Gambling Insider: Malta Focus 2022

MALTA FOCUS

INSIDE

Operator advertising strategy

ALL EYES ON MALTA

EDITOR’S

As the European iGaming contingent reconvenes in Malta once again, this year’s build-up sees plenty of talk on the islands of compliance, licensing and (of course) overall regulation. To that end, our Malta Focus magazine this year reads like an operator’s dream, as we address issues like advertising, responsible gambling, compliance & licensing, the benefits of owning a Malta o ce, M&A and more.

Misconceptions are shattered in this issue, as Dr Kyle Scerri of CSB Group explains why Malta was never actually an ‘offshore’ hub (page 16). In our feature-length interview with Scerri and colleague Jan Wright, the lawyers also propose why EU regulators should consider working more in tandem across di erent jurisdictions. Could something like this ever happen? Operators certainly wouldn’t complain – but would regulators ever truly entertain such an idea?

Elsewhere, Ron Mendelson talks about the small matter of Malta’s Financial Action Task Force greylisting – which has since been reversed (page 28). It’s an issue also touched upon in our ‘Out with the new, in with the old?’ feature (page 20), where we assess exactly what companies can gain from being based in Malta, and whether the island should now focus more on retaining its existing company base, rather than attracting too many new rms.

Finally, in our last Malta Focus magazine, we discussed at length a growing trend of converging operator-supplier M&A. Over the past 12 months, however, we’ve seen a number of big-name mergers actually fail to occur within the gambling industry. On page 26, Mark O’Sullivan of Exacta Solutions provides an interesting examination of why mergers and acquisitions aren’t always sunshine and roses.

So, with a wide range of insightful Maltese content, we encourage you to dive into our interviews and features while you walk the oors at SiGMA. And, you never know, they might just provide exactly the information you need ahead of your next big meeting. If you’re reading this outside the show – at home or in the o ce – we wish you all the productivity you need to round o a busy 2022 and head into a potentially lucrative 2023.

Julian Perry, COO, Editor in Chief

STEFAN NELSON

and Managing Director, LeoVegas Malta

KEVIN O’NEILL General Manager, Responsible Gaming Foundation

Tim Poole, Editor

In focus: Altenar

Speaking with the Altenar Development Team Leader, ample insight was offered on Altenar’s back office projects.

Using concepts and technologies like .Net, React, gRPC, SQL Server and MongoDB through a Kubernetes distribution system promoting Fault-Tolerant Distributions, the Altenar-developed sportsbook is a firm favourite of the sports betting industry around the world.

The ‘flagship project consists of various APIs and services that provides all the operations necessary for betting;’ the team lead continued to detail some of the benefits of Altenar’s SB2:

IMPORTING SPORTS DATA

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW POSITION? ALTENAR IS HIRING IN MALTA!

.Net Developer

Frontend Developer

PHP developer

Data Infrastructure Engineer Data Analyst Database Administrator DevOps Engineer

Information Security Analyst

Build and Release Systems Engineer Business analyst in

a quid-pro -quo relationship promoting a healthy, productive work environment. This culture was nurtured and promoted by Co-Founder and CEO Stanislav Silin as well as fellow Co-Founder and COO, Dinos Stranomitis, who have witnessed Altenar’s growth from day one. Stanislav had the following to say: “We’re a growing dynamic company, we’re expanding in almost all areas, especially in our Isle of Man and Malta offices. I think part of this is because people like the atmosphere and we try to keep it that way.” The company culture at Altenar promotes an environment where

Accepting bets and managing their lifecycle

Accepting bets and managing their lifecycle customisation, flexible limit management for individual users and their groups generating various reports based on specified filters, etc.

Want to discover what working at Altenar is like? Continue reading this article…

Additionally, Altenar recently launched

Additionally, Altenar recently launched its betting terminal, which was described as ‘architecturally, a service for working with physical devices (bill acceptors, coin acceptors, printers and applications) for a terminal interface.’

THE DYNAMICS OF INNOVATION | CULTURE & ALTENAR

At Altenar, the company culture is equally as important as the product and services. As a result, culture and output have married into

enables operators to manage multiple terminals

The launch of the Altenar-powered terminals helps to deepen brand penetration, boasting ease-of-installation, ease-of-updates, enables operators to manage multiple terminals from access to a single back office and check application performance in general –using technologies like WPF and PHP.

It’s prudent to glance at Altenar’s mobile -first heritage with its Mobile Application (MOA), where ‘the backend of the mobile solution is designed to solve two main tasks. Firstly, to ensure the operation of the sportsbook solution on a mobile device; and secondly, to integrate with the platforms of our B2B clients where, for example, players are authorised and integrated with wallets.’

Working for a software -based company like Altenar, developers, engineers, analysts and administrators can work with cutting-edge technologies, innovative applications, distribution systems, functionalities and software that is top-of -the-range – while also forward-thinking.

if you let someone make decisions you are likely to

discussion and solutions are formed, which was highlighted by Altenar Co-founder and COO, Dinos Stranomitis: “We want to make sure everyone in Altenar makes decisions themselves from a self-driven standpoint in a relaxed environment, because, in my opinion, make great leaders.”

An insight into the technology that powers Altenar’s products and the company culture that drives it

Dinos Stranomitis

Out of bounds

Gambling Insider looks at the effect edgy advertising campaigns are having on the gambling market, as well as the lengths some are going to get noticed by the consumer

As times have moved on, so too has the concept of what is and isn’t allowed to run on television. Slowly, the industry has chipped away at the initial values of contemporary modesty imposed at the advent of TV in the 1950s, pushing for edgier and edgier content.

However, when Smarkets recently released its latest TV ad campaign in the UK – which was fronted by its CEO Jason Trost – a line was crossed. The response from the clearance body Clearcast was strong, which said in a statement the ad would ‘bring advertising into disrepute’ should it be allowed on TV.

Smarkets, of course, knew the commercial wouldn’t clear the regulators; it even counted on the fact it wouldn’t – with the campaign itself labelled: ‘The ad we weren’t allowed to make. But we made it anyway.’

Since the ad failed to meet the expectations of the UK clearance body, Smarkets has simply made it available on YouTube, allowing customers to see it via a QR code on posters at London railway and underground stations.

In the ad, Trost dismisses Smarkets’ rivals in a brutal fashion, knowing that the public is more interested in seeing something that may push the boundaries of being acceptable than

another anodyne gambling commercial. In taking the gamble with the edgy nature of the campaign, the ad has caused the exact response that Trost wanted.

That ‘edge’ is now a trend that’s catching on in advertising; companies and digital media agencies know that consumers watch more advertisements by choice than anything else. Think of Renault’s Clio advert back in 2019, which racked up over three million views on YouTube alone – and was likened to a short film.

That shift marks a change in the advertising industry. People are now less responsive

to general marketing and, in 2022, targeted advertising is proving significantly more effective in attracting consumers to brands. So having an edge – even one that proves too much for clearance on TV – suddenly has more of an impact in attracting customers than generalised methods do.

PointsBet has followed this new trend with its latest ‘Do It Live’ TV spot, launched to celebrate the start of the new NFL season. The latest US ad from the sportsbook operator – called ‘Sanctuary’ – finds a man live betting on an NFL game, all while sitting on the toilet.

Again, this is a concept that PointsBet knew wasn’t going to pass regulations; but the operator made it anyway. A fact evident in the statement it issued regarding its ad not meeting broadcast requirements: “We view the bathroom as the ultimate sanctuary where plenty of people leave the world behind, get out their phone, and use the PointsBet app. While our original creative vision was a bit out of the box for broadcast, at the end of the day, whether you want to admit it or not, loads of us have enjoyed the thrill of a cash-out while being King – or Queen – of the porcelain.”

Every company in every industry around the world is trying to find new ways to be recognised by the global consumer, ways that are increasingly becoming more risqué – especially in an industry that walks a tightrope with the concept of social acceptance. And now, through the advent of mobile advertisement and eye-catching advertising content, marketing companies have realised that having an ad that’s safe for TV isn’t all that important anymore. Sure, it helps, but it isn’t necessary.

Operators such as Smarkets and PointsBet enjoy success with advertising campaigns designed to be edgy and boundary-pushing. It’s a style that has already helped push Smarkets’ brand in the UK, as CEO Jason Trost stands above the railway travellers, wielding his brand and company as a mighty weapon in the fight for market share.

Meanwhile, PointsBet has taken a different road – focusing on a part of life that has become wholly realistic since the advent of smartphones. It isn’t over-the-top or offensive – it is just overly graphic for the TV audience. Of course, for all the techniques and styles used by smaller businesses to reach loftier heights, the big players still advertise on a whole different level – one where they do not need to use such gimmicks to be noticed.

From the big companies, we see Hollywood faces trotted out to back the latest advertising push, with Jamie Foxx and Vanessa Hudgens recently at the forefront of BetMGM’s campaign as new brand ambassadors. The difference in being able to showcase Vanessa

Hudgens and Foxx, compared with Smarkets’ advertising campaign featuring ex-Manchester United defender Gary Pallister, is stark. Would Foxx appear in an advertisement as eye-opening as Smarkets’? Probably not. It doesn’t have the brand recognition or the budget to hire him without significant negotiation and a concession on his part. In fact, Gambling Insider understands such a star would command a fee of around $400,000 per year, according to industry experts.

So, how else are smaller operators (many perhaps based in Malta?) supposed to grab the attention of the wider audience? How are they supposed to compete with Jamie Foxx’s wholesome face staring back at the audience through the screen?

The domination of larger businesses has caused advertising to shift in tone and strategy. As more companies become aware that the TV is no longer a necessary medium for products, the way many conceptualise advertising is further targeted at demographics more likely to use the product – which is where both Smarkets’ and PointsBet’s campaigns came from. It begs the question: Will other operators decide to push the boundaries of advertising for the sake of tapping into an audience? And, by extension: How far will the medium go? For gambling companies, the idea that campaign advertisements can attract customers by themselves is appealing – as by ignoring marketing regulations and targeting people that want to watch edgier online content, far more is possible.

It leaves room to be truly creative, push boundaries and pull in audiences. However, the danger comes from the idea that everybody will adopt similar methods, and the industry will once again end up trying to find another way of being noticed by the consumer. The fallout from such a risqué method could mean that gambling advertisements are more scrutinised than ever when such a point is reached. There, perhaps, lies the trade-off, as smaller operators attract new audiences, but find themselves out of bounds.

“While our original creative vision was a bit out of the box for broadcast, at the end of the day, whether you want to admit it or not, loads of us have enjoyed the thrill of a cash-out while being King – or Queen – of the porcelain” - PointsBet statement

In focus:

The Evolution Group is a leading B2B provider of online casino content, offering an unparalleled portfolio of unique games around the globe. With six distinctive brands under its umbrella, from live dealer experiences to immersive slot games, it stands as an industry leader, providing the best solutions and offering the widest choice available in the online gaming world.

Evolution, as the leader of live casino solutions, believes in and is committed to delivering flawless live gaming experiences. Our state-of-the-art studios across Europe and North America, have been designed to offer truly immersive experiences through both time-honoured unique casino games and live game shows. We’re always looking for those ideas that redefine the industry, and our First Person range of RNG games offers superior 3D rendering and animation to deliver an immersive gaming experience like no other. Additionally, with the Go Live button, we’re giving operators cross-selling opportunities between RNG and live casino.

With the acquisition of NetEnt and Red Tiger, we have expanded our offering to include the

slots world and been able to supply the highest quality gaming solutions to the world’s most successful online casino operators. NetEnt has been pioneering electrifying games, fuelling that creativity with cutting-edge technologies. Like Evolution, NetEnt’s ethos is dominated by the need to innovate and that has resulted in a staggering library of rich gaming experiences that have become lasting player favourites. With Red Tiger, we’ve benefited from a dynamic brand that can consistently create top-performing content, offer bespoke progressive jackpot systems and our Tournaments gamification feature that enhances the experience.

Our sister brand in all things live, Ezugi, is well recognised in its ability to provide operators with regional expertise and acts as a complimentary service. For those looking to step into this localised world, Ezugi has studios across Latin America, South Africa, India, and selected US and European markets.

We expanded our industry reach with the acquisitions of Big Time Gaming (BTG) and DigiWheel last year. We benefit from BTG’s blend of technical leadership and

creative excellence in slots - as the inventor of the MegawaysTM mechanic, we will combine our creative minds to develop thought-provoking slot games that will achieve global success. DigiWheel is an excellent fit for us, having already had previous triumphs with wheel games, and it will add greater diversity to our offering for both online and land-based operators. This year, we have entered into the realms of acquisition once more and have acquired Nolimit City – the creator of titles such as Mental, San Quentin and East Coast /West Coast. With this latest acquisition we are extending our portfolio of innovative and cutting edge slot games; while Nolimit City will join our leading slots brands NetEnt, Red Tiger and Big Time Gaming.

Our diverse background ensures world-leading quality across the Group, and as we continue to grow our teams will only get stronger. Our mission is to make operators successful and provide an excellent user experience for their end users. We constantly push the limits of what’s possible and making a reality what has never been done before.

Keeping Malta responsible

Responsible Gaming Foundation General Manager

Kevin O’Neill looks back on a busy year for the organisation, as well as offering operators advice on promoting responsible gambling

What does your role at the Responsible Gaming Foundation involve?

Being a compact organisation, my role as General Manager (GM) sees me juggle several skittles, so to speak, be it dealing with financial and HR matters or day-to-day duties any typical GM is expected to carry out.

My main focus remains on strategising to ensure that the Foundation’s original objectives are effectively met. I am blessed to have a small yet exceptional team of individuals to whom

I give the necessary latitude to achieve those objectives. I also seek to keep in touch with industry players to ensure that the Foundation is constantly abreast of developments in what is still a very dynamic sector.

How much of an issue is problem gambling right now in Malta?

Statistically, Malta would fall into the norm regarding problem gambling prevalence

compared to countries within the EU.

However, I feel that we should not blindly rely on statistics alone because problem gambling is not an addiction quickly identified compared to other addictions, especially those whose symptoms are not easily concealed.

Therefore, I would say that owing to the stigma, shame and embarrassment, people who have lost money through gambling may not be too keen on admitting this openly. In Malta’s case, RGF does its utmost to bring

about awareness on problem gambling. My approach is that as long as gambling is a legal enterprise in our country, we have a moral obligation toward those who partake in this activity – no matter how many or few do so –by providing them with the best support possible.

How would you evaluate 2022 from an RGF perspective?

For the RGF, 2022 was an eventful year of creating awareness. After some years of

relative stagnation partly owing to the much -dreaded pandemic, this summer saw the launch of our Awareness Campaign, which formed part of the Take Action: Against Problem Gambling in Malta EU-funded project.

The initiative, which cost €1.1m ($1m), also included research and training elements. In line with the Foundation’s strategy, a drive to form strategic alliances with local and foreign organisations, with the express intent of collaborating in various RG initiatives, was also a key goal. I am a strong proponent of teamwork, where the sharing of resources will benefit all stakeholders but mainly, and most importantly, the consumer. This year also provided the Foundation with several opportunities to promulgate its message through a more comprehensive number of local stations and media to reach a diverse audience.

What advice would you give to companies in Malta to promote responsible gambling?

As a Foundation, we acknowledge that gambling is a legitimate and popular means of recreation. However, we are also keenly aware of the potential harm this activity carries with it, so we recognise this dichotomy. We also know regulation and compliance alone can never guarantee complete protection to players. Most operators will likely believe that theirs is an ethical operation simply because they conform to regulatory obligations, but ethics is much more than that. I often ask myself: “Is it unrealistic to expect the gambling industry to prioritise harm prevention over revenue maximisation?” I firmly believe that having a robust ethical framework offers operators a raft of benefits, such as reducing operational risk, attracting and retaining key talent and strengthening the company’s external reputation, to mention a few. In a sense, compliance makes you “acceptable”, but ethics makes you “respectable,” and to

me, that makes for a profitable and sustainable business.

It is encouraging to see that, nowadays, operators have started a race to the top regarding enhanced RG practices. It is not a question of fear, but they realise that having an ethical framework and driving ethical principles within all levels of their operation can be a boon to their bottom line; so yes, a win-win situation.

What are the RGF’s main priorities for 2023? I am looking forward to 2023 with a sense of expectancy because I feel that, as a Foundation, we will start reaping the fruit of our networking efforts over the past months. We have held formal and informal meetings with several organisations and individuals with whom we have shared some innovative ideas and would like to keep this impetus going. It is encouraging to see the RG community continually growing and gaining traction. It is no longer uniquely the subject of academics, which is undoubtedly important in this sphere. However, it has also attracted several unconventional and innovative individuals, enterprising mavericks, who are developing and creating solutions to make gambling safe without making it less entertaining. Therefore, we will undoubtedly explore areas that resonate with RGF’s mission.

We will also aim to enhance all areas of our operation to make them as efficient and effective as possible in reaching the objectives for which the RGF was founded. We will also seek to drive home the mantra that when all stakeholders align their expectations and behaviours – and jointly cultivate an atmosphere of trust, accountability and integrity – the result will be a scenario in which each party achieves their objective. The player has received and enjoyed service and the operator has achieved an economic goal without exposing either party to unnecessary risk. In short, sustainability requires a collective effort.

“In Malta’s case, RGF does its utmost to bring about awareness on problem gambling. My approach is that as long as gambling is a legal enterprise in our country, we have a moral obligation toward those who partake in this activity”

In focus: Trustly

Founded in 2008, Trustly is a global leader in Open Banking Payments, on a mission to revolutionise the way people pay and get paid online. The company’s digital account-to-account platform redefines the speed, simplicity and security of payments, linking some of the world’s most prominent merchants with consumers directly from their online banking accounts.

What sets Trustly apart is that it can handle the entire payment journey, enabling it to offer an attractive alternative to the traditional card networks at a lower cost.

Today, Trustly serves 8,100 merchants, connecting them with 525 million consumers and 6,300 banks in over 30 countries; and in 2021 it processed over $28bn in transaction volume through its global network.

Trustly is a licensed Payment Institution under the second payment services directive (PSD2) and operates under the supervision of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority in Europe. In the US, Trustly is state regulated as required to serve target markets.

With a diverse and fast-growing team headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and additional offices across Europe and North America, Trustly is taking the payments industry to a whole new level.

“The company’s digital account-to-account platform redefines the speed, simplicity and security of payments”

Payments supplier Trustly walks us through its company, products and what makes it stand out within the marketplace

A regulatory revolution?

To start off with, it would be great to get an introduction into what you guys do at CSB Group and what the day-to-day involves for yourselves.

We are Kyle Scerri and Jan Wright, we’re lawyers by profession and spearhead the gaming team and practice at CSB. I’ve (Kyle) been with CSB for almost two years; Jan joined us a few months ago. We are the main two points of contact in gaming – our roles involve everything that falls under the remit of a lawyer. We obviously help with

new licence applications; we assist with the ongoing compliance obligations of existing operators; we provide legal assistance where it has to do with issuing legal opinions for new projects or ideas, or assisting with enforcement actions. As a group overall, we have accounting services, tax compliance services and more. So I would say any operator, but particularly any remote gambling operator, can come to us for a one-stop

shop, which can even include offering office space, offering recruitment services and more.

Could you give us an overview of how operators navigate the iGaming regulatory landscape at the moment, with no two jurisdictions ever having the same regulation?

Europe – this extends globally but applies particularly to Europe as a main example – has started to suddenly regulate iGaming. It has happened in a very short period of a few years and what this means is essentially Malta as a gaming hub, especially for B2C casino and sportsbook operators, these operators have suddenly been faced with the challenge that their available markets have become more and more restricted. These are not restricted from an access point of view, but to operate you need licences

we would say it’s a nightmare for smaller operators – those who are not the big guns – your start-ups essentially who have an idea, and want to roll out their games and make a living out of this. For them, it’s a big challenge. For bigger operators, there is perhaps an opportunity – a lot of B2Cs, while still keeping the Malta licence, are very willing to sell it or give it up altogether. So we are seeing a shift in the market – Malta is becoming more attractive for B2Bs.

On that basis – with firms selling the licence – has Malta as a jurisdiction, or offshore hub, declined in popularity?

suddenly been faced with the challenge from these jurisdictions. regimes at once – compliance, It becomes a little bit of a

So we are seeing a struggle from a cost perspective, having compliance teams, a global presence etc etc. But it’s also a massive challenge to keep up with six, seven regulatory regimes at once – compliance, legal, dealing with regulators.

nightmare. With this nightmare,

One thing we must say in answer to that question is that Malta is not an offshore hub. Maybe this is a misconception which helped in the past, because people thought it was an easy place to come. And, being honest, it was easier than other jurisdictions – but it was never offshore. The way Malta’s law has presented itself makes it very clear it’s not an offshore jurisdiction. In terms of popularity, what has changed is there is now more strict and stringent enforcement, which is testament to the regulators.

We’re essentially now cleansing our list before actually making it to the list, which is a dream from a compliance perspective. In terms of popularity being less, we wouldn’t say so – but we are receiving interest from different types of operators. Malta has positioned itself as the platinum standard of licence regimes. We’ve been in the industry for 20+ years, we’ve seen the market dip, revitalise itself, change – so as a regulator and as a jurisdiction, there is a knowhow when it comes to dealing with operators and the business reality behind mobile gambling. That is, of course, coupled with all the social aspects – responsible gambling, addictions problems. Even compliance education within Malta is at a very high standard, Malta has very well-equipped legislation in place and has done so for over 20 years.

Being one of the first jurisdictions globally that decided to regulate iGaming back in 2004, we have a portfolio of companies on the island that is quite impressive. Operator, supplier or affiliate – you being here makes this a hub where you can connect with other entities relatively easily. That is a selling point for persons like ourselves, who promote Malta as a jurisdiction of choice. Needless to say, we can walk around

Dr Kyle Scerri and Jan Wright of CSB Group discuss how Maltese operators can navigate an increasingly challenging iGaming regulatory landscape, as well as proposing a new way of thinking for EU jurisdictions

Dr Kyle Scerri

on the Sliema beachfront and see gaming offices everywhere. Even in the workforce, the expertise in Malta and the recruitment that goes on is impressive for gaming – we don’t think there’s another country that offers as much. For B2C operators, a MGA licence is not enough in some jurisdictions – but we would say most B2C operators don’t have any active brand in Malta but still operate from Malta as the physical presence is very strong – and getting stronger. We are more about quality than quantity now.

That’s interesting – I was debating even using the word ‘offshore’ but I’m glad I did as you were able to make that clarification. It is a bit of a common misconception?

It’s a popular misconception: firstly, we’re an island and being so little compared to mainland Europe perhaps gives the perception of offshore. But do keep in mind Malta’s a full member of the European Union, so I would say anybody challenging the claim that Malta is not offshore – there’s not much reason to say so; if Malta is ‘offshore,’ you could say the same about any European jurisdiction.

From a Maltese operator’s perspective, you mentioned it’s tougher for the smaller operators. What would the plan of action be for a smaller brand; is it simply a case of incurring more costs? What is the best route to take?

The first step would be to understand where your business has potential. If a specific state regulates, the question is whether it would make sense for me to spend X, Y and Z to sustain that licence. That’s step number one – which may seem very obvious, but given that licensing in iGaming is a relatively new widespread concept, this is often something that isn’t considered. That’s especially when it comes to the maintenance of a licence –are you capable of maintaining it is the big question?

Assuming it does – the second step is to be well informed. What do you need to do and what do you need to do on an ongoing basis? Here

is where we think ongoing counsel is critical. We acknowledge operators have big in-house legal and compliance teams here – and they are very, very talented. But the reality here is that you need specified knowledge. You need to understand the real impact this can have on your business, not just financially but operationally.

If you are licensed in Germany but are going to use the same company that’s based in Malta, what do you need to know about this process?

There’s a little bit of an analysis to ensure you can comply with all of your regulations. The reality is many jurisdictions have a lower standard of regulations on paper than Malta. Ultimately, how you manage your obligations is your issue, which might mean you need to restructure.

From your answer there, can I infer that operator knowledge is not quite where it needs to be?

Not necessarily not as high as it should be, but the iGaming industry is a unique animal in itself – marketing is king. That extends to different operators as well. If I, for example, apply for a licence in Ontario – then there is a huge marketing emphasis in Ontario; you will then see there is a trend for many operators to enter that market. Everybody starts to gain an Ontario licence – how valuable is that licence? That really depends on your business – have you done your homework.

Just because you have that licence, it doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you. We may be stating the obvious; however, for

companies without a cashflow problem, issues like this are not considered. When push comes to shove, though, lack of compliance has a huge financial cost – but this isn’t always a first thought.

As you say, it might sound obvious but it’s easier said than done... the message is don’t necessarily follow trends, and think more long-term strategy?

Yes, for example you’re seeing potential today in having a business licensed in Curacao. Do be aware that in March rules and regulations will tighten in Curaçao. So does it make sense to move to Curaçao if in five months you just face the same problem you already face today? The heightened compliance enforcement and rules obviously means the ongoing monitoring, and day-to-day reports for each licence – which isn’t always a thought for new markets.

If it’s not a first thought, inevitably it’s just an afterthought?

Exactly. One of the policy objectives of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is to promote Malta as the jurisdiction of choice. Coupled with other events that took place in

“It’s a nightmare for smaller operators – those who are not the big guns – your start-ups essentially who have an idea, and want to roll out their games and make a living out of this. For them, it’s a big challenge”

Jan Wright

Malta, there has been increased enforcement – and we can only laud the MGA for this because, ultimately, that is the way to go. Local law is very strict and when you have to compare Malta to other regimes, most of the time Malta is the tougher one. So that only means you have to really give this consideration.

Going in a slightly different direction, though, an important point to consider is: are we over-regulated as an industry? Have we overdone it? Have we oversaturated the market to a point where it’s impossible for a business to operate? Is it time for Europe to become more harmonised, and make it easier for our operators to operate within the EU?

In the core principles, every jurisdiction always covers the same points: AML, KYC, responsible gambling, and it could be a very good idea to incorporate all these principles and make something more streamline. Maybe some people in the industry would call us crazy because this would lose Malta its competitive advantage. But the reality is the experience and the longstanding foothold Malta has had in the industry, we think could work wonders. So we shouldn’t be afraid of potentially having to compete with other jurisdiction – thereby attracting worthy operators. For us, start-ups are just as worthy as your big

guns. Currently, it’s almost impossible for a group of young guys to have an idea, open a business and be able to operate on the island. The cost of compliance is not something you can really incentivise.

all these licences and the complexities associated with them. So maybe rethinking how the EU approaches this is on the cards.

It would be interesting to see what a room full of regulators would think if you pitched that to them. Thank you for your time and answers, today!

KYLE SCERRI

Throughout his career, Kyle has assumed different positions at companies in the financial auditing and advisory space. Prior to joining CSB, he also formed part of a blockchain advisory firm and a locally based law firm. Throughout his career, his main fields of specialisation have always been financial services, capital markets and remote gambling. He has also been a speaker and panellist at a number of local and international conferences on the topics of blockchain, payments and regulated investment services.

JANWRIGHT

So you’re proposing a little bit of a regulatory revolution, overall?

Yeah, regulators need to sit down and think about whether it’s time to start harmonising the space, having a common standard for operators. What is the impact of regulators having different strategies, albeit with the core principles being the same? I think it’s something operators frown upon – they don’t see it as a good thing, having

Jan Wright is a lawyer by profession and joined CSB Group as a Regulated Industries & Compliance Advisor in 2022. Prior to joining CSB Group, Jan has gained 5 years’ experience working in-house iniGaming companies, fulfilling legal and compliance roles and working across numerous jurisdictions. In addition, Jan has previously worked at a locally based law firm wherein she primarily focused on Company Law and Corporate Services.

“Have we oversaturated the market to a point where it’s impossible for a business to operate? Is it time for Europe to become more harmonised, and make it easier for our operators to operate within the EU?”

A message from SiGMA

Those who have attended SiGMA well before Covid will remember me singing naively “I’m just an events guy.” I truly believed that the success of SiGMA relied on remaining loyal to “hosting events.”

Until Covid, quite literally, made me redundant. I soon realised that unless we innovated as a group, we were doomed to fail and let the exhibitors and attendees around us down.

As a result, since 2020, our company has expanded its event portfolio far beyond its

comfort zone.

Since Covid, the SiGMA Group has set up a VC fund called Ikigai Ventures, where we invest in founders and incubate entire ideas from the ground up. Results here have been incredibly encouraging. We have a global mandate and invest not only in iGaming, but also frontier tech.

The SiGMA Group has also branched into affiliation. These are unchartered waters for us, and there’s no blueprint we could follow. To my knowledge, no other events company

has attempted to pivot the way we are. But I’m convinced we have the right talent on board in Belgrade, Cyprus and Malta, to lead the way with this ambition.

To achieve this, we’ve set up an office in Belgrade that handles SEO exclusively. We’re also on a mission to beef up our squad with some 35 new vacancies.

With scores of new nations across multiple continents embracing regulated internet gambling, the future seems bright for the SiGMA Group.

SiGMA Founder and CEO Eman Pulis talks about this year’s SiGMA trade show, discussing how it has evolved post-Covid-19 and how it plans to continue its growth in the future

Eman Pulis

Out with the new, in with the old?

To say Malta has been on a real iGaming recruitment drive in recent years would be an understatement, with the island nation bolstering the number of gambling companies almost beyond count in recent years. That number is believed to be beyond the 300 mark, with over 500 licences issued, all thanks to an over 8,000 multi-national workforce.

In recent times, Malta has been keeping itself busy with various different challenges, led largely by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA. In September, for example, the body conducted a review of the island nation’s VAT or Fiscal Receipts Lottery, as well as joining forces with Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) to host a number of workshops, intended to disseminate industry-specific knowledge and promote a “general understanding of the sector at large.” It comes after Malta was removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) so-called “grey list” – a group of jurisdictions under “increased monitoring” – in June (read more about this on page 32).

Also significant was the MGA’s 2021 report, in which it revealed it had pursued less regulatory action, issuing fewer warnings and suspending or cancelling

fewer licences. This continues a trend that has been active since 2019, with licence cancellations having halved between then and last year, from 14 to seven. Five of these were online gaming licences.

Focusing briefly on land-based gaming, however, the most recent statistics from the MGA show that total casino gaming revenue for the first seven months of 2022 amounted to €26.1m ($25.1m). With no statistics available from April and May of 2021 due to the pandemic, it makes more sense to compare the current results to a fully functioning 2019, when casino gaming revenue reached €27.6m in the first seven months.

In the grand scheme of things, the €1.5m revenue difference between 2019 and 2022 is minuscule, showing that revenue has largely been unchanged despite the island getting busier with more and more companies. More importantly, it proves how insignificant land-based is to online in the country. The island’s online gaming scene is much more prevalent and important to the many companies that are based there.

It’s clear that attracting new companies to the island has been a priority in recent years, but is this still the case, or has Malta now turned its efforts onto retaining existing firms?

THE BIGGER PICTURE

For LeoVegas’ Nelson, Malta is doing well from an iGaming perspective: “The

Gambling Insider spoke to Stefan Nelson , CFO and Managing Director LeoVegas Malta, Trevor De Giorgio, Head of Compliance at Play’n Go, and Enrico Bradamante, Chief Commercial Officer at Pariplay, to find out how Malta is faring in the wider global marketplace

island is business-friendly and authorities understand the opportunities, but also the challenges, that the industry is facing. We have access to iGaming talent and expertise, while having atech infrastructure that supports further growth – a very important topic for us, seeing as we’re about to embark on a global journey together with MGM Resorts International (which acquired LeoVegas).”

Nelson added that the removal from the FATF grey list has provided the “light at the end of the tunnel,” explaining that getting off the grey list was “vital for the iGaming sector, the Maltese businesses and ultimately the Maltese economy in general.”

Play’n Go’s De Giorgio explained that the island remains a top-tier jurisdiction for regulated gaming, even as the global regulatory landscape continues to evolve at pace. Its success over the years, he noted, “is in no small part down to its willingness to listen and adapt to stakeholders from across the industry.”

De Giorgio believes the MGA has been resolute in protecting the sector’s reputation, at a time when “country-by-country legislation in Europe can make it a challenge to find a common approach.”

He continued: “As more dot country regimes are introduced, Malta still has a critical role as an international leader in the establishment of sound regulation. By working closely with licensees to deliver sensible and well-balanced regulation, its influence on and importance to our industry stretches well beyond its shores, and that isn’t going to change in the foreseeable future.

Play’n Go’s Head of Compliance added that the MGA has always tried to promote the proper regulatory environment for participants and stakeholders in the gaming sector, which has fostered the necessary conditions for a “gaming ecosystem to grow and flourish in Malta.”

For Pariplay’s Bradamante, Malta is more than holding its own on a global scale, a position the country is privileged to be in. Despite external factors such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and financial instability, he believes Malta is faring healthily in

comparison to other jurisdictions.

“As a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta is unique,” he told Gambling Insider. “Currently, our biggest problem as an industry is recruitment and having enough people to achieve all the things we want to do. That is a very privileged position to be in. We have a critical mass of 8,000 qualified staff in the industry and at the moment there are an additional 1,000 open vacancies on the island.”

Pariplay’s CCO also alluded to the country’s success from a regulatory perspective, noting that, despite the diminishing importance of having a B2C licence as more jurisdictions introduce their own licensing system, Malta has raised the bar and is still very much an important B2B hub. It’s a trend he sees continuing as the island nation has “built up a fantastic infrastructure for the industry to prosper.”

ATTRACTION OR RETENTION?

The overall situation is certainly benefiting LeoVegas, with the group’s Malta office its largest in Europe. As noted by Nelson, the office will continue to grow as the company expands globally, with Malta’s status as an iGaming hub proving hugely beneficial.

He stated: “There is iGaming expertise and know-how everywhere, important factors when developing our brands, innovating and generating new ideas. Having said this, it’s important that authorities understand the challenges the industry faces, and ensure Malta continues to be a leading and competitive iGaming hub.”

When asked by Gambling Insider if Malta is currently focusing on attracting more iGaming companies to the region, or if it is focusing on retaining the ones that are currently there, Nelson replied: “Our impression is that Malta is still actively attracting iGaming and tech companies. A few examples that support this thesis are the fact there are initiatives surrounding esports, and that Malta continues to invest in education that is relevant to the iGaming and tech industries.”

Nelson concluded: “Access to talent is a constant challenge, so it’s important that initiatives continue, to attract more talent to the

MALTA

island and the industry.”

While Play’n Go’s De Giorgio cannot speak on behalf of the regulator in this regard, he noted that he has witnessed authorities working to create the necessary conditions for the sector to “prosper in a safe and sustainable manner.”

He explained: “This requires maintaining a delicate balance between the need to nourish existing companies, but also fostering the right environment for new companies and start-ups to establish themselves in Malta.”

He added that Malta’s licensing regime is important for the group and indeed for its partners, stating: “We’re now active across more than 25 regulated jurisdictions worldwide, and Malta was one of the very first experiences we had of operating within such a framework.” Working in the country has laid the foundations for the company to grow, with the island representing not just strategic importance for Play’n Go, but also a home. De Giorgio concluded: “We’ll continue to invest in operations in Malta and work closely with the MGA, as we have been doing for the best part of 15 years already.”

Meanwhile, Bradamante believes the current focus is very much on retention, with the CCO dividing the island’s recent actions into two: “In the 10 years I have been in Malta, the first phase was certainly to grow the number of licensees. Malta was open for business. The second phase has seen a consolidation as the bar was raised and the MGA started doing audits, and revoking licences for non-compliant companies.”

Bradamante also touched on the FATF grey list issue, praising the Government and other authorities for “taking quick action and implementing new stringent rules” that saw Malta removed from the list after just one year.

The situation did, however, leave a mark, with Bradamante noting: “Although no major companies left the island as a result of the listing, it did damage Malta’s reputation and other unfortunate events in recent years have also abetted this notoriety. This is a social issue that Malta is working on improving; but in the meantime, the gambling industry continues to thrive on the island.”

Trevor Di Giorgio

Enrico Bradamante

Stefan Nelson

In focus: PayRetailers

LOCAL ON-DEMAND PAYMENT EXPERIENCE

Aimed at the Latin American market and through single API integration, PayRetailers allows international companies to accept more than 250 payment methods in more than 12 Latin American countries where their buyers are located.

Based on a local strategy for each business, merchants will be able to provide their end clients with an excellent payment experience. Online transactions transcend physical boundaries, and one of the key critical enablers for any business model to maximise its coverage by accepting payments both regionally and globally, is creating a strategic relationship with an expert payment service provider who knows how to harness the power of local payments. This is undoubtedly an exclusive requirement when a business seeks to scale its operations globally.

With a flexible and highly scalable advanced proprietary technology architecture, we innovate rapidly in response to market demand for online businesses of all sizes. The success and scalability of an online business are a result of the ability to serve a global audience successfully. By targeting clients located in different geolocations, this growth poses a challenge that involves multiple factors to take into account, such as logistics, security measures, regulations and, above all, changes in consumer expectations.

In this context, the payment structure which a cross-border model integrates into

an e-commerce must be flexible and robust enough to adapt to the different needs of its buyers, without presenting any friction that may slow down the expansion process.

For an international business to reach its most competitive point and offer customers optimal shopping experiences, it will need a suitable payment processor that can be integrated into any online business model, providing access to a wide range of payment methods for each region; considering how their service scales along with their technological capabilities.

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS OUR SOLUTIONS

Technology plays a fundamental role in optimising all types of commerce with online operations, integrating the appropriate technology for each business model and optimising your goals can help you not only attract clients from all over the world, but also keep them happy by providing the best possible payment experiences.

Payment processors with this state-of-the -art technology are well positioned in the cross-border payments ecosystem. This is

as it enables merchants to offer a robust and straightforward solution by accepting the payment methods preferred by local customers, from anywhere in the world. Such is the case of PayRetailers, which, by combining its European mindset with its evident expertise in Latin American markets, facilitates the localised routing of transactions on a global scale.

Headquartered in Spain, with regional offices employing local experts in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru, our multinational company has teams of more than 20 different nationalities and operates in more than 15 countries. In this way, we understand the complexities and challenges of our native markets, providing localised and strategic support to both the merchant and the end customer throughout the payment process.

“With a flexible and highly scalable advanced proprietary technology architecture, we innovate rapidly in response to market demand for online businesses of all sizes”

Founded in 2017, PayRetailers is a leading global provider of online payment services with Latin DNA. We offer e-commerce payment solutions for end-to-end cross-border transaction flow without the need of a local entity

OCR Labs Global: ID, please?

Can you give us a quick overview of your product?

OCR Labs Global is a fully automated ID verification solution built from proprietary technology. We have our own proprietary tech and facial biometrics, as well as all the technical elements needed to capture documents and automate processes. We are the only fully automated engine in the world and there has been quite a race for ID verification providers, where they are heavily reliant on when you try to automate as much of the journey as you can through technology. Then it falls over into an aged model, so your ID doc would not make it through the automation and would go to some humans that work in a call centre. Our engine is vastly different; we automate the journey, which makes what we do very efficient, very fast and very accurate. Obviously in the world of iGaming, where they are trying to make the player journey as efficient as possible, it has quite a number of benefits to the technology we offer.

For an iGaming company, where would your product see the best implementation?

There’s a number of different user cases. Normally when an iGaming company is doing KYC, they would do it via data because it’s frictionless. When they get to a point where they have deposited a certain level of money, or they need to do a withdrawal, or they are depositing through a crypto agency, they would ask for document verification as a trigger. They want the journey for the player to be as frictionless as possible. In most cases for European operators, they would use document verification at reauthentication. We are working with several operators in different Asian markets, especially in grey markets, where the player might be quite aware they are playing in a market that isn’t regulated by the government. Therefore, they

might want to offer their KYC documents at the beginning to feel more secure in the relationship with the operator.

In those cases, they like to do it up front; and it can be argued that the technology now has come on so quickly with facial biometrics that you just need to take a picture, smile, upload the documents and the process is done in five seconds. There is not the friction that there was in the player journey and, if you are doing ID Verification fully at the frontend, you reduce fraud quite heavily. Over time, our user model might move more to the frontend because the technology has progressed. Another user case for us is linked to our name; we started life focusing on OCR, which is where text is lifted from a digital image. With the rise in responsible gaming and the pressure on operators now to have to review documents like payslips, proof of address and bank statements, when I go into meetings at the moment, they all want to talk about our OCR capabilities.

we’re looking at doing more around; because we think we have the tech that makes us different to any other supplier in the market. Imagine going further than just lifting data off a bank statement, imagine you could look at it and see which other operators that customer has spent money with, whether that person has payday loans, if their wages are not coming in via an employer, if they are coming in from the Department of Work and Pensions. There are lots of triggers we can automate to learn, rather than having a team of human beings to have to manually review those documents.

Do you do better in regulated markets?

Yes, obviously there is a lot of activity around the UK licenses, Gibraltar, Sweden, the more heavily regulated markets. But then equally there are responsible gaming measures in all markets. It is just the degree of them. Companies increasingly want a seamless service for customer interaction, because the easier the service the more retention on the back end.

With any process that requires human intervention there are errors. For the gambling industry, which is a technical industry, the heavier the regulations the more human beings are having to get involved to monitor and manage what’s going on. So there will be more automation of a lot of these heavily regulated processes that are coming in. It’s our job as a digital ID technology provider to try and take away some of the pressure of manual intervention, which will encompass errors and costly teams.

It wasn’t one I thought would be there, but that is a problem they’ve got at the moment. The manual process around document review, because of the weight that’s on them now to have to do manual review of documents linked to responsible gaming, that’s a real big area for us – one

I was in one organisation the other day, and they had thousands of individuals doing manual intervention. But there are huge costs and pressures that these operators are currently under, what with the amount of ID documents being reviewed and source of funds documents they are currently having to go through.

“So your ID doc would not make it through the automation and would go to some humans that work in a call centre”

OCR Labs Global’s Head of Gaming, Fiona Davies, speaks to Gambling Insider about the automation race in the ID verification market, OCR’s new expansion team and ensuring seamless player journeys using ID verification

How are you targeting expansion for what you offer in the gaming industry?

We are a global organisation, and we have 16,000+ ID documents we can cover. As an organisation, we have cut our teeth in APAC, and that’s where we can boast that we have many leading banks using our services. So, if you are from the APAC region, you are going to know who CR Labs are. I have been here for five weeks and I’m one of the new wave of international expansion. The reason I came here was because I looked at the tech and I saw it was vastly different to anything else on the market.

Although people in Europe will say we haven’t heard of you guys before, we have been around for a long time. Now we’re ready for international expansion and we’ve got a proven product that’s scalable no

matter the market. We have conversations about markets such as Japan all the time because it’s a market that some operators are having challenges with; but we can cover those documents easily. Brand recognition is becoming more important, as you push into more markets.

We have been very particular about the team we have put together; we’ve got Adam Desmond, ex-Mitek and GBG, and I was head of AML at Acuris Risk Intelligence. So, we are bringing together a team of individuals that are quite well known in the industry, within the space we offer. We want to go in and have those conversations with operators at the right level; we’re not playing a scattergun approach, we know we have something here that’s quite special.

But our biggest challenge right now is that not many people know who we are in the UK

and US. That’s why we are at the trade shows, we’re doing lots of press, lots of PR, lots of interviews, because we just need to be vocal about what is different and special about what we have. There has been a race for all ID verification companies to find a solution that’s automated. We are the only company in the market that have our own proprietary tech, every element of what we do is our own proprietary technology – which has allowed us to be able to automate and come to market with this product that’s different to anybody else.

How do you ensure data protection across the products you offer?

Well, we’re a data processor, so we pass the data to an operator. Our security systems are designed to meet or exceed industry standards. We just push the data in and out; we’re not holding it.

Why mergers & acquisitions fail

When scrolling through merger and acquisition (M&A) news on any given day, you’re likely to come across a headline announcing the next big deal. Indeed, data released by EY1 shows that global M&A activity in the first half of 2022 amounted to a whopping $trn, with billions being attributed to acquisitions occurring within gaming. It’s no secret that M&A deals have been on the rise since the Covid-19 pandemic, with the two most significant video gaming acquisitions ever happening in January 2022 – Microsoft’s notice bombshell of acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7bn and Take-Two interactive announcing its consolidation with Zynga for a $12.7bn deal.

Companies tend to join forces for valid reasons, though it doesn’t always generate the expected results. Common reasons include economies of scale, boosted corporate performance, increased market share and differentiating the company’s portfolio. While M&A can be a highly fruitful process if successful, several studies put the failure rate somewhere between 70% and 90%, making the odds of success extremely unfavourable.

In this article, we explore the common reasons for M&A transactions failing, or just simply failing

to close. Below, we present some examples of well-known M&A transactions that fell through, as well as the reasons and repercussions.

Reasons why M&A transactions fail

1. SUBSTANDARD FUTURE PLANNING

It goes without saying that strong leadership is key to a company’s success. This becomes particularly crucial when closing an M&A deal effectively. Leaders of both companies need to champion the integration milestones, leading their respective teams into a seamless transition. But before even attempting to merge with another company, management must ensure its company is built on a strong foundation, sharing a united vision while practising open and effective communication. Lacking such measures will inevitability lead to a disastrous M&A transaction.

This is evident in the failed deal between PlayUp (an Australian sports betting company) and Bahamas-based crypto firm, FTX. FTX approached PlayUp with a bid of $450m in 2021 as an attempt to expand its operations into sports betting. However, such negotiations collapsed due to perceived differences in the

picture that had been painted versus the reality of the company’s leadership and management. What could have been a rewarding acquisition ended in a series of lawsuits.

Another classic example of this is the acquisition of Motorola by Google in 2011 for $12.5bn. Although arguably this deal was the perfect opportunity for Google to tap into a new market, that of developing high-quality mobile handsets to match its top-of-the-market Android operating system, in reality, the outcome did not live up to the expectations set. The handsets delivered by Motorola did not meet the quality standards set by Google and Google ended up contracting other players (including Samsung and LG), to develop its Nexus headsets. Resultantly, Google sold Motorola to Lenovo for $2.9bn in 2014.

2. COMPETING BIDS AND OUTSIDE INFLUENCES

Another reason for M&A transactions failing to see the light of day is interference from activist investors and competing bids. Although competing bids can result in a positive impact on the seller’s share value, bidders can end up

Industry consolidation is one of the gambling sector’s biggest trends. But many high-profile deals continue to fall through. Why? Mark O’Sullivan of Exacta Solutions is on hand to explore

blocking each other, ultimately interfering with the chances of any deal being finalised. A clear example of this is the ‘bidding war’ over Playtech’s proposed acquisition.

Playtech’s shareholder Gopher Investments offered to buy Playtech for $4bn, followed by a $2.8bn offer by Aristocrat Leisure and a final approach by JKO Play Ltd announcing the exploration of funding a possible bid. However, after Gopher Investments decided to shelve its offer, JKO Play quickly followed suit. What started as a three-way battle ended up being a failed M&A transaction when 45% of Playtech’s shareholders (which was below the minimum set threshold of 75%) voted against the acquisition proposed by Aristocrat, arguing that the offer undervalued the business.

3. FLUCTUATING VALUATIONS

An M&A process has many steps and may take up to several years to be finalised. A lot can happen during this time that may cause the value of the seller’s company to decline. The pre-acquisition valuation exercise during the due diligence process could lead to a reduced valuation of the seller’s business causing the buyer to re-think the investment. Alternatively, to enhance its business operations, the seller might decide to implement new business approaches that could prove to be damaging – resulting in a decline in business performance rather than the intended increase. Such instances will more likely than not force the buyer to extend their due diligence procedures if not retract their bid altogether.

On the other end of the spectrum is overvaluation. Reasons for overvaluing an acquisition could be many, ranging from a rush of leadership to tap into a new market, to misjudging the future of a market or having fraudulent accounting practices. Overvalued transactions will often lead to significant write -offs by the purchasing company, which could ultimately destroy its shareholder value. In 2007, Microsoft paid $6.3bn for aQuantive only to write-off $6.2bn of the transaction amount six years later. Although abandoning a transaction is always painful, in this case, as the saying goes – it’s better to be safe than sorry!

4. MARKET CONDITIONS

Naturally, M&A activity tends to increase in times of economic growth and favourable markets, and decrease in volatile market conditions. Currently, investors are possibly facing the most uncertain and complex market conditions in recent history, which could result in several M&A deals falling through, even when the deal makes perfect sense.

An example of this is the failed merger attempt between multinational lottery operator Allwyn and special purpose acquisition company Cohn Robbins Holdings Corp. At the start of the year, the two companies reached an agreement to merge (estimated at $9.3bn) and publicly list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

However, the significant market volatility that emerged throughout the year combined with strong predictions of inflation, led the two companies to jointly decide not to go ahead with the transaction. Nevertheless, going against the crowd and braving the storm could prove to be the best investment. This falls in line with findings from a PWC study, which shows that buyers who enter M&A deals during an economic downturn tend to achieve better returns and outsized growth from the transaction.

5. POOR CULTURAL AND STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

Whether it be technical, cultural, or some other factor, missteps in M&A integration can be disastrous. In the case of an acquisition, not only can poor integration affect the company being acquired, but it can also have huge repercussions on the acquiring company. The acquirer may well be a company in great shape, simply looking to grow through synergies with another company in the same industry. However, the nuts and bolts are important.

Often, the issue with M&A is that, at some point in the process, both sides need to take a leap and sign the deal. While many months may have been spent on due diligence and leadership meetings, often the perceived synergies begin to unravel at a management or resourcing level. There may be unidentified issues in the acquired company. Perceived synergies and cultural similarities may no longer exist due to other demands on management and staff in both companies. The result is a situation wherein a perfectly healthy acquirer can shoot itself in the foot and end up spending huge amounts of time patching up previously ignored or unseen issues in the acquired company. This can also happen the other way around, whereby the acquirer may have painted a lovely non-corporate picture of their group, but the reality may be far from that. The message here is that the extra time spent will be of value down the line, quite often for both sides.

This can be seen in Microsoft’s acquisition, and ultimate closure, of Lionhead. The company went on to spend $75m on Fable Legends before ultimately cutting the cord. Sources from Lionhead alleged that the team at Lionhead was at creative loggerheads with Microsoft on which game should be developed at the time, Fable Legends, a new foray into F2P, or Fable 4, a

continuation of the proven Lionhead model. This difference in approach to the market ultimately spelled the end for the studio.

The resulting consequences of entering a deal that fails or fails to close are many. Waste of resources and loss of funds top the list. Equally devastating are cases where companies face public scrutiny or loss in share value after an already announced deal falls through. A good example is the case of the operator Entain. On 26 October 2021, US sports and gambling firm DraftKings announced that it is withdrawing its $22bn offer to buy Entain. Upon the release of the news, Entain’s shares fell a drastic 10%.

EXACTASOLUTIONS

Overtheyears,Exactahasbuiltupavastnetwork of professional contacts, particularly within the onlinegamingsector.Thisnetworkputsusinan optimal position for setting up the introductions needed for a fruitful deal. Built on a wealth of experience and knowledge, our team is equippedtohelpyoufindtheperfectinvestment opportunity, while supporting your investment effortsonthepathtowardsgrowthandsuccess.

MARKO’SULLIVAN

Mark is an experienced professional who has spent the last five years working in the video games, sports betting and iGaming industries. As M&A Manager at Exacta Solutions, he is responsible for all investment and M&Arelated services, including introductory services, valuation analysis, deal structuring and data room development. Mark also holds a Masters in E-Commerce and a Bachelor’s in Business Studies.HepreviouslyspentfouryearsatKPMG, managing the delivery of several significant projects in that time. He regularly contributes to industry thought leadership and is the Secretary General of the Malta Esports Association. Through specialist knowledge of industry best practices,hestrivestoofferpracticalinsightsand strategic support to his clients. Mark is a resultsdrivenindividualandsupportsseveralcompanies seeking to sell or raise new investment. Core to such boutique services is Mark’s strong and diversenetworkofinvestorsandacquirersalike, whichhefrequentlyleveragesinfavourofclients.

“Reasons for overvaluing an acquisition could be many, ranging from a rush of leadership to tap into a new market, to misjudging the future of a market or having fraudulent accounting practices”

Out of the grey

In 2021, Malta became the European Union’s first member state to be placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, due to concerns over money laundering and a lack of rules to prevent financial crimes from taking place. It joined a raft of other states with less than glowing

reputations, such as Uganda, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen.

But fast forward to summer 2022, and Malta found itself lifted from the purgatory of the financial services sector. The FATF said it welcomed the significant progress made by the country in tightening its

AML/CFT regime and in meeting the commitments laid out in its action plan.

In particular, the body noted improvements in detecting inaccurate company ownership information, obtaining accurate beneficial ownership information and pursuing tax-based money laundering cases through the use of financial intelligence.

This is all very well and good, but what does it mean for Malta’s iGaming industry?

Malta launched its iGaming licensing regime in 2002, two years before it ascended to the EU. Since then, it has grown to become one of the world’s leading iGaming jurisdictions, home to some of the biggest names in the business.

A small country, it more than made up for its stature in terms of businesses geared to support iGaming operators, a welcoming business environment and a packed calendar of gaming events every year.

Even during the years of the Covid-19

After Malta’s FATF un-greylisting, what lies ahead for its iGaming industry? Ron Mendelson of Fast Offshore investigates

“While they hope to see an increase in new investors to the island, it is clear that many will be cautious about future instability and the risk of being placed on the grey list once again. Many will simply go elsewhere to jurisdictions that have never been on the grey list, while others may decide to risk it”

pandemic between 2020-2021, the gaming sector ploughed money into the economy to the tune of 12% of GDP.

But the greylisting was a big problem for Malta. Over the year, it languished on the list, a number of big names packed up and left, while many potential licensees opted for safer options like Kahnawake and the Isle of Man. In February 2022, Media and Games Invest SE, with a turnover of €221m ($214m), moved its registration from Malta to Sweden, citing concerns over its ranking. Other fintech companies and entities in related industries also fled the island over the last 12 months due to the situation.

With the curse being lifted, Malta is hopeful it will regain its crown in the iGaming world once again, but this may not happen overnight.

Following removal from the grey list, various Malta-based stakeholders reacted. Some praised it as a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to upholding the law and said it would come back stronger than ever before. However, others were more measured and cautioned that now Malta has to make sure it remains in the white, and doesn’t slip back to its old ways.

But for some, the damage has already been done. Some players in the local game said Malta would have to work very hard to regain its reputation and build upon its

previous successes. While they hope to see an increase in new investors to the island, it is clear that many will be cautious about future instability and the risk of being placed on the grey list once again. Many will simply go elsewhere to jurisdictions that have never been on the grey list, while others may decide to risk it.

Back in May, before the greylisting was lifted, stakeholders were already worrying about over-regulation in the industry and the impact this could have on their operations. Over-regulation would lead to the country’s uncompetitiveness, which would, in turn, see a drop in licensees and future applicants. Time will tell how this all plays out for the Maltese sector.

Fast Offshore has been working in the iGaming sector for 25 years and has vast experience in Costa Rica, Kahnawake, Curacao, Malta and the Isle of Man. We can assist with all matters, including licensing, company incorporation, compliance, payments and ongoing maintenance. If you want to start an iGaming company but are not sure of where to do it, why not contact us to find out more?

Ron Mendelson

“Back in May, before the greylisting was lifted, stakeholders were already worrying about over-regulation in the industry and the impact this could have on their operations. Over-regulation would lead to the country’s uncompetitiveness, which would, in turn, see a drop in licensees and future applicants”

In focus: MiFinity

Who is MiFinity?

We’re the fastest-growing payment provider in the iGaming space, with the greatest geographic reach of any eWallet. So even if you haven’t heard of MiFinity, your players have – and, with high-profile brands of the Betsson Group, Claymore Group and GGPoker integrated with MiFinity into their cashiers, you’re going to hear a lot more about us in the future!

In 2022 alone, we’ve facilitated 500 merchant integrations. With more in the pipeline, we aim to double that before the end of the year. Every day, we have over 1,000 people signing up for our MiFinity eWallet and transaction growth has increased by 1,700% in a year.

Behind the scenes, the MiFinity team include iGaming and payment industry legends with vast knowledge and experience, including innovators and disruptors who are challenging us; and the industry to improve things. This dynamic team is shaping our success.

What is your main service?

The MiFinity eWallet is our flagship service with its super low fees and intuitive user experience. We’ve invested significantly in our technology and services in the last few years. We want to be different from other eWallet providers and deliver a better service to make the payment journey faster, more straightforward and more secure for both players and merchants.

We’ve achieved this in several ways. Firstly, we’ve innovated our fee structure to make it more transparent and competitive so that players have more money to spend on the things they want. Similarly, we offer our merchants integrated per-transaction pricing with no hidden fees.

We also launched the MiFinity virtual IBAN, which allows players in the EEA and UK to transfer funds into their eWallet with no fees to pay. One of the key differences between the MiFinity eWallet and others on the market is that users can create multiple eWallets within their account.

These can be in different currencies, and we currently support 17 native currencies and plan to expand this further in 2023.

This is a great way for users to manage their

funds and how they spend them. We also have over 60 integrated payment methods, so users can fund their eWallet using their preferred local payment option.

Our customers have also welcomed our MiFinity eVoucher, which can be purchased from popular sites worldwide and allows players to top up their account without the hassle of a bank account.

How do you support iGaming operators?

At MiFinity, we know payment methods are crucial to your customer acquisition and retention strategy. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in the user experience and are committed to keeping our fees low.

By ensuring our customer base are engaged and using their MiFinity eWallet, we can help operators increase conversions and acquire and retain players. Then we go the extra mile by providing additional services and functionality like the MiFinity iFrame, designed to maximise transaction success rates and create a frictionless payment journey.

When it comes to payouts, we’ve also introduced our PayAnyBank service, which facilitates bank payouts in 82 countries and our PayAnyCard service, which enables payment card transfers in multiple countries worldwide.

Do you have an affiliate programme?

We launched MiFinity Affiliates this year, and already have many merchants and industry affiliates registered.

We’re proud to say that MiFinity Affiliates pays the highest revenue commission in

the industry, up to 35%, including lifetime commissions and with commission paid on all transfers to and FX fees.

Our programme aims to help our affiliate partners increase conversions and generate additional revenue, so we’ve also invested significantly in our enterprise affiliate platform to help partners manage their programmes, track conversions and access payments easily. As with everything we do, we aim to do it better than everyone else, so there’s the potential to earn more with MiFinity than with any other eWallet provider.

What’s next on the horizon for MiFinity?

MiFinity is continually investing in its people, technology and product roadmap. For example, earlier this year we challenged our UX team to develop an app that utilises the latest technology available in the app market. Thus delivering a best-in-class user experience and ultimately maximising conversion funnels so customers can make quick and secure payments.

They’ve delivered on every front, and we will launch our new native and desktop experience soon. We’re also looking at the MiFinity iFrame, so expect an announcement in early 2023. We don’t stand still at MiFinity, and through 2023 you will see us continue to innovate, whether introducing new services or improving what we already do.

At the same time, we will continue to grow our customer base, transaction volumes and global reach; and keep up with demand from new merchants to integrate MiFinity due to customer demand.

“By ensuring our customer base are engaged and using their MiFinity eWallet, we can help operators increase conversions and acquire and retain players”

In focus: AstroPay

Founded in 2009, AstroPay is one of the pioneer payment solutions in the world, with extensive experience in managing the specificities of emerging markets. It offers efficient and reliable solutions to all customers, end users and merchants, regardless of where they are located. Following the recent expansion and launch of services in Europe, AstroPay is now accessible to customers across the world, spanning the world’s largest continents including Latin America, Asia and Africa. Millions of users are already benefiting from AstroPay, along with hundreds of merchants via more than 200 payment methods globally.

AstroPay provides traditional card payment methods, as well as a wide range of guaranteed alternative payment solutions such as PIX in Brazil, OXXO in Mexico and M-Pesa in Kenya, to customers, to help them avoid common issues such as payment rejections,

fraud and credit approval. Consumers use AstroPay to make online transactions on international websites, using their preferred local payment methods in the local currency. Our digital wallet solution allows users to make deposits and withdrawals directly and seamlessly from merchants’ sites.

With more than 13 years of experience in addressing the complexities of emerging markets, AstroPay is well positioned to use its in-depth knowledge of the real risks the payments industry and customers face daily.

The company has dedicated teams worldwide working in consumer research, to gain deep understanding of the needs

of customers in each country and use the knowledge to develop personalised customer experience. The team analyses users’ response and their feedback, adapting quickly to their requirements.

With a single integration, AstroPay makes it easy for merchants to scale their business across new international markets. Coupled with state-of-the-art technology, high-quality data and advanced security for risk mitigation, the payment solutions are designed to provide their customers with the frictionless payment experience they demand, helping merchants do more business. AstroPay helps make the payment experience more rewarding.

“AstroPay makes it easy for merchants to scale their business across new international markets”

In focus: OCR Labs

- Fully Automated ID Verification

OCR Labs Global can securely verify a user’s identity with just an ID and a smartphone – from anywhere in the world. Our ethos is that anyone, anywhere at any time, should be able to prove their identity to access services while providing operators and platforms with the highest quality fraud detection.

There’s a lot of demand in the gambling industry for an identity verification (IDV) process that works for both venues and online environments, as well as the ability to verify unstructured documents such as payslips and forms of proof of address.

Usually, iGaming companies perform Know Your Customer (KYC) checks using data. They do this because it’s frictionless, but there are points where the user will have to go through additional verification later on. This might happen when they’ve hit a certain threshold for deposits, if they’ve used cryptocurrency to make a deposit or if they want to withdraw money.

Most European companies would then use document verification as an additional layer of security, to perform a reauthentication. However, this process doesn’t work as well for operators in grey markets like Japan, where they need to be more certain they can trust the operator, since the Government doesn’t regulate them. That means offering KYC documents upfront – not when it’s time to withdraw funds.

In spite of the risks, most operators and platforms are still using agent-based approaches that are prone to human error, delays, and vulnerable to both external and internal fraud. By easily integrating a fully automated solution that can perform identity verification independently and at the highest level of accuracy and usability, OCR Labs Global has changed the way identity verification can be performed.

For OCR Labs Global, then, the biggest challenge now is to re-educate operators about a way of performing IDV that’s different from what they’re used to - and convince them that it’s better for both the player and the operator. Our fully automated approach to ID Verification is faster to approve players, quicker to spot fraud, dependable any time of the day and scalable with peak traffic.

Technological improvements mean that facial biometrics can be done in seconds, just by smiling at your mobile phone’s camera. OCR Labs Global uses advanced image analysis and deep learning technology to verify any user by linking their face to their identity documents that are built to stay ahead of fraudsters, and remove the burden of identity verification and regulations (KYC & AML) for their customers.

Our deep neural network is built to detect pixel changes, deep fakes, screens, printouts and more – and it continues to learn new techniques in real-time. Using live video, it also determines the context of the face

shown and reviews objects and surroundings in the room – before, during and after a facial biometric check.

This means it’s frictionless for the player and it also reduces fraud substantially. OCR Labs is the only company to have all our own proprietary technology – every element of the process is built and updated by OCR Labs to meet the changing needs of clients and regulatory requirements around the world. An automated solution like OCR Labs removes the pressure and costs of manual teams, which are expensive to run, and introduce more opportunities for human error at every step. OCR Labs also frees up time for these teams, making it possible for the thousands of people performing manual reviews to do more valuable work to alleviate pressures like the amount of ID documents that need to be reviewed, and sourcing proof of funds.

The OCR Labs solution verifies 16,000+ documents in over 230 countries and principalities, and processes 142 languages and typesets – more than any other identity verification provider.

OCR Labs Global also meets the most stringent privacy, data protection, security, resilience standards and global digital identity trust frameworks - including iBeta, TDIF, SOC 2 and ISO 27001. If you would like to experience our technology for yourself, and see the change that fully automated identity verification is bringing to gambling, then please reach out to us at hello@ocrlabs.com. We’ll be present at SiGMA Europe or if you would like to meet in person just send us an email to organise a time at stand B79.

In focus: Habanero

Habanero is a premium slots and table games provider that is dedicated to delivering a thrilling casino experience. Every release features a captivating theme and combines it with the provider’s fine-tuned and world-class mathematics, resulting in immersive gameplay that promises hours of fun.

With some of the industry’s most talented and experienced designers, developers and mathematicians, Habanero is a trusted and respected brand that has all the knowledge on how to engage players across the globe.

The company offers more than 130 slot games, with a wide range of table and video poker games also available. With such an eclectic product portfolio, it’s no surprise as to why Habanero has become such a popular tier one studio across so many global regulated markets.

Habanero has quickly developed into one of the industry’s finest suppliers for slots and table games, earning a reputation for delivering titles that offer a consistent level of quality, as well as driving commercial growth for partners.

Led by a team that is passionate about creating quality games, Habanero’s mission is to bring the wonderful world of Habanero to as many players as possible. With each game design, Habanero pays great attention to the tradition of slots, respecting long-standing formats, but enhances these with exciting new game mechanics and features.

To heighten player engagement, Habanero blends a range of features and techniques to ensure all titles are enjoyed frequently and responsibly, while close attention to gamification allows the provider to deliver an interactive experience that can be enjoyed in both casual and competitive environments.

Offering a wealth of in-game bonus tools that further increase player interaction, such as Jackpot Race, Free Spins, Jackpot and Habanero UP! Launched to great fanfare last year, Habanero’s tournament tool UP! has proven a serious engagement-booster for operators, processing over one billion entries within the first two weeks of its release.

It can be hard to please everyone, but Habanero manages this with ease – this universal appeal and combination of designs and features is exemplified by its top 5 titles: Disco Beats, Hot Hot Fruit, Mystic Fortune Deluxe, Bomb Runner and Lucky Lucky.

Each of the top 5 titles feature a unique and carefully considered design that not only produce eye -catching visuals but allow players to fully absorb themselves in the latest release. For example, Hot Hot Fruit, presents a fresh take on the classic fruit slot offering, including an exciting Hot Hot Feature which doubles the value of symbols and gives players huge rewards, whilst the captivating Disco Beats sends players back to the retro era with an upbeat and high tempo format!

Every title also offers some impressive features, each of which gives players the chance to win large awards, including cash-prizes, free spins and a range of mouth-watering multipliers.

“Each of the top 5 titles feature a unique and carefully considered design that not only produce eye-catching visuals but allow players to fully absorb themselves in the latest release”

In focus: Digitain

SiGMA Europe 2022 is an excellent opportunity to meet industry friends and colleagues, and a great way to showcase Digitain’s superb portfolio of new, innovative products.

A successful iGaming company needs a secure and scalable foundation; Centrivo, our new, all-in-one, GLI-compliant iGaming platform, provides everything an operator needs to build a profitable, sustainable business, no matter where they are in the world.

Innovative features include: an extensive range of proactive responsible gaming options, a comprehensive back-office management and reporting system, an intuitive and flexible content management engine, a cross-product bonus tool and a globally rich payment gateway, boasting over 400 payment providers.

The latest cutting-edge technology, including AI and machine-learning, has been employed to deliver a highly flexible, customisable and scalable solution. Centrivo can now handle even more bets being processed – up to 10,000 a second.

Another exciting innovation we’re showcasing at SiGMA Europe is our new Live Casino, which brings all the emotions and experiences of a real land-based casino to the online world, and features a unique customer interface and a cutting-edge back-office system.

Broadcast from our own custom-built studios, Digitain’s Live Casino offers a luxury environment with Blackjack, Auto Roulette and European Roulette available; customisable and brandable tables, and quick and easy integration are guaranteed; focusing on true innovation, ensuring unique and differentiating gameplay experiences for the end user.

Another point of focus at SiGMA 2022 is our exciting, new Virtual Sports product, featuring Virtual Football, Virtual Horseracing and Virtual Greyhound Racing. These fantastic new games are definitely “Too Real to be Virtual!”

Partners taking our Virtual Sports can benefit from speedy integration and hassle-free customisation, with a wide range of game configurations available to ensure differentiation in target markets.

Visual customisations available include a wide range of templates, as well as the ability to brand and update stadium banners in real time.

With its ultra-realistic graphics, exciting sound effects and use of leading-edge technology, Digitain’s Virtual Sports deliver an unbelievable customer experience. For the World Cup, we’re adding a special virtual football cup competition, guaranteed to engage and entertain.

We’re also delighted to be showcasing our new Payment Gateway, a tremendous solution for our partners that has been integrated with over 400 of the leading international payment providers.

Providing a wide variety of payment processing solutions, we empower our partners to accept deposits, transfers and withdrawals for digital gaming, including card Payments, eWallets, bank transfers and Crypto transactions – giving players freedom of choice to perform online transactions safely, wherever they might be.

Finally,we will be showcasing our latest version of our GLI-certified, Sportsbook. A comprehensive, multi-lingual, omni-channel, customisable platform, with turnkey, iFrame API and bespoke API integrations available, our Sportsbook has a range of regional versions dependent on the customer location, including European, African, Asian and LatAm views.

Our Sportsbook team manages over 90,000 live betting events per month, from over 100 sports, covering 5,000+ international leagues – a terrific betting experience for players.

The upgraded Sportsbook also comes with a range of smart features to help operators protect and boost their revenues, including a margin management engine and an AI-powered risk management tool.

For this year’s World Cup, we’ve added a range of great features to our Sportsbook to help our partners and their players get the very best experience possible, including some new bonuses, some creative cashback offers and a fantastic World Cup game predictor plus a World Cup tournament, where players compete to get on a leader board to win prizes.

Our Sportsbook also possesses a sports data and stats portal, featuring live results from over 19 different sports, over 3,500 different championships, including over 50 different global football competitions.

Our Sportsbook solution includes a unique AI-powered personalised recommendation engine to improve the effectiveness of on-site customer communication, via a choice of online widgets.

We showcase our latest products at SiGMA Europe

In focus: FINNPLAY

How to win with a multi-platform strategy

Opening new markets presents a huge growth opportunity for established operators and new brands alike. It also demands strong know-how to ensure technical compliancy in new jurisdictions. Some operators choose to take the “go-it-alone” approach - opting to keep all their technical knowledge and expertise in-house. This strategy obviously has some advantages in terms of control, however, it is also costly up-front, requires continual maintenance and support, and can create greater regulatory risk, lost time-tomarket and other delays.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Every regulated market has its own unique requirements and technical challenges. For example, markets like the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Greece all require a form of Control Datase (CDB) - a specially configured reporting tool for local authorities. Each market’s requirements are different for the types of data, reports and availability - meaning a single solution does not cover all markets.

Other regulators impose strict marketing restraints, such as the multi-brand bonus limitations in Sweden. Operators with multiple brands on a single platform must ensure that players entering on one site are not able to receive multiple welcome bonuses from several different brands run by the same operator.

Limit setting, exclusions and other responsible gaming feature requirements vary widely from market to market. The same is also true for payment and game provider

offerings and local preferences. There can be restrictions on hardware hosting, with markets like Romania requiring servers be physically in the market, while other markets only require virtual machines hosted locally, and others have no such regulations at all.

COST VS REWARD

For operators considering jumping into a new market with their successful brand, there is more to consider beyond just getting the B2C licence. Technology that was built for one market does not simply plug and play into other markets. There are new features to build, local exclusion lists to integrate and maintain, plus dozens or even hundreds of other requirements that vary from market to market. The cost of upgrading current technology to meet new demands can be prohibitive. It is also time consuming, and often the money saved keeping technology in-house is easily lost in delayed time to market. There’s also the continual upkeep and maintenance to consider. Market regulations are not static - they are constantly evolving over time. Successful B2C operators want to focus on their core strengths –such as marketing, promotion and retention to find great players, keep them engaged and entertained.

WORK WITH THE EXPERTS

Finnplay is the Nordics’ most known and successful iGaming platform provider. Founded in 2008, Finnplay has been consistently committed to its core strengths of providing top-tier platform technology and

support to operators in regulated markets around the world, with a strong focus on Europe. Finnplay has offices in four countries and employs a team of more than 85 iGaming professionals including developers, QA technicians, compliance experts and support staff. Finnplay’s platform Titan is specialised in technical compliancy and the team excels in agile development, innovation and providing fast customer service.

Our slogan, “Strong enough to bend”, means that we have the size and experience to support the most demanding operators in the toughest markets, but are still flexible enough to tailor our solution to meet the unique demands of every operator. We specialise in:

• Responsible Gaming

• Compliance

• Customisation and localisation

• Agile Development

Currently home to 20 brands, Finnplay is a boutique provider. In an industry dominated by “big box” suppliers with a one-sized-fits -all approach to platform delivery, Finnplay distinguishes itself by offering a closer, more personal and customised approach. The company gives very personal attention to each and every brand it supports. This means that operators on the Finnplay platform can expect a close relationship with their development team, with solid communication and quick responsiveness and service.

To learn more about Finnplay, and how our expert team can help support your venture into new, exciting markets, visit our website to book a demo or talk with one of our market experts.

In focus: GameArt

GameArt is a developer of high-quality HTML5 slot games for both online and land-based casino operators in regulated markets. Backed by advanced technology, the games are compatible with various devices (desktop, tablets and smartphones) and require minimal loading time.

Slot game fans can appreciate the innovative concepts, designs, high-resolution graphics, array of in-game features – such as different game volatility variations – assortment of bonus wilds, multiplier symbols, free spin retriggers and much more. To offer an even larger variety of games, GameArt also often releases ever-popular table and fruit games.

The slot developer’s top-quality games are the result of a creative team that’s driven by the freedom to explore and develop new ideas, while most importantly turning them into reality.

Equipped with professional teams, from sales and customer support to dedicated account

managers, GameArt operates from offices in Slovenia, Hungary and Malta.

The account management team organises numerous network promotions with attractive prize pools and awards throughout the year – including campaigns devised exclusively for Italian casino operators.

At GameArt, staff thrive on an outstanding and positive team spirit, where everyone is given the opportunity to make their voice heard and encouraged to achieve excellence in their area of expertise. The team prides itself on its togetherness by means of its branded hashtag #WeAreGameArt.

Apart from online slots games, GameArt is also a producer of top-quality gaming machines; including multi-game machines, and electronic Roulette. All machines incorporate enhanced technology, eye-catching design and carefully selected materials. They offer the perfect solution for any land-based casino or gaming environment

as operators can easily configure their machines with a choice of GameArt’s high-quality slots from its growing portfolio of over 100 games.

“The account management teamorganises numerous network promotions with attractive prize pools and awards throughout the year – including promotions devised exclusively for Italian casino operators”

In focus: Relax Gaming

Relax Gaming is a leading supplier and aggregator of award-winning content including slots, jackpots, bingo and poker. Founded in 2010 with the goal of simplifying B2B content delivery for the modern iGaming landscape, Relax revolutionised business practices and brought about a streamlined way of working. With integrity at its core and differentiation in its DNA, the company propelled the aggregation integration process forward with Relax Apex® whilst driving differentiation through each of its casino verticals.

Now with Relax Rush, a full suite of promotional tools under its belt, the supplier succeeds in injecting an additional layer of creative and engaging elements to its quality content. Already in its second

month of operation, the functionality has been enjoyed industry-wide via the company’s initial exercise, the 1 Million Euro Dream Drop Campaign. The campaign hosts daily prize drops, weekly boosts, and frequent tournaments that have seen retention rates skyrocket across all Dream Drop Jackpot titles. The latter was another monumental release in 2022, a passion project that reinvigorated the jackpot space with monthly fresh content and big-ticket wins.

Dream Drop Jackpots hit the market earlier this year, and shook up the progressive jackpot vertical. Debuting with a fan-favourite top performer Temple Tumble 2, the title was off to a strong start, making its first Mega winner just a few weeks later. Since then, the

mechanic has already made its one millionth individual winner, and is celebrated for being the first to provide a guaranteed win functionality. With a constant hot-mode feeling, the product delivers a 11 high impact, high action, diverse offering that satisfies areas of the market which other jackpot products couldn’t satisfy.

Relax Gaming has grown exponentially in the past four years and has solidified its position as a premium game provider. This reputation was built off the back of key blockbusters, most notably the Money Train series. The latest and third instalment of the sequel saw record-breaking results for our operators and even garnered Bigwinboard’s first-ever 10/10 ‘perfect’ score. Money Train 3 was the most highlyanticipated game of the year and exceeded expectations on every count. With 14 wins of 100,000x bet in its first few days, the title delivered on its promises and demonstrated Relax’s approach to player feedback as a cornerstone of its production process.

However, Relax’s strengths lie not only in quality content and technology, but also rapid market expansion. Regulated markets are at the heart of the supplier’s growth strategy, seeking to provide content to players wherever they are. Relax currently holds licences in the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the Malta Gaming Authority, the Gibraltar Licensing Authority, the UK Gambling Commission and the Romanian National Gaming Office (ONJN). Colombia, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia also form part of the company’s fullysupported jurisdictions and are targeted through Relax’s own content as well as through its aggregated third-party studio partners from around the globe. With many more regulated market entries on the cards for the coming year, the future looks exciting for Relax Gaming.

In focus: Swintt

Established in 2019, Swintt is an innovative provider of online casino games that has swiftly carved out a reputation for itself as one of the most sought-after studios in the iGaming space. Characterised by a diverse senior management team that boasts over 100 years of industry experience between them, Swintt has leveraged this deep pool of talent to provide state-of-the-art content and game-changing engagement tools to help countless clients grow in a range of regulated markets worldwide.

BRAVING NEW FRONTIERS

Although a relatively young studio, Swintt has wasted no time whatsoever in expanding its global outreach to cater for both operators and players alike in a broad cross-section of countries. No better has this exponential growth been captured than in the past 12 months, during which the brand has received a number of regulatory approvals, while also making its debut in new up-and-coming markets.

Over the course of 2022, Swintt has established a strong foothold in the Netherlands – where classic titles from its Swintt Premium range have proved particularly popular among Dutch players – while also rolling out its portfolio of games in both the Latvian and Ukrainian markets. More recently, the brand acquired a coveted UKGC license, which will now enable Swintt to service operators throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, opening a number of exciting new doors for the studio.

SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE

Another key aspect of Swintt’s rapid rise to prominence has been the addition of the

SwinttStudios partnership program. A game -changing initiative that allows boutique software providers to develop and distribute titles within the existing framework. SwinttStudios sees the provider take over game logic and product delivery, leaving partners free to focus on the design and theme of their titles. This, in turn, streamlines production and creates a smoother creative process for all parties involved.

To date, two third-party studios have already begun to distribute titles through the SwinttStudios partnership program. The first was North America’s Fine Edge Gaming, who have developed and released two games via the platform – Stacking Bisons and Diego’s Hunt – with four more to follow before the year is out. The second was Japanese entertainment company, Samurai Studios® by NatsumeAtari, who will use the program to share an exclusive range of content with Swintt customers.

THE HITS KEEP COMING

Of course, what really helps Swintt stand out in the highly-competitive online casino industry is the brand’s ongoing commitment to game development and product innovation. This year, the company made its first foray into the world of branded content by launching The Crown starring Vinnie Jones – an action-packed video slot blockbuster that featured a star turn from the former footballer-turned-actor and philanthropist, while also boasting multiple base game locations and wild bonus features.

Another hallmark of the Swintt brand has been the pioneering range of titles in the studio’s Xtra Series. With these games

combining state-of-the-art graphics and sound with ground-breaking features that players won’t find at any other studio; highlights have included Rock N Ways XtraWaysTM, Mystic Bear XtraHoldTM and the studio’s most successful release to date, Aloha Spirit XtraLockTM. Not content to stop there, the studio has been back in the lab this month working on yet another Xtra Series title, this time the Halloween-themed Monster Disco XtraHoldTM, which will make its online debut on 26 October.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

For all these reasons and more, Swintt has already received plenty of recognition from its peers in the iGaming community – but the studio certainly won’t be resting on its laurels and counting the plaudits as it continues to move forward in 2023. Yes, the brand has already been the recipient of multiple gaming industry prizes and was recently shortlisted for the Global Gaming Awards’ prestigious Online Casino Supplier category, but why stop there when there are so many more opportunities to pursue?

Earlier this year, Swintt appointed former COO, David Mann, as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, with outgoing CEO, David Flynn, instead taking over operations at Swintt’s parent company, Glitnor Group. Now, guided by Mann’s steady hand, the brand will look to build on the incredible growth of the past 12 months by expanding into even more regulated markets including, Ontario, Romania, Italy and the USA. These expansion plans further cement its position as a true industry leader.

In focus: Campeόn

Campeόn Gaming is evolving

CAMPEÓN GAMING & VISION

For Campeón Gaming, 2022 was the year of ultimate success. Since the beginning of the year, we have adopted an innovative and efficient leadership and business strategy, which helped us grow rapidly and be among the top industry players in the iGaming industry.

With the huge celebration of our fifth anniversary, we marked our footprint in the iGaming market, proving that Campeón’s next step is only the beginning of a challenging, yet exciting journey. With more than 20 unique brands, three office locations, more than 100 team members, and 15+ awards and recognitions, we state that Campeón is here to stay!

These collective achievements started back in 2017 with a team of five people, who shared one core vision; to have a highly engaging and effective network of affiliates providing exceptional customer service and building trustworthy partnerships. Our vision became a reality because of our people and our valuable partners. Today, we are a dynamic, fast-growing network of 50 payment providers and 140 gaming providers. We remain sustainable by being flexible and adaptive to the needs of the iGaming industry.

The rebranding of Campeón Gaming showcases our evolution, as we are now established as a strong and confident player in the iGaming market, entering a new era and expanding into new markets.

This evolution is reflected in our new logo, defined by vivid corporate blue colors

highlighting both our Greek identity and that we are a trustworthy, dynamic player, transforming to the needs of the market. And this same attitude and purpose can be seen in our unrivaled iGaming solutions’ platform, positioning ourselves among the best. We reveal the true face of Campeón Gaming; the face of a Champion.

NEXTO GAMING – A PLATFORM MADE BY OPERATORS FOR OPERATORS

Nexto Gaming, our powerful in-house platform solution, is enhancing our presence in the iGaming industry. When the culture and operations of a company are focused on delivering an exceptional experience for users, that’s when true innovation and creativity rises. The tech team of Nexto Gaming, acknowledging that the iGaming industry does not always consider the needs of the users and the operators, entered this challenging industry by providing the ultimate iGaming solutions, customised exactly to the demands of the industry.

Our powerful iGaming platform for monitoring customer lifecycle and optimising the performance of an online brand, along with our tailor-made fronted portals, is powering up labels that deliver the best gaming experience, build trustworthy partnerships and offer excellent customer service.

Nexto Gaming is considered as the backbone of the technology and software used for Campeón’s operations; an in-house solution that has been developed for iGaming operators.

This technology plays a key role in helping us achieve our strategic vision and roadmap, set by the most competitive operators in the industry.

Nexto Gaming is an online gambling platform and services provider that offers the most engaging gaming experience within the iGaming industry, via our in-house product performance and operational excellence guarantee. Since we launched in the iGaming market, our experienced and passionate tech team has focused on delivering next-gen services and products to operators based on their needs, helping them upgrade their brands and platform. Word got out, and more and more partners approached us, in order to provide them with the services that meet their needs.

Our creativity, technological infrastructure, product performance, and customisable product features, are only some of the characteristics that differentiate us from other related companies. Also, Nexto Gaming helped us expand our footprint to different geographic areas, providing flexibility and stability to our services and products. As a consequence, Nexto Gaming met such growth in its users’ network, transactions and payment providers.

Nexto Gaming technology offers off-the -shelf software products and services for monitoring customer lifecycle and optimising the performance of your online brand.

A one-stop shop for iGaming operators that provides the technology stack needed to build, deploy and manage the most engaging and efficient gaming experience for your audience. Our strong product portfolio includes all casino, sportsbook, and virtual games verticals, along with reliable payment methods from trusted payment providers such as Fiat, Crypto, eWallets and local PSPs where applicable.

Growing bigger and stronger together, turns our evolution into a success story.

In focus: Gibtelecom

Gibtelecom, a global provider of data centre facilities, managed solutions and cloud services, launched a full suite of services from its latest ‘point of presence’ in Malta earlier this year. This cements Gibtelecom’s position as a trusted provider of co-location and cloud services (private, public or hybrid solutions) to the iGaming and wider business community, including financial services and communications.

Headquartered in Gibraltar, Gibtelecom currently offers an expanding enterprise portfolio of cloud hubs and hosting facilities in Gibraltar, London, Dublin, Malta, Isle of Man and Malaysia. Connected via a private global network, the company provides enhanced service capabilities spanning three continents. In addition, its Cloud Connect product offers direct access via a global private network to leading hyperscale providers, such as AWS and Microsoft Azure.

Gibtelecom is an established player in the carrier world, tailoring solutions across various sub-sea and terrestrial cable systems to meet requirements of international enterprises and carriers alike.

Connected directly to the company’s core network, Maltese businesses are now linked with operations in Asia, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as other leading tier one providers. With decades of experience servicing the iGaming industry, Gibtelecom’s services are fully compliant with Maltese gaming regulations, making it an ideal solution

for Malta-based operators. Built to Tier III specifications the data centre facilities are PCI and ISO:27001 compliant and connected to a redundant resilient global IP backbone.

With a rapidly expanding product portfolio, and a growing number of Points of Presence across the globe, Gibtelecom has fast established itself as an agile partner to its business customers, enhanced by industry -leading support SLAs, dedicated account managers and pre-sales consultants.

The extent and ambition of Gibtelecom’s operations, the diversity of its services and the critical demands from enterprise customers quickly identified the requirement for an advanced security platform. Cybersecurity is at the top of the agenda for many organisations and Gibtelecom is no exception.

Having signed a strategic partnership with global ICT and security integrator, Getronics, Gibtelecom customers are now benefitting from cutting edge Managed Security capabilities. The combination of Getronics’ 24×7 security service offerings, and the market leading managed services platform, offers Gibtelecom customers the peace of mind that their environments are being continually monitored by a trusted team of experts.

Gibtelecom Director of Enterprise Danny Hook said: “We had been preparing the building blocks for a Malta launch for some time to ensure that we were able to offer best in-class services designed to meet the needs of the industry. We’re excited for this latest

development to the Gibtelecom portfolio and all future connections this expansion will bring”.

To supplement its growing operations, Gibtelecom’s team has also gone from strength to strength over the past year, with significant expansion seen in the team headquartered in Gibraltar as well as the appointment ofe xperienced iGaming professional, Andrea Thorvaldsen, as its Malta-based Business Development Manager.

With an extensive background in telecommunications, paired with a decade -long career in the iGaming industry, including setting up a gaming operation in Malta, Andrea has worked with many leading organisations and regulatory authorities on the island.

She commented: “It’s really exciting to join an expanding organisation that provides global solutions for some of the world’s biggest iGaming brands. I look forward to working with the wider Gibtelecom team to support our clients with our world-class end-to-end solutions and providing truly tailored offerings to meet their requirements. Malta is a leading jurisdiction for iGaming and we can offer a wide range of services, with a global network designed to maximise performance and security; and a high performing suite of cloud services.”

For more information on all of Gibtelecom’s services, and to find out how your business can benefit from their global connections, visit www.gibtele.com/business or contact us at sales@gibtele.com

Launching services in Malta, with an expanded portfolio

In focus: Internet Vikings

Established in 2008 by two entrepreneurs & IT engineers Rickard Vikström and Victor Jerlin, with its headquarters in Stockholm, this Swedish supplier spent the past 14 years supporting industry growth by ensuring its clients’ limitless and rapid geographic expansion, security and ability to provide the best gaming experience possible.

Over the years, Internet Vikings, which started as a predominantly European company, has grown to become an international brand with representatives in seven countries (Sweden, Malta, the US, Ukraine, South Africa, Bulgaria and Poland) and data centres in multiple jurisdictions across the Americas, Europe and Australasia.

Today, its full suite of services includes, but is not limited to, iGaming Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Premium Cloud Hosting, Colocation, VMware Hosting, Managed Hosting, Replication

Server in Malta, SEO Hosting, IP addresses.

Committed to building IT Infrastructure that is designed for success, allowing its online gaming and sports betting clients to elevate their game no matter the territory or the area of expertise, Internet Vikings is continuously transforming and evolving its products.

Being customer centric. True partnership. Transparency. Flexibility. Expertise. The use of the latest technology. Speed of delivery. Affordablepricing. These are the key principles lying at the foundation of all the work Internet Vikings do. That is why key industry players from all over the world trust the company to handle their most valuable information and base their businesses on the services offered.

Our client portfolio includes Green Jade Games, Wunderino, Hero Gaming, GameLounge, Pariplay, PDX Slots and many others.

Internet Vikings is an award-winning ISO 27001 certified global iGaming & online sports betting hosting provider, delivering solutions to all industry related businesses worldwide with a special focus on the US market

In focus: SOFTSWISS blazing in Malta

The iGaming industry has become an attractive investment destination over the last few years. While new agile players are entering the market to move the goalposts, actors need to be more inventive and resourceful, as it is no longer enough to just release good products and act within client expectations. SOFTSWISS, a software developing company with solid experience in iGaming, knows exactly how to impress businesses.

Focusing on innovation and choosing reliable solutions complement each other amid rising competition in the market. The most important measure of choosing a casino platform is software reliability. If a platform malfunctions, no innovative feature will secure performance. The key to success is doing business with reliable vendors with industry expertise who are able to act quickly. SOFTSWISS is one such vendor.

SOFTSWISS can improve a reliable and wellperforming tool by adding innovative features. The SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, recognised and trusted in the industry, is continuously evolving to keep clients interested and help them unlock new business opportunities. Backed by state-of-the-art technologies, diverse bonus systems, tournaments and other compelling novelties, the products create a winning combination for iGaming brands. SOFTSWISS

takes an integrated approach and offers complete business solutions with a large set of tools to drive player activity.

The company provides a portfolio of cuttingedge iGaming solutions. The Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator and the Sportsbook Platform are what a client needs to launch a project from scratch. In addition, the software developer offers innovative high-end tools to help operators grow and succeed. For example, today operators need effective tools to retain players and increase their lifetime value. And the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator is a top choice to launch local or global jackpot campaigns.

SOFTSWISS does not simply follow industry trends to develop the best products – the company integrates them to fit the diverse client backgrounds and needs. To achieve this, the technology company conducts regular research, as it knows that outstanding business results depend not only on technical expertise but also on highquality services. By analysing the agenda and needs of iGaming leaders, SOFTSWISS is able to introduce winning solutions to score industry awards.

The company is currently strengthening its presence in Malta, winning the market with its hot and progressive offerings. Before the major iGaming event, SiGMA Europe, SOFTSWISS

has turned the streets of Malta into an open-air exhibition to give locals a closer look at its winning software products. In addition to the creative urban branding, the software provider has set up an original urban-style photo zone for creators of exclusive Instagram content. Others can enjoy pepper-flavoured desserts and try their luck in various activities spotted throughout the city.

The main idea of reinforcing the company’s presence in Malta is to light up the local market with a winning combination of blazing software products. SOFTSWISS is a progressive technology company capable of disrupting the market and boosting regional competition. The team is strongly convinced that the autumn activity will encourage local players to compete for potential clients. SOFTSWISS knows that its flaming presence on the island can set the region and the industry ablaze.

At the MFCC in Valletta, SOFTSWISS invites SiGMA Europe’s guests to the creative photo spot, where anyone can try finding the only yellow pepper among red ones. Afterwards, SOFTSWISS invites guests to visit its stand S17, which is located in the heart of the main exhibition hall. Company representatives are waiting for you in the concept zone with their hottest offers. Clients and partners will get exclusive gifts – limited-edition red chilli sauces that are the best seasoning for our blazing offerings.

Business development managers will be proud to outline the benefits of the Sportsbook Platform, demonstrate the advantages of the Game Aggregator and present new integrations. Company experts will be in Valletta to share their insights and vision for the industry.

In focus: Bombay Group

Bombay Group, part of Yolo Group, is redefining the future of luxury gaming experiences across a suite of B2B products. The company has been steadily expanding its portfolio in both the online and land-based sectors, as it builds for the next generation of casino entertainment

the player logs on from. It also offers a Chroma Key solution for clients looking to brand their own live casino tables and an advanced Green Screen technology that is responsive to gameplay.

NEW RULES

Bombay Live’s range of games is always expanding. It currently offers seven Blackjack tables, two Roulette tables, eight Baccarat tables, one Andar Bahar table and one Bollywood Stars table. As well as side bets and a dedicated lobby, tables are available with dealers speaking English, Japanese and Korean. Spanish and Portuguese tables will follow shortly.

It is an increasingly busy time for Bombay Group. During the final quarter of 2022, the Bombay Games brand will also launch new, mobile-focused Baccarat and Roulette titles. Meanwhile the HUB88 content aggregator continues to grow, with features including a business reporting mobile app, an in-built marketplace and a new games development kit known as The Wrapper.

The dream of a complete casino content solution is becoming reality.

LAND-BASED AMBITIONS

At the heart of its offering is Bombay Live. Powered by a collection of global studios, Bombay Live has been assembled by a team of industry experts who wanted to reinvent live casino. This includes a product that is playable on all devices (with an emphasis on mobile), featuring 24/7 support and available in 14 languages, with more to come.

Live casino is nothing new, but the way people enjoy it has been evolving for several years now and the space has been growing very quickly, even prior to the pandemic, but it was dominated by a handful of suppliers. With Bombay Live, the focus since the beginning has been putting the customer at the very centre of the universe.

All Bombay Live studios are state-of-the art with immersive 4K video quality, advanced video broadcasting and low latency, regardless of where

Alongside the classics, there’s also plenty of room for innovation across features, side bets and new gaming concepts. One area is game showstyle titles, and another is a recently launching title called Dragon Tiger. While the gameplay mechanics are similar to Baccarat, it also includes two unique side bets with in-game animations.

For many years, the focus for product innovation and development in live casino was on production quality and obviously that is still important, but great production alone isn’t enough to stand apart from competition anymore.

Bombay Live is finding ways we can push things further to create unique customer experiences. One great example is green screen technology. It’s used widely across the space, but we’ve recently built games where the green screen reacts to the outcome on the tables. It is a way of turning a previously static feature into something that adds to the overall experience of the games.

The Bombay brand is quickly becoming synonymous with luxury gaming, and not just online. Bombay Group is currently building a private members club and hotel with gaming rooms in Tallinn, Estonia, where VIPs can enjoy everything from a whisky bar to fine dining.

This means players can continue their online gaming in the real world, even playing with their preferred dealers while using their same wallet. It is about creating a seamless experience that continuously exceeds expectations.

The entire venue in Tallinn will be available to be white-labeled by partner operators who want to treat their VIPs, and ultimately the plan is to expand the concept into a global network, so players can enjoy the finest in live gaming wherever they are in the world.

Ultimately, Bombay is about a different type of gaming, where the player always comes first and genuine, user-focused innovation is a reality.

We hope you’ll come along for the ride.

In focus:

CT Interactive was founded in 2012 as the online brand of CT Gaming, a company with over 20 years of history in developing land-based gaming products. In 2021, CT Interactive separated from CT Gaming and is now a subsidiary of the public company, Telematic Interactive Bulgaria AD.

Since its inception in 2012, CT Interactive has grown as one of the leading online software providers globally. The company focuses on developing and supplying games for online casinos, while offering a versatile catalogue of over 200+ extremely successful games, available on every platform via mobile, desktop or tablet.

The games of CT Interactive are certified in over 17 markets and the company is additionally working to extend that number. Part of the company’s strategy is to regularly release new slot titles in order to create content that appeals to different types of players. The games are supported by various mechanisms and excellent mathmatical models. They are offered in different categories such as Classic, Adventures, Egypt, Asian, Myths, etc.

At SiGMA 2022, the CT Interactive team will present 20 new games that have just gained an MGA certificate. The list includes 20 Clovers Hot; 20 Roosters; Big Joker; Carats Whisper; Chilli Fruits; Dark Woods; FlufTails; Fortune Pig; Full of Luck; H7’s7’s X2; Lord of Luck; Mighty Moon; Monkey Sevens; Pick the Pig; Ramesses The Great; Three Nymphs; Win Storm; Moon Lord; Wizard Blizzard and Bombay Gems.

Although most of the 200+ games in

CT Interactive’s portfolio have proven to be customer favourites, a team of experts consistently work in order to improve the gaming experience. Three weeks ago the company incorporated new sound effects and music into its games. Because of that improvement, players are now able to enjoy their favourite games with a clearer and more enthralling sound system. The upgrade enhanced some of the most important sounds in the game, like spinning the reels, receiving a bonus and winning a prize. This shows the company’s goal to constantly upgrade its products.

strategy. The free spins are a way to encourage new sign-ups and increase a player’s desire to continue playing. Furthermore, they are a crucial part of the operator’s retention scheme, and an excellent way to encourage new sign-ups, while increasing player interest in the game.

Depending on the client’s promotional policy, the free spins could be given with certain conditions and used by players exclusively with the slot games included in the promotion. They could be offered with specific pre-set wagering terms as well.

Another excellent tool for player retention is CT’s Interactive Jackpots. They can be used for all kinds of customer segments, offering an additional chance to win, thus making them very attractive for both the player and the casino. The Jackpot concept provides operators with an excellent marketing technique for a higher level of entertainment. Two of the jackpots that CT Interactive provides are Mystery Jackpot and Hot Luck. In Mystery Jackpot, the operator can offer three different Jackpot levels, and the settings allow independent configurations for each of the levels in terms of credit contribution and prize limits. Hot Luck enables operators to offer exciting personalised experiences accompanied with their retention strategies. The jackpot mechanics give the opportunity to create massive acquisition by bringing huge engagement for players.

CT Interactive offers free spins with its slot games, and is available for operators to integrate as an extra tool in their player retention

CT Interactive is a company with extensive experience and solid achievements, and offers all components that a client would require to build a successful online casino brand.

“The company focuses on developing and suppling games for online casinos, while offering a versatile catalogue of over 200+ extremely successful games”

In focus:

WHAT IS BTOBET’S MAIN SERVICE?

BtoBet is a B2B-first iGaming provider, focused on providing operators with a scalable sportsbook solution that meets global regulatory requirements.

Its mission is to be the long-term partner of choice for operators in regulated markets, providing them with a secure, market-leading and tailored sportsbook solution. It gives players the best possible sports betting experience regardless of their location and the device they use.

This mission will allow BtoBet’s partners to claim their position as the number one sports betting choice in the market in which they operate. The company also provides operators with access to its leading sportsbook management solution, consisting of its in-house flexible risk management, product and offer creation, player risk management services, retail agent risk management services, support services and more. Its extensive Managed Trading Services (MTS) portfolio allows it to deliver a comprehensive, successful suite of sportsbook products to operators.

BtoBet’s experience and leading presence in key markets led to the company’s 2020 acquisition by Aspire Global, a leading B2Bprovider of iGaming solutions. And again in 2022, through NeoGames’ acquisition

of Aspire Global and all its subsidiaries, forming a group that offers the full iGaming value chain to customers. BtoBet now employs more than 180 people in four different offices, three of which are in North Macedonia (in Skopje, Ohrid, and Bitola), with the fourth in Rome, Italy.

CURRENT OPERATING MARKETS

BtoBet has delivered full turnkey sportsbook solutions in four continents, and currently serves over 20 partners operating over 60 brands worldwide. Its portfolio of partners includes Boyle Sports (the Netherlands), ITSP (Germany), Karamba (Denmark), BestBet24 (Poland), Betfair and William Hill (Colombia), FanDuel (Brazil), Logrand Entertainment Group (Mexico), the largest pan-African operator Premier Bet which operates in over 20 jurisdictions as well as ZEbet (Nigeria).

CERTIFICATIONS

BtoBet’s sportsbook solution is designed using industry-leading security practices and technology. Its Information Security Management System (ISMS) is ISO/IEC 27001 certified, and BtoBet received the GLI-33 Events Wagering System Certification earlier this year for its Sportsbook Platform.

The platform is also certified through the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden and the Netherlands’ Kansspelautoriteit.

This ensures that the sportsbook platform will protect the privacy and data of its customers and players to the very highest level. A security -minded approach and secure design principles are embedded at the core of the platform architecture providing operators with the required ease of mind.

STANDING OUT FOR ITS PLATFORM ROBUSTNESS AND EXCLUSIVE TOOLS

BtoBet’s market-leading sportsbook solution has a proven track record in processing large amount of data, bets, and transactions at peak times. This has been highlighted by its web services partner – Amazon Web Services (AWS) – in a case study which focuses on the performance of BtoBet’s sportsbook platform. Since working with BtoBet, the largest pan-African operator –PremierBet – has expanded its footprint to more than 20 jurisdictions. This is a testimony to the sportsbook platform’s technical robustness and scalability.

Furthermore, BtoBet has launched a set of exclusive and proprietary sportsbook tools based on advanced AI and ML, allowing for a more player-centric betting experience. These tools provide the answers to a lot of the pains which operators and their teams face on a daily basis. Through in-depthdata analytics based on a various elements – such as player betting behaviour, betting preferences, amounts deposited and staked amongst many other data points – operators would be able to increase the engagement of their players through a more personalised approach. They would also be able to recommend bets based on individual preferences or other trending events that would interest the player directly. Ultimately, through these data-based recommendations operators would be able to maximise their turnover by increasing the overall player activity, bet count, PLV and ARPU by leveraging their data and deliver personalised betting content.

Operators are also able to impove their player acquisition and retention through the use of free-to-play sports games, which further enhance the player activity and engagement. Additionally, operators can also engage new and returning players with high-quality and in-depth statistics-based news, automatically populating their sports betting sites.

The in-depth data analysis through BtoBet’s sportsbook tools also proves very handy in terms of protecting the operator against fraudulent behaviour, and the player themselves by avoiding betting patterns that could lead to problem gambling.

In focus: The Mill Adventure

What is your main service?

Our adventure started in 2019 on a mission to refine the efficiency of iGaming operations and redefine player experiences — through ingenuity, data and technology. In record time, we developed a powerful iGaming platform and pioneered advancements in the spaces of automation, personalisation and operational excellence.

Our platform boasts comprehensive features and solutions for the rapid, seamless launch of online casinos and sustainable success in iGaming. While our platform is already licensed in Germany, Sweden and Malta, and certified in the Netherlands, we are in the process of starting operations in other European regulated markets. Our partners can leverage an ecosystem of tools and features for Casino Management, Marketing and Promotions, Gamification, Business Intelligence, and Risk, Fraud & Payments, including innovations only found on our platform:

SMARTLOBBIES

Powered by artificial intelligence, SmartLobbies takes over the management of casino lobbies, from updating game libraries to creating content categories. Each player enters a world created just for them; a personalised lobby that features game recommendations, rankings and more, minus the manual effort from our partners.

BETPOOL

Betpool adds a much-needed social layer to iGaming — providing players the opportunity to play with their friends, others from the community, or even their favourite casino streamers. Players enjoy unique actions such as creating and inviting each other to join teams or groups, pooling funds and sharing

their winnings, chatting and livestreaming their sessions on multiple livestreaming platforms. With our platform, our partners can offer their players an extensive content portfolio across all verticals and a wide selection of reputable payment services. Furthermore, they can benefit from tools powered by our leading technology partners for Responsible Gaming, Customer Service, and the management of Content, Affiliates and Customer Relationship.

What makes you stand out?

We encourage innovation at all levels of the company and, with our team, we are able to take on big challenges and make a bigger difference in the industry. Our passion for invention and commitment to operational excellence allows us to offer our partners the following:

• Data- and Technology-Driven Innovation & Optimisation: Our product development and business decisions are supported by valuable

data and insights to ensure foolproof and profitable results.

• Compliance with New Markets:We successfully comply with the regulatory requirements of new markets, in record time.

• Scalability & Flexibility: Our platform is designed to scale dynamically with our partners’ businesses. Not only that, our features and tools were created with flexibility in mind so that our partners can conveniently customise their efforts to fit their target market and business goals.

• Quick Go-to-Market: We know that time is money so we make sure adopting our platform is a breeze for our partners, balancing fast delivery time with high-quality output.

What is your strategic outlook for 2023? Our commitment to continuous innovation means we are always on a journey toward an even better platform and solutions that ensure our partners’ success and continued relevance to their players. Automation and personalisation remain at the core of our ambitions to provide more meaningful and rewarding entertainment. Coming from its proven success in the casino vertical, we plan on expanding Betpool not just to increase player engagement and the level of entertainment but as well as the current market associated with the feature — we’re excited to maximise the potential of this feature!

Our recent success in entering the German and Dutch markets provides us with exciting opportunities; at the same time, we look forward to taking our iGaming adventure to the rest of the world, be it in Europe or new markets like the US. Ultimately, we aim to consolidate our position as a market leader, loyal to our selective approach toward the partners we work with.

In focus: Mate Affiliates

Late 2018: A good year for royal weddings and ambitious projects; Mate Affiliates was formed by a mix of industry experts and marketing enthusiasts. We started with one brand under one licence, catering to the casino and skill games audience.

Late 2022: seven brands and several licences later, Mate Affiliates is more than a promise, it’s a high-profile certainty.

We take great pride in more than our commercial success; we’re genuinely passionate about helping our partners.

SO, WHAT’S BEHIND THE NUMBERS?

Hard work first of all – to get results, you first have to understand the situation you’re in. This is why we’re taking a strategic view and ensuring long-term beneficial relationships: we believe success is a story that needs more than one narrator.

Innovation and the drive to succeed: the players we’re entertaining now are not necessarily the same players we started with in 2018. Whether it’s device optimisation, simple registration, a proper VIP touch, we’re constantly gathering feedbackand looking for opportunities not just to deliver but also to improve on the status quo.

Zet Casino, Oh My Spins, GreatWin, FezBet, PowBet, Casinoly and Winota are the brands currently under our charge. Four years seem like a short time but in the iGaming industry, reactivity and speed to action are key.

Our team focuses on a win-win relationship, so we ‘re offering exclusive bonuses, custom assets and a large degree of payout flexibility.

As an example, we’re offering USDT

(one of the most powerful asset-backed stablecoins) as a payment method for all partners working with us.

All the Mate Affiliates brands are mobile and desktop-friendly, so you can boost your income with the latest technologies available in the industry.

When we look to the near future, we focus on products that provide an increasingly better user experience for players, and new benefits for both current and future partners. If you want to take your earnings to the next level, reach out to contact@mateaffiliates.com and get help from your dedicated Affiliate Manager.

FANCY A MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACH?

Meet us at SIGMA Malta, stand S9, during the 14th and 18th of November.

Pragmatic Play is a leading game developer providing player-favourites to the most successful global brands in the iGaming industry.

Available through one single API, the award-winning developer offers a multi-product portfolio of engaging slots, live casino, bingo and virtual sports titles, as well as sportsbook, which are available in all major regulated markets, languages and currencies. Driven by a persistence to craft immersive experiences and responsible thrills, the team at Pragmatic Play consistently delivers best-in-class services to partners worldwide, with a dedication to create games that players love time and

In focus:

time again.

Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino gaming experiences are powering up new possibilities of play by offering twists on classic titles, transforming player favourites, and elevating the entertainment with new game mechanics to bring diversity of choice to operators’ casino lobbies. Highly engaging titles include the recently launched PowerUP Roulette™, Boom City™ and Sweet Bonanza Candyland™, all offering immersive gameplay, user-friendly UX and UI, and a host of fantastic features in an engaging gameshow-style format to delight players everywhere.

“TWIST, TRANSFORM AND ELEVATE - LIVE CASINOTO POWER UP NEW POSSIBILITIES OF PLAY”