Up, up & away

Coming up to his third year as Upgaming’s Head of Digital Marketing, GOGA BIBILURI details the ways in which the company has stayed ahead of the industry’s constant evolution, how its solutions cater for an upscaling market and the impact of European expansion.

Words by DANNY LEE

Standing out from the crowd as an operator in today’s highlycompetitive market is no mean feat. Competing with constant product developments, commercial partnerships and endless expansion means that only the fittest can survive at the top level.

Lending a helping hand to companies looking to make their mark is Upgaming. As Bibiluri explains, the casino and sports betting technology provider aims to give operators the tools needed to kickstart their business and offer a “personalised and immersive” user experience.

SBC: WHAT ROLE DOES UPGAMING PLAY IN THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY AND WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE COMPANY OFFER TO BUDDING OPERATORS?

GB: Upgaming was created to support operators in building their online casino and sports betting endeavours. Our mission is to create an iGaming ecosystem that enables anyone to step into the industry and simplify their business processes. So, with that intent in mind, we developed new, innovative software solutions catering to operators’ diverse needs.

The range of our solutions encompasses all the tools and features you may need to start, run or upscale your online casino, such as our iGaming platform, Casino Software, which provides more than 12,000 aggregated games from over 180 game providers.

Then there’s Sportsbook software with the highest amount of live and pre-match events, as well as custom markets made by 120 in-house bookmakers.

Our product diversity stems from a focus on innovation and scalability, always keeping an eye on the evolving trends and dynamics of the iGaming world. Our goal has been, and always will be, to equip operators with tools and software that are reliable and highperforming, innovating and continuously evolving, just like the industry itself.

SBC: UPGAMING HAS NAVIGATED THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE SPORTS BETTING MARKET FOR OVER NINE YEARS. HOW HAS YOUR SPORTSBOOK SOFTWARE EVOLVED ALONG WITH THE COMPANY TO OFFER COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS TO OPERATORS?

GB: Sportsbook has been one of our core products since 2014, so we made sure to build it from scratch in a way that makes it highly scalable.

Since the beginning, we wanted to build an infrastructure that would be upscaled, where we could create add-ons and add new features as time would go. Thus, we made it as customisable and scalable as we could nine years ago.

Since then, we have constantly updated and added new features. For example, in 2023, we have signed three major deals with Betgenius, Betradar and BetBazar. Furthermore, our Sportsbook product has been licensed in the Netherlands. The year prior, we received an MGA licence that enabled our Sportsbook to challenge and disrupt the European sports betting market.

All of this would not be possible without our team, which keeps growing with the company. During the past three years, we have gone from 80 employees to 380, while opening three new offices in Malta, Bulgaria, and Georgia, and there is still much more to come.

SBC: THE INDUSTRY HAS RECENTLY BEEN BOMBARDED WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS TO TAKE OPERATORS TO NEW LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT. HOW HAS UPGAMING USED TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS TO ENHANCE OPERATORS’ SPORTS BETTING OFFERINGS?

GB: Technological advancements have always been our driving force. We wanted to challenge the industry standards, which is why we created Upgaming and incorporated our core values.

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We believe strategic innovation should be based on data, so without innovation, there would be no Upgaming; instead, we would be just another software provider.

That’s why Upgaming has been at the forefront of embracing innovations to elevate our operators’ sports betting experience. It all began in 2014 when we envisioned creating a platform that could be upscaled and primed for innovation for the next decades. This forward-thinking approach laid the foundation for our progress, ensuring our platform keeps disrupting industry standards.

As a result, our Sportsbook rapidly became one of the most sought-after products in our portfolio. Recognising the increasing demand for a seamless sports betting experience, we introduced the Sportsbook API in 2022. But our commitment to innovation continued.

In 2023, we pushed the boundaries further by ensuring that our Sportsbook API could be integrated into any iGaming platform within a day. This quick integration feature was a game changer, allowing existing operators to upscale their businesses seamlessly.

SBC: EARLIER THIS YEAR, UPGAMING ANNOUNCED IT HAD SECURED A NETHERLANDS LICENCE. HOW IMPORTANT IS BUILDING A PAN-EUROPEAN PRESENCE FOR ESTABLISHING THE COMPANY AS A KEY SOFTWARE PROVIDER?

GB: The European market undeniably holds paramount significance for Upgaming. It’s not just a strategic focus for us, but also aligns with our broader vision to be recognised as a leading software provider in the gaming industry.

The Netherlands, with its vibrant gaming ecosystem and discerning user base, is one of the most advanced European markets, and having a permit there signals our dedication to providing European users with leading software solutions.

Building a pan-European presence is more than just about geographical expansion. For Upgaming, it’s a testament to our commitment to quality, compliance and user-centricity.

SBC: FINALLY, WITH H2 WELL UNDERWAY, WHAT ARE THE COMPANY’S PLANS AND WHAT DEVELOPMENTS ARE ON THE WAY FOR THE FINAL HALF OF THE YEAR?

GB: Well, each year, we analyse the data gathered during previous periods and plan based on the statistical signals we receive. We speak with our existing operators, understand their current needs, and plan innovations based on this criteria. So, for now, this year’s research is still in the processing stage, but I can promise two things:

We will increase customisation options, giving operators direct access to the comprehensive, userfriendly customisation dashboard and a/b testing platform.

Additionally, we will integrate advanced AI models into our risk management and anti-fraud systems. We are speaking about AI models that can evaluate large data sets based on pre-made safety criteria and detect riskcontaining patterns and behaviours in the blink of an eye.

This upgrade is designed to increase our operators’ security to a level unseen before, eliminating the chance of fraud or unlawful gambling.

We’re excited about the road ahead and committed to delivering innovation based on data to disrupt the market again and prove that entertainment has no borders.