of the NFL season this year” Especially as FanDuel – along with its parent company Flutter Entertainment – undergoes leadership restructuring following the respective exits of Amy Howe and Peter Jackson. Heading into the most popular stretch of activity for the industry, how US residents shift focus from the World Cup to the NFL marks a headline many will be following over the next few months. WHERE FOOTBALL AND SOCCER’S FUTURES LIE IN THE US While the World Cup is quite the spectacle, the NFL season represents the crown jewel for sports betting operators each year. Still, the activity recorded for the 2026 tournament could result in additional momentum for the MLS, which struggles to keep pace with the NFL, NBA and NHL while running concurrently. With the English Premier League also set to potentially gain additional traction, the US’ interest in soccer may finally be taking off on a grand scale. “Listen, we say it almost every major world tournament that we expect something, but I actually do believe it’s generated a spike in that interest. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a follow-up in the coming weeks when the Premier League and European football starts, particularly on the East Coast,” Small said. “Some of those games on the weekend are in quite good time slots on the Saturday and Sunday. I’m not going to bet my house on it, but I would certainly say it’s very, very probable that we’ll see a bit more interest in soccer and soccer betting in general.” As operators switch gears to the NFL, the momentum generated during the World Cup will surely be used to push new activations and promotions. Kalshi and Polymarket are poised to be fully entrenched within the parlay space by the time September 9 rolls around, placing even greater pressure on figures such as Corcoran. According to the FanDuel Sportsbook Managing Director, plenty of new advancements can be expected for the 2026-2027 season: “While NFL football returns every year, each season is an opportunity to upgrade the customer experience and create new ways for fans to engage with the sport they love. This season, we’re doubling down on that customer-centric approach to deliver our most rewarding season yet, with new products and expanded generosity designed to deliver more value throughout the season. “What made the World Cup successful for FanDuel was our ability to deliver a product that solved real customer pain points and enhanced the way fans experienced the tournament. Fans can expect new reward tokens and the introduction of our new sportsbook Rewards Club, and we’re excited to see how fans engage with these new features.” As sports betting and prediction market operators move from football to… football, the mounting competition between both sides will surely be the focus point of the NFL season this year.
SPORTS BETTING FOCUS
COMPANY PROFILE: BETBY Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Innovation and R&D at Betby, explores SlotBet Games, providing an inside look at the supplier’s new sportsbook-casino category. Expect big things... Betby is introducing SlotBet Games, a new iGaming category designed to combine live sports betting with familiar slot mechanics. Sportsbook and casino may be the two dominant pillars of many iGaming platforms, but moving players naturally between them has always remained a challenge. Betby believes part of the problem lies in the fundamental difference between the two experiences. Sports betting can require an understanding of odds, markets, handicaps and terminology, while casino products are typically built around faster cycles, simple mechanics and immediate outcomes. That is why SlotBet Games have been created to sit between these two worlds. The new category takes real-time sports action and turns it into short, slot-inspired betting experiences. At its core, the idea is simple: slotify sports betting by bringing the pace, simplicity and familiar mechanics of slots into live sports. Betby calls this new way of playing slotbetting, and Betby SlotBets is the first product built around it. Commenting on the thinking behind SlotBets, Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Innovation and R&D at Betby, said: “The starting point was the gap between sportsbook and casino. They sit side by side on many platforms, but they often serve very different audiences, and moving players between them is still difficult. We wanted to create something that could bring casino players into sports without asking them to suddenly become sportsbook experts. But for that, the experience had to feel immediate, intuitive and familiar from the first interaction.” HOW DOES BETBY SLOTBETS WORK? At the centre of Betby SlotBets is a simple idea: take what is happening during a live sports match and turn it into a fast casino-style game. Players engage in 15-second rounds tied directly to the sporting action and, instead of navigating traditional betting markets, they interact with a slot-style interface in which events from the match determine reel outcomes. Matching results create winning combinations, while multipliers add the potential for larger payouts within a short period of time. Even a period in which no action takes place can form part of the result, meaning a player can still win during quiet moments of play.
KIRILL NEKRASOV
That detail is important, according to Nekrasov, because it separates the product from more conventional short-form sports betting. “People will naturally compare this with microbetting. But SlotBets turns the whole sequence into gameplay. The reels are driven by the live match, combinations matter, and even ‘nothing happens’ can become part of a winning result. That is much closer to how a casino player thinks.” The mechanics are adapted to the sport being played, allowing the experience to remain connected to the underlying event rather than simply placing a slot interface on top of it. SlotBasketball is the first real-sports application of the concept, with basketball’s fast tempo and constant flow of events making it a natural starting point. Nekrasov further explained that the choice also revealed an important part of the SlotBets philosophy: “Basketball is constantly producing events, but what became especially interesting for us were the pauses. In SlotBasketball, even when the game clock stops, the action doesn’t. A pause actually triggers an additional multiplier that keeps building until play resumes. “That really captures what makes SlotBets different. In traditional sports betting, attention tends to centre on points, goals or the final result. With SlotBets, every event can have value: a missed two-pointer, a missed threepointer, a foul, a stoppage or even a quiet interval. It turns the entire match into gameplay, with a new opportunity for a significant payout every 15 seconds.” WHY CREATE A NEW CATEGORY? Betby is positioning SlotBet Games in a similar way to categories such as Crash Games, which developed their own recognisable mechanics, terminology and player expectations. The ambition is to make “slotifying sports betting” a category-defining concept in its own right, rather than simply another feature inside a sportsbook. That distinction matters because Betby sees the convergence of sportsbook and casino as a product challenge, instead of simply a matter of placing the two verticals next to each other within the same platform. Usually, casino players entering a conventional sportsbook still face an unfamiliar experience. That is why SlotBet Games give them recognisable elements such as reels, rapid rounds, combinations and multipliers, while keeping the gameplay tied to real sports action. For existing sportsbook users, the format creates more frequent interaction throughout a match and reduces the time between bet and result. “For us, the sport cannot just be decoration around a casino mechanic,” Nekrasov added. “The match has to power the game. If the action changes, the SlotBet changes with it. That connection is what makes the product genuinely sports-led, even though the player experience feels much closer to casino.” Nekrasov also pointed to a more practical benefit for operators: “SlotBets can also rethink the role of the traditional match tracker. Historically, that space has occupied some of the most valuable real estate on a sportsbook event page without directly generating revenue. Because SlotBets can be integrated into that same area, operators can turn the match tracker from a passive information tool into an interactive, monetised part of the experience.” Betby will present SlotBet Games and Betby SlotBets at SBC Summit Lisbon, where attendees will be able to see the concept in action at Stand C206
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SPORTS BETTING FOCUS
COMPANY PROFILE: EVENBET EvenBet Gaming is set to rebrand to Evenbeter, reaching a defining milestone in its corporate journey, after two decades of building a solid global reputation as a recognized authority in online poker software... This updated identity reflects a natural transformation that has already unfolded across the company’s operations for years. In recent years, EvenBet Gaming’s battle-tested poker engine has grown into a versatile, multi-vertical product suite. Powered by a turnkey casino platform and a high-capacity aggregator featuring over 15,000 games from 230+ providers, the supplier today supports more than 200 launched projects across 41 countries, serving a combined global audience of 48 million players. However, the shift from EvenBet Gaming to Evenbeter involves much more than a new visual identity and a streamlined corporate name. It marks a fundamental shift in how the company builds operator partnerships and delivers its technology. A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SCALING In an iGaming market shaped by surging acquisition costs, squeezed margins and increasingly complex regulatory frameworks, operators can no longer rely on rigid technical setups. Yet, moving into new product verticals often burdens businesses with expensive platform migrations, complex system rebuilds, or the operational friction of managing disparate, unintegrated vendor stacks. Evenbeter eliminates these operational hurdles through a unified framework designed to scale effortlessly alongside an operator’s growth lifecycle. Rather than offering rigid product packages, Evenbeter provides an adaptable strategy that allows companies to enter and expand across poker and casino verticals on a stable, future-proof foundation. This versatile framework caters directly to businesses at every stage of their market presence: Tier-1 enterprise expansion: Assisting high-volume operators to integrate poker with minimal technical complexity, creating immediate cross-selling avenues and substantially driving longterm player retention. Branded network skins: Enabling established gaming brands looking for rapid liquidity to join an active poker network while maintaining total control over their custom-branded skin and promotional strategies. Turnkey iGaming Starts: Supporting ambitious startups and new ventures as they launch their very first gaming businesses, providing a solid technical starting point and an adaptable roadmap for future growth. By tailoring the initial entry point to each operator’s immediate 92
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operational reality, Evenbeter delivers a friction-free foundation and a clear trajectory for continuous expansion. OVERCOMING MULTI-VERTICAL FRICTION Expanding across product lines should accelerate commercial growth, not create back-office bottlenecks. Evenbeter’s unified ecosystem incorporates core operational tools built specifically to help operators navigate multi-vertical scaling across international jurisdictions. Central to this architecture is a controlled shared-balance system that enables players to navigate smoothly between poker tables and casino titles without separate wallet friction. Combined with localized compliance engines that adapt to shifting regional requirements and dedicated customer success workflows, operators can expand into new regulated territories while keeping overhead flat. UNVEILING THE NEW BUSINESS MODEL AT SBC SUMMIT LISBON The industry will get its first hands-on look at this evolved operational model during SBC Summit Lisbon (29 September – 1 October 2026). Exhibiting under the newly unveiled Evenbeter brand, the team will demonstrate its expanded technical ecosystem and operational philosophy to international delegates. “The transition to Evenbeter is about evolution, not reinvention,” said Dmitry Starostenkov, Evenbeter CEO. “Operators should never have to change technology providers simply because their business has outgrown its original setup. Evenbeter ensures that our partners receive the exact same clarity, expertise, and reliability they have trusted for over two decades, backed by cutting-edge casino solutions and a truly scalable infrastructure. This isn’t just a name change. Our approach to partnership has fundamentally evolved. EvenBet just got Evenbeter.”
“Operators should never have to change technology providers simply because their business has outgrown its original setup”
SPORTS BETTING FOCUS
COMPANY PROFILE: DATA.BET The DATA.BET team discusses how casino operators can unlock new revenue opportunities by adding sports betting through a plug-and-play sportsbook, without the complexity of becoming a bookmaker In December 2025, DATA.BET launched its plug-and-play sportsbook ready to work out-of-the-box. for casino operators, introducing the betting vertical to a new Odds Feed supplies the actual odds lines across all four verticals, client segment. while Risk Management runs automatically and flags exposure without operator intervention. Bet Builder lets players combine EXPANDING SPORTS BETTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR selections within a single event, while Streaming and performanceCASINO PLAYERS enhancing Widgets keep players inside the betting session rather than Over the past decade, casinos have competed primarily through larger leaving to watch elsewhere. bonuses, faster onboarding and increasing acquisition costs in crowded The same applies to engagement features, which are included in markets. As paid channels become saturated and regulations limit sportsbook (iFrame) integration, such as Cash Out, Hot Bundles, marketing options, the focus is shifting from acquiring new players to One Click Bet, Picture-in-Picture and In-Stream Betting. maximizing value from existing customers. For a casino player unfamiliar with sportsbook mechanics, they make the first bet easy on the one hand, while for an experienced TWO HABITS, ONE PLAYER bettor, they match the depth of a sportsbook. The behavioral case for crossover is stronger than many operators At the core of DATA.BET’s sportsbook solution, personalization realize. Casino play is session-based and immediate, while sports transforms the way users engage with sports betting. By understanding betting is anticipatory and linked to scheduled events. each player’s unique preferences, the system can spotlight verticals, Internal data we have gathered since the December launch supports this events and markets they care about most, making tailored bet trend. Across several casino clients, players active in both verticals generated suggestions that truly resonate. up to 4 times higher lifetime value than their previous casino-only activity. For the casino audience, this means new players are guided through This segment also delivered an average 12% revenue increase without a curated selection. This leads to a boost in both retention and activity, additional acquisition costs. all while making it effortless for operators. Adoption rates were particularly notable: after launch, every second casino player placed at least one sports bet, indicating strong existing CONCLUSION: A VERTICAL THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE demand within the player base. The crossover between casino and betting was never a question of Cross-product users also showed 350% higher weekly session frequency demand; the players were already there, as the first six months of live and an average deposit size 40% larger than casino-only players. data show. What was missing was a way to serve them without becoming WHY THE CROSSOVER TOOK SO LONG a bookmaker. The delay in crossover adoption has been primarily operational, As acquisition costs rise and marketing options narrow, operators not commercial. Running a sportsbook requires expertise in odds who grow will be those who maximize their existing customer base compilation, risk management, continuous trading, settlement and a second vertical is the most direct way to achieve this. processes and regulatory compliance, which differ significantly from The operational barrier that kept casinos out of sports betting has casino operations. now been removed. Historically, operators had to choose between a bundled platform that reduced control or managing complex integrations internally, both of which required significant time, specialized staff and capital that could otherwise support further growth. DATA.BET removes all technical aspects from the operator’s job description entirely. The sportsbook (iFrame) is a plug-and-play integration going live in a week. Odds, trading, risk management, settlement and all the technical issues stay on DATA.BET’s side. Thanks to limitless customization from layout to margin, the solution merges completely within the operator’s brand and sits naturally inside the casino experience, while their attention goes where it actually compounds: acquisition and retention. Visibility is built into the architecture too. Server-side rendering, structured data and SEO-ready pages mean event and league pages pull organic traffic and boost visibility. COMPLETE SPORTSBOOK SOLUTION FOR CASINO For casino operators, the scope of a single integration is as important as speed to market. DATA.BET offers four verticals in one: sports, esports, virtual sports, and prediction markets. The solution provides access to over 100 disciplines, 3,000 betting markets and more than 100,000 events monthly. Everything arrives 94
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WORLD CUP FOCUS DATA
THE WORLD CUP EFFECT Exclusive data from Betby highlights betting and conversion trends from a memorable 2026 World Cup THE KICK OFF: TRAFFIC, PLAYERS & CONVERSION
World Cup Audience Uplift 0
20
40
60
80
100 • The World Cup didn’t just bring more eyeballs – it converted them into active, repeat-engaging players faster than usual
Traffic uplift (players and users without bets) Active players uplift
• Traffic climbed 86.4% across users and players combined versus pretournament levels – the World Cup pulled in a substantially larger audience
Time Reduction from 1st Bet to 2nd Bet 0%
20%
Median time to second bet Average time to second bet
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40%
60%
80%
100%
• Active players grew almost in lockstep, +84.8%, showing the traffic surge translated into real betting activity rather than just site visits • Players also moved faster from the first bet to the second: the median gap shrank 21.4%, while the average gap fell by a much steeper 52.0% – a sign that most players took much less time to wager again
DATA WORLD CUP FOCUS
THE MATCHDAY: TOP EVENTS & MARKETS
Top 3 events by bets GROUP STAGE RANK
EVENT
MARKET
1
BRAZIL – MOROCCO
RESULT
2
SCOTLAND – BRAZIL
TOTAL GOALS
3
PORTUGAL – DR CONGO
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
• Group stage volume clustered around Brazil’s fixtures and marquee names – Brazil appears in two of the three top events, alongside a Portuguese blockbuster • Simple outcome markets dominated early: 1X2 and Totals led the group stage, while Both Teams to Score rounded out the top three • The Norway-England game shows an appetite for the “To Qualify” market, when extra time becomes a factor during the knockout stages. This may have also been boosted by in-play betting as the Norwegians took England to extra time before bowing out
KNOCKOUT STAGE RANK
EVENT
MARKET
GOOD TO KNOW 1
SPAIN – ARGENTINA
RESULT
2
BRAZIL – NORWAY
TOTAL GOALS
3
NORWAY – ENGLAND
TO QUALIFY
Newer players lean home, then settle: bettors with fewer than 10 lifetime bets have a 21.74% home-country betting share, versus 13.72% for players with 10+ lifetime bets – a 58% relative difference
THE PLAYMAKER: WHAT THE AI TOP SECTION CHANGES
Three-month retention rate 30%
20%
• Brands running AI-powered top sections and pre-built bet combinations saw a measurable lift in both bet frequency and stake size
10%
• Indeed, AI-powered top sections with prebuilt combinations saw a 27% uplift in the three-month retention rate. Without these, the retention rate dropped to 14%
0%
With AI & pre-built combinations
Without AI & pre-built combinations
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WORLD CUP FOCUS DATA
THE SQUAD: PRODUCT FEATURE GROWTH Turnover share Before WC
During WC
4% 3% 2% 1% 0%
Bet Builder
Early Payout GGR share Before WC
Microbetting • Every product on the Betby operator network gained turnover, bets and player share during the World Cup – but growth rate and scale moved in opposite directions: microbetting grew fastest from the smallest base
During WC
12% 10% 8%
• Bet Builder delivered the strongest margin story, experiencing the largest GGR gain of any feature tracked
6% 4%
• Early Payout saw GGR share dip slightly, even as turnover, bets and players grew – adoption outran margin capture for these two
2% 0%
Bet Builder
Early Payout Share of bets Before WC
6%
Microbetting
During WC
5% 4%
• Microbetting posted the steepest growth of any feature by far (turnover +1,021%, bets +1,653%) – though from the smallest starting base, so it reads as early-stage momentum rather than scale. It’s interesting how little share microbetting actually posted of GGR. Do players stake less while microbetting – and win more?
3%
GOOD TO KNOW
2% 1% 0%
Bet Builder
Early Payout
Microbetting
Share of players Before WC During WC 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
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Early Payout
Microbetting
Players who place at least one Early Payout bet during the World Cup place 25% more bets per day