Connect with us

Interviews

Mobile-first gaming round table with experts from Habanero, Evoplay, OneTouch and ESA Gaming

Published

on

Reading Time: 9 minutes

 

In recent years, mobile-first gaming has rapidly risen as smartphone companies continuously enhance their products, making it easier for players to access games whilst on the go. This technological development has brought forward an industry shift, that has seen iGaming companies redirect their focus towards mobile-first content.

With more and more companies embracing the increase in mobile gaming, we explored the success of this new generation offering and what the future holds.

 

According to you, what brought forward the increase in mobile-first gaming?

Arcangelo Lonoce – Head of Business Development at Habanero:

The watershed moment came a number of years ago when smartphones finally managed to deliver a properly premium gaming experience. Indeed, phones have improved exponentially to the point where you could argue that mobile technology is as good as if not better than desktop.

This has been made possible by the improvements in ‘light betting’, by which I mean data, allowing players to enjoy parallel matches etc. When you can reach that point, laptop gaming becomes obsolete as you can flick through just as seamlessly as on desktop. Just of course like the wider world, when it comes to relaxing on the couch, mobile will always be your primary channel over a laptop – whether that’s shopping, gaming or Instagram.

Of course, with HTML5 becoming ubiquitous and flash disappearing has accelerated the mobile-gaming trend. You can look at emerging markets or countries that never went through the ‘laptop era’, as given the leap in tech developments in the last decade, it means that smartphones are simply more affordable and accessible to players than MacBooks ever will be. Latin America is a great example of this.

Vladimir Malakchi, CCO at Evoplay:

The accelerated growth and penetration of global smartphone usage across every corner of the world is the key driver behind the impressive rise we have seen in smartphone gaming. Data from 2021 reveals that over 6 billion people use mobile phones worldwide, and this number continues to grow, with the 5G standard being one of the catalysts. Emerging markets are catching up fast too – with the majority of regions now greatly investing in the development of mobile technology.

In addition to this, according to our research, three-quarters of gamblers prefer to play on mobile, doing so every 4.2 days on average. Other sources show that in 2020, 50% of the online gambling revenue came from mobile, which isn’t surprising as 75% of traffic belongs to mobile. The numbers clearly don’t lie, and the high demand for mobile gaming is a call to action for suppliers to accept this trend.

Thomas Smallwood, Head of Marketing at ESA Gaming, comments:

A mix of technology and convenience is the short answer. Mobiles now provide a simpler and faster way for players to enjoy their favourite games. It’s fair to say that the trend towards mobile has also probably been accelerated during the pandemic as the move from retail to online has quickened.

Madis Raus – Head of Product at OneTouch:

Obviously, the widespread use of smartphones and availability internet has had a positive effect on mobile-first gaming. These days people use mobile devices to perform certain tasks, their far easier to use and more accessible than laptops and desktops. Additionally, mobile devices allow people to do things whenever and wherever they want, whether they’re commuting or simply passing time.

By making the mobile-gaming experience seamless and engaging at the same time, players will continue using mobile devices for entertainment. This is something which will naturally increase over time, as mobile devices continue advancing and being capable to perform at higher standards.

 

Are there any verticals that perform better on smartphones? And how can developers improve those verticals that don’t work as efficiently?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

As an expert on slots and table games – I would say table games are inherently easier to develop and render when performing on smartphones compared to slots, but if we look at numbers, slots are dominant, with a market share of around 85% or so, which shows that the player demand this vertical more than any other.

However, looking at table games, there’s a lot to be said about performance. They have excellent stable rates of acquisition and retention – so there is less motivation to tweak a formula that is clearly working. They also have higher average bets, greater lifetime value and from a mathematical and user interface viewpoint, I would certainly rank them up there as one of the best performers.

Given market demand though, we can assume slots will always retain the lion’s share. So how does one improve the vertical? Stories, subject matter and narrative are key, as is the UI, although we mustn’t forget, it all starts with the maths – you need to get that right first, and then you can start talking other improvements.

Vladimir Malakchi:

Actually, all verticals and mechanics perform well on smartphones. However, while creating a product for hand-held devices, there are key principles to follow: easy-to-understand UX, simplicity of a game, uncomplicated graphics, and adaptation to vertical view.

One thing is for sure – it makes no sense for suppliers to choose a specific type of game to develop for smartphones. The fundamental point is to accept that the mobile-first approach is a basic demand for players.

Thomas Smallwood:

I think sports betting is a natural vertical for mobile. With the ability to play high-quality live streams on mobile devices, in-play betting is no longer just for retail or desktop and the fact that bets can be placed anytime, anywhere is a major factor.

The limit in phone storage also means that casino can be trickier on mobile, especially in apps where users often need to download the games they want to play exactly because of this limitation.

These are two factors behind ESA Gaming’s development of ultra-lightweight games for sportsbooks. The EasySwipe suite of games is accessed through a widget we have designed and developed which enables players to seamlessly move between games and sports bets rather than being re-directed to another part of the site or a cumbersome casino page. The sports betting experience is unhindered and conversion to casino games happens at lower cost.

Madis Raus:

Mobile device usage differs slightly from desktop usage, this means that mobile users have different expectations. Since people use mobiles to pass time or when they’re in between things, the attention span of the mobile user is often shorter, these are things to consider when providing content to them.

In my opinion it’s the matter of the speed of games rather than specific verticals, fast games tend to perform better, as the player doesn’t need to wait too long, which is a bonus especially when they’re looking to kill some time.

To improve further, developers need to consider the peculiarities of mobile device usage and think about ways of implementing content that doesn’t depend on usage patterns, making the products more appealing and engaging to players.

 

What are the difficulties of adopting games to function on smartphones?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

Habanero as a company operates with a mobile-first approach, therefore, we don’t find any real challenge when it comes to rendering games on mobile since our products are designed with smartphones in mind. After all, we disposed of Flash in 2015 and since then we have always developed our games using HTML5.

Vladimir Malakchi:

Adapting a visual component to all models of smartphones, including early versions, isn’t an easy task but is possible thanks to cutting-edge technologies. They allow us to create visually stunning products compatible with most smartphones. The optimisation of UX, UI, resolution and graphics for all platforms is the main priority, as we want to ensure that our players get high-quality content on any device.

Another challenge, which we have also overcome, is the amount of data used by games. Our proprietary game engine Spinential, developed in-house has been a real gamechanger for us, accelerating the loading speed and optimising the storage capacity. This solution has been designed with a purely mobile-first approach in mind, and we’ve really reaped the benefits.

Thomas Smallwood:

The obvious thing is the greatly reduced screen space and the practicality of a hand-held device. Because of this, we have chosen to develop ‘mobile-first games’ and move away from adapting desktop content. This means every aspect of the game is thought out with the mobile user in mind, ideally with the ability to do everything just with a thumb. Of course, the challenge is to make everything on the screen accessible, so it is a constant evolution as the user demands more features.

Madis Raus:

Different game types have different elements, for slots it may be the screen ratio, for example how to make symbols as big as possible and still keep the popular grids. Alternatively for Live games, you need to consider the screen size, ensuring that the player can see what is happening in the stream and whether the cards shown are in sync with what’s being reported etc.

As mentioned above, when adapting games, it’s important to consider the peculiarities of mobile device usage, developers must think about ways they can make games as fast and seamless as possible but at the same time still engaging on a smaller screen.

 

How fundamental is it for operators and developers to adopt a mobile-first strategy?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

It’s extremely important, otherwise you’re missing out on 80% of the market! There were some suppliers that were very late to the HTML5 adoption, which made it incredibly frustrating for operators – plenty of which I saw first-hand back when I was at BetVictor during the 2010s. To put things into perspective today, you simply cannot launch a game as without considering a mobile-first approach, since you’re forgoing an absolutely huge amount of revenue.

Moreover, mobile gaming allows people to play remotely, therefore players don’t need to depend on a desktop or laptop to participate in their hobby. With mobiles advancing and 5G becoming the norm, we’re now looking at a whole new world of possibilities to enhance mobile-first even more, the ramifications of which will be huge, especially when it comes to content and loading speeds.

Vladimir Malakchi: 

Keeping in mind the number of global smartphone users, prioritising mobile devices when creating gaming products is a must. Moreover, it is expected that in a couple of years, this number will grow to seven billion. Currently, the US, China and India lead the list of countries with the highest rate of mobile penetration. However, as the latest data shows, the potential of emerging markets in regard to mobile usage shouldn’t be underestimated. This is a direct sign for suppliers to throw all efforts on products focused on mobile gamblers. The mobile-first approach isn’t just a trend, it is a philosophy, which is getting more and more supporters. There is no better time to embrace mobile-gaming than now.

Thomas Smallwood:

You could argue it is a percentages game. When desktop provided the higher user count it made sense to develop content for desktop. With the advancements in mobile technology, the increased numbers using mobile and the loyalty associated with apps I think a ‘mobile-first’ strategy is key in the growth of any gaming brand.

Madis Raus: 

This is very essential, especially when it comes to companies surviving in this extremely volatile industry. Just by looking at how much traffic is already generated from mobile channels, you can see how strong the area is, and there’s nothing that indicates a potential decrease in mobile device usage.

If companies wish to attract modern players, it is really essential to adopt a mobile-first strategy, as modern players will look for a seamless mobile experience, if it isn’t available on your brand then they will simply look elsewhere.

 

With smartphones continuing to evolve, what does the future hold for mobile-first gaming?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

I would expect mobile-first gaming to be the only way forward – it’s the old debate on how much entertainment is a part of iGaming. Whilst entertaining is a key aspect, you must also keep the experience flawless. Certain things haven’t worked out, 3D gaming for example, as we’ve learnt that people don’t really gamble to get lost into the symbology of the slot – but rather the thrill of the win, which is the entertainment.

So, in my view, mobile gaming will gain an even larger market share than it has now, it could soon become by far the only way of enjoying this experience. Additionally, with new demographics coming online, the future holds lots of opportunities for interaction of everything from social to multiplayer, shared in any possible way. Cross-sell opportunities are also endless, with push notifications and the like, as players can carry their game anywhere they go – whether that’s being entertained at home, when out and about or during the commute.

Vladimir Malakchi: 

I am sure that we will see an industry-wide adaptation of gaming content to mobile platforms in the very near future. Once the value of mobile gambling is fully understood, the industry will immediately aim to transform existing and future products.

I believe the iGaming world will continue to develop in this direction as an exponential pace, focusing on innovative technical solutions, mechanics, features and visuals optimised for various mobile platforms, models and markets. The key is to find the balance between the quality of gaming products and their adaptation to mobile – and getting this right is where developers need to be investing their energy.

Thomas Smallwood:

Smartphones will continue to develop but I would place more focus on the changing user demands. New game types, more regional content as well as promotion and gamification features are already driving us to change the titles we design and develop.

We will soon launch new in-game promotional tools for operators as well as new style of games, including bespoke games.

Madis Raus: 

I believe that the introduction of 5G will bring a ton of opportunity to the table, as the introduction of 5G will bring forward a range of improvements to speed and accessibility. This may also give developers a bit more freedom when they think about creating games for mobile phones.

With smartphones being so advanced these days, the size of the game doesn’t matter as much as it once did, the quality is now the utmost important factor when it comes to designing new mobile-games. This is the same with live content, with the technological improvements, it’s now easier to provide good quality streams, so now developers need to focus on other elements that will make their game stand out from the competition.

 

 

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

apuestas deportivas

¿Son las casas de apuestas las culpables o la arquitectura económica construida por Brasil en los últimos 35 años?

Published

on

¿son-las-casas-de-apuestas-las-culpables-o-la-arquitectura-economica-construida-por-brasil-en-los-ultimos-35-anos?
¿Son las casas de apuestas las culpables o la arquitectura económica construida por Brasil en los últimos 35 años?

Esta es la pregunta central planteada por Carlos Akira Sato en su análisis sobre el creciente endeudamiento de los hogares en Brasil.

En lugar de atribuir el sobreendeudamiento a las plataformas de apuestas deportivas, sostiene que el problema tiene sus raíces en décadas de transformación económica marcadas por la expansión del crédito, la financiarización y sistemas cada vez más sofisticados de estimulación del consumo en múltiples sectores.

El debate sobre el endeudamiento de las familias brasileñas ha ganado un nuevo objetivo preferente: las plataformas de apuestas deportivas.

Las llamadas “bets” han pasado a ocupar un lugar central en los medios, el discurso político y las discusiones regulatorias, frecuentemente asociadas al aumento de la morosidad y la compulsividad financiera.

Pero quizá la pregunta correcta sea otra: ¿el sobreendeudamiento de las familias brasileñas realmente nació con las bets?

La respuesta, desde un análisis histórico riguroso, es negativa.

El fenómeno es mucho anterior a la regulación de las apuestas deportivas y está vinculado a una profunda transformación económica, cultural y tecnológica iniciada en los años 90, cuando Brasil abandonó gradualmente una economía cerrada e inflacionaria para entrar en una lógica moderna de consumo, crédito y financiarización de la vida cotidiana.

La apertura económica promovida durante el gobierno de Collor cambió el patrón de consumo del país.
Pocos años después, el Plan Real trajo estabilidad monetaria y transformó la propia psicología económica de la población.

Por primera vez, millones de brasileños comenzaron a financiar bienes, usar tarjetas de crédito, pagar en cuotas e incorporar el endeudamiento como parte normal de la vida económica.

Este proceso representó un avance y una inclusión financiera.

Pero también consolidó un nuevo modelo económico basado en la anticipación del ingreso futuro de los hogares. El crédito dejó de ser una excepción y se convirtió en infraestructura permanente de sostén del consumo nacional.

Bancos, minoristas y entidades financieras comprendieron rápidamente este cambio. Grandes cadenas dejaron de actuar únicamente como distribuidoras de productos para convertirse en plataformas financieras.

Las tarjetas private label, los sistemas de financiación sofisticados y los mecanismos permanentes de crédito pasaron a integrar la vida cotidiana del consumidor. En muchos casos, el margen financiero se volvió tan relevante como la propia venta del producto.

A lo largo de los años 2000, el modelo se profundizó.

La expansión de la bancarización, de los medios electrónicos de pago y de las fintech aceleró la financiarización de la vida cotidiana.

A partir de 2013, con la apertura regulatoria impulsada por la Ley nº 12.865, el celular pasó a funcionar simultáneamente como banco, billetera digital, plataforma de crédito, marketplace y entorno permanente de monetización del comportamiento.

El crédito se volvió instantáneo, invisible e integrado a la experiencia digital.

El consumidor pasó a contratar financiación en pocos clics, muchas veces dentro del propio flujo de compra. Brasil entró definitivamente en la era de la hiperestimulación conductual del consumo.

Y aquí es donde el debate contemporáneo comienza a revelar una contradicción importante.

Mientras el país construyó durante décadas una sofisticada arquitectura económica basada en expansión del crédito, publicidad emocional, gamificación, captura de la atención y monetización del ingreso futuro, la inversión estructural en educación financiera siguió siendo insuficiente.

Brasil enseñó a su población a consumir antes de enseñarle a construir patrimonio.

Hoy, prácticamente todos los sectores relevantes de la economía operan mecanismos avanzados de estímulo conductual: retail digital, aplicaciones, streaming, delivery, marketplaces, bancos, fintechs y redes sociales.

La publicidad dejó de ser meramente informativa y pasó a ser algorítmica, personalizada y emocional.

El consumidor moderno compite por su atención y autocontrol contra sistemas diseñados para maximizar el engagement y el consumo continuo.

Este fenómeno aparece incluso en sectores raramente asociados al debate regulatorio.

El comercio alimentario, por ejemplo, utiliza técnicas sofisticadas de neuromarketing para impulsar el consumo de productos ultraprocesados, bebidas alcohólicas e ítems de compra impulsiva. Sin embargo, pocos segmentos han enfrentado un nivel de monitoreo similar al impuesto a las apuestas deportivas.

El sector regulado de las bets surgió en Brasil bajo uno de los marcos más estrictos de la economía digital.

Las plataformas deben identificar usuarios biométricamente, monitorear el comportamiento, rastrear operaciones, comunicar movimientos sospechosos al COAF, implementar políticas de juego responsable e impedir apuestas financiadas con crédito.

Es decir: el regulador entendió correctamente que la combinación entre compulsividad y crédito podía ser socialmente explosiva.

Pero aquí surge una pregunta inevitable: ¿por qué sectores históricamente asociados al sobreendeudamiento de las familias brasileñas operaron durante décadas bajo niveles significativamente menores de monitoreo conductual?

Datos de la CNC muestran que el porcentaje de familias endeudadas alcanzó el 80,2% en febrero de 2026 — el nivel más alto de la serie histórica.

Este escenario no nació con las bets. Es el resultado de décadas de expansión agresiva del crédito, financiarización de la vida cotidiana, hiperestimulación del consumo y ausencia estructural de educación económica de la población.

Marco comparativo : obligaciones regulatorias y conductuales

Tema / Obligación Bets Bancos Retail / Alimentos
Identificación formal del cliente (KYC) Obligatoria, robusta, con biometría Obligatoria Limitada
Validación de titularidad de cuenta Obligatoria Generalmente obligatoria Normalmente inexistente
Monitoreo conductual Alto Enfocado en fraude y crédito Bajo
Prohibición del uso de crédito No No
Publicidad emocional Con restricciones crecientes Permitida con límites Ampliamente utilizada
Protección contra compulsividad Obligatoria Muy limitada Prácticamente inexistente
Herramientas de autoexclusión Obligatorias Inexistentes Inexistentes
Obligación de reporte al COAF Limitada
Control del origen de fondos Obligatorio Obligatorio Generalmente inexistente
Fiscalización conductual Intensa Moderada Baja
Políticas de consumo responsable Obligatorias Parciales Generalmente inexistentes

El punto más provocador quizá sea justamente la asimetría regulatoria que este debate revela.

Varios sectores históricamente asociados a la compulsividad, el hiperconsumo y la dependencia han operado durante décadas bajo una lógica regulatoria menos intervencionista que la actualmente aplicada a las apuestas deportivas.

Al final, el verdadero debate tal vez no sea solo “cómo regular las apuestas”, sino cómo preparar a la sociedad para vivir en una economía digital, hiperinanciarizada y permanentemente orientada a la captura de la atención, el consumo y la monetización conductual.

Carlos Akira Sato
Co-Founder de Fenynx Digital Assets y especialista en Mercados Regulados, Infraestructura Financiera, Gobernanza e Innovación. Vicepresidente de Relaciones Institucionales de PAGOS (Asociación de Gestión de Medios de Pagos Electrónicos).

The post ¿Son las casas de apuestas las culpables o la arquitectura económica construida por Brasil en los últimos 35 años? appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Betting Companies

Are betting operators to blame, or is it Brazil’s economic framework of the last 35 years?

Published

on

are-betting-operators-to-blame,-or-is-it-brazil’s-economic-framework-of-the-last-35-years?

Are betting companies to blame or is it Brazil’s economic framework of the last 35 years?

This is the central question raised by Carlos Akira Sato in his analysis of Brazil’s rising household debt.

Rather than attributing over-indebtedness to sports betting platforms, he argues that the issue is rooted in decades of economic transformation shaped by credit expansion, financialization, and increasingly sophisticated systems of consumer stimulation across multiple sectors.

The debate surrounding Brazilian household debt has gained a new preferred target: sports betting platforms.

The so-called “bets” have taken center stage in the news, political discourse, and regulatory discussions, often associated with rising default rates and financial compulsiveness.

But perhaps the correct question is another one: did the over-indebtedness of Brazilian families really begin with bets?

The answer, under a serious historical analysis, is no.

The phenomenon predates the regulation of sports betting by decades and is linked to a profound economic, cultural, and technological transformation that began in the 1990s, when Brazil gradually abandoned a closed and inflationary economy to enter a modern logic of consumption, credit, and the financialization of everyday life.

The economic opening promoted during the Collor administration changed the country’s consumption patterns.

A few years later, the Real Plan brought monetary stability and transformed the population’s economic psychology itself.

For the first time, millions of Brazilians began financing goods, using credit cards, paying in installments, and incorporating debt as a normal part of economic life.

This process represented progress and financial inclusion.

But it also consolidated a new economic model based on the anticipation of families’ future income. Credit ceased to be an exception and became permanent infrastructure supporting national consumption.

Banks, retailers, and financial institutions quickly understood this change. Large retail chains stopped acting solely as product distributors and became financial platforms.

Private-label cards, sophisticated installment plans, and permanent financing mechanisms became part of consumers’ daily lives. In many cases, financial margins became just as relevant as the sale of the products themselves.

Throughout the 2000s, the model deepened.

The expansion of banking access, electronic payment methods, and fintechs accelerated the financialization of everyday life.

From 2013 onward, with the regulatory opening promoted by Law No. 12,865, mobile phones simultaneously became banks, digital wallets, credit platforms, marketplaces, and permanent environments for behavioral monetization.

Credit became instant, invisible, and integrated into the digital experience. Consumers started obtaining financing in just a few clicks, often within the purchasing flow itself. Brazil definitively entered the era of behavioral hyperstimulation of consumption.

And this is where the contemporary debate begins to reveal an important contradiction.

While the country spent decades building a sophisticated economic architecture based on credit expansion, emotional advertising, gamification, attention capture, and monetization of future income, structural investment in financial education remained insufficient.

Brazil taught its population how to consume before teaching them how to build wealth.

Today, virtually every relevant sector of the economy operates advanced behavioral stimulation mechanisms: digital retail, apps, streaming platforms, delivery services, marketplaces, banks, fintechs, and social networks.

Advertising is no longer merely informative; it has become algorithmic, personalized, and emotional. The modern consumer competes for attention and self-control against systems designed to maximize engagement and continuous consumption.

This phenomenon appears even in sectors rarely associated with regulatory debates.

The food retail industry, for example, uses sophisticated neuromarketing techniques to boost the consumption of ultra-processed foods, alcoholic beverages, and impulse-buy products. Yet few segments have faced a level of monitoring similar to that imposed on sports betting.

Brazil’s regulated betting sector emerged under one of the strictest frameworks in the digital economy.

Platforms are required to biometrically identify users, monitor behavior, track transactions, report suspicious activity to COAF, implement responsible gaming policies, and prevent bets financed through credit.

The Brazilian model requires prior deposits and prohibits “uncovered” betting.

In other words, regulators correctly understood that the combination of compulsiveness and credit could become socially explosive.

But here an inevitable question arises: why have sectors historically associated with the over-indebtedness of Brazilian families operated for decades under significantly lower levels of behavioral monitoring?

Data from CNC show that the percentage of indebted families reached 80.2% in February 2026 — the highest level in the historical series.

This scenario did not begin with bets. It is the result of decades of aggressive credit expansion, financialization of daily life, hyperstimulation of consumption, and the structural absence of economic education for the population.

Comparative framework: regulatory and behavioral obligations

Topic / Obligation Betting operators Banks Retail / Food
Formal customer identification (KYC) Mandatory, robust, biometric Mandatory Limited
Account ownership validation Mandatory Generally mandatory Usually nonexistent
Behavioral monitoring High Focused on fraud and credit Low
Prohibition of credit use Yes No No
Emotional advertising Under increasing restrictions Permitted with limits Widely used
Protection against compulsiveness Mandatory Very limited Practically nonexistent
Self-exclusion tools Mandatory Nonexistent Nonexistent
Obligation to report to COAF Yes Yes Limited
Source-of-funds control Mandatory Mandatory Generally nonexistent
Behavioral oversight Intense Moderate Low
Formal responsible consumption policies Mandatory Partial Generally nonexistent

Perhaps the most provocative point is precisely the regulatory asymmetry revealed by this debate.

Several sectors historically associated with compulsiveness, hyperconsumption, and dependency have operated for decades under a less interventionist regulatory logic than the one currently applied to sports betting.

In the end, the real debate may not simply be “how should betting be regulated?”, but rather how to prepare society to live in a digital, hyper-financialized economy permanently driven by attention capture, consumption, and behavioral monetization.

Carlos Akira Sato
Co-Founder of Fenynx Digital Assets and specialist in Regulated Markets, Financial Infrastructure, Governance, and Innovation. Vice President of Institutional Relations at PAGOS (Association for Electronic Payment Management).

The post Are betting operators to blame, or is it Brazil’s economic framework of the last 35 years? appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

BC Engine

BC.Game’s new CEO Kar Kheng Giam on strategy, structure and growth

Published

on

bc.game’s-new-ceo-kar-kheng-giam-on-strategy,-structure-and-growth

Following his appointment as CEO of BC.Game in March, Kar Kheng Giam (KK) speaks about the strategic priorities shaping the company’s next phase, from strengthening operational foundations to navigating the evolving role of crypto within regulated gaming markets.

 

 You’ve stepped into the CEO role at a pivotal time for the industry. How do you assess the current position of BC.Game?

BC.Game enters this stage from a position of strength in terms of product, user engagement and global reach.

At the same time, the broader industry is evolving. Expectations around governance, regulatory alignment and operational maturity are increasing, particularly for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions.

So while the foundation is strong, there is a clear opportunity to further strengthen the structure of the business to support long-term, sustainable growth.

That foundation is reflected in the scale of the business today, with more than 9 million registered users and over 500,000 monthly active players, and in the progress we’ve made across licensed markets such as Anjouan, Kenya, Nigeria and Mexico.

How would you define the strategic focus for BC.Game over the next 12 to 24 months?

It comes down to three interconnected areas. First, reinforcing the operational and governance framework of the business, ensuring we are well aligned with the expectations of more established regulatory environments.

Second, continuing to invest in the product – not just in terms of content, but in the overall user experience and platform reliability.

And third, taking a disciplined approach to market expansion, focusing on jurisdictions where we can build a sustainable and compliant presence.

It’s about evolving the business in a structured and deliberate way.

You’ve highlighted governance and structure. What does that mean in practical terms?

It means putting in place the systems, processes and organisational clarity needed to operate at scale.

As companies grow internationally, complexity increases – across regulation, payments, technology and operations. Strengthening governance is about ensuring those elements are well coordinated and consistently managed.

This is not about changing what BC.Game is, but about building the framework that allows it to grow more effectively.

Why has trust become so important at this stage?

At BC.GAME’s scale, trust is no longer just about brand but increasingly becomes a business issue – it affects retention, partnerships, market entry and long-term growth.

And trust is built in very practical ways. People judge a platform by whether the rules are clear, whether communication is smooth, and whether issues actually get resolved. That’s why growth on its own is no longer enough.

Where is the most immediate trust pressure on BC.GAME showing up today?

The pressure shows up most clearly in user experience and issue handling because that’s where people feel it first.

Some of the feedback does point to response times and cases where issues stay in the same entry point for too long. When that happens often enough, it becomes bigger than a service issue, it starts to shape trust.

What changes is BC.GAME putting in place in response to these issues?

 We’ve already started making changes. That includes upgrading how user issues are handled, bringing cross-functional teams in earlier, and improving how issues are identified and coordinated internally.

As the business has grown, relying too heavily on a single customer support entry point is no longer enough. The focus now is to make issue handling clearer, more stable, and better suited to the scale of the platform.

What role does organisational development play in this next phase?

As the business grows, it’s important to ensure that the organisation evolves alongside it. That includes strengthening leadership structures, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and building capabilities in key areas such as compliance and market operations.

Ultimately, strategy is only as effective as the organisation delivering it.

From a leadership perspective, how do you approach guiding a globally distributed business?

In a global organisation, alignment is critical – everyone needs to understand the strategic direction and how their role contributes to it. At the same time, there needs to be flexibility to adapt to local market dynamics.

My role is to create that balance – providing clear direction while enabling teams to execute effectively within their markets.

Finally, what does success look like for BC.Game over the next few years?

Success is about building a more structured, resilient and trusted business.

That means strengthening our position in regulated markets, continuing to evolve the product, and ensuring the organisation is equipped to operate at scale. This current period is a crucial one for us as we introduce multiple product rollouts at BC.GAME, with several key updates scheduled to go live. These include BC Engine, along with a broader upgrade to the bonus system and, of course, the World Cup.

If we can achieve that through consistent, incremental progress, then we will be well positioned for the long term.

The post BC.Game’s new CEO Kar Kheng Giam on strategy, structure and growth appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Trending