Interviews
Exclusive Interview with Milena Tsankarska, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at ZettaOnline

At the beginning of May, Milena Tsankarska stepped into her new role as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at ZettaOnline, a prominent Bulgarian company known for its expertise in Software Development, Technical Compliance, Managed DevOps Services, and Cloud Hosting solutions. With a strong presence across Europe, North America, and Africa, ZettaOnline continues to expand its impact in various business industries. In this interview, Milena shares insights into her new role and ZettaOnlineâs ambitious vision for the future. Letâs dive in to hear what she has to say!
Can you start by giving us an overview of ZettaOnline and its mission? How does it stand out in the fintech services industry?
In the fintech industry, technical compliance and software development are closely intertwined, as the sector is heavily regulated and requires adherence to strict standards. ZettaOnline has a strong focus on delivering innovative and all-encompassing solutions to help the business not only to meet the legal requirements, but to integrate those requirements into the very fabric of software development. Our mission is to provide businesses with state-of-the-art technology, helping them remain competitive and compliant in a constantly changing digital world. By adopting a compliance first-approach, ZettaOnline helps the fintech companies avoid costly fines, build trust with users, and create secure, reliable products that can scale in a highly regulated environment.
ZettaOnline operates in multiple regulated markets across the globe. What are some of the unique challenges and opportunities you face in different regions like the UK, USA, Germany, and South Africa?
To operate in diverse markets such as the UK, USA, Germany, and South Africa is both challenging and full of possibilities. Each market has its own diverse and unique regulatory framework requirements that we have to tailor and adjust in the delivery of our services to our clients. The opportunity lies in utilizing our expertise across these regions to provide global solutions that are fine for local impact. For instance, as businesses strive to comply with data protection laws and industry standards, partners like ZettaOnline that offer compliance, security, and data protection are in high demand.
ZettaOnline offers a broad range of services, including software development, technical compliance, and managed IT services. Which of these services do you see as the most in-demand among your clients, and why?
Technical compliance is currently seeing the highest demand, especially in the heavily regulated sectors. Clients increasingly seek customized software solutions that can be easily integrated with their existing systems while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards in which they operate. With the rise of cyber threats, businesses need to ensure their systems meet specific security requirements, making compliance a priority. Our clients appreciate our ability to deliver both cutting-edge software and the assurance of meeting compliance requirements. After the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more of our clients are seeking security of their operations, data, and payments. We do detect and respond to threats using real-time and proprietary analysis and threat data, offering flexibility and personalization.
Your company provides auditing and certification according to PCI-DSS and ISO standards. How important are these certifications for your clients, and what role do they play in maintaining trust and security?
Certifications like PCI-DSS are vital for our clients, as they guarantee that their operations adhere to the highest security and quality standards. We also ensure compliance with other applicable requirements stemming from the financial regulations. And of course, this builds trust between the company and the customers, which gives the clients trustworthiness and more opportunity to grow.
Cloud hosting solutions are a critical part of your offerings. Can you share how ZettaOnline ensures the reliability and security of these services for your clients?
At ZettaOnline, this is a top priority, and we offer a real-time strategic advantage: instant business insights. We implement advanced security protocols; we regularly audit and continuously monitor our systems in order to achieve efficiency with sustainability. Thus, our clients trust us to provide a secure and stable environment for their operations, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
With the fintech industry rapidly evolving, how does ZettaOnline stay ahead of technological trends and ensure its services remain cutting-edge?
Staying ahead in the rapidly evolving fintech sector requires ZettaOnline to be proactive, innovative, and adaptable. We allocate resources to continuous research and development to explore new technology, trends, and market needs. We aim to incorporate the latest technology into our services and products. This allows us to develop cutting-edge solutions that meet future demands in the fintech sector.
As the Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, what strategies do you implement to drive growth and expand ZettaOnlineâs market presence? Our plans include determining a marketing strategy that develops and strengthens relations with existing clients. One of our topics is also to expand our services to different markets by establishing and cultivating long-term partnerships with new clients. One of my personal goals is to strengthen the companyâs group of different brands and keep their level high in both the fintech and gaming markets. We also aim to achieve additional certifications, which will confirm our leading position in fintech and IT solutions worldwide.
What role does strategic partnerships and collaborations play in ZettaOnlineâs growth? Can you highlight any key partnerships that have been particularly impactful?
Yes, the strategic partnerships are a key component of ZettaOnlineâs growth strategy. By collaborating with some of the industry leaders, we can offer more comprehensive services and enter new markets. For example, our partnership with The Betting Coach. This collaboration will allow us to promote our fintech solutions, increase their visibility, and attract new users in the online gaming market. For us, those partnerships are crucial to our success and expansion.
Given the competitive nature of the fintech industry, how does ZettaOnline differentiate itself from other service providers?
At ZettaOnline, we donât just provide services; we offer customized solutions tailored to each clientâs specific needs. We set us apart through a combination of deep technical expertise, knowledge of global regulatory aspects, and a client-centric approach. We are very dedicated to innovation, security, and compliance, and these ensure that we offer high-quality and reliable services that help our clients achieve their objectives.
10. Looking ahead, what are some of the key trends in fintech and IT services that you believe will shape the future of the industry?
AI is playing a transformative role in the fintech and IT sectors. The key areas AI is being leveraged are fraud detection and prevention, personalized financial services, regtech and compliance, customer onboarding, and identity verification, along with many other areas. The offering of customer-centric solutions should consider compliance with the requirements for developing or deploying AI.
What are ZettaOnlineâs future goals and objectives, and how do you plan to achieve them in the next 3-5 years?
Of course, our plans are with a glance for the future and especially to how to expand our global presence, particularly in emerging markets, while continuing to innovate our service offerings. We intend to invest both in AI and machine learning to stay ahead of industry trends and provide even more robust solutions to our clients. Our goal is to be recognized as a leader in the fintech services industry, known for our innovation, reliability, and client-focused approach.
Can you share a bit about your journey to becoming the Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at ZettaOnline? What experiences have shaped your approach to leadership and strategy?
My professional experience belongs to different managing roles in marketing, business development, and strategic planning across multiple industries. Each of them gave me more and more added values that shaped me in the way to drive growth and lead teams effectively. My personal approach emphasizes collaboration, team leadership, and maintaining a strong focus on the clientâs needs.
In your opinion, what are the most critical skills and attributes needed to succeed in the fintech industry today?
It is crucial to adapt rapidly to the latest innovation in the industry, to have strong technical expertise, and to have a deep understanding of regulatory environments. Of course, to have strong problem-solving abilities, creative thinking, and a commitment to continuous learning. We have to quickly adapt to new technologies and market dynamics as the industry evolves.
What advice would you give to aspiring professionals looking to enter the fintech or IT services sector?
My advice to those that are looking to enter both the fintech and IT services sectors is to stay close to the innovation and trends of both industries in order to be up-to-date with the latest developments. That will assure them some advantage in the future and will put them in a stronger position.
Finally, is there anything else you would like our audience to know about ZettaOnline or any upcoming projects you are particularly excited about?
I am excited to share that our team will be attending five major gaming events before the end of 2024. With our deep interest in the gaming industry, it is only fitting that we showcase our services at these significant events. We are kicking off with Sigma East Europe, scheduled for September 2-4, 2024, in Budapest, Hungary. This event is set to be one of the largest and most influential in the gaming industry, offering significant events and valuable industry insights. We continue with SBC Events, 24-26 September in Lisboa, and in November, 11-14, 2024, ZettaOnline is going to attend Sigma Europe.
After that, we are going to attend BEGE and EEGS, which are two of the premier events in the gaming and entertainment industry (Sofia on November 27-28, 2024). If you want to find out what ZettaOnlineâs services are, please contact us at [email protected] to arrange a meeting.
The post Exclusive Interview with Milena Tsankarska, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at ZettaOnline appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Conferences in Europe
Speaking the Playerâs Language: Promatic Groupâs Take on Game Localization in CEE

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The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together some of the brightest minds in the iGaming and tech industries â and the conversation didnât stop when the curtains closed. As this yearâs General Sponsor through its Promatic Games brand, Promatic Group made a powerful impact on-stage and behind the scenes. In a dynamic keynote presentation titled âLocalizing Slot Games: Does the Central European Player Need Localized Content?â, Maciej Makuszewski, iGaming Director, and Luka Oblak, Head of Product Design, explored how cultural nuances shape player engagement and game performance across regional markets.
Now, post-event, we caught up with Maciej Makuszewski to delve deeper into the topic of localization, player behavior, and what makes content truly resonate in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Maciej, your keynote at the Summit offered compelling insights into how culture and language affect game engagement. What do you believe is the biggest misconception about localization in the iGaming industry today?
It is that it is enough to hire a translator of a game to deliver localized content. This is not the end of the road â on the contrary â this is just the beginning. This may sound like saying the sun rises in the east, but I still would say there can be a lot more attention paid to giving games a local touch.
But coming back to translations, nowadays, even at this basic level, we can observe so many pitfalls and mistakes that could have been avoided if people really had the player at the core of their strategy. I guess we are past this time in history of globalization that unified products and content simply entered new markets with no tailoring whatsoever and there was demand for them, because there hadnât been much of a choice of anything else. Weâd like to see companies try harder when they enter new markets. I hope we will become one that actually gets the hyperlocalization just right.
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You and Luka presented some standout cases on localized content. Could you share one example that truly surprised your team â either by outperforming expectations or revealing a cultural insight you hadnât anticipated?
I guess that would be the transformation of a simple fruit game launched as Red Hot Jackpot in Poland, into a rich animations theme game it became in Nigeria. The nigerian version of Red Hot Jackpot is called Naija Wheels and it is the exact the same math model and game logic as Red Hot Jackpot, but what makes it appealing to the local customers of slot halls in Nigeria is its hyperlocal theme. Naija Wheels is a funny story of things you see in Lagos traffic. So instead of a Cherry symbol you have a symbol of a police officer. Instead of a plum symbol, you have an okada driver from Lagos etc.
Very different game themes, same logics, same business effects â the game is a great performing slot in Poland and a superb hit in Nigeria.
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In your view, what are the non-negotiables when designing localized slot content for Central and Eastern European markets? Are there elements developers often overlook?
There are so many local markets in the CEE that it is really hard to unify this. But in a nutshell â we know in our region, highly volatile fruit themed games are very popular. Having said that, it is not a surfire way to success. You may want to localize the content even further through cultural and humor references.
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The ROI of local-branded slots is often debated. Based on Promatic Groupâs experience, when does it make strategic and commercial sense to invest in hyper-local content â and when is it better to focus on broader appeal?
It all depends why you do this and how you measure the ROI. If you measure a single game ROI this might be a trap. It will very much depend on the math model and features of the particular game. Apart from revenue stream, there are also costs to be considered. If weâre talking about a âgame reskinâ then certification will be something you can optimize and so on. There are numerous ways to tackle this issue. Sometimes you can come up with a hyper local game and just launch it somewhere else to test if it works, which will boost your revenue stream and the total ROI. All in all we are very happy with our local approach and we intend to stick to it.
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Letâs talk about the future. With shifting player expectations and tech advancements like AI personalization, how do you see the localization strategy evolving over the next 2â3 years at Promatic Group?
I would expect this hyperlocalization becomes a commodity in the industry. This will also require a lot of human factor so that it is done the right way. AI will speed things up, but I believe that the human touch will be key. We already have amazing tools, but using them the right way is what will make a great difference.
The post Speaking the Playerâs Language: Promatic Groupâs Take on Game Localization in CEE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legalâs Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market

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The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together top experts across the iGaming and tech landscape, and Nordic Legal stood out as the eventâs Scandinavian Legal Expertise Sponsor. A renowned legal advisory firm in the Nordic region, Nordic Legal continues to shape the future of gambling legislation and compliance in Europe.
In this post-event interview, we caught up with Pekka Ilmivalta, Head of the Finnish Office at Nordic Legal, to dive deeper into the firmâs insights on the upcoming Finnish gambling reform, the legal challenges it poses, and the opportunities it presents for operators preparing to enter the market.
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Finland is preparing to launch its regulated gambling sector in January 2026. As an expert with over 20 years of experience in the gambling industry, how do you view its draft legislation and the current state of the Finnish gambling market?Â
Finns are used to gambling online, and the size of the market is close to 2 billion euros in GGR. As the market share of the national monopoly operator, Veikkaus, has declined to around 50 percent, nearly half of the gambling spending already takes place outside the Finnish regulation. Therefore, the gambling legislation reform is really needed.
The Government Proposal now being dealt with in the Finnish Parliament is generally a comprehensive and a good package. As the political parties are quite unanimous about the need for the reform, I expect the parliamentary discussion to concentrate on the balance between responsibility measures and the features making the market interesting enough for the operators to enter the regulated market. Especially marketing, use of affiliates and bonusing will, and should, be discussed.
I believe that the Parliament will approve the new legislation early next autumn and that the B2C license application process will be able to begin already in January next year.
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The Finnish legislative review council has raised concerns about potential increases in gambling harms under the new regulatory framework. What measures do you believe are necessary to mitigate these risks, and how could Finland balance market liberalization with responsible gambling practices?
Personally, I think that gambling harms must be taken seriously. However, as almost half of the Finnish gambling now happens outside the regulated market, I am convinced that succeeding in channelization is a crucial starting point to really mitigate gambling harms. Therefore, attractiveness of the market and measures against the black market are extremely important. Furthermore, self-exclusion and responsible gambling tools are, of course, needed for the players. Generally, I believe that AI assisted monitoring could and will have an important role in preventing harmful gambling in the future. To really work, responsible gambling tools need to be both pragmatic and relevant for each individual player.
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Considering Finlandâs upcoming gambling reform, what legal and operational challenges should gambling operators be prepared for, particularly regarding compliance and player protection? Which key trends do you see shaping the marketâs future?
As it seems now that affiliates and welcome bonuses will be banned, operators will have to find other means to build their brand and acquire customers. Even though traditional marketing and sponsoring are widely acceptable, I would expect to see innovative solutions to stand out from the probable marketing avalanche during the first months after the market opening. Perhaps new kinds of sponsorships or retail activities? Or even enhanced player protection measures to gain a competitive edge?
Overall, I would advise operators to start their market entry preparations early enough. The licensing procedure could take several (6 to 9) months. Also, adjusting to the local technical and player protection requirements might not happen overnight.
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What insights could help Finland create a balanced and effective gambling market?
I believe that the new legislation will provide a good enough framework for a functional gambling market. However, based on experiences from Sweden and Denmark, I would point out two practical aspects crucial to making the new legislation effective: First, there needs to be collaboration between licensed operators and the new regulator. Dialogue and a mutual will to find solutions should be the common mindset. Secondly, the regulator hopefully has enough resources (tools, persons and persistence) to interfere with the black-market operations, which will evidently still exist also after the reform.
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Nordic Legal has extensive experience advising European governments on regulatory best practices. How can your firm assist operators looking to enter the Finnish market and navigate the evolving legal landscape?
With our deep knowledge of Finnish legislation, extensive experience from regulatory developments in other jurisdictions, and strong industry relationships, we are well-positioned to support operators and B2B suppliers entering the Finnish market. We can offer comprehensive guidance not only on compliance and licensing, but also on navigating strategic challenges, ensuring our clients are well-prepared for a dynamic and shifting legal landscape. Our proactive approach enables us to identify regulatory changes early and help clients stay ahead of industry developments.
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The post Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legalâs Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Interviews
Exclusive Q&A With Bar Konson, Chief Business Development Officer at NuxGame

Online casinos are in a race to meet the growing demands of players, but many operators are being left behind. Slow payment systems, high transaction fees, and outdated software are limiting growth and hurting the player experience. But with the right tools, operators can break free from these limitations and create fluid, player-first experiences.
Bar Konson, Chief Business Development Officer at NuxGame, offers solutions that many operators have been waiting for. With NuxGameâs crypto-ready turnkey platform, operators can quickly solve common issues and roll out future-forward digital casinos that appeal to modern players. The crypto market is growing fast, with an expected $5 billion by 2030. Find out in this interview how making the most of crypto can take your casino to the next level and leave competitors behind.
The impact of crypto in iGaming is undeniable. Bar, do you believe Bitcoin is here to stay, or are we just seeing the beginning of a temporary trend?
The truth is, Bitcoin and crypto are here to stay, and itâs not just a âcool new thingâ for players. They offer fast transactions, more security, and a level of transparency that players are increasingly looking for. The iGaming scene is modernizing, and those who arenât adopting crypto solutions are definitely going to fall behind. You donât want to watch everyone else pass you by.
So how does NuxGame support the crypto trend? What makes your platform stand out in this fast paced environment?
At NuxGame, weâre not simply handing over a crypto solution and calling it a day. We provide a fully integrated crypto casino software solution that supports multiple cryptocurrencies, but more importantly, weâre here for you every step of the way. Our customer service managers understand that each operator has unique priorities, so we work closely with you to make sure that everything works exactly the way you want it. The dashboard shows everything in real-time, while players get quicker transactions and a better overall game. And the best part is that youâre not left alone with the system integration. Our team is always ready to make your operations work exactly how you want.
I know youâve got a lot of experience with turnkey solutions. What makes NuxGameâs turnkey casino solution a perfect fit for operators looking to add crypto into their business?
The whole idea behind a turnkey casino solution is to give operators everything they need to go live as soon as possible. When you add crypto, that means offering everything from crypto-friendly payment systems to blockchain-backed gaming for transparency and security. But the important part is that itâs not merely about putting a âcryptoâ label on your website and leaving it at that. We provide full integration with multi-coin support, crypto bonuses, and even real-time analytics. For operators, itâs the peace of mind that comes with knowing that upon making the switch, everything works â and it works fast. No waiting, no stress, just a revenue-boosting crypto experience. And youâll be seeing profits in no time. Because youâll get the tools to start engaging players immediately.
Bar, letâs talk about the notable transition from traditional casinos to online. Are operators who come from land-based casinos jumping on the crypto train? How are they adapting?
Absolutely! A lot of traditional operators are taking their first steps into the online scene and realizing cryptoâs impact in it all. They already have local brand recognition, and now itâs time to take that trust and build it online. The great thing is, with crypto, they donât have to worry about those annoying international payment delays or high fees. We help them adapt without the growing pains, offering localization for both payments and content. Itâs basically taking what they already know and applying it to the online space: no need to rebuild everything. Youâve got your brand and audience â now let us help you go digital. Itâs that easy.
One last thing: with all the changes happening in the iGaming space, especially with the cryptoâs growing presence, what do you think operators should be focusing on in 2025?
2025 is all about speed and adaptability. Markets are moving at record pace, and operators who are stuck in the âperfect platformâ mentality are going to miss the boat. Players expect fast, secure experiences, and with crypto, thatâs what they get. But to keep up, operators need to launch fast, learn fast, and be ready to grow quickly. That means not over-complicating things: you donât need to build from zero when youâve got the right tools. With platforms like ours, operators can quickly adapt to trends, integrate new features, and focus on what really matters: delivering a fantastic player experience. The marketâs moving, and those who move with it are the ones who win.
The post Exclusive Q&A With Bar Konson, Chief Business Development Officer at NuxGame appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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