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

Published

5 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.

GR8 Tech

GR8 Tech Introduces Swipe-Based Matchmaking for iGaming

Published

2 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

gr8-tech-introduces-swipe-based-matchmaking-for-igaming

The most compelling relationship narratives seldom begin with a sales presentation. They start with a spark, a bond, with something unique that’s difficult to describe.

This Valentine’s Day, GR8 Tech suggests setting aside formal meetings and allowing chemistry to lead with its “Perfect iGaming Match,” resembling Tinder: operators can swipe through GR8 Tech solutions and products like profiles on a dating app, connecting with those that suit their business: quick, straightforward, and with undeniable chemistry.

Prefer it fast and direct to GGR? Perhaps the Infinite Casino Aggregation will grab your attention.

Are you involved in domination and affiliate management? Discover what Aff.Tech offers…

Consider that a date is most enjoyable when safety is a priority? Risk Management completely concurs!

However—no additional spoilers. It’s time to swipe and discover for yourself.

How operators can find “the one”:
● Swipe-based discovery: Like any good Valentine’s day flirt, swipe right on what feels like “the one,” left on what doesn’t.
● Find the right product fast: From sportsbook to full turnkey, operators can meet their perfect match immediately.
● Start the right conversation: Once there’s a match, operators aren’t starting from scratch. They’re starting from “this is what we need.”

“Choosing the right tech stack shouldn’t feel like an endless first date with spreadsheets,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech. “This Valentine’s Day experience makes it fun to explore what you actually need, and makes it easier to start the right conversation with our team. When operators match with the right solutions, everything gets smoother: launches, growth, and day-to-day operations.”

This Valentine’s Day, GR8 Tech encourages operators to bypass the uncomfortable chit-chat, engage purposefully, and explore how compatibility manifests when technology, growth, and operations align seamlessly.

The post GR8 Tech Introduces Swipe-Based Matchmaking for iGaming appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ASUS

ASUS and BLAST Premier Extend Partnership Ahead of 2026 Global Tour

Published

3 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

asus-and-blast-premier-extend-partnership-ahead-of-2026-global-tour

International competitive entertainment firm BLAST has today revealed a continuation of their collaboration with ASUS, a prominent global technology leader. After a successful collaboration in 2025, ASUS will be the Official Partner for Monitors, PCs, Laptops, Keyboards, and Mice for the entire 2026 season of BLAST Premier, a worldwide Counter-Strike 2 tournament series.

This collaboration will cover six events, three continents, and five nations throughout 2026, commencing this week in Malta for BLAST Premier Bounty S1. The occurrences are as detailed:

BLAST Bounty S1 – Malta: 13th January – 25th January.
BLAST Open S1 – Rotterdam, Netherlands: 18th March – 29th March
BLAST Rivals S1 – Fort Worth, Texas, USA: 29th April – 3rd May
BLAST Bounty S2 – Malta: 21st July – 2nd August
BLAST Open S2 – Europe: 26th August – 6th September
BLAST Rivals S2 – Hong Kong: 11th November – 15th November

Under the agreement, ASUS will supply its top-tier monitors, PCs, laptops, keyboards, and mice for use in broadcasting during all Premier events in 2026.

The ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace will remain in use on stage after successful implementation during the last three events in 2025. The display includes a 24.1-inch FHD Super TN panel boasting a 610Hz refresh rate and Extreme Low Motion Blur 2 (ELMB 2) technology for sharp motion clarity. It guarantees almost no latency with 0.8ms input delay.

The BLAST Premier Esports Station ‘Powered by ASUS’ is crafted for optimal tournament performance. These computers are equipped with the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

Kevin Nguyen, Director of Partnerships at BLAST, said: “2025 was an incredibly successful first BLAST Premier season in this new era of Counter-Strike and we’re proud to be going into 2026 re-signing with an industry leader in ASUS. ASUS products not only elevated our competition standards, but also created unique experiences for attending fans at our events. We’re excited to be expanding our partnership with ASUS in 2026 as BLAST Premier wows fans around the world and in new locations such as Rotterdam in March and Fort Worth in May.”

“For two decades, ROG’s mission has been to innovate products that offer exceptional experiences. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re bringing that legacy to the competitive scene like never before,” said Kris Huang, General Manager of the ASUS Gaming & Workspace Gear business unit. “With this partnership, we’ve built a seamless ecosystem between our ultrafast displays and precision gear. It’s all designed so that gamers can achieve their true potential together in play. This is For Those Who Dare to demand perfection and we are here to deliver it.”

The season commences with BLAST Premier Bounty and continues through to BLAST Premier Rivals, which concludes the season in Hong Kong, with ASUS completely integrated into BLAST broadcasts for maximum brand visibility. This encompasses the physical positioning of ASUS monitors, PCs, laptops, and their range of keyboards and mice. ASUS will be incorporated into both digital and physical branding, in-broadcast ads, and customized branded content shown on air.

Moreover, ASUS is provided with its own broadcast segment that emphasizes highlight replays, featuring exclusive camera angles that display ASUS technology in action. ASUS will engage directly with fans, setting up branded booths at every Premier Arena event, beginning in Rotterdam, which is BLAST’s inaugural event in the Netherlands.

BLAST performed surveys with participants in 2025 to gauge the impact of the BLAST x ASUS collaboration, revealing that over a third of fans in attendance already utilize ASUS products, and 76% of fans who interacted engaged with ASUS products post-event. This is a brand that individuals in the CS community admire and utilize, highlighting the brand’s significance within BLAST and the impact of direct advertising at esports events.

ROG items will likewise bear the labels:

“Official Monitor of BLAST Premier”
“Official PC of BLAST Premier”
“Official Laptop of BLAST Premier”
“Official Mouse & Keyboard of BLAST Premier”

The post ASUS and BLAST Premier Extend Partnership Ahead of 2026 Global Tour appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blask Awards

Endorphina’s Hell Hot 100 Crowned “Ukraine Game of the Year” at the Blask Awards

Published

3 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

endorphina’s-hell-hot-100-crowned-“ukraine-game-of-the-year”-at-the-blask-awards

It’s getting hot in here! Hell Hot! Yes, Endorphina has only gone and won “Ukraine Game of the Year” in the prestigious Blask Awards with our fun and fiery Hell Hot 100!

Spicy, spirited fruit, flame-play, Hell Hot 100, which ignites the devil in all, demonstrates that we persist in achieving our objectives in expanding marketing frontiers, with increasingly inventive high-quality gaming experiences, and establishing new benchmarks in an iGaming sector that never rests.

This illustrates that the mechanics behind securing this award highlight Endorphina’s growing power in the market, particularly in terms of game promotion. To achieve victory, we needed to raise this game to be the leading contender by showtime, featuring the greatest number of operators in Ukraine.

In other words, the choice depended on market presence and the extent to which the game is accessible on operator websites in the nation.

This affirmation from Max Tesla, CEO and co-founder Blask, says: “Congratulations to Endorphina’s “Hell Hot 100” on winning Ukraine Game of the Year. This award isn’t about hype or a single campaign. It’s awarded to the game that achieved the widest real-market footprint, being featured by the highest number of operators in Ukraine as of 1 January 2026.”

“Reaching that level of distribution means your title proved itself where it matters most: in operator lobbies, day after day, at scale.”

By achieving yet another significant milestone, Endorphina strengthens its status as a top award-winning game developer in iGaming engineering, recognized for its innovative creations and profound insight into player preferences. Awards aren’t merely for appearance; they demonstrate our commitment to fulfilling our promises and recognize the daily dedication and talent of our team, along with the trust from partners and operators globally, in continually elevating standards across all our activities.

Instances like this demonstrate significant admiration from the industry, motivating us to strive further, envision more, and produce titles that not only engage but also ignite the audience’s cheers.

What comes next in Endorphina’s continuously expanding pipeline? Just keep watching and find out! Maintain your volume at the highest setting as we aim for even greater achievements to conquer in the upcoming days!

The post Endorphina’s Hell Hot 100 Crowned “Ukraine Game of the Year” at the Blask Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.