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BtoBet’s founder Alessandro Fried discusses vision, strategy and product innovations for 2021

Published

6 years ago

January 7, 2021

Zoltan Tundik

Reading Time: 3 minutes

2020 was hugely successful for BtoBet. What are the set targets for 2021?

Further consolidating our presence in those markets where we are already considered as market leaders, whilst seeking to strengthen our partner portfolio in mature and new markets must be the target we set for ourselves for this year. During 2020, despite all the challenges brought about by the novel coronavirus pandemic, we have not only continued strengthening our positions in markets, such as Africa and Latin America, announcing strategic partnerships that will reap substantial benefits for the company on the medium to long term, but we have also set out a clear vision to make a similar impact in more mature markets such as Europe, whilst setting our eyes on new opportunities.

Increasing our footprint on an international level has always been our intention from the very onset, and what the company has achieved in a relatively short period of time is testimony to the determination and talent within the company’s ranks to meet the set targets.

Furthermore, BtoBet’s acquisition by Aspire Global now puts us in the ideal position to be able to enter more complex market scenarios, such as Europe, which are highly characterised by an overwhelming level of regulation. Together we are able to meet the requirements of all operators requiring a technological partner serving the entire iGaming value chain, providing them with a cutting edge sports betting platform, and also all requirements from a content and services point of view. All this whilst adhering to the compliance requirements of the vast majority of regulated jurisdictions, keeping to a minimum the time-to-market.

Having said this, the overzealous regulation and over taxed market scenarios characterizing the European market have led to businesses turning towards the fresh, and new opportunities other emerging markets can offer them. And our strong presence in these markets, puts us at in an optimal position to assist those operators seeking to gain an advantageous position in these so-called emerging markets.

The past months have seen BtoBet very active in different markets, announcing key partnerships – such as Betfair and William Hill in Colombia, and Sports Lotteries LLC in Russia – and in the coming weeks we seek to maintain the momentum.

Any new products in the pipeline from BtoBet?

We are currently finalizing a string of new tools that are set to have a great impact for both operators and players.

The major trend today is that we live our lives on screens and this affects every aspect of our daily life. In order to stay current, especially in online gaming, you need to be disruptive. By producing a better product that incorporates the way people live, you can disrupt the space in an industry. Innovation is a constant objective of any company within the iGaming industry.

Having said that, whilst other industries especially the entertainment industry, have harnessed new technologies based on ML and AI in order to ameliorate the customer experience, the betting industry has yet to truly harness this form of disruptive technology. And this is what we have been working on for the past months… tools based on in-depth data analysis allowing operators to fully understand the different player demographics, psychographics and playing habits, ultimately enabling them to create enhanced, personalized experiences based on the individual player preferences and behaviours.

Whilst this will undoubtedly play a major role towards a player-centric UX, bookmakers will also be able to harness great benefits from the technology from an operational perspective. A primary example that comes to mind is that these tools are able to single out suspicious betting patterns and payments. And all these in an automated environment.

How disruptive was the coronavirus pandemic for the industry?

2020 was deeply marked by the global coronavirus outbreak. It has affected the industry in many ways, with many businesses – both B2C and B2B – having to re-dimension the traditional way of how they operate.

Luckily for us, we had been investing for quite some time in widening the content portfolio for all verticals, and simultaneously having had invested heavily on our platform in order to better assist those retail operators opting to start wholly or partially migrating their business to the digital channels in an interlinked environment.

Now the big question is will everything revert back to pre-Covid scenarios? In reality I don’t envision the development of widely available vaccines, which will mark the end of the pandemic, to prompt the industry to go back to the 2019 situation.

The pandemic has undoubtedly brought about a digitalisation reform, and this is reflected in all those industries which featured retail as part of their business model. Adults who have entered the digital age of wagering may shift some of their spending to more traditional forms of entertainment channels – namely retail casinos – but many of those adults will undoubtedly continue sharing their wallet with the digital channels. Does this mean that this is the end for the industry’s retail outlets? Definitely not, but I do expect the digitalisation of the industry to maintain its momentum.

Brazil

PG Soft appoints Hugo Baungartner as General Manager LatAm

Published

4 minutes ago

July 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

pg-soft-appoints-hugo-baungartner-as-general-manager-latam

Veteran executive tasked with expanding PG Soft across Latin America and leading strategy in Brazil as regulation evolves.

PG Soft has appointed Hugo Baungartner as General Manager LatAm, handing him responsibility for the supplier’s commercial expansion across Latin America and its strategy in Brazil.

The company said Baungartner will focus on growing the business in Brazil, where PG Soft says it has already captured a “significant share of the market,” while building presence across regulated markets in the wider region.

Baungartner brings more than 29 years of experience across technology and gaming. He has held leadership roles at Grupo Aposta Ganha, RCT Gaming, Prohards and most recently Esportes Gaming Brasil, according to the company.

PG Soft also pointed to Baungartner’s network across Latin America’s regulatory landscape, including relationships with Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA/MF), the Federal Revenue Service, and COAF, as well as Mexico’s Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos and AIEJA (the Mexican Gaming Association).

Hugo Baungartner, General Manager LatAm at PG Soft, commented: “PG Soft’s brand needs no introduction in Latin America thanks to its extensive portfolio of world-class, mobile-first games that resonate strongly with players. The company is only just getting started in the region, and I look forward to building on its success in Brazil while expanding PG Soft’s presence across regulated markets throughout Latin America.”

The post PG Soft appoints Hugo Baungartner as General Manager LatAm appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

betcore

BetOnGames launches Tokyo Skyline Run crash game with 97.5% RTP

Published

5 minutes ago

July 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

betongames-launches-tokyo-skyline-run-crash-game-with-97.5%-rtp

BetOnGames, the instant games vertical of the BETCORE ecosystem, has launched Tokyo Skyline Run, a new crash game aimed at iGaming operators. The company said the mobile-first title ships with a 97.5% RTP and is built around short, fast rounds.

Tokyo Skyline Run is set across a neon Tokyo rooftop backdrop and uses a rising multiplier mechanic. Each round centers on a simple cash-out decision: players start the run, track the multiplier as it climbs, and choose when to cash out before a failure ends the round.

BetOnGames positions the release as a thematic extension to its crash portfolio, using anime-inspired character design and visuals including a neon city atmosphere and cherry blossom elements.

The company said the game is designed for “fast player engagement” and for operators seeking more variety in instant games, particularly for audiences that prefer short sessions and high-tempo gameplay.

The post BetOnGames launches Tokyo Skyline Run crash game with 97.5% RTP appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ai game recommendations

Vegangster Integrates ZingBrain AI for Smart Game Recommendations Across Operator Lobbies

Published

1 hour ago

July 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

vegangster-integrates-zingbrain-ai-for-smart-game-recommendations-across-operator-lobbies

Vegangster has integrated ZingBrain AI‘s smart lobby personalisation into its platform, adding a new layer of game discovery for players across Vegangster-powered brands.

Casino lobbies now feature AI-driven recommendation sections tailored to each player’s preferences, much like those on Spotify or Netflix. Players see personalised rows such as “Picked for You”, “Because You Like…” and “Try Other Games With Similar Mechanics”, which point them to relevant titles. These recommendations can also be presented directly in Vegangster’s own Scroll & Play feed, giving each player a personalised discovery experience in a well-known format.

According to ZingBrain AI’s published results, smart lobby personalisation delivers a 5–15% uplift in GGR and turnover, 10–15% more games played, and a 5–10% increase in player active days, while cutting time spent on lobby management by 80%.

Michael Oziransky, Chief Product Officer at Vegangster, commented:
“ZingBrain works hand in hand with our own Scroll & Play feed: the engine decides which games are right for each player, and Scroll & Play puts them in front of them as gameplay clips they can watch and jump straight into.”

In practice, this changes how the lobby works for both sides. A player who keeps coming back to crash games sees fresh titles with similar mechanics instead of the same generic top grid, and players returning after a break land in a lobby built around what they already love. Operators, meanwhile, stop curating lobby positions by hand: a new game release reaches the players most likely to enjoy it from day one, without competing for a banner slot.

Another application of the engine is provider cost optimisation. Operators set priority levels for individual providers and games based on deals, campaigns, or new launches, and ZingBrain applies those priorities to personalised recommendations. In A/B tests across four brands, this redirected up to 20% of turnover and GGR to more profitable titles, with no drop in player performance.

The integration is now available to all Vegangster operator clients.

About Vegangster
Vegangster provides a full iGaming platform built for speed, scale, and operator control. Its turnkey, white-label, and sweepstakes solutions bring casino and sportsbook content, payments, CRM, compliance, and social features together in one mobile-first system. With Vegangster, operators can launch quickly and grow with confidence.

About ZingBrain AI
ZingBrain AI is an easy-to-integrate AI performance platform for the iGaming industry, providing smart lobby personalisation, player analytics, and churn and GGR predictions for online casinos and sportsbooks. The company is ISO 27001 certified and works with 60 live brands worldwide.

The post Vegangster Integrates ZingBrain AI for Smart Game Recommendations Across Operator Lobbies appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.