Eastern Europe
Parimatch: The future’s bright for Ukraine
As the betting industry in Ukraine prepares for major legislative progress in the first quarter of 2020, Maksym Liashko, Partner at Parimatch, one of the leading online betting brands in the CIS region, explores the proposed regulations, the country’s ‘progressive’ emphasis on virtual and eSports, and why the term gambling could be set to change in the coming decade…
Ukraine is set to enter a new age in 2020 as the country’s Cabinet of Ministers prepares to consider the latest gambling reform bill in mid-January following a request for revisions to the text in December. Liashko, who is responsible for legal matters at Parimatch, is positive about the prospect of gaming regulation in the region stating he believes the law will be fully adopted within the coming two months.
The previous version of the draft law proposed a new license system for betting operators with limited numbers across casinos, bookmakers, and only 10 for online operators, covering both sports betting and online casinos. Commenting on possible amendments to this in the most recent version of the bill, Liashko said: “According to the MPs` discussions during the round tables, there will be no restrictions on the number of licenses for a particular type of activity, with the exception of lotteries since this type of activity is defined as state lotteries. Here the choice is made directly of the lottery operator. And the remaining sectors won’t be limited by the number of licenses. The draft law is expected to be re-voted on first reading in January.”
If the new bill is passed, any new licenses will be available for every sector excepting lotteries and slots which will be obtained through electronic auctions via a project established by the Cabinet of Ministers, which Liashko believes is fair in guaranteeing the best operators success in a new market. “In the last agreed edition, which was submitted and presented in parliament by deputies (a certain agreed compromise document), a competitive procedure was established for operators of the state lottery, as well as electronic auctions for operators of slot machines,” he explained. “For all the others, any restrictions on the number of licenses and auctions were cancelled. In general, we believe that the electronic auction is a fair method of distributing the limits of slot machines in the country. The final question is only in conditions. To win in such an auction, the price is important. Other supporting tools are the subject of an interest in how they will be evaluated. If it is only a price, then it will be a simple and transparent mechanism. The base for such auctions in Ukraine already exists.”
As the country prepares to open its doors to the wider gambling industry, the intricacies of the local market are a key point of attention for Parimatch as a leading betting brand in the region. Focussing on how to ensure Ukraine’s regulatory systems are workable and future proof, Liashko commented: “I believe it is necessary to use the experience that other jurisdictions have. It should be understood that Ukraine has its own legal traditions, and most importantly its own domestic issues and some negative traditions associated with state regulation and the state’s habits in Ukraine to be directed towards tight control rather than development.
“Based on this, the use of all those methods of control of GGR and other methods that are used in European countries may be premature for Ukraine. Rather, you need to give priority to fixed, very high payments for a license, to abandon the practice of paying tax from the GGR, and leave only income tax. The presence of a fixed payment will make it possible to avoid all possible disputes with regulatory authorities, which in Ukraine are quite a large number. When in other jurisdictions a question arises with accrued bonuses, canceled bets, etc., you look for compromises with the governing bodies. In Ukraine at the moment there is no expertise in this matter since there was no gaming industry as such.”
In terms of Parimatch’s position in this potential new landscape, the company is keen to establish a strong and sustainable status in the market focusing on security and customer safety. “At Parimatch, we take into account and work a lot with BI in order to understand the interests of the client first of all. We individually tailor their preferences,” Liashko said. “We find the following issues the most important to develop and introduce to our clients: full remote identification; automatic data analysis to prevent fraud; interactive interfaces for communication with the client; automation of decision-making and cyber defense. We also hope that the new legislation in Ukraine will contribute to this, and not force us to fill out paper forms.”
“Technology will change everything,” he added. ‘Over the next decade, I think such key changes will occur several times. In this context, the legislation in Ukraine is quite progressive, since now the projects include the regulation of virtual sports, eSports betting, virtual events with unpredictable results. This already provides the basis for the technological development of fast content for the gaming industry. At the same time, Internet technologies and the volume of data transfer of devices are developing quite widely. This will allow the gaming industry to reach a whole new level of entertainment.”
He concluded: “When entertainment will prevail in all spheres of the gaming industry in principle. The word “gambling” itself may lose its relevance and becomes entertainment, as we have seen this trend in Europe over the past few years.”
SYNOT Games, a leading content and solutions provider in the iGaming industry, has announced a new partnership with WIN2 in Romania, further expanding its presence in regulated markets.
As part of this collaboration, 134 SYNOT Games titles are now available on WIN2, including top-performing titles like Skull Bonanza, 27 Joker Fruits and Amazons’ Wonders. The integration was made possible through Crowd Entertainment, a trusted content aggregator with whom WIN2 recently initiated cooperation. This three-way partnership has enabled a smooth and efficient rollout of SYNOT Games’ content, setting the foundation for further expansion.
This launch marks a significant step forward for both companies, ensuring WIN2’s players gain access to SYNOT Games’ diverse and engaging portfolio, known for its striking visuals, smooth gameplay and mobile-first design.
WIN2 has also expressed a strong interest in making all SYNOT Games’ certified titles available soon, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to delivering quality, variety and regulated entertainment to its user base.
“We are excited to welcome WIN2 as a new partner and to bring our games to their growing player community,” said Martina Krajčí, CCO at SYNOT Games.
“This cooperation reflects our continued focus on expanding our footprint across trusted and certified platforms, and we look forward to a successful journey together.”
Dragoș Mămăligă, Deputy Director at WIN2, said: “Adding SYNOT Games to our portfolio means expanding our offering with proven, high-quality content that players love. We are thrilled to provide our players with access to such a wide and dynamic portfolio and are already working towards making even more titles available soon.”
The post SYNOT Games Partners with WIN2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Promatic Games and SYNOT Interactive Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen iGaming Expansion in Central and Eastern Europe
Promatic Games, a recognized provider of innovative iGaming content and one of the leaders of the Polish market, and SYNOT Interactive, a dynamic technology company headquartered in the Czech Republic, have officially announced a strategic partnership. The objective of the cooperation is the distribution of the Promatic Games portfolio to SYNOT Interactive’s aggregation customers, with a focus on the strategic markets of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The cooperation will accelerate growth for both parties by combining Promatic Games’ tailored gaming portfolio with SYNOT Interactive’s proven platform and extensive presence in regulated European markets.
SYNOT Interactive will be the first aggregation partner for Promatic Games in the Czech and Slovak markets.
“Up until now we have taken a few important steps to enter the Czech and Slovak markets. We have a portfolio of certified games for those markets, and we have integrated with a few platform providers. We have also launched our games with several operators. But obviously, cooperation with a brand like SYNOT Interactive brings new perspectives to our business there,” said Maciej Makuszewski, Head of iGaming at Promatic Games. “We are excited to work with SYNOT Interactive’s aggregation customers to generate great value for them. We are confident that our content will match customers’ tastes in these strategic markets, just as it has been proven in Poland, where we are one of the leading iGaming suppliers. We are of course looking forward to scaling up in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but we are also ready for other challenges with our strategic partner. SYNOT Interactive’s Central European footprint aligns perfectly with our expansion strategy.”
By integrating Promatic Games content into SYNOT Interactive’s modular platform, operators in multiple jurisdictions will gain access to Promatic Games quickly and efficiently. The cooperation will begin with Slovakia and the Czech Republic—both highly regulated markets where SYNOT already maintains a strong operator base—and will later extend to Romania, Croatia, and other Balkan markets. This geographic overlap between Promatic Games’ strategic goals and SYNOT Interactive’s established infrastructure makes the partnership especially powerful.
“At SYNOT Interactive, we are dedicated to building partnerships that create lasting value for both operators and players. We know Promatic Games’ content is strong in Poland, and we believe that, given the content’s quality and type, it can be a great fit for our Central European casino partners. By joining forces, we can accelerate innovation and deliver an enhanced player experience in regulated markets. We appreciate the technology that Promatic Games provides, and we are confident it will work well on the scale that SYNOT Interactive can offer,” said Petr Březina, Head of Sales, from SYNOT Interactive.
The agreement underscores how strategic alliances are shaping the future of the iGaming industry. With regulatory landscapes becoming increasingly complex, operators require diverse gaming content that meets local compliance standards. The cooperation between Promatic Games and SYNOT Interactive demonstrates how combining expertise can generate synergies in distribution, compliance, and player engagement, creating mutual benefits for both companies and their partners.
The post Promatic Games and SYNOT Interactive Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen iGaming Expansion in Central and Eastern Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
CT Interactive is strengthening its presence in Romania’s regulated iGaming market by certifying 20 new games, bringing its total portfolio in the country to 101 titles. This is a significant achievement in the company’s European growth strategy.
Among the new certified releases are fan favorites such as Lucky Clover 10, the latest addition to the beloved Clover series featuring vintage-inspired graphics and nostalgic design elements, and 20 Mega Star, a classic fruit-themed slot that combines familiar gameplay with modern visuals to keep players engaged. Both titles have already proven their success across multiple international markets with strong player engagement.
Additionally, CT Interactive is launching its new Buy Bonus product line in the Romanian market. This exciting lineup includes Doctor Winstein Buy Bonus, Duck of Luck Buy Bonus, Fruits & Sweets Buy Bonus, Nanook the White Ghost Buy Bonus, and Hyper Cuber Buy Bonus — all offering thrilling bonus features and enhanced gameplay tailored to local player preferences.
“Certification in Romania is an important part of our European growth strategy,” said Martin Ivanov, COO of CT Interactive. “This expansion not only strengthens our presence but also enables us to offer a diverse and premium range of content to the regulated Romanian market.”
With these new certifications, CT Interactive continues to be a trusted provider of engaging gaming content, offering Romanian operators a broad range of advanced titles fully aligned with local regulatory standards.
The post CT Interactive grows its certified portfolio in Romania appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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