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Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2023: Charting the growth of Esports in CEE

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Ahead of our sold-out Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2023 next week, we sat down with some of the brightest minds in Europe to talk all things Esports and its potential for the CEE region.

In one of our most insightful interviews this year, we brought together Peter Rippel Szabo (PRS), Associate at Bird & Bird, Amir Mirazee (AM), Managing Director and COO at Bayes Esports, as well as Dimitris Panageas (DP), Group General Counsel at Kaizen Gaming to get the latest on Esports’ growth.

Covering everything from Ukraine, localised regulation, market demographics, state licensing and taking on traditional sportsbook spend, this one’s not to be missed!

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To kick things off, let’s talk about the demand for Esports in CEE – how much does the region stand out in terms of growth potential vs the likes of Scandinavia and Western Europe?

AM: It’s a unique environment and of course being Bayes, we can gauge that from a good standpoint with over 100 betting clients globally and 200 in our extended network. On the CEE side, our major partners are GG.bet, DATA.BET and BETER, and we’re seeing considerable volume. This is particularly the case for Counter Strike – and players love new titles.

The one issue we have right now is the changing political dynamics. While Ukraine and Russia used to offer great Esports teams, as well as serving an anchor for satellite nations around them (Poland, Baltics etc), this equilibrium has of course been shifted, and it now needs to settle at a new one. This is especially the case for Ukraine, which really was the epicentre in the CEE region for Esports. Added to that is Russia of course now being shut out of the market, with operations now needing to be re-established to find a new hub to anchor the vertical’s development. In my view – the Czech Republic will likely be a key component.

PRS: From my base in Hungary, I can certainly say that across CEE organised tournaments are very strong – with growth proving very organic, and indeed, spontaneous. There’s not yet big money in most of the tournaments’ prize pools, but they are certainly crammed with amateur players who are very ‘plugged-in’ online and have a real passion for Esports. This goes for both the relevant products and enjoyment of that entertainment. Also, it is worth mentioning that in Hungary more established clubs with strong foundations across various sports have engaged with Esports (e.g. through establishing dedicated esports departments and training players professionally). Universities and other non-profit organisations have also started to study thoroughly the various physical, psychological and other aspects of Esports.

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From a legal perspective what is needed for growth is a clear regulatory environment (dealing with the status of esports, i.e. whether it is a ‘normal’ sport, whether it has a special status, or something in between, as well as covering issues like requirements for tournament organisation, player safeguarding and integrity). This would also help alleviate some aspects negatively perceived by the general public (like lack of exercise, addiction or abuse). Of course, talking about Scandinavia and Western Europe – the one variable in comparison with CEE is consumer spend and the resulting market size which will likely never reach the same level in the East.

DP: For myself, and indeed given our extensive experience at Kaizen, I would say the demand is there to see. It’s not a new way of betting, but rather a new type of  possible future verticals, and a set of betting markets to enjoy. As it’s still in the emerging stage, I would say it’s not yet considered a fully established ‘traditional’ vertical like sportsbook, lottery, live casino and others.

Looking at demographics, they are without a doubt smaller than more established verticals, which we need to distil into sub-segments to better understand on a micro level. Factoring in how fast the CEE market is changing, especially with the likes of Hungary (which was until recently a state monopoly), I would definitely say that we have every potential for Esports to really take off in the next 5-10 years.

On a macro level, the major growth blocker that needs to be overcome is that of regulation. Esports needs to be properly and specifically regulated as both a sport and from a betting perspective – this is essential in order to enable it to become a fully established vertical in its own right. So, in summary, it’s emerging fast and gaining traction, but still a long way to go.

What do you see as the key driver for demand for Esports betting in CEE? From a regulatory perspective, do you see CEE jurisdictions as being more open to Esports betting?

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AM: Agreeing with Peter in his first answer, I would certainly say it’s a unique generation in CEE and that’s certainly why Esports has grown so much here. Online gaming, and indeed video gaming, has created the generation we’re seeing now, as well providing them with a connection to the rest of Europe and the wider world. Without a doubt, we can say that the ‘internet generation’ in their 20s and 30s have very much been shaped by that culture, whether that’s Call of Duty, memes, and everything else. On the regulation front, again, I agree also – it needs to be regulated as a sport. Germany, for example, does not even acknowledge Esports as a sport, which as a consequence, means it can’t even be bet on yet. That needs to change.

PRS: It’s a complex question but with plenty of potential in CEE. Gambling, betting and generally games of chance have similar basic legal concepts when it comes to regulation across Europe (national regulatory frameworks may differ of course), therefore, CEE jurisdictions can be as open to Esports betting as other countries. I think the key driver is simply how much Esports will gain in popularity in the future, for the more popular certain Esports titles will be the more will the demand be for Esports betting. Also, I think if Esports would be recognised explicitly as a sport and/or it would be a regulated activity in a CEE jurisdiction, then I believe it would likely facilitate the demand for Esports betting in that jurisdiction.

DP: Indeed. The key factor that you need to drive demand (let’s say from a sample set of the 10 major CEE countries), is that they do not yet specifically regulate Esports. Hungary, as Peter has mentioned, is becoming part of that change, so we’re seeing the opportunity for it to become a conducive environment for development. In my view, the regulatory framework for most of CEE is still vague; and as long as it’s principally viewed as a betting market rather than a sporting discipline in its own right, it will stay as that.

Taking the wider perspective, any law and/or regulation will take a minimum of 6-12 months to be adopted and following that – you’ll then need extensive marketing and commercial communication expenses to then push Esports into the mainstream. Without a doubt, however, looking at CEE demographics, the unique composition of their audiences holds plenty of potential. What makes it special is that while it is niche as a sport/product, it’s not the same as niche traditional sports, such as handball in Germany.

Rather, you have a fast-growing product that can easily enter the mainstream as it transcends borders and can offer penetration principally via social media, where it is already very popular. I am sure that with the proper marketing and investment, Esports will create a snowball effect that will allow it to become a mainstream vertical by itself soon enough.

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When it comes to being a complementary product to traditional sportsbook spend, how is Esports fitting into the mix and is it cannibalising from traditional sportsbook?

PRS: I’d say that Esports and traditional sportsbook can, and do, complement each other, especially if popular traditional sports (like football or basketball) are played via video games (FIFA or NBA2K) in organised Esports competitions which traditional sports fans can easily perceive and understand.

So, even if audiences are of course very different, you’ll see crossovers when it comes to interests. Using Hungary as an example, the state-owned betting & lottery operator (Szerencsejáték Zrt.) launched betting on esports competitions in 2020 due to the lack of traditional live sports events resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. It has quickly become one of its most popular betting offerings.

An interesting point too is the ability to convert players to new verticals, and as a result, increase engagement and incremental spend. For example, you’ll have a millennial customer use football as a platform for introduction, and then while waiting for the match to play out for 90 minutes (or indeed after the final whistle), he / she will then give Efootball or another Esports activity a try – which is a great way of introducing the product.

AM: From my perspective, if we’re talking about FIFA and other Esports, these worked superbly well during COVID as a substitute product for those looking to replicate the missing sporting schedule, with nothing happening aside from (as I recall), the Belarusian Premier League. With the likes of League of Legends and Counter Strike, you have a very different demographic / audience – and you’ll find them in different places rather than traditional sportsbook.

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As a result, I believe you need to look at providing something different to attract players. Take a look at Bet365’s Esports offering for example, it works surprisingly well for a UX that has evidently been derived from traditional sports. However, there’s much more room for improvement in the coming years. It’s easy to see the use-case for this, looking at all sports betting viewership right now, everything’s declining aside from Esports, so it’s an opportunity to be capitalised on.

We’re also seeing demographics change rapidly, while Esports was previously only for the 20-25 age group, it’s now becoming much older, so you’re closing that monetisation gap. If you want to capture the interest of this fast-growing demographic, you need to reformat the UX to cater to that. So yes, without a doubt, Esports is now becoming a product that can drive traffic in its own right through new audiences, without cannibalising spend from traditional sportsbook.

DP: For me, it depends on the definition of where cannibalisation starts from. When new products are introduced, they certainly drive interest and add to engagement, but in theory that will also bring a decline in engagement for traditional alternatives as overall sportsbook spend is going to be finite.

The positive that Esports brings however, is that it can complement well, given it has a very different schedule to traditional sportsbook. Tournaments taking place across the globe (for example in Asia)      are during the evening     , meaning it’s during the day in Europe – enabling Esports to boost sportsbook spend both before and the day after evening football matches such as the Champions League mid-week.

Taking the longer view, there is a greater risk of cannibalisation if we see more European Esports tournaments taking place during the evening (at the same time as major football matches), which will likely happen in the next 5-10 years. This will create a tipping point where it becomes more popular to bet on than evening football matches.

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Looking at the delayed Euro 2020 held last year, can operators use the standout success of Efootball during the tournament as a reason to engage more players during the weekend’s sport fixtures?

DP: I believe Esports will always hold plenty of potential as a complementary product during major events such as the Euros, where we see heightened betting activity and greater overall spend. However, the challenge is always going to be taking this into the mainstream and having it considered as a regular fixture week in, week out. In my view, it is very possible that this could translate well into a complementary product that fills the gaps between sporting fixtures, especially for those who like to be pre-match and not in play. Given a football match lasts 90 minutes, you have plenty of space to fill over the 90 minutes after pre-match bets are placed. If you can identify and incentivise that opportunity, then I believe there is huge potential in the long term.

AM: Also, as we’ve covered already – the audience you have for Efootball-  is completely different to Counter Strike, League of Legends and the like, so in effect we’re only talking about 50% of the potential Esports audience.

Let’s take Europe as a market to speak on a macro level and place Efootball in isolation. Regulation for a start is going to be key, making sure that product is available and acceptable. That’s something in particular we’d need to see in Germany with the Bundesliga, as Esports is not yet regulated to be a betting market. Looking further west towards the UK, there’s far less of an overlap, due to player preferences and composition of audience. However, if we return to the CEE, then yes, without a doubt I see plenty of potential here for operators to really test this out as it’s something the new generation of players are very receptive to.

PRS: To add to that, I would certainly say in many ways we’re looking at an area of spend (and indeed audience) that are traditionalists when it comes to football. However, if we look at the new generation and their social circles and familiarity with the online environment, they are shaped by a very different world than what older generations had for football growing up as a primary source of entertainment.

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So, without a doubt, we’ll see a very different trend towards the Esports landscape over the next decade. Whether that’s for Esports as a complementary product or one in its own right, I believe it will be inevitable that it becomes an area of engagement with traditional sports fixture in the decade to come. This is especially the case if Esports will be regulated clearly,      as well as Esports tournaments being organised regularly,  enabling online gaming operators to follow that lead and invest in technology and commercial communication dedicated to Esports.

 

Last but not least, looking at the big picture – what’s your take on how Esports is going to develop in CEE over the next five years, how much more do you see it gaining popularity?

DP: I believe it is going to develop, and it will no doubt gain traction. But in my view, it won’t take off immediately. The next few years will likely see Esports continue as a complementary product that will enable operators to diversify and upgrade their offerings. The new generation coming online will power this, and with an extensive spectrum of events around the globe, and the 24-7 betting that it brings, it can scale fast.

However, for that to happen, we also need to see more investment in the vertical for it to become more established. For a start, we need more advanced trading models that can enable operators to offer a much broader spectrum of Esports betting markets to attract more players. We’re already seeing that happen in real-time, and even in the last three years, there’s been a real surge in terms of managed trading services for Esports and the provision of data. As we’re seeing truly specialised companies for this provision begin to corner the market, growth will inevitably become even more exponential, with a ‘hockey stick’ style adoption curve.

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AM: I agree. There’s plenty of potential. We can certainly say that outside of the present conflict taking place between Russia and Ukraine, there’s a stable trend towards growth, aside from the recent Parimatch / Ukraine news this week. I’m confident it’s only going to keep growing for all the reasons we’ve covered above.

All of this is fuelled by the unique audiences of the region, and indeed their demand for entertainment. If we compare the potential of Western vs. Eastern Europe, then without a doubt, I believe that CEE is the most likely to emerge as the continent’s major player. Given our position on the market as one of the world’s leading Esports providers, I believe that Esports is exactly what you make of it – and if you take a proactive view and approach, the market share is there for the taking.

PRS: I concur with Amir and Dimitris, I believe it’s only going to grow – all the foundations are there in CEE to make that happen; demographics, interest, increasing awareness of relevant brand values and an established understanding of the mechanics. In the short-term, I don’t believe we’ll see major displacement of the most popular traditional sports or radical shifts in market trends. Longer term, we’ll to see much greater adoption that will no doubt scale over as exponential growth really begins to emerge.

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SOFTSWISS Developer Conference Highlights Engineering Strength in High-Load iGaming

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SOFTSWISS, a global igaming software provider, has hosted one of its largest internal developer conferences. The closed-door event in Warsaw brought together over 100 product and engineering specialists to share their experience on building robust iGaming infrastructure, scalability, and technology resilience.

Designed to accelerate cross-functional collaboration and drive technical excellence, the conference agenda featured ten selected talks focused on mission-critical topics such as platform architecture, high-load performance, risk management, and structured thinking – all vital to the stability and success of modern iGaming operations.

“Behind every seamless gaming experience is a robust, well-architected platform that can perform under pressure,” said Sergey Kastukevich, Deputy Chief Technology Officer at SOFTSWISS. “This conference reflects our belief that high-performance technology is the foundation of long-term operator success. It’s where ideas are tested, knowledge is shared, and better systems are built.”

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The speaker line-up was curated from a highly competitive pool, with three applications submitted for every available slot. The final agenda reflected both the technical depth and practical expertise required to operate at scale in the iGaming industry, offering value beyond core engineering topics.

“Most of the topics revolved around strategic challenges aimed at improving efficiency, stability, speed, cost, and process optimisation. That defines who we are as a company: we are a global tech company with 16 years of experience, our products are mature, and what matters now is how we process large volumes of data reliably and build scalable knowledge bases. These are applied, enterprise-level issues,” highlighted Stanislau Biarkovich, Principal Architecture Manager and one of the internal organisers of the conference.

 

Among the standout sessions were:

“An Economist’s Guide to Architecting and Building Web-Scale Platforms” – a talk connecting infrastructure decisions with economic principles, delivered by Brian Azzopardi, Head of Engineering.

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“How Risk Management Techniques Could Make Business – and Your Life – More Effective” – a session by Sergei Laiter, Risk and Process Manager, highlighting the strategic thinking behind resilient tech systems.

Attendees included engineers and product leaders from SOFTSWISS offices across Europe.

As part of its broader commitment to innovation and community engagement, SOFTSWISS also participated in Code Europe 2025, one of the continent’s top tech festivals. Representing the company on the public stage, Artem Bychkov, Deputy Chief Security Officer, delivered a keynote titled “Groundhog Day: Lessons from 20 Years in Security”, shedding light on recurring cybersecurity blind spots and their impact on digital business resilience – including in iGaming.

With demand for stable, scalable, and secure platforms at an all-time high, SOFTSWISS continues to invest in its global engineering culture to ensure that its partners –  including operators, aggregators, and affiliate programs – can grow with confidence.

 

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About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS complies with a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 30,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS Developer Conference Highlights Engineering Strength in High-Load iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGT Digital to present its brand-new products designed to perform at iGB Live 2025

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This year’s iGB Live is the next destination where EGT Digital will present a selection of impressive new releases, product upgrades and popular bestsellers from its portfolio. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the company’s latest innovations at stand N50.

Part of the exciting new lineup is the upcoming slot Power & Glory: Athena, which will be launched as part of the popular Clover Chance jackpot series. The game invites players to challenge the Greek goddess in exchange for a rich mix of cascading wins and dynamic bonus features.

Together with it, guests can explore EGT Digital’s extensive portfolio of over 140 in-house developed casino titles, covering a wide variety of themes and mechanics. On display will be also the company’s standout jackpot solutions Bell Link, High Cash, Single Progressive Jackpot, and the latest Gods & Kings Link.

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EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave will demonstrate how its modular architecture helps operators build and grow successful online businesses. Its 4 main modules – Sport Product, Gaming Aggregator, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway, can be used as part of the complete solution or integrated individually into third-party platforms. Each module has been upgraded with new functionalities, which will be showcased at iGB Live 2025.

New features are coming to the Sport Product module, bringing a more dynamic and personalized betting experience. Among the highlights is the Early Payout option for live events, giving players the chance to lock in a win as soon as their team takes a 2-goal lead. The updated eSports menu introduces a new visually engaging layout that makes browsing and navigation effortless. To further tailor the experience, the new Sports Recommendation Engine delivers real-time, personalized suggestions based on individual betting history and behavior. A predefined multiple bets container now appears in the Sports lobby, displaying both original and boosted odds. With the enhanced Quick Deposit feature, players can top up their accounts instantly while staying within their financial limits.

X-Nave’s Gaming Aggregator will present its expanded game library, which now includes more than 24,000 titles from over 150 providers. Attendees will get acquainted with the Client Hub, which offers easy access to game resources and features, jackpots, documentation, and certificates. In addition, now operators will be able to manage bonuses through the Aggregator, thanks to the module’s built-in bonus support.

The Payment Gateway will introduce several important upgrades designed to improve flexibility and player convenience. One of the latest additions is the Stacking Deposits feature, which allows multiple consecutive deposits to be combined toward activating a bonus. The PIX method now enables players to make deposits straight from the game window, while the Quick Deposit functionality continues to support fast and seamless top-ups. The platform users will also have at their disposal Google Pay as a deposit option and Apple Pay as a withdrawal option. Fully automated deposits and withdrawals via bank transfer will be also available.

Last but not least, the Standalone payment gateway will be presented too. This is a new separate product, which includes all features of the Payment Gateway: transaction monitoring, rule engine, integrations with payment methods, and allows integration with X-Nave and platforms of other providers.

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Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, commented: “I always look forward to iGB Live, as this event traditionally provides us with the chance to showcase our innovative solutions to a wide range of professionals from all over the world and to strengthen our existing partnerships, as well as start new high-potential collaborations. This year, my excitement is even greater as the show will be held in a new place – London, which has already established itself over the years as a preferred location for holding large-scale gaming exhibitions. I am confident that our participation in iGB Live 2025 will be a great success, meeting and even exceeding our expectations.”

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iGB L!VE to champion player protection

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The Sustainable Gambling Zone (SGZ) located on stand Q30 at iGB L!VE will reflect the very latest thinking on player protection delivered by a mix of not for profit and private sector companies including Yaspa, Experian, Department of Trust, Gordon Moody and BetBlocker  – the 2025 Clarion Gaming charity partner.

Visitors to the Zone will have the opportunity to connect directly with specialists in responsible gambling, mental health, and consumer protection, learn about the latest technological advances and initiatives designed to enhance player safety and well-being, attend thought-provoking sessions and workshops focused on best practice and foster collaborations aimed at driving positive change across the industry.

Explaining the evolution of Clarion Gaming’s commitment to player protection Managing Director Stuart Hunter said: “I’m extremely proud that we became the first b2b gambling event to champion player protection when we launched the Consumer Protection Zone at ICE 2018.

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“The journey of the Sustainable Gambling Zone has been nothing short of remarkable. What began as a ground-breaking initiative has evolved into a powerful symbol of the industry’s collective commitment to sustainability. As the home of the iGaming community moves to London, the heart of the iGaming industry, the SGZ will once again underscore our belief that player experience and responsible practices are fundamental to long-term success.”

Naomi Barton Portfolio Director iGB events added: “World class exhibitions provide a powerful platform for engagement. The opportunity to bring together the international industry with its regulators in a professional environment is a key opportunity to ensure that gaming regulation delivers robust player protection undertakings within a framework which allows the industry to grow.

“We remain utterly committed to supporting safer gambling and the promotion of regulated markets. The SGZ provides a focus for our attendees to understand, implement, and champion the responsible principles that underpin a healthy and thriving iGaming sector. We invite all 15,000+ iGaming professionals attending iGBLive 2025 to visit the SGZ and be part of what promise to be vital conversations.”

iGB L!VE: 2 – 3 JULY, 2025 | ExCel London

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