SiGMA Issue 17

EDITOR'S NOTE

With such an exciting year ahead of us, what better way to get things off to a good start than to launch our first event of the year in Dubai. Home to innovation, its entrepreneurial spirit is hard to beat.

Our cover story for this issue features the husband-and-wife duo behind Globiance. Their interview, which starts on page 58, shares their vision for how they plan to turn traditional finance on its head.

We also took a look at the stories behind the Malta Week winners from our SiGMA and AGS Startup Pitch, the good ideas that started their journey and the future projects fueling their unicorn ambitions.

For readers joining us in Canada this June, Terry Debono, Partner at The Debono Group shares his thoughts on the evolution of Toronto’s gaming market. Read his interview on page 122.

That said, there are some thank you’s to give out. Firstly to SiGMA Group Founder Eman Pulis, whose fearless leadership has led this company to explore shores beyond its birthplace. Thanks also go to the team behind these pages, Maria, Kyle, and Darlene, to our photographer Robert and of course to Claire for taking the design of this magazine to new heights.

Hand delivered to various expos worldwide, executive lounges, embassies and government institutions. The magazine is also delivered by post to leading gaming and related companies worldwide. For information regarding promotion and advertising kindly email pr@sigma.world

Editor ريرحتلا سيئر

Katy Micallef

Senior Graphic Designer

رابك كيفارج ممصم

Claire Ahmouda

Photography روصملا

Robert Cuschieri

Arabic Adviser راشتسم

Sirine Mannai

Contributors نيمهاسملا

Kyle Galea

Maria Debrincat

Darlene Zammit

Sales تاعيبم قيرف

Marie Reyal

Lorraine Sammut

Elisa Martinotti

Zak El Maaroufi

Olha Kovalevska

Ayoub Hamdi

Renee Micallef Decesare

Claire

Kyle

ENJOY THE ISSUE!

Maria

Katy

Robert

ESPORTS TOURNAMENT

Taking place at the custom built Esports Arena in the SiGMA Dubai summit, the Esports Tournament brings international and local UAE teams together for a 2-day tournament. Following a series of online qualifiers, the second day of the summit will see the teams battle it out live for a lucrative cash prize.

ESPORTS CONFERENCE

The Esports Conference kicks off on Day 2 of the summit, with keynotes covering everything from how esports and blockchain can work together to the growing esports sector in the UAE. Expect a lineup of top notch speakers, such as Chris Nikolopoulas, the CCO of Betby and Berthold Glass, an entrepreneur at NFT Club.

at the ICE & LAC Booth

CONTENTS

FIRST

Malta Week’s SiGMA Pitch winners on their winning pitch.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Timothy Cullimore discusses an omnichannel approach to gaming.

KINGDOM OF SLOTS

Ali Atam on Videoslot's growing reputation as a one-of-a-kind entertainment destination.

THE

Globiance shares their vision for how they plan to turn traditional finance on its head.

LOOKING

Martina Hrabinska describes the 30-year journey that brought the SYNOT Group to where it stands today.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without prior consent in writing. Opinions expressed in SiGMA are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations.

Vasylyna Shyshova and Nikita Novikovskyi on their strategy of organic growth.

Oliver Debono discusses how emerging tech has ushered in a new age for online gaming.

An interview with Justin Fenech and Gordon Grech on what lies behind the Arkafort brand.

Slotegrator on guiding iGaming businesses along the road to success.

An interview with Emre Goktas, CEO & Co-Founder at Revpanda on all things marketing.

WHO’S

Get to know the key figures in the affiliate marketing and gaming scene.

There can be no doubt that Dubai offers unparalleled advantages when it comes to hosting a conference of this size and caliber - something we saw first hand when we successfully launched our first event outside of Malta last May for affiliation and emerging tech brands, AGS and AIBC.

Choosing to hold our first show of the year in the UAE was a natural decision. Dubai’s unique brand of business-friendly initiatives have continued to blossom, establishing the emirate as a leading destination for entrepreneurs with their fingers on the pulse of innovation. As a result, we’ve had to up our game - doubling the size of our expo floor from last year.

Looking to the future, the way forward feels full of possibilities and opportunity. With a vision of the future firmly focussed on innovation and technological advancement, the emirate continues to establish itself as a leader worth following, a nexus for the kind of investment and entrepreneurship that promises to define this era.

Drawing the leading figures in this sector, the expo aims to strengthen connections between policymakers, influencers, and investors, to spark good ideas to life, and to share knowledge. This coming together inspires the growth of this flourishing hub - attracting a new generation of entrepreneurs as the UAE continues to make its mark.

Later on in the year, we’ll also be launching an ambitious plan for several new shows, establishing a foothold in other regions envisaging a similarly bright future, such as Canada, before returning home for Malta Week in November.

Enjoy the show,

THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT DUBAI OFFERS UNPARALLELED ADVANTAGES WHEN IT COMES TO HOSTING A CONFERENCE OF THIS SIZE AND CALIBER.

Eman Pulis, Founder, SiGMA Group GP, Ikigai Ventures

Over 100 startups will be selected to showcase their products and initiatives throughout SiGMA-AGS events. Each startup will have a small booth at SiGMA-AGS surrounded by top investors and mentors. However, only the judges' top ten make it to the Pitch during the final leg of the Summit. Participants can increase their chance of being one of the top 100 by providing a 3-minute video-introduction upon participation!

SiGMA-AGS is not just a one-time event, but a holistic platform bringing investors and startups together under one roof, forging connections, and building long-lasting relationships.

STARTUP VILLAGE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE:

Brand Visibility: Free 1x1 booth including the cost of printing and furniture.

Premium Networking: Invitation to premium networking events during SiGMA-AGS.

Live Presentation: Startup Pitch presentation for ten finalists and meeting with investors on stage. PR and Media: PR opportunities through SiGMA-AGS's wide array of media.

Consultancy and leads: Free consultancy and potential leads from leading industry veterans. Building relationships: Personal connections to potential customers and investors.

FIRST OUT THE GATE

Fresh from their win at SiGMA Pitch, Racing Stars are front runners when it comes to putting responsible gaming front and centre of the sporting world.

Post win - how have things changed for Racing Stars, what are the next steps for the company?

Winning SiGMA Pitch and just being at the show in general has resulted in huge outreach from investors and B2B partners, which we are very grateful for. We are currently finalising our funding round, establishing our B2B partnerships and completing our development of the platform. We’re ready to take this potentially game-changing product to the global market this month.

You pitched quite a novel approach to responsible gambling - tell us more about the Racing Stars model and how it will level the playing field.

Responsible gambling is our core value. A whole day's play is just 1 token (£1 or less per day). By tokenizing the system it means every player is in the pool for the same amount and provides a whole day's entertainment for such a low stake. Our points scoring algorithm allows for unrivalled gamification and player engagement and makes it fun for both experts and novices alike.

OUR POINTS SCORING ALGORITHM ALLOWS FOR UNRIVALLED GAMIFICATION AND PLAYER ENGAGEMENT.

In your pitch you mentioned that responsible gambling was fundamentally flawed, that it lacked innovation and that it was facing an increasingly disconnected audience - how do you plan to tackle these issues?

We are approaching the market with a tokenized system which keeps players spend to a set level and keeps them in with a chance all day, which reduces the feeling of wanting to chase any losses. Most businesses are having to adapt their current models to try and prevent an existing problem, our model has been built so that the problem simply cannot develop.

The way our league systems work will keep players engaged with real-time updates throughout the race meeting/sporting event. This way you’re always in with a chance of winning, right up to the last race of the day and even if your first selections lose - it’s all-day entertainment.

MOST BUSINESSES ARE HAVING TO ADAPT THEIR CURRENT MODELS TO TRY AND PREVENT AN EXISTING PROBLEM, OUR MODEL HAS BEEN BUILT SO THAT THE PROBLEM SIMPLY CANNOT DEVELOP.

At the moment you’re focused on fantasy league horse betting - are there plans to crossover into other sports?

Yes, we will be working with partners on other sporting options and now have innovative offerings for football and cricket. Racing is in the name, but racing is just the start - it’s onwards and upwards from here.

Are you looking at any other markets outside of the UK in the near future?

There is demand for us to move into other territories and our team is putting together various licence applications and free-to-play proposals to gain a foothold in the key markets that we have identified.

Winning the pitch was a great way to end 2021how will you be kicking off 2022?

2022 will see our product fully launched and some really exciting media partnerships being launched by the end of Q1. We will continue to innovate across other sports and territories, whilst always putting responsible gambling first.

SELF-EXCLUSION IS THE NEXT STAGE WHEN IT COMES TO RESPONSIBLE GAMING BEING UNDERSTOOD AS A WAY OF PREVENTION.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

Responsible gambling has sat silently in the background for some time, and Simon is in agreement that although the industry has taken quite a while to acknowledge and appreciate the importance of this issue, the recent global health crisis has certainly helped spotlight the issue, in part due to the significant role the pandemic has played in the sector’s recent, rapid expansion.

This has resulted in some backlash towards the industry, nonetheless, Simon believes that this is the right course of action. Approaching gambling responsibly means we can work towards a sustainable business - and a sustainable market, not just for the companies but for everyone.

“Self-exclusion is the next stage when it comes to responsible gambling being understood as a way of prevention. The great thing about selfexclusion is that when it works you are able to very quickly stop any gambling opportunity in your path.”

Simon goes on to say that when there are habits connected to problematic gambling, self-exclusion alone won't solve them - it's therefore important to combine it with some kind of therapy.

There are a number of actions you need to take to follow up on, he says. The first option would be to exclude yourself from the operator that you have your account with, which can be done through the customer

SiGMA Magazine speaks with Simon Vincze, Sustainable & Safer Gambling Lead at Casino Guru about their responsible gaming and sustainability program.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR WITH THE GLOBAL SELF-EXCLUSION SCHEME IS TO CREATE STRONG CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THOSE SELF-EXCLUDED PLAYERS AND THE HELP ORGANISATIONS.

support agents, requested by email, or for instant action - through the panic button.

He does caution that exclusion from one operator does not extend to other operators.

“If they are not covered by the nationwide or the licence-wide self-exclusion scheme, then there is no way for them to find out about your self exclusion. So you can very easily just skip to the other provider and play there without anyone realising that you have a problem with gambling.

“The second stage is to exclude yourself from these nationwide or licensed wide schemes, which will cover all the licensed operators in your country. However, you are still exposed to those operators operating offshore. It's quite easy for people to skip to those areas."

CasinoGuru has an initiative that targets precisely this problem - a global self exclusion umbrella scheme. Operating globally helped highlight this deficiency, revealing that current initiatives simply couldn't compete on that kind of scale. The project is not without its pitfalls though.

Simon confirms that “the possibility of having the opportunity for players to be excluded from all operators on a global scale is an ambitious one, there are a lot of challenges to overcome.”

It is, he suggests - a movement of sorts, designed to generate attention and interest - primarily because this project will rely on a joint effort from all involved and cannot be undertaken alone.

“This is a collaborative project. It requires engagement from the operators and other subjects from the online gambling sphere in order for this to be functional.”

Simon also believes that in tandem with self exclusion there is a responsibility to make support accessible. Current self-exclusion

options and packages, which the players receive once they opt in, can be as different as night and day.

Some of them only offer basic advice on what you can do once you have self excluded, others are made in a more sophisticated way and actually give players options. The problem is, he says, is that the players usually don’t use them, especially if they aren’t in the right mindset for getting help.

“So what we are looking for with the global self-exclusion scheme is to create strong connections between those self-excluded players and the help organisations. It removes the barrier because they’re already there. I believe that this makes all the difference when someone reaches out. This is not being used in any jurisdiction yet, as far as I know.

I ask Simon where he sees the future of the industry heading - will there be increased social awareness and social responsibility?

“I believe so. It goes hand-in-hand with responsible gambling, because there are different perspectives that you can look at. It is seen, most of the time, as a form of prevention. However, once you are behind the line of prevention and you already have some issues, responsible gambling just goes away and solving that problem goes into motion. So that's where social responsibility comes in - where if you see something harmful happening, you're in a position to do something about it.

This is the responsibility we are looking for. And I think that this is the right direction in order for it to be sustainable in the future."

As he explains, there needs to be a shift in perspective. We need to get to a point where the public sees gambling as a legitimate form of entertainment, which has some possible risks associated with it, and considers these risks before playing.

THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PLAYERS TO BE EXCLUDED FROM ALL OPERATORS ON A GLOBAL SCALE IS AN AMBITIOUS ONE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME.

AFFILIATE PROGRAM OF THE YEAR!

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

London Gaming's top management has served as a trusted advisor and consultant to land-based and online gaming companies. Maria Debrincat joins Timothy Cullimore, Operations Director for London Gaming, who is an expert specialising in gaming operations bringing over 10 years of experience to the table, to discuss the omnichannel approach to gaming.

Land-based gaming has cultivated a reputation as one of the most difficult verticals to run, especially during the pandemic. What's your take on this?

Like all sectors of the entertainment and hospitality industries, the slowdown during the pandemic has been catastrophic but some operators have weathered the storm better than others. It is also heavily dependent on which jurisdiction it is situated in. The best have been the ones where they have been able to stay open the longest.

Continuity is key for the business and for the clients. I foresee the casinos which managed to remain open the most during the lockdown will come out of it the healthiest. The clients will be thankful to have had a venue to visit and this will create durable loyalty. It has been very hard for managers, often not knowing if they would have enough staff to open the gaming floors and restaurants.

Equally full attention to social responsibility programs have been very important during the pandemic as many players didn’t have the same levels of income than they had before and had more time on their hands to visit the casino, but conversely, at least here in the U.K., the incidences of problem gambling seem to have dropped.

نينتمم ءلاــمــعــلا

اذه هاجت ءلاولاب نورعشيسو هترايز ،نيريدملا ىلع ةياغلل ةبعص تاقولأا تناك ام نوفرعي مهدجت

CONTINUITY IS KEY FOR THE BUSINESS AND FOR THE CLIENTS.

What would you say to the companies that have been overlooking land-based gaming?

I have spoken about this before and have advised some online operators about widening their product base to include land-based live gaming. I predicted that the more adventurous online operators would move into land-based to have a bricks-and-mortar showcase for their products, which they have done.

As the move to online live gaming advances, it is logical to have your own live gaming to use instead of a faceless studio. This gives a lot of confidence to players who know that if they wished, they could visit the actual site where the games are being held. Providing the land-based operation is in a well-regulated jurisdiction there are no downsides.

Just make sure the management team is very experienced, running a successful online operation is not an education for managing a land-based casino as there are variables that do not exist online. The opportunity for cross-marketing is also very valuable, and as always casinos have a unique and exciting atmosphere that can never be replicated online.

Strangely I think it is strategically easier for online operators to move into land-based operation than the inverse. What they may not know about the daily nuts and bolts of the industry is outpaced by their far superior knowledge of marketing and swift adaptability.

What do you think the future holds for land-based gaming operators?

This is like asking what the future holds for cinemas or guitar-based rock music. Over the years we have been told that first VCRs, then streaming services would kill off the cinemas, especially after the pandemic, but now we see that cinemas are as popular as ever. They have revolutionised their product with better seating, sound and images, online booking, and superior food and drink offerings, with some serving gourmet food at the seats

People want experiences. So, I see a bright future for land-based casinos, providing they offer a great product, take their duty of care to both players and staff seriously, embrace the need for transparency in the transactions with players, and continually evolve to meet the ever-increasing demands of the clients. Despite everything we have been through Vegas is posting some of its strongest interim results ever. You can have all the fun you want playing slots, poker, or live games in your pajamas at home, but nothing beats the feel of a real casino.

I SEE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR LAND-BASED OPERATORS, PROVIDING THEY OFFER A GREAT PRODUCT.

KINGDOM OF SLOTS

Since its launch, Videoslots has quickly earned the industry's reputation as a powerful brand name with a fantastic game selection offering a one-of-a-kind entertainment destination. In this interview, Maria Debrincat speaks with Ali Atam, Chief Marketing Officer at Video Slots, about the brand and its purpose.

OUR BUSINESS IS GROWING, AND THAT PRESENTS PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO ARE EAGER TO BUILD THEIR CAREER WITHIN VIDEOSLOTS.

WITH A STRONG PRODUCT AND DEDICATED TEAM, WE ARE WORKING ON DELIVERING THE BEST POSSIBLE GAMING AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO OUR PLAYERS.

As the name of your brand suggests, you've carved out a niche for yourself in the online slots market. Tell us more about your company.

Videoslots was founded back in 2011. Just over ten years later, we now work with over 180 game providers and have the biggest selection of casino games of any online operator in the world. We recently launched our 7000th game and continue to add more and more quality titles every day. Besides the largest game selection available to players, Videoslots is the home to a good number of industry-first innovative gamification tools, such as the ‘’Battle of Slots’’ and the ‘’Wheel of Jackpots’’.

We are currently licensed in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Malta whilst we are working towards obtaining new licences in the near future. With a strong product and dedicated team, we are working on delivering the best possible gaming and customer experience to our players.

Do you find Malta convenient as your Head Office location, or could you quickly relocate to another country?

Malta being a gaming hub has a lot of advantages for us so, yes, I would say I find it very convenient. As many of our business partners and providers are also located on the island, it makes it very easy for us to have face-to-face contact and meetings without the need for travel. I personally believe Malta will continue to be an important hub, being a bi-lingual and safe country but also having good infrastructure. As an employer, we are able to find good talents in Malta and we have also opened our Stockholm office in order to expand our reach in new talents.

Tell us a little bit more about your recruitment process and retainment of recruits. Do you provide opportunities for employees to expand their skill sets through training and coaching?

At Videoslots, we believe in a fair and fast recruitment process, a friendly but professional interview experience and effective onboarding. In this industry the competition to find good people is fierce. As a result, we are always looking to diversify our sourcing channels. We automate where it is possible, and we analyse our data to identify what can be improved. Our business is growing, and that presents plenty of opportunities for those who are eager to build their career within Videoslots.

In 2021 we promoted 75 employees, the equivalent of 33% of our total employees which is a great achievement and a significant boost to our retention rates. We offer a wide range of opportunities for our employees to grow and learn. With so many of them coming from so many different countries, backgrounds, industries, cultures, we emphasise to our managers and leaders that there is no one way to learn.

In our Operations teams, we have dedicated trainers. We also expect our managers to follow up on the individual needs of our employees, through regular check-ins to make sure their personal development is on track.

What are your takeaways from your time working with a major company like Videoslots in the industry?

I have worked for Videoslots for over 5 years now and I have been lucky to work with some talented individuals during this time. If I mention a few takeaways, I could say:

- Communicate and learn from people.

Whether it’s your team member or another department, regardless of title, always listen to their new ideas and be open to communicating with your colleagues.

- Don’t be afraid to try new things.

Things might not go as planned at times, but you will never know if something is going to work or not unless you try. And if you don’t try, you will never learn.

- Be accountable.

Instead of complaining and blaming others for failure, have accountability. Learn from any mistakes and move on.

What's in store for Videoslots in the coming year?

2022 will be a very busy and interesting year for us. We have plenty of ideas and projects in development right now. While keeping our strong presence and innovation in the casino vertical, we will be working on pushing our Sportsbook which we launched last year.

We are also very close to launching our social casino app which will help us reach a new audience in several new markets. Moreover, we have a very exciting project on the land-based side of the industry which we are working on and expect to launch closer to Q4.

2022 WILL BE A VERY BUSY AND INTERESTING YEAR FOR US. WE HAVE PLENTY OF IDEAS AND PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.

INDEED,

THE MOST

CRUCIAL

ASPECT

OF LOCALISATION IS THE TARGETED CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.

THE ART OF LOCALISING CONTENT

Localisation aids in fueling international business expansion. In this article, Maria Debrincat, SiGMA Group’s Content Manager, delves deep into the importance of translation and localisation in the context of content and marketing alike.

For many firms, expanding globally is a tried-and-tested true growth strategy but the production of high-quality content that is specifically tailored to local audiences in numerous markets entails a lot of time, skill, and effort. As Anthony Burgess succinctly put it, “translation is not a matter of words only: it’s a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.” Indeed, if an AI tool to convey a message in another language is enough, translators would not be needed, which is not the case.

Relying solely on machine translation may stem the loss of potential international clients. However, utilising machine translation can occasionally result in confusion, as a single phrase can take on a whole new meaning in a different language. If the wrong terms are used, brands may end up with unappealing product descriptions. We may get lost in translation when trying to grasp seminal works translated from the original language since some of the original meaning, intention, or play on words can be understood only in the context of the original language it was written in. This is where the concept of localisation comes in.

Translation is just a small part of the localisation process and people tend to mix the two notions, erroneously believing that localisation is simply a translation process. However, localisation is more than that. Indeed, the most crucial aspect of localisation is the targeted cultural environment. Unlike translation, which simply changes content from one language to another, localisation goes a step further in making content culturally meaningful, thus giving your company’s website or products a competitive edge.

This proves to your audience that your business understands and genuinely relates to its clients’ desires and demands. Georges Simenon describes the concept of localisation as the most personal form of customer relationship. Regardless of the type of business you run, customer satisfaction is a critical component of success. Ignoring cultural context could seriously harm your business as it can stand in the way of breaking into those areas you have targeted.

In this respect, Netflix, the American subscription streaming service and production company, is a good example of the successful adoption of a well-thought-out localisation strategy. Indeed, it has made international expansion a priority in maintaining its current level of success. Its exceptional achievement worldwide can be attributed to its successful localisation strategy. On the one hand, Netflix concentrates on creating authentic local language content by generating it expressly for those specific markets, and on the other hand, it assists films and television series in bypassing traditional gatekeepers, such as Hollywood, in order to reach global audiences through translation into local languages.

Localisation helps you build trust with your audience. Back in 2010, the app was only available in the US, today Netflix’s international streaming revenues exceed its domestic revenues. Viewers around the world are becoming more open to searching out the best entertainment experiences. The staggering international success achieved by Money Heist (a Spanish production), Squid Games (a Korean production), and Lupin (a French production) bears witness to the crucial role played by localisation strategies in promoting international success.

When you learn that just 20% of your potential worldwide audience speaks English, and according to a global consumers’ survey across 10 countries 60% rarely or never buy from English-only websites, you realise you have a lot of ground to cover and you may well realise you can do worse than reconsider your global expansion strategy. 50% of all Google searches are in languages other than English; locally tailored content receives six times more engagement than articles intended for a global audience.

Crucial data provided by NewsCred concludes that 72.1% of the time consumers view websites in their native language and 56.2% of respondents polled stated they would be willing to pay more for translated product or service information. When you take into consideration iPhone apps in China supporting these stats, you may well note that 92% of the most popular and highest-grossing iPhone apps in China are written in Chinese and bear Chinese names.

Having translated text on your site offers a significant SEO benefit. When you target a specific market overseas, having local language keywords will help you rank higher in that region's search results. In addition, the more foreign keywords you include on your site, the higher your domain authority and ROI will be.

Traffic analysis is key to ensuring an appeased target audience. To that end, language is of the essence, and different markets engage with the internet differently. Be aware of how you want your brand identity to look and feel internationally for a powerful outcome and a driven guaranteed result.

REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF BUSINESS YOU RUN, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF SUCCESS.

نيكلهتسملا ةدهاشم تقولا مهنإ اوــلاــق تاــعلاــطــتــسلاا يــف نيكراشملا نــم %56.2و ،ملأا ةمدخلا وأ جتنملا تامولعم نوكت نيح ديزملا عفد ىلع نولبقي ىرتس ،نيصلا يف نوفيلآا تاقيبطت يف رظنت نيحو .ةمجرتم ةبوتكم

LOCALLY TAILORED CONTENT RECEIVES SIX TIMES MORE ENGAGEMENT THAN ARTICLES INTENDED FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.

REINVENTING SPORT WITH VISION

Representing the vanguard of deep tech in sports betting, ReSpo.Vision's CEO Pawel Osterreicher speaks to Kyle Galea on their use of cutting-edge technology to disrupt the athletic world and bring about a new age of sports gambling.

Today, the sports betting industry does not utilise the full power of available data and technology, which results in limited insights and suboptimal customer experience for a casual punter. It still has some brick-and-mortar feel to it: walls of texts, limited visuals and add-ons, very few insights, and no engaging content. ReSpo.Vision is here to change that.

As a Deep Tech company, we’re aiming to introduce the world of sports betting to the AI & Web3 era. Using bleeding-edge AI and computer vision algorithms to capture detailed 3D positional data (20+ players’ body parts in 3D) from any sporting event, we use this novel approach to revolutionise the betting and viewing experience for our clients. Our system captures 150 million data points per game, in real-time, and is more accurate than any multi-camera system or manual annotator, proving that AI-based systems aren’t just changing the game of business, they’re changing the world of sports.

AI-BASED SYSTEMS AREN’T JUST CHANGING THE GAME OF BUSINESS, THEY’RE CHANGING THE WORLD OF SPORTS.

ReSpo.Vision’s technology has significant potential to disrupt the gaming industry, as it allows us to automatically capture extremely detailed data on sporting events and turn that data into unique products that have been never seen before in the industry. Currently, we have two flagship products in our offering: 3D LIVE Game Tracker and Betting Hints.

RESPO.VISION’S TECHNOLOGY HAS SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL TO DISRUPT THE GAMING INDUSTRY, AS IT ALLOWS US TO AUTOMATICALLY CAPTURE EXTREMELY DETAILED DATA ON SPORTING EVENTS AND TURN THAT DATA INTO UNIQUE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN THE INDUSTRY.

The 3D LIVE Game tracker is a step up from any of the current static game trackers available in the market. We are the only company in the world to be able to visualise a football game so close to the actual TV broadcast, giving sportsbooks and betting affiliates a very powerful customer engagement tool. We provide a next-gen match viewing experience of any live game from top European leagues, allowing the user to freely move the camera around the pitch and even watch the game from through the players’ eyes.

With Betting Hints, we are one of the first companies that combine traditional statistics, predictive analytics, and users’ behaviours analysis (all that using our proprietary AI-based selection engine), thus providing sportsbooks and betting affiliates with highly relevant insights that stimulate punters to place more and higherstake bets. Instead of browsing through thousands of available bets, the user is prompted with a short selection of bets, carefully crafted and picked according to his unique profile and preferences. All of this, in multiple language versions, covers a wide variety of markets in many popular sports.

If you are a virtual games provider, we have got you covered as well. With our extremely detailed positional data and player models, extracted from tens of thousands of historical matches, you can enrich your game engine with the natural motion of any human player. This will make your game look and feel as natural as in a real broadcast, including all players’ signature moves and dribbles!

Our unique data acquisition capabilities help our customers from the sports betting industry drive customer engagement, maximise retention, and increase acquisition. Our data, insights, and visualisations make people feel more informed, engaged and provide a rationale for betting decisions.

In summary, we build sportsbook solutions at the forefront of the AI / Web3 revolution.

THE DATA REVOLUTION IN SPORTS IS LONG OVERDUE. IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO WATCH THE GOAL REPLAY THROUGH THE EYES OF THE GOALSCORER. WELL THAT’S BASICALLY WHAT WE DO, THANKS TO DEEP LEARNING & COMPUTER VISION.

PAWEL OSTERREICHER CEO of ReSpo.Vision

WE ALSO PLAN TO ENSURE THAT THE INDUSTRY ACTS AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE THE WELLBEING OF THE MALTESE PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT GOES BEYOND SIMPLE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

FROM SPORTS BOOK TO SPORTS CAPITAL

In an interview with SiGMA, Maltese MP Hon. Jean Claude Micallef spoke about his vision for an economic system that prioritises the mental and physical health of the Maltese people with the iGaming industry serving as a key pillar.

With just over two years in Parliament, the Labour MP has been a pro-active powerhouse when it comes to innovative ideas from both an economic and social point of view. Following an 18-year career in the broadcasting and marketing industry, Hon. Micallef is surely not camera shy and while till to date he sits on the backbench, some of his ideas have been under the spotlight. SiGMA caught up with Honourable Micallef for a quick Q&A:

The gaming industry acts as a pillar of the Maltese economy and as a government we’ve set the stage for the industry to flourish as much as it could both on the island and internationally. We’ve done this in a very holistic way by both creating an ecosystem that empowers creative entrepreneurs which are the lifeblood of any sector and by ensuring that the growth of this sector is also reflected in the living standards and wages of the Maltese people engaged in the industry.

This being said, we also plan to ensure that the industry acts as a tool to improve the well-being of the Maltese people in a way that goes beyond simple corporate social responsibility. The way I envision this is a presence that is not only economic or financial but also social and even cultural.

Which competitive advantages does Malta have both as an island and as an economy to attract and grow a native gaming industry?

Malta’s strength doesn't lie in its size but rather in its culture and initiative. The island has become a hub of innovation and iGaming industry mainly through its proactive approach when it comes to attracting talent and in creating a culture of acceptance and enterprise. We see people’s potential rather than their circumstances and always seek to provide the perfect platform to allow our creatives to reach their aspirations.

Beyond this, we’re also blessed to say that Malta is the perfect place to enjoy a safe and secure lifestyle with convenience at hand. What we lack in size we make up for in vision and energy. The island’s history of always fighting for survival has also made us quite ambitious when it comes to our place in the global economy and the impetus to better ourselves.

So what's your vision for a Maltese iGaming ecosystem that still feeds back into the island’s society and how does sports factor into this?

I’ve always seen the gaming industry as more than just a tool for entertainment and job creation but also an economic engine that can drive several initiatives beyond just the more direct issues of employment and funding. During this legislature, I have heavily advocated for the creation of a Ministry of Sports. It would be a vital step in elevating sports as a major topic in its own right. So far, we’ve been used to just a Parliamentary Secretary responsible for sports with not enough momentum on this subject to really give the issue the attention it needs. The Prime Minister’s recent stance of elevating sports with education to a ministry, is a step in the right direction.

We also need to tackle the misconception that sport is just a hobby. Health is one of the most important aspects of the wellbeing of a population, both in terms of quality of life and in terms of economic wealth since our healthcare system is socialised. With mental health becoming a major issue to tackle following the pandemic effects and Malta being a leader in obesity and heart problems amongst EU member states, there’s no time left to keep looking the other way. Let’s take the bull by the horns.

You proposed a Common Sports Policy to the Future of Europe Conference and in the Maltese Parliament you have proposed a number of initiatives. What’s your strategy towards Sport?

We need to segregate Elite Sports from Lifestyle Sports. The dynamics are different and so is its’ financial sustainability. Yet this will transfer to a shift in mentality where we delve away from mediocrity and strive towards excellence in terms of self-respect, benchmarks and standards. We have athletes who are registering international success yet as a nation we believe that the Small Nations games

are our benchmark. There were times when we stirred away from financial services and the iGaming industry until we decided to hit the ground running. The numbers speak for themselves and the trickle effect on the Maltese economy is felt by many. In terms of action, I advocate that a portion of the revenue made from sportsbook, which is one of the most cash positive sectors of iGaming, be redirected towards the sustainability of elite sports initiatives.

Now, I believe the time is right for us to not only stop at bettering the economy but shifting our focus beyond just the bottom line but to also include the aspects of society that heighten our quality of living such as the arts, the environment and exercise. One of these key points is the possibility of pushing forward an initiative to register children aged 5 to 15 in a sports club which would go a long way in creating this culture of healthy living.

This will not only create a sustainable industry in terms of jobs but also builds competitive, healthy and confident up and coming generations.

It is a revolutionary measure. Did you receive any criticism?

The kind of criticism received was the exact matter which we need to fight as a Government to improve our society. it's might be revolutionary for a Mediterranean island but its the norm for Scandinavian countries. Standing still is not an option, neither for me as a politician nor for anyone who must better oneself.

The proposed measure is aimed precisely at those who aren't sports lovers - and by sports lovers I don't mean people who follow a match in front of a couch drinking beer. We need to better our society by investing in ourselves from an educational and health aspect. It’s useless having a wealthy income and a mediocre lifestyle. Change always encounters resistance, yet the results will be enjoyed by everyone.

So, this brings us to our last question. Do you see any interesting developments for Malta as a whole on the horizon?

Well, Malta has established itself as a leader in economic growth and in safeguarding its citizens both in terms of health and in terms of employment during the pandemic. It says something that we’ve registered the lowest ever unemployment rate and the highest ever amount of promises of sales this very year, when other countries have struggled and are struggling in terms of employability and cost of living. The future for the Maltese islands is blooming. While the General Elections are on the horizon we need to optimise our efforts in developing a society that moves towards a value of money attitude, where the quality of life isn’t assessed by just money in our pockets but by investing in cultural, well-being and health standards. Being dynamic in creating new industries, becoming leaders in carbon-neutral living and addressing mental health, sexual education and waste management are amongst the major challenges we need to focus our energy on developing a better Malta.

WE ALSO NEED TO TACKLE THE MISCONCEPTION THAT SPORTS IS JUST A HOBBY.

In an interview with Kyle, Entain’s own Head of Gaming Innovation Matthias Ciappara speaks about how his company values, philosophy (and admittedly fantastic taste in music) keeps them ahead of the pack.

THIS DRIVE IS ONE OF HUMANITY'S BEST ASPECTS AND POTENTIALLY ALSO ONE OF OUR CURSES, AN AMALGAMATION OF DOPAMINE, SEROTONIN AND MAYBE A BIT OF SOUL.

"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." Human drive and ambition continuously drive us to constantly advance and grow while also being an incredibly catchy lyric from Daft Punk. Both on a personal level and as a species, we always strive to push our limits and frontiers, evolve and adapt, create, and innovate.

This drive is one of humanity's best aspects and potentially also one of our curses, an amalgamation of dopamine, serotonin and maybe a bit of soul. It allowed us to create technology that no one would have ever imagined, explore outside of our confined spaces, even outside of our own planet, and create a genuinely hyper-connected world. Consider for a second everything you touch or see, even everyday items like your phones, a result of the work of hundreds of thousands of people working together in parallel behind the scenes. Each person is being unique and brings a different perspective that none of this would have been possible without even one.

It's remarkable. We are remarkable. What we all manage to accomplish together as humans is indescribable. But none of this would have been possible if we didn't work together. If we didn't take the best out of each and every one of us, the creatives, the technologists, the doers, the shakers, the makers.

Our challenge has always been how to connect people together to bring forward the best in each and every one of us under one vision and goal. It is something that we at Entain take incredibly seriously, bringing a mix of brilliant minds from all around the globe together to work on creating a new-age entertainment for our players.

One key way of managing this is to start with the 'Why'. Why does it matter, to us, to our players, why should people care, and why should you care? This is the foundation of connecting people through a vision and truly understanding where and what we want to achieve. Once this is aligned, everyone can start looking into ‘how’ we can achieve it. Each person utilises their perspective and expertise to create ideas and strategies to make a vision an actual reality.

As leaders, our job is similar to the conducting of an orchestra. Not to be able to play every instrument but to create an atmosphere and culture in which every team member can shine together to create a perfect symphony. To create a new generation of products and features that our players will love.

Our passion for delivering this is one of our cornerstones as a company. To truly innovate, we must first accept that what we have been doing is potentially wrong. There could be countless possibilities of how we can improve and do better, and that thought alone is exhilarating.

This drive is one of humanity's best aspects and potentially also one of our curses, an amalgamation of dopamine, serotonin and maybe a bit of soul.

As we continue to progress into a brave new world, our mission remains the same. We are Entain and what we do is for the love of entertainment.

OUR CHALLENGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HOW TO CONNECT PEOPLE TOGETHER TO BRING FORWARD THE BEST IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US UNDER ONE VISION AND GOAL.

THERE COULD BE COUNTLESS POSSIBILITIES OF HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND DO BETTER, AND THAT THOUGHT ALONE IS EXHILARATING

ACCELERATING GLOBAL GROWTH

The global gaming markets are regulated at the national level by legislation established by national legislatures. The extent and reach of national legislation differ from country to country.

Covid has played a role in accelerating the process of certain countries legalising or being more open to gaming worldwide. Here we see the latest major gaming trends which took place worldwide and an outlook of some of the regulatory developments set to take place in 2022.

CANADA

Gaming is becoming increasingly popular in Canada, and the sector shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The single event betting code was revised in Q2, '21 after more than ten years of effort, to abolish prohibitions on betting on single events. In February 2022, the first licensed operators were allowed to begin operating in Ontario.

UNITED STATES

In October 2021, Connecticut kicked off online casino and mobile wagering offerings. In January 2021, Michigan established online sports betting, with New York following suit on January 8, 2022, after which in-person betting kicked off in 2019. According to the American Gaming Association, 2021 was the highest-grossing year in the history of the US commercial gaming sector, with $53 billion in revenue. 2022 might see newcomers, Illinois and Indiana, also legalise online casinos.

UKRAINE

After more than a decade of prohibition, last year saw Ukraine legalise gambling as part of a larger drive to bring this industry out of the shadows and enhance government revenue. In early February 2021, the first gambling licenses were issued.

This year Hungary’s parliament introduced new online gaming legislation that unlocked the market to private online operators, bringing an end to the prevailing state monopoly on sports betting.

TANZANIA

In terms of GGR, online casinos were the fastest-growing gaming activity in the financial year 2018/2019. Their GGR increased by 97% from the previous year to TZS 13.8 billion. The recently approved Tanzania national budget for 2021-2022 has also cut the gaming tax on wins from 20% to 15%. This modification is expected to encourage more people to place bets as the payout will be taxed at a lower rate.

INDIA

Sikkim and Nagaland have begun issuing licenses to internet casinos and sportsbooks as of 2021. The Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act 2021 was also passed last year, allowing operators to get a license to operate online and land-based games of chance such as slots, roulette, keno, wheel of fortune, and more throughout the state.

JAPAN

SINGAPORE

In Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs formed a Gambling Regulatory Authority in 2021 to enforce greater industry oversight, and heavier penalties.

The newly founded Japan Casino Regulatory Commission issued regulations in 2021 enforcing the Specified Integrated Resort Area Development Law, which establishes rules and conditions for these landbased casinos also known as IRs.

THE PARADIGM SHIFT

With a strong traditional banking background and a high level of crypto and blockchain knowledge, Globiance aims to modernise traditional finance in one easy-to-use platform worldwide. In this interview, Maria Debrincat sits down with Irina La Rosa, Co-Founder of Globiance as she puts forward her vision for the company’s future and the services they offer.

"Banks are dead, long live banking." How is your team equipped to cross-sell the financial service concept to new heights?

The Globiance team, with a traditional banking background and a high level of crypto and blockchain knowledge, has created an effortless transition between these financial spheres in one easy-to-use platform. Each member of the team brings their own unique insight and experience to the company.

With a shared vision and goal, our team works tirelessly to stay up to date with the latest trends and information. We are aware that users across the globe are tired of traditional banks and the issues surrounding them. People want to be in control of their funds, how they bank, when they bank and how much they are charged. The restraints of traditional banking are becoming a thing of the past with newer technologies allowing clients the ability to transact on the go and have more transparency in fees.

What are Globiance's main vision and core values?

Globiance has a global approach with the aim to bring financial services to every person across the world. With the fusion of cryptocurrency exchange and digital banks, users are given back control of their financial assets. Globiance’s core value is the customer, the brand is focused on servicing the customers’ needs with integrity and innovation.

How are you standing out as a brand?

By the end of 2022 Globiance aims to be the most expanded brand globally, offering a unique service with the fusion of cryptocurrency exchange and bank. The platform offers integrated bank accounts and connected cards. GlobiancePOS for merchants and the crypto payment gateway round up the offer for business customers.

Globiance exchange is the first exchange built on the XDC(XinFin) network and also built its token GBEX on the blockchain 4.0 which also features ISO20022 making it compatible with the standard which is used between banks and financial institutions worldwide, for example in CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currency).

The GBEX token is also the first exchange token that was created deflationary, designed for long-term success, and offers smart contracts and staking options. With its users in mind, using the XDC blockchain was the obvious choice meaning lower fees, faster transactions, and confirmation times for an overall better experience.

Globiance believes in the personal touch, where each client is assessed individually with a focus on offering the client the best solutions for their needs.

What are the markets you target?

Globiance is for everyone. Corporate and individual clients across the globe will be able to use the platform for all their financial needs. Each customer can receive tailor-made services for their personal or organisational needs.

We realise the difficulties high-risk clients face in finding solutions for their needs and specialise in assisting in providing services to them.

“EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM BRINGS THEIR OWN UNIQUE INSIGHT AND EXPERIENCE TO THE COMPANY.”

What can you tell us about the crypto gateway service you offer?

Globiance offers a seamless Crypto Processing Gateway where clients can pay with cryptocurrencies instead of their credit cards which is a great alternative for businesses in high-risk industries. The gateway offers lower fees, no risk, no rolling reserve, and definite transactions.

Clients who do not have cryptocurrencies can use their credit cards to purchase crypto which can then be used for payment. Globiance also offers the crypto processing gateway in a white-label version which can be integrated into merchant’s platforms.

Where will 2022 and 2023 take you? What are your plans for the next few years and what kind of challenges do you anticipate?

There are exciting times ahead for Globiance with new developments planned.

In Q1 2022 all the new Globiance Global Platforms in Switzerland, Turkey, BVI, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Mexico, and South Africa go live. Globiance retail IBAN accounts and Cards will be available for most regions worldwide.

In Q2 the planned Globiance Family Features (minor accounts, pocket money, crypto saving) will be introduced.

In 2023 Globiance Global Platforms in UEA, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia will go live.

As with all new expansion projects, there are bound to be challenges in the process, Globiance’s strategy is to face each challenge with innovation, using the team’s vast experience to overcome any obstacles presented.

Currently, the biggest challenge we face is that of regulation. Since we are a global company and aim to penetrate into as many markets as possible, we have to strive to comply with the regulations and laws for each region, so we work with regulators around the world to obtain licences to be able to serve everyone on this planet.

Who are your clients and what kind of services are you ensuring that they receive?

Globiance provides financial services for corporate and retail customers on a global scale. Since 2018 we have mostly been dealing with business clients from high-risk industries. We have opened bank accounts and provided cryptocurrency exchange services to them. Since 2021 with the launch of our GBEX token we have also attracted more retail clients.

We are very active with our community, we listen to their wishes and needs daily. We strive to improve our offering to meet our client’s needs, for example, the card design was chosen by community vote.

.ايزيلامو،دنلاياتو،ةروفاغنسو،ةيبونجلاايروكو،نابايلاو،غنوكغنوهو،ةدحتملا

Tell us what some of the highlight moments since you started the business in 2018 until what it is today?

When the idea of Globiance was born in 2018 we knew it would be a challenge, however, we felt we could bring our vision to life and accepted it. The very first highlight for me was the day the platform we built ourselves went live. Having pooled all our finances to fund the project, seeing our vision become a reality was encouraging. From that moment we have gone from strength to strength, constantly adapting our services to reach the goal of a global solution.

The launch of our GBEX token and GlobianceDEX in 2021 were milestones for us in the Globiance journey. The rebranding of Globiance has been exciting with the introduction of our Globiance mascot - Iri - me in a digitised form. And I also introduced a new pink color scheme. The Globiance brand is coming to life. I am enjoying being a part of making this revolutionary idea become reality.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and Oliver - how do you make business and family work?

We have been lucky to have the support of our family whilst working to bring our vision to life.

Our 4 kids know many aspects of our business and involve themselves with ideas too.

That is also why we will introduce the family features with pocket money and crypto savings functions for children.

Like with any new project we have dedicated a significant amount of our time to ensure the success of the business, however, we still manage to ensure that we keep a balance in our work and family life.

We make sure to switch off the phones and enjoy our evenings quietly and we also try to avoid work on weekends to have enough time together.

THIS INDUSTRY IS UNDER ATTACK

Craig Lusher, Senior Product Specialist – Secure, at Continent 8 Technologies, shares cyber-attack numbers from the fourth quarter of 2021 which show a rise in the volume and size of DDoS attacks being launched against online gambling organisations

If you were unsure of the level of the threat posed by cyber-attacks, allow me to share with you some headline numbers from the fourth quarter of 2021.

Throughout the three-month period, Continent 8 successfully blocked 641 Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against our customers, up from 546 in the previous quarter.

It is worth noting that the Q3 number was more than double that recorded in the second quarter.

During Q4, we also noted that 54 of the observed attacks had repeat attacks within 24 hours of the first. One client was subject to an unprecedented 349 attacks during the period.

Worryingly, we not only saw a rise in the number of attacks being launched but also the size of the attacks, which breached 1Tbps for the second quarter running. The largest attack size registered during Q4 was 1.9Tbps – a record for us. This impacted average attack size, which increase from 48.9Gbps in Q3 to 55.8Gbps.

December saw the highest number of attacks with 406 in total, which isn’t necessarily a surprise given it was the festive holidays, with hackers seeing this as an opportunity to launch attacks. While Kahnawake was the location subject to the highest number of attacks during the three months..

Our customers were under attack for a total of 50 hours, which was down from the staggering 326 hours they were under attack for in the third quarter.

These numbers show that cyber-attacks are a huge threat to businesses of all sizes and that now is absolutely the time for organisations to establish sufficient strategies to protect themselves.

No business is immune, and the damage caused by a successful cyber-attack can be hard to recover from, both reputationally and financially. In fact, the estimated cost of a data breach in 2020 was $3.6m.

This is a figure that should make any organisation sit up and take note and ask the question – ‘just how vulnerable is the business to an attack?’

To good news is that the threats posed by cyber-attacks and in particular DDoS attacks can be mitigated and here at Continent 8 we suggest taking the following steps:

Ensure your primary forms of protection are in place and are as robust as possible.

Primary defences include utilising a private network for hosting and communication, enterprise DDoS and Web Application Firewall (WAF) protection and ensuring your public and private cloud environments are secure.

Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Given the new normal of remote and hybrid working practices, ensuring an organisation’s infrastructure is not breached, no matter where the perimeter may now be, is crucial.

Just as crucial is ensuring if something untoward happens (such as a breach), the appropriate teams are immediately notified.

If it has not been done already, it’s essential to find out how endpoint protection and security event management can be applied to your infrastructure.

It has been widely reported that phishing attacks, and other scams targeted to exploit our natural human fears, have increased significantly over the past 12 months.

As such, companies need to ensure that all staff members, from the board to senior executives and all employees, are trained when it comes to cybersecurity, DDoS, ransomware and phishing.

Throughout last year, we saw quarter-on-quarter records in the number of DDoS and cyber-attacks being launched against our customers.

The number of attacks recorded in Q4 was more than triple the number recorded in Q1 and, unfortunately, this is a trend we expect to continue throughout the coming year.

That is why it is vital that organisations strengthen their defences today if they are to give themselves the best opportunity to successfully protect themselves against an attack.

An attack that is more likely a case of when and not if.

We’re known for pulling off great networking evenings and 2021 held some of our most memorable events.

From intimate dinners to relaxed get-togethers, last year stood out as one of our busiest, with global events lighting up the night sky throughout the year.

Take a look back at some of the highlight gallery moments from a year of milestone moments.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

With over 30 years of gaming under your belt, what has kept SYNOT Group at the edge of an ever-innovative market? What values do you think have kept you at the forefront of the gaming market?

For the past 30 years, the success of each company under the SYNOT Group umbrella has been defined by the ability to adapt and take risks across the board –land-based, platform and online gaming.

OUR GAME PORTFOLIO NOW BOASTS OVER 90 TITLES, WITH AT LEAST 1-2 GAMES BEING DEVELOPED PER MONTH. IN 2021 WE RELEASED 12 NEW TITLES IN TOTAL.

SYNOT Group strives to be as competitive as possible in all areas of business. We always follow the latest trends in order to offer our customers the best possible services. By operating internationally and currently operating in many countries around the world, it is a matter of course for us to be able to adapt (including our products) to the legislation and specific conditions of the individual countries in which we operate.

This is really important in terms of long-term strategy as it allows us to be a technological, and consequently, business leader in international markets, where the advantage of our own research and development is increasingly manifested. It is based on many years of know-how in the gaming industry.

In an interview with Kyle Galea, CCO of SYNOT Games Martina Hrabinska describes the 30-year journey that brought the SYNOT Group to where it stands today, the strategies that helped them stake their place in the global market and what we have to look forward to in the near future.

2021 has been a very memorable year for the industry as a whole. What were the highlights of the year for SYNOT?

As SYNOT Group, we reached a significant jubilee last year as it has been 30 years since our company was founded. In 2021, it once again expanded its global reach. SYNOT Group entered the Panamanian market, also Italy (where, up until now, it only carried out online business) and Morocco. In addition, it entered into a strategic partnership with the Italian lottery business market leader, SISAL Entertainment.

SYNOT Group also reached an important milestone by becoming certified according to the GLI-11 standard issued by the renowned certification authority Gaming Labs International (GLI). Furthermore, SYNOT Group with Ukrainian-Czech company ROYAL, Ltd. jointly received the license necessary to operate casinos in Ukraine. SYNOT co-founded the company about thirty years ago and still acts as co-owner. At the same time, it is historically one of the most successful companies in its country and business. It was ROYAL that gradually began to open its casinos in Lviv, which is the largest city in western Ukraine.

I’m glad to say that 2021 was an extremely busy and successful year for SYNOT Games – the online division, as well. We kicked off the year with great news - we obtained the UKGC license and entered the UK market, and distributed our content portfolio in the German market and well-established markets such as Italy, Portugal, Romania, etc. through our partners operating there, leveraging the many opportunities we have out there. But it is important for us to maintain a stable position as a top provider in Slovakia and Czech Republic, our domestic market.

Our game portfolio now boasts over 90 titles, with at least 1-2 games being developed per month. In 2021 we released 12 new titles in total. A lot of thought and effort went into their creation as they combine innovative concepts with different themes and designs, high-resolution graphics, and a rich array of in-game features such as variations of game volatility, an assortment of bonus wilds, multiplier symbols, the Hold and Win feature, not to mention the integration of our progressive bonus.

With an exciting future on the horizon, are you looking forward to in the year to come? Are there any exciting projects you'd like to let us in on?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it deeply affected all of us. At SYNOT Group, we especially felt for domestic and foreign companies we do business with, who had to reduce some of their business activities with us for a large part of the year, following pandemic restrictions.

Naturally, our primary mission was to maintain employment. We are truly fortunate to have a significant presence in the online segment which has helped us withstand these trying times, and despite circumstances even strengthen and expand our presence in international markets.

In 2022, we want to pick up suspended projects which were a result of the epidemiological situation worldwide, such as exhibitions, networking events and the like. We have a lot to offer within both land-based and online, and can’t wait to get them out there to our existing and new potential business partners. In the meantime, we work hard to bolster our position in existing markets and expand our activities to other destinations in the world.

At SYNOT Games, we have a clear path ahead of us. We will continue to focus on regulated markets and maintain compliance throughout our operations. So networking and keeping up with our partners is an essential part of our business. Two exciting markets have a prominent position in our roadmap for this year - Bulgaria and Switzerland. These are regions to keep an eye on because pretty soon the SYNOT Games logo will pop up much more often in these quarters.

The SYNOT Games slot development roadmap for the first half of 2022 has been announced and there's plenty of great content to look forward to - new themes and sequels of our top performers, like Respin Joker. We are already unpacking a fantastic range of new games every month with still more to come. We are also expecting to see many more customers offering our content with integrated SYNOT Progressive Bonus as we continue to integrate our proprietary bonus tool with their platforms. Plus, we have some surprises for our customers and players in the shape of holiday-themed slots, one launching very soon.

ايراغلب ؛ماــعــلا اذهل

راعش ىرنس ابيرقو ،نيتقطنملا كلت ىلع اذه رثكأو رثكأ نكامأ يف SYNOT Games .ماعلا ةيمنتلاو روطتلا قيرط ةطراخ نع نلاعلإا مت فصنلل SYNOT Games ةكرشب ةصاخلا ؛ريثكلل اهيف علطتنو ،2022 ماــع نم لولأا انلامعأ

NETWORKING AND KEEPING UP WITH OUR PARTNERS IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR BUSINESS. TWO EXCITING MARKETS HAVE A PROMINENT POSITION IN OUR ROADMAP FOR THIS YEAR - BULGARIA AND SWITZERLAND.

ALL EYES ON

Ontario

TOUS LES REGARDS SONT TOURNÉS VERS L’ONTARIO

In an interview with Kyle Galea, Debono Group Partner Terry Debono sheds light on how Ontario's reforms have the potential to open the floodgates for iGaming throughout Canada and set the stage for an economic revolution.

Dans une interview menée par Kyle Galea, l'associé du groupe Debono, Terry Debono, explique comment les réformes en Ontario pourront potentiellement ouvrir la voie à l’iGaming au Canada et permettre une révolution économique.

To understand what's happening in Ontario, we need to take a step back and look at the Canadian market as a whole. Canada’s legislation is built in a way where every province has the ability to interpret the criminal code in its own way. This being said, Canada has played host to a massive grey market when it comes to iGaming especially when you take into consideration the fact that many of the pioneers and innovators that pushed the development of online gaming worldwide were Canadians that started off locally but made their fortunes abroad. Today in Canada, we might actually be seeing the twilight of the grey market and the rise of a new regulatory regime with Ontario being a bellwether for things to come.

Pour comprendre ce qui se passe en Ontario, il faut prendre du recul et considérer le marché canadien dans son ensemble. La législation canadienne est conçue de manière à ce que chaque province ait la capacité d'interpréter le code pénal à sa manière. Mais il existe un énorme marché gris de l’iGaming au Canada ; si un bon nombre des pionniers et des innovateurs qui ont permis au jeu en ligne de se développer au niveau international étaient des Canadiens qui ont commencé localement, ils ont fait fortune à l'étranger. Au Canada, nous assistons peut-être aujourd’hui à la fin de ce marché gris et à l'arrivée d'un nouveau régime de réglementation. Ce qui se passe en Ontario peut être vu comme un indicateur de ce qui attend les autres provinces.

As the regime prioritises world-class standards when it comes to responsible gaming, transparency and many other criteria, the foundation for a genuinely vibrant and innovative sector of the economy is being laid. We are currently in a transitional period between the grey and fully regulated market but several A-List operators are already on the waiting list for certification.

Ontario’s position in this emerging paradigm shift cannot be understated. In the context of the Canadian market, Ontario’s internal market would be approximately the size of New York or Pennsylvania whereas the entire Canadian market would be the size of California. With the province comprising probably around 45% of the total Canadian market, the reforms happening in Ontario will reverberate to the rest of the provinces. This isn’t to say that legislation in the rest of the provinces will be carbon copies of Ontario’s. The sheer diversity of the market players such as corporate operators, indigenous operators and charitable gaming combined with the inherent complexity of the market may mean that we will see each province evolve uniquely. We will almost definitely see regulatory teething pains similar to the early days of the UK’s GC and Malta’s MGA, but with this sector’s inherent slant towards innovation, the pains will be more than worth it for the Canadian provinces.

The Debono Group sits at the intersection of gambling, gaming, entertainment and technology and we can see how each of these fuel each other. If we look at incubators and accelerators in Canada, with many of them being based in emerging tech, the cross-pollination between these frontier developments and the gaming market are leading them into the Metaverse. This is one of the reasons why I’m so thrilled about SiGMA coming to Toronto, the city is at the heart of a growing ecosystem of technological innovation and economic growth that the regulatory reforms we are seeing will only hyper accelarate. They fuel the capital markets and they are responsive to changes in consumer behaviour, none of this happens in a vacuum. We are looking at the birth of a holistic economic engine that will self-sustain. It will not require government subsidies or government overhead outside of the regulatory environment. A single example of this would be the massive strides happening in machine learning due to its ability to enhance technology-based platforms. Hence, not only is the industry benefiting from more esoteric tech such as AI and machine learning, it’s actually spearheading their proliferation in the broader market while incentivising their sophistication and advancement through market pressures.

Allowing the private sector to do business transparently in a taxed and licence regime is not just good for the operators, it's good for the suppliers and the supply chain. Whether you’re doing financial processing, AML, Geofencing, customer dynamic psychographic profiling, advertising, accounting, financing or legal services, the iGaming market will empower all of these in turn. I’m thrilled that we’re going to be able to have Canada and Toronto become another epicentre for this kind of economic development. I love the sector because it constantly reinvents the status quo and introduces new state-of-the-art methods to stay ahead of the game.

Le pays s'est jusqu’à présent aligné sur des normes internationales en matière de jeu responsable, de transparence, etc. Mais les fondations d'un secteur économique véritablement dynamique et innovant sont en train d'être posées. Nous sommes dans une période de transition entre cette zone grise et un marché totalement réglementé attendu par plusieurs opérateurs déjà sur liste d'attente pour la certification.

L'importance de l'Ontario dans ce nouveau changement de paradigme ne peut être sous-estimée. C’est un peu comme si le marché en Ontario avait à peu près la taille de l’Etat de New York ou de la Pennsylvanie, et l'ensemble du marché canadien la taille de la Californie. La province représente environ 45 % des recette du pays pour cette industrie ; les réformes en cours se répercuteront donc probablement sur le reste du pays. Mais cela ne veut pas dire que les lois des autres provinces seront des copies conformes... En raison de la grande diversité des acteurs du marché (entreprises, opérateurs autochtones, jeux de bienfaisance) et de la complexité inhérente au marché, il est possible que chaque province évolue de manière unique. On peut s'attendre à des problèmes similaires à ce qui s’est passé aux débuts du GC du Royaume-Uni et du MGA de Malte mais, ce secteur étant synonyme d’innovation, le jeu en vaut la chandelle.

Le groupe Debono se situe à l'intersection des jeux d'argent, des jeux, du divertissement et de la technologie... et chacun de ces éléments s'inspire des autres. Si nous examinons les incubateurs et accélérateurs au Canada (souvent dans le secteur des technologies émergentes) le croisement de ces développements frontaliers et du marché du jeu les mène au Métaverse. C'est l'une des raisons pour lesquelles je suis si heureux de l'arrivée de SiGMA à Toronto : la ville est au cœur d'un écosystème plein d'innovations technologiques permettant une croissance économique que les réformes à venir ne feront qu'accélérer. Elles alimentent les capitaux et s’adaptent aux changements de comportement des consommateurs. Rien de tout cela ne se produit dans le vide. Nous assistons à la naissance d'un moteur économique holistique qui, loin de nécessiter des subventions gouvernementales, s'autofinancera. On peut faire le parallèle avec les plates-formes basées sur la technologie : leur existence a mené à des progrès incroyables dans le domaine de l'apprentissage automatique ! Non seulement l'industrie iGaming bénéficie de technologies comme l'IA et l'apprentissage automatique, mais elle est en fait le fer de lance de leur généralisation sur le marché au sens large, tout en encourageant leur sophistication et leur développement grâce aux pressions du marché.

Permettre au secteur privé de faire des affaires de manière transparente est ici une bonne chose pour les opérateurs, mais aussi pour les fournisseurs et la chaîne d'approvisionnement. Que vous soyez un spécialiste du traitement financier, de l'AML, du Geofencing, du profilage psychographique des clients, de la publicité, de la comptabilité ou des services juridiques, le marché de l'iGaming vous le rendra bien. Je suis ravi que nous puissions faire en sorte que le Canada –en particulier Toronto -devienne un nouvel épicentre du développement économique. J'aime ce secteur, car il garde une longueur d’avance et remet régulièrement en question le statu quo.

The AGS-SiGMA Asia summit will be back in the UAE this March, 2022, where it's slated to take place at the InterContinental Dubai Festival Arena. From digital marketing trends to the rise of SEO, the expo, which is geared towards affiliation and e-commerce, will bring together some of the leading thought leaders and policymakers to its stages, expo floor, and judging tables.

A series of provocative panels and startup pitches will run across the 3-day event (read our exclusive interviews with winners from the AGS and SiGMA Malta Week Pitches on pages 17 and 100 and visit the Gallery starting on page 70 for a look at all the best moments from past AGS events), while the company's longstanding tradition of holding top-notch networking dinners and drinks light up the evenings around the event.

Running alongside AIBC, there’s plenty of opportunity to leverage cross-pollination opportunities, making this the premier destination for leading think tanks in emerging tech, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship. This central location is the perfect place for multifaceted business deals and face-toface conversations to take place as East meets West for one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

The expo follows successful first shows in both Dubai and Malta, with the former held in May 2021, where it drew a 4,500 strong crowd. AGS then opened its doors again in November 2021 for an end of year supershow during Malta Week.

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Dubai

GOING THE STREAM

Darlene Zammit sits down with Vasylyna Shyshova and Nikita Novikovskyi,  streamer and producer of the Vasylslot Twitch channel, to talk about the new competition - streaming, and their business model based on followers.

Vasylyna Shyshova and Nikita Novikovskyi’s idea to create a channel came up in January 2021, a month later they started streaming. They were courageous enough to start streaming during the pandemic, which resulted in a positive aspect for their business.

Since the beginning, their strategy was to go for “organic growth” and this is the strategy they decided to adhere to. In the last six months, they have seen a quick organic audience increase. They believe that the quality of their followers is much more important than the quantity, as it is the quality that renders any channel “more unique and notable”. This was a new experience for both of them, and they learned from their own mistakes. All their moves were spontaneous, based on their feelings and on some experience in working with other streamers and open-source information.

.ةيجيتارتسلاا رثكأو ةظوحلم" ةانق يأ لعجت ام يه ةدوجلا نلأ ،مكلا نم .امهئاطخأ نم املعتو ،امهيلع ةديدج ةبرجتلا تناك ."ادرــفــت رعاشملاو سدحلا ىلع دمتعت ةيوفع امهتاوطخ لك تناك يف نيرخآ صاخشأ عم لمعلا م اهاتبستكا يتلا ةربخلا ضعبو .ردصملا ةحوتفم تامولعملا نمو ىوتحملا ثب رايتلا دض ةحابسلا لعجت ام يه اهنلأ مهلأا يه ةدوجلا ادرفت رثكأو ةظوحلم ةانقلا ةحئاجلا ءانثأ ثبلا انأدب Q&A ج & س 93 WINTER/SPRING 2022

مهأ نيعباتملا ةدوــج نأب نانمؤت امهف

WE Againstv اتيكينو اــفوــشــيــش اــنــيــلــيــساــفــل ةاــنــق ءاـــشـــنإ ةرــكــف تءاــــج ثب امهئدب نم رهش دعب ،2021 رياني يف يكسفوكيفون ءانثأ ىوتحملا ثب ءدبل

STARTED

STREAMING DURING THE PANDEMIC

ريثكب

Nowadays, streaming has become a competition, and on Twitch there is a lot of that. To rank any channel in the top positions and for it to be successful, one needs good SEO. In their opinion, “SEO is mostly about content; if you create unique content, your SEO grows”. They added that “titles and descriptions also have value; however, to increase your subscribers’ retention, content is the most important factor”. Their aim is to also improve their SEO optimization, but they will first work on content. They do not agree with those who believe that streaming disrupts traditional SEO. In their view, these two are completely different sources. They add that streams might take away part of the audience from SEO traffic, but this is such a small part that one cannot talk about disrupting the SEO source.

In their view, a company needs to test both streaming via Twitch and having a good-ranking SEO website as these are different sources of traffic. They add that SEO requires more cash investments at the beginning; however, it depends on the goals and path chosen. The approaches are completely different, different types of traffic, users’ behavior, and growth strategies.

To the question of how big their business model is, based on followers compared to the more traditional SEO sites out there, they said that from the get-go, like SEO, a traffic channel demands a lot of investments. For their streams, most of the investments are from deposits to play at casinos. Their first streams catered only for a few people but eight months later they had risen to 2.5k subscribers.

On average, their streams last 3 hours, which, in their opinion, is currently the optimal time. They arrived at this conclusion organically, because it is neither long nor short. They are currently streaming in Russian; their native GEO. The audience of their channel is divided approximately 50/50 between Ukraine and Russia. Their plan is to expand into other GEOs, and for this they created the Vasilinaplay channel, where they have a couple of streams and about 100 subscribers. They say that these are test streams in English and that there are plans to develop them further.

Their Vasylslot Twitch channel differs from other streamers in the way it was initiated. They say that most casino streamers created their channels because they already played casino, so they decided to show it on their streams. In their case, they first decided to start streaming and only then did casinos become the most interesting vertical for them. Moreover, Vasylyna’s passion for casinos only came after they started streaming.

Twitch has recently introduced restrictions on gambling with reference to slots, roulette, and dice games. As per Twitch’s Community Guidelines (last accessed 09.12.2021): "Linking to sites that include slots, roulette, or dice games, or sharing affiliate links or referral codes to such sites is not allowed". Vasylyna and Nikita told us that these restrictions affected everyone, including them. However, in comparison to other streamers (according to their audit), this did not really affect them nor put pressure on them. They told us that they know of cases where large Twitch channels with more than 30k subscribers were banned. “It is sad, but you have to comply with the rules of the game”. Their plan is to enter other streaming platforms where the policy is not so tough.

SEO IS MOSTLY ABOUT CONTENT; IF YOU CREATE UNIQUE CONTENT, YOUR SEO GROWS

THE FAST-PACED CROSS-BORDER E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY

Darlene Zammit sits down with Simon de Raadt, VP Business Development Europe of HyperSKU, winners of the AGS Pitch 2021, to talk about the landscape of cross-border e-Commerce, their buisness model and offerings, and the predictions of 2022, among other topics.

“WHILST THE ENTRY BAR IS LOW, THE COMPETITION IS FIERCER THAN EVER.”

What is the e-Commerce dropshipping business model? What are its benefits and risks?

Dropshipping describes an online store that doesn't necessarily keep stock. The store owner purchases the products from a third-party supplier when receiving orders from shoppers, and the supplier ships the products directly to the end consumers. Dropshipping stores can be the first step to creating a DTC brand.

It requires minimum capital to kickstart, and anyone with an entrepreneurship heart can tap into the eCommerce world. Whilst the entry bar is low, the competition is fiercer than ever. COVID-19 and language barriers made it difficult for dropshippers to connect with the supply chain and efficiently manage the business.

Cross-border e-Commerce has given rise to huge opportunities for the global economy which in turn influences all countries and jurisdictions. How do you see the current landscape of crossborder e-Commerce? How do you envisage it?

Cross-border e-Commerce has given global consumers access to more choices and better prices when shopping online. This is because the merchants are able to respond to demands, trends, changes, and opportunities faster. COVID-19 is pushing everyone to adapt to online shopping.

We predict that e-commerce will be everyone’s next normal, embedded with rich formats, from social shopping, live streaming commerce, to AR shopping.

ةرباعلا ةينورتكللإا ةراجتلا ترفو

لود ةفاك نم ءلامعلل دنع لضفأ راعسأو رثكأ تارايخل لوصولا ةردق لضفب اذهو .تنرتنلإا ىلع قوستلا تاهجوتلاو تابلطلل ةباجتسلاا

What is HyperSKU and how does it work? What is your business model and what are your offerings?

HyperSKU provides streamlined sourcing and hyper-efficient shipping for eCommerce sellers. With first-hand access direct to suppliers and the infrastructure of a well-developed reliable global delivery system, eCommerce sellers can improve sales performance and margin across its full ecosystem.

Dropshippers and DTC sellers can get everything done in an automated online system, from sourcing, customisation, purchasing, fulfillment to shipping, and inventory management.

“WE PREDICT THAT E-COMMERCE WILL BE EVERYONE’S NEXT NORMAL”

Who is your typical user? What importance do you give to building synergy with your users?

our typical users are e-commerce sellers, from dropshippers to brand owners. A typical persona would be someone who is in the early 20s or 30s, lives in Dubai as an expat, manages a team remotely, purchases products from Chinese factories, and sells them to US consumers.

Sellers who work with HyperSKU claim to see significant cost drop, margin improvement, and better work-life balance in one month.

What new concepts do you bring to the dropshipping business? What unique advantages do you bring to the industry?

The so-called last generation dropshipping fulfillment suppliers are efficiency softwares or ERPs, while the complicated part of dropshipping remains invisible and hidden. The seller or the service provider has no control over the supply chain and logistics, resulting in customer complaints and store suspension.

We are among the first to bring offline operations to a REAL online experience. Everything is trackable and simplified.

What can you tell us about your tracking system and backend API?

Our API allows us to work with any compatible marketplaces, platforms, 3PLs, and service providers in the ecosystem. Our clients can access the best resources in the industry to support their business.

What happens from purchase to delivery?

Our system connects suppliers, warehouses, and 3PLs (thirdparty logistics). Once an order is placed, all parties involved work seamlessly and sellers can track everything from one stop.

We were told by sellers that they used to work with partners that are semi or completely manual, which ended up in low efficiency and piles of errors. That’s the least cool thing for any online business!

“WE ARE AMONG THE FIRST TO BRING OFFLINE OPERATIONS TO A REAL ONLINE EXPERIENCE”

What is your next step and what is your growth plan?

We want to be the infrastructure that empowers young and talented entrepreneurs to succeed in their businesses. We plan to build a stronger overseas presence tap into emerging markets such as LATAM, integrate with more SaaS platforms, and connect with more service providers in the ecosystem.

I also want to point out that live-streaming e-commerce will be a megatrend in the upcoming years, and HyperSKU keeps a close eye on Kwai’s and TikTok’s moves.

What are your predictions for 2022?

The cross-border e-commerce industry evolves so fast and on such a large scale.

Facebook’s dominance of contributing traffic to webshops will be challenged. More and more sellers are going to omni-channels. Marketplace sellers start their own webshops and expand across GEOs. Additionally, DTC brands will become mainstream. To win the competition, online sellers must get their homework done and bring true value to consumers. Building a brand is fundamental.

“WE WANT TO BE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT EMPOWERS YOUNG AND TALENTED ENTREPRENEURS TO SUCCEED IN THEIR BUSINESSES”

PASSING THE TORCH

ةلعشلا ميلست

In this article, Founder and CEO of Wikibet Oliver De Bono speaks about how emerging technology was ushering a new age for online gaming and WikiBet’s place in the iGaming ecosystem to come.

With 17 years in the industry under his belt, De Bono has learnt how to recognize subtle trends that end up dominating the next generation of the sector as we know it. With this in mind, WikiBet seeks to become a pillar of this next generation by incorporating frontier technology to create a genuinely unique experience for their users.

We live in an age of innovation where entire industries are overhauled in the span of mere decades with both the IT and gaming sectors being premier examples of disruptor industries; fields who, by their very nature, are extremely liable towards being completely restructured by the advent of new and more advanced technologies. Areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, IoT and Blockchain technologies are all spearheading an economic ecosystem completely novel to anything we’ve seen before. When we combine these two aspects, iGaming’s inherent disruptiveness and the emergence of new technologies, we can see how a paradigm shift in how gaming works is on the horizon.

AREAS SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, BIG DATA, IOT AND BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES ARE ALL SPEARHEADING AN ECONOMIC ECOSYSTEM COMPLETELY NOVEL TO ANYTHING WE’VE SEEN BEFORE.

This being said, we can see a degree of stagnation in the industry especially when it comes to their IT infrastructures. With the largest firms still reliant on legacy systems because of inertia, the floor is open for newer ventures to spearhead a new generation of online gambling.

This is where the true potential of emerging technology can be unlocked. Underpinning the venture is a cloud-based, high performance and scalable gaming platform based on Apache Ignite, one of the top 5 projects of the Apache Software Foundation. Providing a distributed in-memory data-grid and computational cluster with in-memory speed and massive scalability, the data cluster is structured in a way that provides both redundancy and efficiency. Next to the data cluster, a layer of microservices fulfils a suite of the necessary tasks required to run state-of-the-art gambling systems.

The system has no single point of failure as it is prepared to handle that one or multiple nodes. The level of fault tolerance can be easily controlled by the scaling rules that result in an incredible level of scale with several layers of redundancy.

By providing a strong technical platform in terms of performance, scalability and reliability, this system will enable new real-time features for casinos that are completely novel to the current iGaming ecosystem with Apache Ignite being a vital pillar for this venture. This is to say nothing of the plans we have in place to introduce AI and Data processing to further refine this already cutting edge system.

A good casino experience lives and dies on UI and we take the potential experience of our clients as a crucial pillar of our future success. An immersive experience is at the core of WikiBet through a clean and modern UI. User interfaces are another stagnant area in iGaming that is heavily due for a strong disruption due to the fact that many online casinos again rely on legacy systems that are past their time. We live in the age of new UI in the Netflix era of online consumption. I fully believe that the Netflix model is the future of gaming since it allows a huge user base to benefit from an immersive experience in a way that flows.

This brings me to my last point, the Crypto Revolution and the iGaming industry. Through crypto, we can access a massive clientbase while tackling the ever-present payment bottleneck that has hounded the gambling industry as a whole from practically Day 1. What is the most significant aspect of this change is that the iGaming industry is in the midst of a number of revolutions in the sectors that underpin it with FinTech and DeFi being the prime examples.

This could be the first step in a paradigm shift for the industry as a whole and WikiBet has the potential to spearhead this new era of iGaming, using the latest in emerging technologies to build an as of yet unsurpassed experience for an ever-growing user base through a much more efficient, secure and scalable infrastructure.

I FULLY BELIEVE THAT THE NETFLIX MODEL IS THE FUTURE OF GAMING SINCE IT ALLOWS A HUGE USER BASE TO BENEFIT FROM AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IN A WAY THAT FLOWS.

WE CAN SEE A DEGREE OF STAGNATION IN THE INDUSTRY ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR IT INFRASTRUCTURES. WITH THE LARGEST FIRMS STILL RELIANT ON LEGACY SYSTEMS BECAUSE OF INERTIA, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR NEWER VENTURES TO SPEARHEAD A NEW GENERATION OF ONLINE GAMBLING.

A GOOD CASINO EXPERIENCE LIVES AND DIES ON UI AND WE TAKE THE POTENTIAL EXPERIENCE OF OUR CLIENTS AS A CRUCIAL PILLAR OF OUR FUTURE SUCCESS.

PAY AND PLAY

Neosurf brings a wealth of experience in online payments. In this interview, Andrea McGeachin, Chief Commercial Officer of the brand, sits down with Maria Debrincat to share some of the company’s projects and ideas with SiGMA Magazine.

Why are casinos looking at Neosurf as a payment method of acceptance?

Neosurf is a local payment method that delivers high conversions from the cashier pages while still ensuring that the fees we charge are not inappropriately high. It’s not just casinos that are looking at Neosurf as a payment method of acceptance, so are sports books, Bingo and Poker sites and others. Our merchants come to us because the online gambling industry wants local payments that can consistently support them.

What can you attribute your successful customer onboarding and retention figures to?

We work really hard to present a very supportive team in our onboarding. We deliver >96% satisfaction score continually. We released this last year and are committed to the training of our team when it comes to extending knowledge and tools to ensure fast, professional and engaging support at all times.

WE HAVE TO BE TECHNICALLY EFFICIENT AND DELIVER ACCORDING TO REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS - THAT'S A BASIC PRINCIPLE.

How is Neosurf different from other payment methods?

It's our attitude. Every member of the team values our merchants' business and their players. We want to be supportive and do our best to commit to improvements in the user journey, conversions and local country reach - we're also adding over 8 new countries this year. We care and we deliver based on that care.

We have to be technically efficient and deliver according to regulatory requirements - that's a basic principle. But we go the extra mile, we are a payments company with a personality, a personality that is smart, caring for the merchant and its players, additionally a personality that is here when needed.

What's your take on the area of cash payments, especially given the fact that cashless is on the rise?

We do see a rise in card payments online and to our wallet of course. Our Voucher business worldwide is still growing and in countries where cards play a significant role. There is more cash in circulation today than 5 years ago. Our job is to ensure cash is legally managed and traceable with our vouchers and we are good at that.

Is there a plan in place to support expansion?

Yes indeed, sadly last year and not due to Covid we lost our dear friend and Colleague Martin Prout, he drove our expansion strategy country wise, we have now appointed Antoine Metivier to continue that hard work. We have many new countries coming in the Baltics, LATAM, extra access in Europe and North America and we hope to give news on the USA very soon.

Product-wise we are making things very simple for the players whilst making sure regulatory needs are covered. We are enhancing our App and our user journey all the time with player user experience at the heart of conversions from the >90 countries we are delivering this year. On top of all that we are strategically working with other local payments to ensure our mutual merchants' simplicity and fair pricing.

We did this with our regulated work in Africa with wallets enabling the purchase of Neosurf as a source to spend on our integrated merchants. Neosurf is connected to >70 e-wallets in 38 African countries. We are extending this to other countries where players have many, many multiple payments favourites using our user journey experience and conversion benefits to enhance the merchants' ability to accept more local players with their choices and less process and resource. We have also enhanced the data science aspect of our business modeling. Sharing data appropriately with merchants helps us all make positive decisions for mutual growth.

PRODUCT-WISE WE ARE MAKING THINGS SO SIMPLE FOR THE PLAYERS WHILST MAKING SURE REGULATORY NEEDS ARE COVERED.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE TRAINING OF OUR TEAM WHEN IT COMES TO EXTENDING KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO ENSURE FAST, PROFESSIONAL AND ENGAGING SUPPORT AT ALL TIMES.

ACCESSIBLE TECH: DRIVING GROWTH AND SUCCESS

Arkafort leverages the full potential of technology whilst simplifying the complexity of managing it.

In this interview, Maria Debrincat invites Justin Fenech and Gordon Grech, both Co-Founders and Executive Directors at Arkafort to share their insights on what lies behind the brand.

What is the concept behind Arkafort?

Arkafort is an IT company based in the Maltese islands, offering a wide range of IT solutions including 24/7 IT support services and consultancy, IT infrastructure solutions as well as software development, hosting and cloud services. Through our PCI certified ISO compliant Maltabased data center, we also offer a number of products and services that include co-location and bare metal servers, VPS servers, and MGA replication servers, which are automatically provisioned removing the need for complex contracts and negotiations.

At Arkafort, we are driven by one main mission: simplifying complexity. Nowadays, businesses that fail to leverage the advantages of technology are at a disadvantage and will inevitably face difficulties. We feel that it is our mission to make technology easily accessible and to provide our clients with all the necessary IT requirements. That is why we specialise in a number of different areas; so as to be able to provide an all-inclusive service that supports businesses and removes any technology-related burden or hurdle, allowing clients to focus on what really matters to them.

Our offerings and expertise as a company allow us to operate across a number of different industries. Our clients range from very small businesses and medium-sized enterprises to large corporations based in Malta, Europe and the US.

How is Arkafort supporting companies in the gaming industry?

We are in a position to provide a number of IT services to gaming companies, in the same way we offer these services to a range of other businesses. However, based on our experience with a range of different gaming companies, we understand the need for specific services which cater for the industry. In fact we are developing a cloud platform which is making our services more accessible both to Malta-based and international companies with one of the products being a replication server whereby gaming clients can replicate their data over to Malta, this whilst being fully in line with the regulations set by the local gaming authority.

Through this product we have made it simple for gaming companies to extend their operations and to host in the Maltese islands. What makes this feature pretty unique when compared to other services offered by other companies, is that these servers can be provisioned easily and instantly through the Arkafort cloud with minimum effort and knowledge. This is one example of how we are making it easier for gaming clients to access essential services. Even though this may be done remotely, we also have the necessary support structures in place so that the clients can be supported if needed. So although flexibility, automation and autonomy are pretty much at the core of our offerings, we have got your back, whenever you need us.

What are the benefits for your clients having a long-term relationship with Arkafort?

As a company, we are very proud of what we have achieved so far; we have a number of loyal customers who have trusted the company since the very beginning and who are still working with us. We are always on the lookout for new, meaningful collaborations and relationships and it is something we particularly cherish.

At Arkafort, we have chosen to service businesses exclusively, because we understand the requirements and needs. We know how difficult it is to find the right partner to trust with important information and with your growth and success, and that is why we take this point very seriously and do our utmost to service clients as best we can. We try to achieve that by being consistent and by being straightforward about the services we offer and what we cover. Clear and efficient agreements are what allow us to build this element of trust.

We are also very aware of the changing nature of businesses and, therefore, cater for these changes. That is why all our services may be scaled up to address your business’ current needs and adapt accordingly. We are proud of the Forever Free offer, which is highly beneficial to start-ups or small companies, but also cuts costs significantly for larger companies. This offer is basically our promise to deliver a select number of services for free for the first 2 members, forever. Which is a very good deal for all kinds of companies. This is one way of showing gratitude to our clients for trusting our services.

CLEAR AND EFFICIENT AGREEMENTS IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO BUILD THIS ELEMENT OF TRUST.

BUSINESSES WHICH FAIL TO LEVERAGE THE ADVANTAGES OF TECHNOLOGY ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE AND WILL INEVITABLY FACE DIFFICULTIES.

A QUICK GUIDE FOR STARTUPS

A startup business is one that expects to grow quickly. The market for their product is large. Online businesses are available to everyone all the time and access to them is not constrained by geography or time zones. However, regulatory constraints and compliance issues specific to the industry and territories in which the startup operates, deserve early and careful consideration. Hopefully, this guide for startups will help you avoid some of the pitfalls that we often see businesses falling into before they come to us for advice.

Licences and Jurisdiction

The location you choose for the formation of your legal entity will depend on your business activities and geographical focus, and the regulatory landscape in which you operate. If you are an online gambling operator targeting regulated markets, you will need a licence in each locally regulated market. Even those who are willing to experiment in less established regulated markets or grey markets, will find it difficult to obtain payments without a gambling licence. Payment providers will more than likely require that you hold a licence from a jurisdiction which implements EU AML regulations or equivalent. The offshore online gambling jurisdictions of Malta, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and Alderney are home to a significant cluster of the traditionally European-focused operators and supporting businesses.

If you are a business with crypto-related operations, establishing in a country where cryptocurrency is regulated under a framework (e.g. Estonia, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar) is likely to offer more certainty than other jurisdictions, provided the regulatory regime is fair and not overly complex.

From compliance to licensing, Jessica Moreno, Principal at JMore Legal, pens a guide for startups new to the gaming and blockchain space.

THE SOURCES OF EXTERNAL CAPITAL THAT ENTREPRENEURS CAN TAP TO FINANCE THEIR VENTURE HAVE EVOLVED CONSIDERABLY IN ONLY ONE DECADE.

A country’s regulatory framework, reputability, taxation and ease of obtaining payments solutions, are important considerations when assessing your jurisdiction options. It is important to get compliance advice.

Funding

How you choose to fund your business could affect how you structure and run your business. If your startup is looking for outside investment, you might seek a loan or seed funding in return for equity in your business. However, the sources of external capital that entrepreneurs can tap to finance their venture have considerably evolved in only one decade. The most striking development is the reliance on digital platforms. From the 2010s, crowdfunding unfolded around the world, allowing entrepreneurs to raise money online from the public. Later, the years 2017 and 2018 saw an influx in projects raising substantial amounts of money from the public through ICOs. Now that the ICO bubble ebbed away, security token offerings (STOs) have emerged, allowing investment in securities recorded on a blockchain.

The regulatory framework and the categorisation of the token (whether security, e-money/payment or utility) are likely to influence the choice of location of token issuers. For all types of investment, careful consideration of the tax implications, drafting of the investment agreements and adherence to the AML/KYC requirements, will be essential.

A COUNTRY’S REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, REPUTABILITY, TAXATION AND EASE OF OBTAINING PAYMENTS SOLUTIONS, ARE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN ASSESSING YOUR JURISDICTION OPTIONS.

Taxation

You will need tax advice to assess the most tax-efficient corporate structure for your business. There will be businesses that conduct numerous activities in complex and extended supply chains. Often businesses will have more than one legal entity within their corporate structure with certain activities or markets ringfenced to each entity. An accountant or tax adviser with experience working with online businesses will be worth their weight in gold.

Data Protection

Data privacy laws apply to any company that collects data on its citizens – whether the company operates within or outside of the jurisdiction. Compliance further applies to companies that process and store other companies’ consumer data – for example, cloud service providers or many SaaS companies. The rule of thumb is if you collect customer data, assume you operate under data protection and privacy laws.

Most data privacy laws have a common basis in the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which came into force in May of 2018. However, with over 100 jurisdictions enacting their own data privacy laws now, there are significant differences – in legal definitions, infrastructure requirements, compliance paths – that require jurisdiction-specific solutions. The penalties for non-compliance are stiff. If your organisation collects customer data, compliance is not optional, and a data protection impact assessment should be carried out straight away.

Hopefully, you have found this guide for startup businesses useful. Good luck with your business and if we can be of any help please get in touch.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

WE WANT TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN NEW OPERATORS AND THE SUCCESS THEY’RE LOOKING FOR.

Tell us about Slotegrator. What makes you stand out from your competitors?

We innovate and we put our customers first. Slotegrator is a team of people that are dedicated to delivering products that adapt to the dynamic nature of iGaming. Also, we try to be involved in all aspects of the business: we deliver platform solutions, integrate games and payment systems, and help acquire licenses and certifications.

2012 - the year you were founded - was a revolutionary time for regulation in the iGaming industry, making your services invaluable. Ten years on, how does the land lie?

We’re happy to see how much bigger the industry is. Back in 2012, iGaming was a fledgling, niche business, and now it’s well-regulated and full of opportunities for further growth. Compliance is definitely a lot harder now, and the players are more demanding of the operators, expecting a huge choice of quality games, a multitude of payment methods, and high overall quality.

Guiding iGaming businesses along the road to success, Slotegrator offers a one-stop-shop for new operators hoping to secure their place in a fast-paced industry. Managing Director, Yury Filipchanka, sits down with SiGMA Magazine for a quick chat.

Tell us about your new product, Telegram Casino. What makes this so appealing to players?

It’s convenient. Plain and simple. Telegram casino offers the same features as a traditional platform, but the UI is already familiar to the player, and it’s always very accessible. Launching your favorite game straight from your favorite messaging app is the best of both worlds!

Do the software solutions for crypto casinos differ from the standard online casinos?

Not at all. The only real difference is the payment solution. Crypto casinos need to support deposits and withdrawals in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. Some casinos base their platform entirely on blockchain, and offer only blockchain games, but technically, any casino that takes payments from a crypto wallet counts as a crypto casino. Our turnkey software is perfect for starting an online casino, especially with our Moneygrator solution, which integrates over 250 payment solutions, supporting both fiat and cryptocurrencies.

Looking back at 2021 - a fairly turbulent year for the industry - how did Slotegrator fare?

2021 was rough for everyone. Luckily, we’re part of a flexible, dynamic industry, and our company is full of fantastic team members, so despite the ups and downs, we had plenty to be thankful for at the end of the year.

Last year you launched the Slotegrator Academy. What do you hope to achieve through this?

Slotegrator Academy is our way of educating the iGaming community. Basically, we want to break down barriers between new operators and the success they’re looking for. Established operators looking for deeper insights can find those as well. Our vision is that through the YouTube channel — and the Academy section of our site — anyone can get up to speed on how the industry works and what’s trending.

What does 2022 hold for Slotegrator? Any plans in the pipeline you’d like to share with us?

We’re already getting a very positive response to Telegram Casino, so we’re looking forward to continued success in that area. Players and operators both seem to love it! And we’re planning to expand into new markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We’ve also got some product innovations on the way, but I’m not ready to spoil the surprise just yet, so for now, I’ll just say to keep an eye out. It’s also our 10-year anniversary, so I’m sure we’ll find a way to celebrate.

COMPLIANCE IS DEFINITELY A LOT HARDER NOW, AND THE PLAYERS ARE MORE DEMANDING OF THE OPERATORS, EXPECTING A HUGE CHOICE OF QUALITY GAMES, A MULTITUDE OF PAYMENT METHODS, AND HIGH OVERALL QUALITY.

OUR VISION IS THAT THROUGH THE SLOTEGRATOR ACADEMY ANYONE CAN GET UP TO SPEED ON HOW THE INDUSTRY WORKS AND WHAT’S TRENDING.

GROWING WITH THE FLOW

Revpanda, an award-winning B2B digital marketing agency, has helped several brands expand and generate more income throughout their journey. Maria Debrincat caught up with Emre Goktas, CEO & Co-Founder at Revpanda for an exclusive interview to discuss all things marketing.

This year, you took home AGS' Marketing Agency of the Year Award, how have you worked up to this title? How crucial are these awards to growing brands?

For us, awards are a confirmation and signal that people recognise and appreciate our work. It correlates with our values, company growth, and the feedback we receive from the clients. It helps a young company like us in building a brand we imagined when we first founded the company since we perceive awards as a trust of authority.

Considering the hard work and dedication we put forward in 2021, it was expected that we would be nominated for some awards within the industry as our goal is to help our clients and provide high-level 360° service.

What are the most notable advancements you have seen and been part of since the launch of RevPanda?

Successfully building an international team is one of our core achievements. We have a team consisting primarily of young people, and we genuinely believe that teamwork makes the dream work. Finding the right people, when you are growing so rapidly is challenging, and being part of a hardworking and ambitious community is very satisfying.

Due to Covid restrictions, many companies had to switch to digital and use digital tools for promotions. We happened to be in the right time and place; the growth in online gaming and crypto across the world played a crucial role in our development since we provide service all around the globe.

As the industry grows, we grow together and have turned our team from a three people agency to a structured company that unites over 100 content creators worldwide and 40+ colleagues in Riga and Istanbul offices.

Last but not least, getting an award is a massive milestone for us, but that’s not all. We managed to create more than 20 million words of content in various languages, launched a worldwide payment method testing service, developed +40 websites, built over 3000 links from highauthority publishers and increased our revenue by 900% compared to last year.

After a long pause due to the COVID-19 outbreak, thanks to SiGMA's gatherings and events we have managed to expand our network in 2021.

"We can see the very positive effects of our participation" in SiGMA events since networking plays a crucial role in our industry, and it provides us with a great opportunity to establish new contacts, make business with new companies, or follow up with existing partners.

Aside from the great time and fun we had at SiGMA's events, we clearly see that these events influence our growth.

We have already confirmed our booth for SiGMA in November and sponsored 8 iGatherings for 2022.

ASIDE FROM THE GREAT TIME AND FUN WE HAD IN SIGMA'S EVENTS, WE CLEARLY SEE THAT THESE EVENTS INFLUENCE OUR GROWTH.

As a key face in SiGMA's gatherings and events, tell us more about how these networking opportunities are providing a platform for your growth.

What sets RevPanda apart from its competitors and what's in store for next year?

We believe that our speed makes us stand out from the competition. We always deliver the projects and results as soon as possible.

Every task is a high priority for us no matter the size. Our client-dedicated project managers focus on immediate solutions, and we always try to come up with the most creative approaches and excellent customer service in +70 GEOs.

We also strive to come up with innovative solutions that could help our partners such as the payment method testing service launched in 2021.

Our main goal is to deliver outstanding results and offer many services through one channel so our partners do not have to go to multiple vendors for design, development and SEO, content writing, translation as they can outsource everything from a onededicated project manager.

This allows our partners to save an extraordinary amount of time by receiving one invoice for all the services offered from a dedicated project manager.

In 2022 we want to grow, even more, keep developing our services, get to other markets, and cover more locations.

WE BELIEVE THAT OUR SPEED MAKES US STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION.

EVERY TASK IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US NO MATTER THE SIZE.

Katja Nordstad CEO cataffs.com

campaigns, skilled VIP and AWOL managers. Top geos are CIS, Nordics, Canada, New Zealand and Central/Eastern Europe.

We are a team of professionals with aggregate experience of more than 40 years in the Fintech industry. We are here to make your business successful. Fintech Harbor Consulting provides A-class solutions including Company Registration, Registered/Virtual Office Address, bank accounts and Merchant account solutions, at an affordable rate.

Garth Garland B2B Marketing Manager, 1Account www.1account.net

1account is a market and industry-leading solution for KYC and ID verification across the entire iGaming ecosystem. It delivers the highest success ratios on the market with the key to its success and effectiveness being its ability to access and utilise multiple data sources which check every API to achieve a 2+2 match in up to 95% of legitimate individuals.

1XBET 1xbet.com

1XBET is an international bookmaker with over 10 years of experience. They offer casino games, slots and live casino products from world-leading providers as well as an in-house agent scheme and an affiliate program. They support more than 250 payment solutions from all over the world.

Bojan Kesić Head of Business Development, Admiralbet www.admiralbet.rs

Admiralbet is part of Novomatic Group, which is a pioneer in this industry and one of the world’s most famous gambling companies. Admiralbet Serbia is currently among the leading brands in the market with an emphasis on technology and people. Their goal is to continually improve their flagship products and services to offer the best experience to our customers.

Alexandre Tomic Founder and CEO, Alea www.alea.com

Alea is a multi-award-winning leader in the field of online gaming located in Barcelona with more than ten years of experience in the industry offering a new generation game aggregator developed in Java with microservices, integrated end-to-end multi-cloud platform, built on Amazon Web Services with Snowflake’s cloud data warehouse and real time business intelligence by Google Looker.

Boris Pashnev Senior Affiliate Manager and Team lead, Alpha Affiliates alpha-affiliates.com

Alpha Affiliates is a direct iGaming advertiser and partner program with a diverse portfolio of 10 fully-owned online casino brands, including crypto and betting offers. Since 2012, reputation, technology, our passion and expertise in the online gambling market has enabled them to provide the best personalized deals for partners in 38 GEOs.

Dominico Mazzola Commercial Director, Alternar www.altenar.com

Altenar provides a fully-managed sportsbook solution, integrated seamlessly into your Client Management Platform and portal. Their state-of-the-art software offers the stability of an established product, hosted on our secure and redundant infrastructure. Altenar retains in-house risk management, as well as trading and business support services on a 24/7 basis.

Keith Mangion Livori Casino Director, Amazing Gaming www.amazinggaming.com

Amazing gaming offers an extensive portfolio of products and services to facilitate new and established operators within their respective markets. The company maintains an exclusive focus on the B2B aspects of internet gambling through a portfolio of licenses in Malta, the Isle of Man, Curacao and Romania.

Dinārs Gorniks General Director, Amber Studios amber-studios.com

Outsourced and Managed Live Broadcasting Studios, presenters, daily operation and people management which is based in Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia and Poland. Known for their high connectivity, 24/7 operations, and bespoke services tailored to each client individually.

Daniel Buttigieg Chief Commercial Officer, ApcoPay www.apcopay.com

ApcoPay is a fully integrated payments processing solution, an all-in-one platform that provides Operators with all they need to cater for multi-channel and multi-currency payment options through a single interface. The solution is designed to cater for high transaction volumes, scalability and continuous improvement. We are specialists in payment solutions with over 17 years’ industry experience driven by a passionate team of experts.

Robert Mikudik Head of Commerical, Apollo Games www.apollogames.com

Apollo Games is one of the leading suppliers of online gaming software standing at the forefront of the iGaming industry in Central Europe and in Africa. They strive to deliver the best gaming experience and offer players cutting-edge slot games with different levels of volatility and stunning visuals for world-class digital entertainment.

Kris Baron Partner - Regulatory & Advisory, ARQ Group www.arqgroup.com

ARQ Group is a Malta-based professional services firm, boasting a team of high-quality regulatory, compliance, AML, accounting and technology specialists. Through the knowledge and experience gained over the years by advising top and mid-tier iGaming companies and assisting start-ups, they provide all the support one would need to grow and protect their business.

Steve Bates Head of Product and Technology, Aurum Solutions www.aurum.solutions

Aurum Solutions designs, develops and implements world-class reconciliation and exception management software. Fully scalable, highly flexible with comprehensive management information and full audit trail.

Bojan Šćekić CEO, Balkan Bet www.balkanbet.rs

Balkan Bet was established in 2000 with them now operating over 70 bet shops. Primarily focused on sports betting and casinos, they aim to improve the best gaming and fun experience. In a novel turn, they have a fully stocked bar at every location where they also provide fantastic food.

Vladimir Luchaninov CMO, Bananza Affiliates bananzaaffiliates.com

Bananza is a gambling affiliate program with 2 casino brands: Vostok and Volta. Bananza brands have operated since 2015 in CIS countries and have launched in Canada this very same year. Their Affiliate program combines everything you could expect: revshare/ cpa/hybrid models, weekly payments, converting promo materials, detailed reports and postbacks.

Sergey Chernyavski Deputy Director of Marketing, Belatra Games belatragames.com

Belatra Games is an online gaming provider with years of experience in the gambling industry. Every year, thanks to the work of a large team of professionals, they release more the 15 new cutting edge games featuring a variety of scenarios and exciting topics.

Kateryna Dolzhenko

manager, Betandyou betandyou.com

Betandyou is a fast-growing gambling site operating in a plethora of markets worldwide and providing high level services to its registered players from day one. Amazing welcome packages, unique daily and weekly offers, a variety of betting markets, casino providers and top-notch in-house affiliate software put them one step ahead of the competition and make Betandyou one of the best and most profitable bets.

Betby is software provider which has built and has been constantly updating a revolutionary sportsbook involving machine learning and artificial intelligence and integrated with premium quality data feeds. We develop, we predict, we detect and we do it quickly, efficiently and with absolute focus on needs of our partners.

Kristina Hambardzumyan Malta Regional Director, BetConstruct www.betconstruct.com

BetConstruct is a software developer and iGaming industry giant. The firm’s philosophy is delivering freedom of choice for clients to maximize their success in the market. With a finger on the pulse of multiple tech trends, the company pushes the limits in iGaming providing proven and innovative offerings since 2003 and the widest gaming and betting portfolio in the industry.

Niklas Fagerström Head of Affiliates, Betwinner betwinner.com

BETWINNER Sportsbook and Casino includes over 1,000 events daily and 400,000 online users. We use a personal approach for every partner, helping to maximise benefits. A key advantage is the “low base players” effect. This means that it will be much easier for our partners to monetize our traffic, which gives them great opportunities for scaling and growth.

BF Games is a creative and dynamic game development studio that creates innovative slots content for the global online. With a focus on developing high-quality games and platform, BF Games offers an extensive portfolio of industry-leading products to the sector. The London-based company was founded by industry veterans and is also a land-based operator and slot machines producer in several European jurisdictions.

Affiliate

Chris Nokolopoulos CCO, Betby betby.com

Claudia Melcaru Head of Business Development, BF Games bfgames.com

Nina Jelen Marketing Manager, BlueOcean Gaming blueoceangaming.com

BlueOcean Gaming is a B2B online casino software provider with long-time experience in the online gaming industry. Their lead product is GameHub, a game aggregation platform, which allows operators to quickly launch more than 90 casino game providers via single API integration. Other products they develop include White Label, Turnkey and Site Provider API solution.

Laurent North CEO, Blue Window LTD www.bluewindowltd.com

Blue Window LTD is made up of SEO & Marketing experts, leading several markets. Their goal is to deliver the highest quality traffic possible to all their esteemed partners, to boost their revenues. The next step for any company wanting to register online growth and convert website visitors into customers.

Vanessa Griscti VP

Sales,

Entertainment, Brite Payment Group www.britepaymentgroup.com

Brite is the future of instant payments. Brite is a Swedish secondgeneration FinTech challenger in the European payment space, using direct bank-to-bank payments as its core. Offering one of the market’s fastest API solutions, products instant bank deposits, instant withdrawals and the full-service solution ‘Brite Play’.

Andrew Stone Head of Affiliates, Buffalo Partners www.buffalopartners.com

With over 20 years’ experience, Buffalo Partners represents a collection of the world’s largest online casinos and sportsbooks. A true pioneer of the industry, they launched the very first online casino Gaming Club, in 1994. They operate world-wide, and currently focus on entering into the US market.

Marinos Shiapanis CEO, Campeón Gaming www.campeongaming.com

Campeón Gaming is an innovative multi-brand operator with an evergrowing and solid affiliate network. They operate in many jurisdictions across the globe, including but not limited to: LATAM, Central & Northern Europe, North America, and Far East. Innovation is at the core of their operations, offering versatile solutions from groundbreaking ideas.

Katja Nordstad CEO, CatAffs cataffs.com

CatAffs is a monobrand affiliate program of the newly launched CatCasino. They offer fresh products with various instruments for retention and high LTV: daily, weekly and monthly tournaments, slots beta releases, strong email marketing, different promo campaigns, skilled VIP and AWOL managers. Top geos are CIS, Nordics, Canada, New Zealand and Central/Eastern Europe.

Darco Aivazian Head of Malta Office/Acting Head of Affiliates, Chilli Partners chillipartners.com

Chilli Partners includes popular major brands of online casinos, providing a huge selection of games for players around the world. Their dedicated and diverse team gains valuable industry experience and mutual development. They are proud of the success that they achieve thanks to the selection of the best games, excellent software, excellent customer service, reliability, and safety.

Anton Voystrikov CEO, CLICKLED clicklead.ru

CLICKLED is an international iGaming CPA network operating in affiliate marketing since 2016. CLICKLED has more than 1,000 offers in 40 countries around the world. Most importantly, with CLICKLEAD, your profit is higher than when working directly with advertisers directly.

Gareth Twist CCO, CoinDirect www.coindirect.com

Coindirect was born in 2017 out of an ambition to enable businesses to unlock the efficiencies of cryptocurrency. Their core services allow merchants to make cross border payments in over 20 exotic currencies, process cryptocurrency payments in over 40 cryptocurrencies, and execute large trades with no slippage through their OTC desk.

Simas Simanauskas Head of Payments, ConnectPay connectpay.com

ConnectPay is one of the fastest growing Electronic Money Institutions (EMI) in Lithuania – the leading fintech hub in continental Europe - providing banking services for internet-based companies. By offering smooth onboarding and boutique banking experience ConnectPay has established a strong clientele featuring numerous Tier 1 gambling companies.

David Black Managing Director - EMEA, Continent 8 Technologies www.continent8.com

Founded over 20 years ago, Continent 8 is an award-winning, multijurisdictional, global network solutions provider that connects, manages, and secures the world’s most valuable information. The company has data centres and strategic points of presence in over 80 connected locations spanning Europe, the Americas and Asia, and is expanding rapidly. Its carrier-grade network powers some of the biggest brands in iGaming.

Roger A. Strickland Jr. Director, CSB Group www.csbgroup.com

CSB Group offers a 360° approach to iGaming operators by effectively assisting them with setting up or relocating their iGaming operation to Malta. Their highly skilled iGaming advisory team assists with Licensing Application Support, Tax Advice, Company Incorporation, Regulatory & Compliance, Key Function Services, Accounting & Payroll, Recruitment, Real Estate and more.

Lilit Azatyan Head of Marketing Department, Digitain www.digitain.com

Digitain offers a wide range of premium customer-centric products and services for the iGaming industry, ensuring its partners’ competitive advantage. Their sportsbook, whether delivered via a turnkey platform, or via API, is a fully functional platform, with a comprehensive range of supporting services.

Jonathan Amrani Director of Operations, Ecopayz www.ecopayz.com

EcoPayz is one of the longest standing payment platforms for all your digital wallet, payment card, prepaid voucher, and online cash needs. They accept payments from customers and partners, manage corporate finances, pay employees – all in one account, in over 50 currencies worldwide.

Dave Logelin VP of Operations, EirthPay eirthpay.com

EirthPay was founded by a group of leading industry professionals to provide smarter solutions for all merchant payment acceptance needs. Harnessing over 50-years of experience, EirthPay simplifies credit and debit card processing for merchants and partners by offering a single point of entry for users to access multiple processing platforms.

Germano Arno CEO, Emoney PLC emoney.mt

Emoney PLC is an Electronic Money Institution, licensed in Malta by the MFSA, authorised to operate in all SEPA countries. The company is involved in issuing of electronic money, payment services, payment circuits and innovative internet banking solutions, fully customisable, based on the most advanced technology, security and execution speed.

Mark Thorne

CMO, Esports Technologies www.esportstechnologies.com

Esports Technologies is developing ground-breaking and engaging wagering products. Esports Technologies is one of the leading global providers of esports product and platform solutions. With offices in Las Vegas, Ireland and Malta, the company operates B2C brands as well as developing esports predictive modelling technologies.

Andrey Astapov

Managing Partner at ETERNA LAW, ETERNA LAW eterna.law

ETERNA LAW is a full-service European law firm with extensive expertise in Ukraine and the CIS region. ETERNA LAW is one of the leading law firms in the market and has unequaled experience in advising gambling operators in Ukraine in accordance with the provisions of the Gambling Law.

Dmitry Starostenkov

CEO, EvenBet Gaming evenbetgaming.com

EvenBet Gaming is a world-class online poker solutions developer based and licensed in Malta. Company has created 360-degree software platform with poker in its core, modern mobile and desktop client applications, reliable server, easy-to-manage backend, and an option to integrate thousands of casino games. Used by over 130 iGaming projects.

Anthony Hennessy

Commercial Director & Co Founder, Exacta solutions www.exactasolutions.com

A young company with a strong pedigree, Malta-based Exacta Solutions brings years of experience to bear on the issues faced by new and growing businesses. With experience in executive recruitment, headhunting and management consulting, and an unrivalled network of experts from various backgrounds, they’ll help you reach your business goals.

Andrea Stojanović Head of Sales – iGaming, Fazi Gaming

www.fazi.rs

The leading manufacturer in the casino industry. Innovative, cutting-edge HTML5 online casino games with the greatest performances for all kinds of players. More than 500 satisfied operators and 30 integrated platforms recognized the quality of unique game content with adjustable UI.

Stefano

Fregoni CEO, FilsGame filsgame.com

FilsGame is a provider of premium gaming solutions to online and landbased casino operators. With a portfolio of high-end slots, table and quick games, Fils gives a top-quality player experience through dedicated and innovative features.

Brian Forth Vice

Finnplay www.finnplay.com

President of Sales and Marketing,

Finnplay is the leading iGaming platform provider from the Nordics. We offer a trusted, open and state-of-the-art PAM platform with the top casino and sportsbook integrations. Finnplay supports licensed operators in selected regulated markets.

Elena Dudchenko Lawyer, Fintech Harbor Consulting fintecharbor.com

They are a team of professionals with aggregate experience of more than 40 years in the Fintech industry. Fintech Harbor Consulting provides A-class solutions including Company Registration, Registered/Virtual Office Address, bank accounts and Merchant account solutions, at an affordable rate.

Jens Podewski CEO & Co-Founder, FinXP www.finxp.com

FinXP is an award-winning European payments and banking solution provider committed to empowering businesses to easily make and receive payments. Founded in 2014, the company is led by an experienced team with deep knowledge in niche industries including iGaming and Crypto. FinXP’s comprehensive product portfolio includes IBAN Payment Accounts, Unique Pay-out Solutions, Card Issuing, Omnichannel Payment Processing, and more.

John Walker Commercial Director, Fluid Branding www.fluidbranding.com

Fluid Branding delivers high quality promotional merchandise, that’s what they do and they are proud of doing it. Beyond just selling branded merchandise, their purpose is to create a culture of change that pushes everyone to do things better every day.

Vivian Mizrahi Head of Affiliates, Financial Partners Marketing fpm.global

Financial Partners Marketing is a world leading affiliate network that specializes in exclusive financial offers. Their commitment to detail and attention towards building partnerships always make their affiliates earn more. Their specialized team made up of passionate marketers ensure that every element from banners to conversion are perfectly optimized and deliver optimal results for their partners.

David Mahon CEO, Full Color fullcolorgames.com

Full Color® Games is the world’s first and new class of card and casino gaming featuring Full Color® Cards and the Full Color® Gaming System where Color Cards™ increase your score and White Cards™ while decreasing it to create a new set of UP & DOWN gaming action. Certified by BMM with Malta & Curacao gaming licenses.

Robert Civill Chief commercial officer, Gamanza www.gamanza.com

Gamanza is an ISO 27001 certified technology provider offering a complete suite of iGaming software. Gamanza’s iGaming Superstore™ includes a world-class account platform with an ultra-sleek back office, a flexible compliance framework, regulatory data vault, payment gateway, customizable gamification system and a cutting-edge real-time CRM.

Sylvain Boniver COO and founder, Gaming1 www.gaming1.com

Gaming1 is a major actor in both land-based and online entertainment (casino, sports betting, poker and game provider). The group is a leader on the Belgian game of chance market with the brand Circus. Using their own technological platform, Gaming1 has built a portfolio of strong brands in 9 countries around the world.

Manoj Trivedi Head of Sales and Marketing, Gammastack www.gammastack.com

GammaStack is an iGaming software solutions and services provider possessing 8+ years of experience. The company provides ready to launch solutions and custom development services for markets including Europe, Africa, South America & North America. Various iGaming verticals covered by company include sports betting, online casinos, fantasy sports, online lottery solutions, esports, etc.

Aleksandr Kosogov CEO, Gamzix www.gamzix.com

Gamzix is a young and progressive slot provider. They create high-quality games for players from all over the world. They provide entertaining content including jackpots, free rounds, and a big choice of revenueboosting promo tools. They already have a strong portfolio, and are ready the cooperation with engaged online casinos and operators.

Rebekah Jackson Business Development Director, GBG www.gbgplc.com

GBG is trusted by over 19,000 customers across 65 countries to improve the customer onboarding and verification experience. GBG helps gaming organizations to quickly and simply onboard, verify and monitor players globally with a 100% decision rate, while ensuring frictionless compliance.

Zana Kadir Chairman, GetTechnlogies www.gettechnology.co

GetTechnologies is a service provider for the gaming industry offering sports and casino games for users and shop owners. They offer dedicated end users services such as desktop and mobile version as well as services for shop owners as mobile and desktop partner panels to cover the full requirements spectrum.

Marco Trucco MD Europe, GGPoker en.ggpoker.eu

GGPoker is the world’s leading online poker platform, with next-generation software and a range of innovative games and promotions. As an exclusive partner of the World Series of Poker®, GGPoker offers players gaming experiences that cannot be found anywhere else! Marco Trucco leads GGPoker operations in Europe and the growth of the Malta office.

Globiance aims to provide services to all clients across the world with a global approach. Offering services to corporate and retail clients. Globiance platforms cover the exchange and trading of crypto and fiat currencies, payment solutions and worldwide transfers. Offering GBEX the first exchange token designed in a deflationary way.

The firm provides its clients with integrated advice and assistance on FinTech, regtech, citizenship and residence, shipping, corporate law, financial services, blockchain and DLTs, cryptocurrencies, and general litigation and dispute resolution. A leader in data protection, telecommunications and gaming, GTG serves a diverse client-base which also benefits from an international professional network including international firms and banks.

Habanero is a premium slot games provider creates games popular in both Western and Asian gaming markets. Their complete catalogue of Slot games, Table Games and Video Pokers deliver the best gaming experience using HTML5. Currently certified in 16 countries, Habanero continues to expand its presence globally.

High Affiliates is one of the top casino affiliate network programs with in-depth knowledge of the gaming industry with the best CPA’s & Rev-Share from the market. Their high referral bonuses and benefits makes them one of the pillars of the affiliate market.

IDnow’s identity verification platform supports gambling operators with AML & KYC solutions, tailored to their digital identity needs. State-of-the-art technology meets outstanding service, to create a seamless and secure user experience.

Oliver Marco La Rosa CEO, Globiance globiance.com

Dr Ian Gauci Managing Partner, GTG Advocates www.gtgadvocates.com

Arcangelo Lonoce Head of Business Development - Europe, Habanero habanerosystems.com

Maddison Newton Affiliate Manager, High Affiliates highaffiliates.com

Roger Tyrzyk Director Global Gambling & Sales UK, IDnow idnow.io

Javier Gazquez CEO & Founder, Interamplify www.interamplify.com

One of the main international SEO platforms that provides advanced solutions to help global brands to grow in any country. Since 2012, They have overcome the challenge of leading their clients to success in many different countries and markets, and have built a solid network of connections around the world to make it happen.

Peter Ekmark Chief Executive Officer, Internet Vikings internetvikings.com

Internet Vikings is a Swedish-based provider of hosting, domain names and marketing solutions established in 2008. The full suite of services includes hosting services across the most relevant jurisdictions, domain names, and marketing solutions in the field of brand protection, making Internet Vikings a one-stop-shop for iGaming operators.

Gianluca Scassa Business Development Manager & ISMS Auditor, iTech Labs itechlabs.com

iTech Labs is a world leading accredited testing and certification laboratory for online gaming systems. As a trusted industry leader, iTech Labs prides itself on a culture of integrity to the industry and to their customers, while dedicating their skills to meeting customer’s deadlines, at the same time as maintaining the highest quality of testing, at set, competitive rates.

An affiliate program with its own products. Their network includes 6 brands of Online Casinos with Sportsbook. They expand their borders every day, because they work with countries all over the world, including Europe and the CIS. They are focused on long-term cooperation with their partners and offer only high-quality projects with high conversion rates.

Ruslan Legenzov Head of Affiliates, King Billy Casino kingbillycasino.com

King Billy Casino is a multi-award-winning new generation online casino, available in 6 languages. King Billy Casino has created a superb user experience around the myth of King Billy and his Kingdom and treats all its players (“Citizens” in the casino language) with the attention they deserve.

Marina Nechaeva Head of Affiliate Department, Jim Partners jimpartners.com

Trevor Axiak Director, Kyte kyte.global

Kyte Global is a one-stop-shop compliance service provider. With decades of experience in the gaming industry, Kyte can support companies with all licensing requirements using internal resources. Kyte has at its disposal specialised teams for various compliance matters such as AML, ISO27001, PCI DSS, Responsible Gaming, GDPR, Internal Audit, SWIFT, PSD2 etc. Kyte is strong in Information Security and can perform Security Audits as well as Penetration testing to support your Risk Management requirements.

Nikita Gorškov CEO, Mancala Gaming www.mancalagaming.com

Mancala gaming is an online slot game provider with a portfolio of 30+ games that offers direct or reverse integration, jackpots, and unique bonusing tools to increase player retention. All games are HTML5 supporting landscape and portrait mode. New releases focus on unique features with element of skill for demanding players and younger audience.

Miles Benham Managing Director, MannBenham mannbenham.com

MannBenham is recognised as one of the Isle of Man’s leading law firms and eGaming service providers, with 25-years’ experience advising clients across the international eGaming arena. MannBenham is comprised of professional business lawyers, an advisory practice with experts in operations, payments and compliance, and a licensed corporate service provider, all focused on eGaming solutions.

Leanne Muleba COO, Matching Visions matchingvisions.com

With just 1 signup, 1 login and 1 point of contact, affiliates get access to a long string of high value CPA, Hybrid, CPL and flat RevShare campaigns. With everything under one roof, affiliates need to look no further to grow their business. Matching Visions is the fastest growing affiliate network in the industry and has no plans of slowing down. With highly competitive deals and state-of-the-art software, affiliates no longer need to chase deals, payments and keep track of piles of different login details.

Maddison Newton Affiliate Manager, Mate Affiliates www.mateaffiliates.com

Looking for easy ways to make passive income? There’s nothing better than online casinos that grab people’s attention. Invite people to join and get a high referral bonus for every user. Mate Affiliates offers a high-class affiliate network beyond compare.

About

us London Gaming, through its senior management, has been a trusted advisor and consultant to land based and on-line gaming operators for over 10 years.

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John Smith Principal Consultant, Melbet melbet.ng

MELBET is a trusted online bookmaker with one of the biggest sports lines in the industry. In addition, MELBET offers online live casinos and slots from the world’s best providers. The bookmaker grants top tier iGaming experience to its players.

Joseph Cutajar Managing Director, MIB mib.com.mt

MIB is Malta’s largest insurance broker and risk management services firm, the local pioneer in this sector with a track record of over 40 years serving some of Malta’s major public and private corporate entities.

Paul Kavanagh CEO, MiFinity www.mifinity.com

MiFinity, a global payments provider, offers a range of cost-effective and efficient end-to-end payment solutions. It has a growing network of Global partner relationships and a best-in-class, highly secure and regulated technology platform.

Rasmus Kjaergaard CEO, Mindway

AI www.mindway-ai.com

Mindway AI is a Danish award-winning provider of science-based solutions for automatic detection and monitoring of at-risk and problem gambling behavior. Based on artificial intelligence combined with human experts’ assessments GameScanner becomes your “Virtual Psycholgist”. Gamalyze is a new and innovative way to do self-test as a card game.

Yuri Titkov CEO, mr.fish, mr.Fish - iGaming

mr.Fish

Digital Performance MarTech Group

mr.fish is a martech holding, whose units provide performancebased, 360° marketing services to the clients’ businesses all over the world. mr.fish holding includes Digital Chain (DC) marketing agency, SEO agency Netcraft Global, CPM network Vadideo, CPA network Papa Karlo, and freelance copywriting website Copylancer.

NeatAffiliates, Affiliate Team neataffiliates.com

NeatAffiliates is the official affiliate program of Realm Entertainment and Throne Gaming. Do you have Turkish traffic? If your answer is yes, they are looking forward to give you the best offer.

Ian Nicholson Business Development Director, Neosurf www.neosurf.com

Neosurf is a world-renowned payments solution enabling gamers and gamblers to pay online without credit card usage and without disclosing personal information. Founded in 2004 the Neosurf model is now regarded as one of the principal payments means globally.

Malcolm Mizzi CCO & MD, nolimitcity www.nolimitcity.com

Nolimit City is a Malta, Stockholm, India-based online casino platform and game developer, offering high-quality content and services to operators around the world. The company has designed and developed its platform in-house from the ground-up; delivering a strong and powerful engine that can take large volumes of play and social interaction in its stride, on both desktop and mobile.

Karlo Kralj VP of Sales, NSoft www.nsoft.com

NSoft is an internationally recognized supplier for the betting industry offering turnkey sports betting platform and sportsbook, a wide range of betting and casino games and betting terminals. Working with 180+ clients across 40+ countries, they created a suite of products that is easy to integrate, customizable and released lightning fast.

Umberto Corridori Global SVP Gaming, Digital Payments, Nuvei nuvei.com

Nuvei is the payment technology partner of thriving brands. They provide the intelligence and technology businesses need to succeed locally and globally, through one integration — propelling them further, faster. Uniting payment consulting and payment technology, they help businesses remove payment barriers, optimize operating costs and increase acceptance rates both locally and globally.

Patrick Mann CCO, OMEGA Systems www.omegasys.eu

OMEGA Systems is an innovative software development company empowering operators, aggregators, and retailers to take control of their business via a range of industry leading products. OMEGA CORE provides an omni-channel management platform that is integrated with >260 third-party systems, providing regulatory compliance, engagement, risk management and data vault solutions.

Dennis DeLaRosa President of Online IPS onlineips.net

Online IPS is a full-spectrum merchant services organization, delivering trusted payment solutions in Europe and LatAm as a registered Payment Service Provider with top-tier banking relationships. From custom gateway services and multi-currency processing to 3D-secure and tailored risk management, we support diverse merchants and payment types in growing commerce regions.

Dave Roe Chief Operating Officer, Paramount Commerce www.paramountcommerce.com

Paramount Commerce is a global payments technology company offering a leading bank account-based solution in iGaming and sports betting. With over 15+ years of industry experience, having processed over 50 billion in volume, and offering seamless integrations, Paramount Commerce creates raving fans of both merchants and consumers.

Jose Marti Head of Global Sales, PayRetailers www.payretailers.com

PayRetailers is a payment processor designed to handle mass online payments in Latin America. They offer a streamlined payment solution that supports over 250 payment methods across 12 countries, including alternative payment methods, bank transfers, QR Codes and wallet’s, in all regional currencies. PayRetailers is headquartered in Spain, with regional offices in Malta, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia.

Anna Shvera CMO, Payment.Center payment.center

Payment.Center has been registered as a payment service provider since 2013. Having obtained EU, CIS, Asia financial Licenses allows them to cooperate with customers all over the world and offer them high-quality services. They have vast experience in solving complex tasks and offering a complete package of financial and technical components.

Boaz Gam CEO, Payneteasy www.payneteasy.com

Payneteasy is a payment technology company offering a white-label, payment-gateway to PSPs as well as a payment cashier to merchants such as Gaming operators, Crypto exchanges and more. They also offer credit cards payment services via our PSP customers.

Denis Miloserdov CEO, Payop payop.com

Payop is an international payment processor and a payment aggregator for various types of businesses. The company accepts online payments from 170+ countries by 450+ methods, including internet banking, bank transfer, eWallets, local cards, prepayment, mobile payments, international cards, and cash.

Rosen Metev VP Sales EMEA, Paysafe www.paysafe.com

Paysafe is a leading specialised payments platform with over 20 years of online payment experience. It enables businesses and consumers to connect and transact across 70 payment types in over 40 currencies globally. It offers industry-leading payment processing, digital wallets (Skrill, NETELLER), eCash solutions (paysafecard, Paysafecash) and digital marketing (Income Access).

PeraTera peratera.com

Designed for fast-growing businesses, their global payment solutions help their clients to increase revenue while reducing fraud-related risks. With a single integration featuring streamlined access to more than 300 local and international payment methods, a range of payout options, and the ability to transact in more than 150 currencies, purchases get completed without a hitch.

Dmitri Lihno CEO, Private Financial Services www.pfser.com

Private Financial Services is an international licensed corporate services provider since 1998. Our mission is to assist gambling, crypto, blockchain, e-money, FX companies in seizing opportunities and managing risks tied to their expansion across borders and industries (licensing, banking and payment solutions, structuring, incorporations, and many other different legal services).

Nat Brewer Brand Manager, Pushgaming www.pushgaming.com

His professional background is in operations within the Marketing, Events & Hospitality Industry and more recently in iGaming. During the last 5 years his focus was to create experiential marketing within the iGaming Industry focusing on brand, products, and services. He have led and collaborated in various marketing projects, specialized events, and promotions as well as helped to build and strengthen both brands and client relationships.

Isacco Ceci CEO, Quinel www.quinel.com.mt

QUINEL is a leading independent and internationally accredited testing laboratory/inspection body in the field of gaming. Serving the gaming industry for more than 10 years with their offices in Italy, Malta, and the UK leveraging international expertise and worldwide recognition of QUINEL Ltd. test reports.

Neri Simchoni Vice President of Sales, Reblaze www.reblaze.com

Reblaze is the leading provider of cloud-native web application and API protection, providing an all-in-one fully managed security platform. Reblaze supports flexible deployment options (cloud/multi-cloud, hybrid, data center, service mesh), and includes: Bot Management, advanced monitoring capabilities, API Security, next-gen WAF, DDoS protection, advanced rate limiting, session profiling, and more.

Sven Leicht Head of Acquisition, RocketPot rocketpot.io

Situated in Curacao, rocketpot.io offers unique games rooted in cryptocurrency, apart from its product suite of sportsbetting, esport, casino and live casino games. A young company driven by young entrepreneurs, they are in a good position to reach the moon and beyond.

Denis Fjodorov Head of Sales, Royal Pay Europe royalpay.eu

Royal Pay brand unites a group of companies providing a wide range of e-commerce services. Services include assistance in opening accounts, integration and configuration of payment solutions on websites and in mobile applications, optimization of financial business models, compliance services, etc. Their offices are located in different parts of the world.

Boris Chaikin CEO, Soft2Bet soft2bet.com

Soft2Bet is an iGaming platform provider and operator group. Its line-up includes casino titles and sports betting. All of its projects have acquired either MGA or SGA licenses. With 5,000+ titles, 69 providers and 100,000 active customers, it is one of the fastest-growing iGaming groups in Europe.

Daniel Fenner

Head of Sales: EMEA/LATAM, Sportradar www.sportradar.com

Sportradar is the leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Established in 2001, the company is well positioned at the intersection of the sports, media and betting industries, providing sports federations, media, consumer platforms and sports-betting operators with a range of solutions

Stakelogic https://stakelogic.com/

With over 100 games live and with more than 500 online casinos, Stakelogic has become one of the world’s leading online game suppliers. The Stakelogic brand name has become a marker for quality and innovation.

Carlos Gaspar Sales Director, Switch. switchpayments.com

Switch is a payment orchestration platform that allows merchants, PSPs, and acquirers to access the entire payments value chain through a single API integration. Their microservices architecture allows exposure to their applications on a modular basis, offering clients the chance to decouple their payment stack into the Switch Platform on a SaaS model, instead of developing in-house.

Rafaela Arruda Business Development, TigerGames tigerconnexion.com

An iGaming solution aggregator, providing their client’s service site with a single API solution that allows the ability to offer a wide variety of games for the Asian market. Their main markets are Japan, Korea, Thailand, and other major territories in Southeast Asia.

Shunsuke Kojima CMO, TIGER PAY tiger-pay.com

TIGER PAY is a tailor-made E-wallet service for Japan launched in 2021. Their services allow clients to enter the rewarding market in Japan without complicated barriers and speed up their revenue earning process by providing solutions suited to the demands of local users.

Evelyna Sladnikova Director, TonyBet Sourcing tonybet.com

TonyBet’s online bookmaking services are constantly improving. They continuously expand their team by hiring top industry professionals, improve their customer support team to help players and understand their needs, while also acquiring more regional licenses, entering several new markets on a yearly basis.

Olof Wirfelt VP Account Management, Trustly www.trustly.com

Trustly is a Swedish FinTech company that makes online banking payments fast, simple and secure. They offer instant deposits and withdrawals to players across over 30 countries within Europe and the US and their product, Pay N Play®, streamlines the sign-up step so players can start playing games instantly while ensuring operators stay compliant.

Martina Ivanova Marketing Manager, UltraPay ultraplay.co

UltraPlay is a multi-awarded betting provider, founded in 2010, offering a turn-key iGaming platform to online operators worldwide. The company focuses on sports and eSports betting, live betting, white-label, online casino, and blockchain technology.

Atis Ivanovs Senior Customer Success Manager, Unlimint unlimint.com

Unlimint designed an all-in-one financial interface that creates a 360 overview of a business’s financial ecosystem, allowing customers to take back control of their finances and scale their business to new heights.

Michael Goryachev Head of Sales, Uplatform Uplatform.com

At Uplatform, they know that clients need more than just a platform. They ensure your ultimate success by providing exactly what clients need- a versatile sportsbook with the biggest sports and esports coverage, all needed tools, individual approach, dedicated attention to their business and real results.

Polina Diasamidze Head of Partner Relations Department, Vavada vavada.com

Vavada is a solid operator, established in 2015. 40+ providers are connected to the project and they have a high customer retention rate and reputation amongst affiliates.

Ramiro Atucha CEO, Vibragaming Vibragaming.com

Vibra Gaming provides localized content and technology to land-based operators launching their online initiatives. We are also a key strategic partner to global operators making their way into the region, since we have been navigating the heavily-regulated European industry for the past 10+ years.

Ali Atam Chief Marketing Officer, Videoslots www.videoslots.com

6000 games from over 160 game providers. With rich gamification tools including Battle of Slots and dedicated customer service, Videoslots is a leader in providing safe and entertaining gaming experience.

Nikolay Belikov CBDO, WakeApp wakeapp.ru

WakeApp is a performance marketing agency and an international project which has been on the market for 7 years. It’s also a leader in the development and promotion of gaming and non-gaming mobile applications in gambling and betting verticals, along with many more.

Xhejn Dule Payment Expert, DIMOCO Carrier Billing dimoco.eu

DIMOCO Carrier Billing is a regulated payment institute for Direct Carrier Billing and holds a payment service license from the Austrian Financial Market Authority. DIMOCO enables over 1.5 billion people to purchase goods and services from merchants with their mobile devices, charged via the user’s phone bill or credit.

Vladimir Malakchi Chief Commercial Officer, Evoplay evoplay.games

Evoplay is next-generation entertainment. 100+ iGaming titles, cutting-edge design, and jaw-dropping animation - it’s console-level fun, without the console. Evoplay’s award-winning work has made it one of the industry’s most sought after suppliers. With a partnership network throughout Asia, the CIS, Latin America and Europe, it’s the future of iGaming, today.

Carsten Schaefer Director, Finductive www.finductive.com

Finductive Ltd, a regulated Financial Institution based in Malta, is our vision of modern banking and payments! With access to various currencies, IBANS and advanced technical gateway solutions we are proud to offer you payment options to receive, administer and transfer funds globally.

Mike Shafro CEO, Xpate xpate.com

Xpate prioritises simplicity, speed and user experience. The payments platform provides businesses with a single multi-fit solution uniting all of the desired methods of pay covering an extensive range of demands. This eliminates the headache of having to onboard and integrate multiple partners. The platform is centered around creating a simple and rewarding payment experience.

Stephen H Shoemaker CEO, Winners Group www.winnersgroup.sk

Winners Group is the premier esports gambling organisation. With owned media properties, international operations and a fervent, growing user base, Winners continues to lead the convergence of gambling and esports.

James Scicluna Co-Managing Partner, WH Partners whpartners.eu

H Partners is a Malta-based leading law firm with a business focus and expertise in gaming & gambling, blockchain, fintech, M&A, corporate finance and tax. The firm specialises in e-commerce, telecoms, data protection, intellectual property, software development as well as investment funds, fund management and fund administration and real estate.

Girts Straujums CEO, Weavepay weave-pay.com

Weavepay offers global payment solutions for all major credit cards and over 140 local alternative payment methods. Weavepay is a licensed UK based EMI and issues corporate bank accounts. Their corresponding banking network allows for European and International SWIFT payments.

Akarshit Mandhotra Business Development

BetB2B betb2b.com

Manager,

BetB2B is a leading sports betting and casino platform with 12+ years of experience. Offering all the necessary products and services to succeed: a TOP sportsbook, the most expansive Casino collection, advanced backoffice tool, and complete Marketing Kit.

Per Sundell Senior Business Development Manager, PaymentIQ https://www.bambora.com/payment-for-gaming/paymentiq

PaymentIQ is DevCode Payment`s merchant payment platform built especially for the iGaming industry. Together with their igaming clients, they have developed, streamlined and implemented payment solutions from all around the world, meeting the highest requirements in terms of availability, performance, security and flexibility.

Marvi Kirik COO, Enchant Affiliates enchantaffiliates.com

Enchant Affiliates is an Affiliate Program that includes 3 Casino and Sportsbook brands operated by Curacao and MGA licenses. Absorbing the extensive experience in a traffic generation market and innovative technical resources, Enchant Affiliates turned it into brands with the highest conversion funnels and the best tools for affiliates.

Assaf Dor CEO, Cellxpert www.cellxpert.com

Cellxpert, the leading affiliate tracking software, puts you in full control of your affiliate program. Run all marketing channels and reach meaningful insights based on your performance, results and ROI. One practical solution to increase your revenue: From tracking and campaign performance management to advertising and regulation tools.

Margarita Malysheva Head of Marketing, Mascot Games mascot.games

Mascot Gaming is an exciting slot development studio on a mission to create engaging games that provide players with the most thrilling experience possible. Its slots combine striking design with sophisticated mechanics to deliver slots that stand out from the crowd. Its team regularly pushes boundaries, creating unique products.

Sergei Efimenko CEO, Atlas atlas-iac.com

Atlas is a Gambling software provider, focused on Performance, Full flexibility and Automation. Based on in-house built proprietary Platform (Sportsbook, CRM, Risk-management, Antifraud, Bonus engine and Retail), they we create pioneering solutions that allow to automate work of thousands of employees in each department, maximize the profit and increase quality of product.

John Micallef Director, Fact Technologies fact-technologies.net

FACT Technologies offers a variety of services to the gaming industry, including IT advisory and auditing, penetration testing and information security health checks, project management, ISO27001 consultancy, risk and security assessment, and IT Governance. They are also an approved entity by the MGA to carry out Systems and Compliance audits.

Amit Klatchko Founder and Director, Praxis praxis.tech

Praxis is a technology company which has developed the smart payment management software and cashier, designed with you in mind. Websites with a global reach need localized processing solutions for each region, fast integrations, geo-targeting and smart routing.

MEDIA PARTNERS

5 Star iGaming Media delivers daily coverage and industry-leading news, articles, interviews, and business analysis for the interactive gaming industry. We have always been on the forefront when it comes to finding new ways to keep readers engaged. We listen and respond to our audience’s demands for more interactive digital media, and are constantly paving new avenues for brands to participate in these endeavors.

Asia Gaming Brief is a market intelligence, events, and networking company focused on Asia’s rapidly expanding gaming industry. Our network of contacts across the land-based and online gaming industries means we have our finger on the pulse of all things gaming, from the latest trends and products through to changes in regulation and emerging jurisdictions.

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Best Bitcoin Casino is the premier online hub for reviews, news, and updates, with a solid reputation in the crypto, fiat money, and blockchain gaming sectors since 2013. With more than five years in the business, the company delivers high-quality and relevant content about online casinos, dApps, games, bonuses, and iGaming events.

AskGamblers, an award-winning casino affiliate website, providing the most trusted online casino, slot, and bonus reviews. It also features real player opinions and ratings highly valued by the iGaming community. Thanks to its unique Casino Complaint Service, over $30 million has been turned to players thus far. Our motto is: “Get the truth. Then play.” bestbitcoincasino.com

CalvinAyre.com is the most visited and trusted gambling industry news site. Since 2010, we’ve been covering the global gambling industry across six continents. Our readers are a unique mix of gambling industry professionals, gamblers and mainstream media looking to get the inside scoop on this fast-moving industry.

CASINO LIFE & BUSINESS MAGAZINE is a bridge between the casino world and the audience. The monthly magazine is the oldest promotor of gambling in Central and Eastern Europe with sections dedicated to land-based and online gaming, events from all over the world, latest technologies and trends on regulated markets from the region.

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Digital Gaming is a 100% digital group with extensive knowledge in the gaming and entertainment industry, reporting the latest news through relevant content #iGaming. We provide digital services and viable growth, managing to quickly scale and position ourselves as the Peruvian and South American news portal among other digital solutions. #3F4A4E #8AC841

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Focus Gaming News is a media group that produces a daily digital newspaper aimed at international gaming executives. This communication tool is monthly visited by more than 100,000 readers and delivers up-todate news from the gaming and iGaming business industry. Our newsletter is received by more than 20,000 subscribers.

Since 2000, elRecreativo.com has been a byword for online gaming information in the Spanish and Latin American markets. Besides industry news, in elRecreativo.com you can find information about companies, international and national events, poker tournaments, the most interesting gaming weblinks, an archive with more than 50,000 news published along the years and a daily digital newsletter. focusgn.com

FortuneZ.com is a global digital media publication covering Markets, iGaming, Sports Betting, eSports, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency news. Founded in the year 2000, FORTUNEZ has over a million followers in total across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, a testament of recognition by the industry’s professionals, aficionados, and enthusiasts alike.

Gamblers Post is a dedicated news and networking portal in the online gaming industry which features news, reviews, opinions, interviews, contacts and much more. We help operators get in touch with affiliates and inform our users about the latest news in the gambling world.

Gambling Insider is a must-read bi-monthly publication for the global gaming industry. Covering key issues affecting the online and land-based sectors in each region, the magazine entertains as well as informs the world’s leading operators, suppliers, affiliates, legal experts and regulators with agenda-setting news, in-depth analysis and crucial data.

Gaming International Online was launched in early 2019 having originally been a section within Casino International dedicated to iGaming. GIO magazine enjoys a monthly distribution as a stand-alone digital publication to 11,500 iGaming professionals and delivers a weekly newsletter to a similar subscription base. This appears in print as a monthly section within Casino International.

Gbc.ng (www.gbc.ng) is a leading B2B gaming digital news portal set up to inform and educate gaming professionals in Africa on the latest trends in gaming. With over 9,500 top gaming executives and professionals reading the portal, it’s definitely the most authoritative site in Africa.

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Gioconews is a gaming network sharing a monthly review distributed internationally. The magazine is in two languages: Italian and English. The website also has an online daily paper (www.gioconews.it) and two other specific online daily news sections dedicated to Poker and Casino.

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G&M News multiplatform represents an evolution in top quality B2B and B2C content creation. From Latin America to the world, based on a strong team of experts of the land-based and iGaming sectors, the company documents and promotes innovation, leadership, business, information and style, with a unique, academic approach to the global gaming industry.

GAMING

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IGaming Brazil is a betting news portal that covers the main categories of online and offline games in Brazil and worldwide. Present in the main events of the sector, it has become indispensable for those who want to be well informed about the most relevant issues in the industry, becoming one of the most respected and prestigious portals in the world.

We are an association of leading iGaming companies based in Malta and operating in the European & international markets. Our mission is to give the industry a common voice and to drive positive change in the environments we operate in.

Jamma is the name of Italy’s leading gaming & gambling newspaper and online magazine portal. It is chosen by some of the most vital companies and online users who want to stay informed. Jamma is providing users the latest gaming technical services and forums, with legislative, financial and commercial news every day.

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Malta Business was born to inform readers about the Maltese economic system and the many opportunities for project development that the island offers. We believe it is appropriate to make the economic and social news about Malta accessible, in the belief that companies look further into the Mediterranean as a reference for their growth.

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PressGiochi is a digital daily newspaper dedicated to the Italian gambling industry. All the elements of the industry such as: newslot, Vlt, casinos, poker, betting, bingo, lotteries, on- or off-line are presented in editorial content, articles and interviews. In PressGiochi.it you can find information about companies as well as national and international events.

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The Betting Coach is a world leader in the creation of sports blogs for betting providers, link building and strategic marketing for its partners. It is dynamic and acts as a reference point for millions of users. It collaborates with the best betting companies and publishing groups and is partnered up with the greatest and most popular iGaming event organisers.

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This Week in Gambling has produced news videos for the gaming industry every week for six years, reporting and commenting on both land-based and online gambling. We also conduct interviews with industry leaders and professionals, as well as create game review videos for slot machines, table games, casino skill games and web based slots!

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Top Casino Solutions (TCS) is your one-stop online portal for online casino software platform reviews, tips and B2B industry news. We provide objective and reliable information about today’s best white label, turnkey and self-service solutions to the iGaming industry’s upcoming and existing online casino operators.

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