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Exclusive Q&A with Simon Westbury, Chief Business Officer at Digitain

Published

5 years ago

May 17, 2021

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Let us begin with a quick introduction about yourself. Our readers love to hear top technocrats talking about themselves.

Professionally, I’ve first got involved in iGaming in 2008 when I was responsible for organizing the Gaming Executive Summit. Following on from conferences, I worked briefly in payments before moving to a casino sales role at Chartwell in 2010, which eventually became part of the Amaya story. I joined VSoftCo in 2015 to work on their virtual products, before joining Digitain in 2019.

From a personal point of view, I love sport, both playing and watching – especially cricket, which is great way of relaxing at the weekend. I also enjoy reading especially biographies of political or sporting figures.

You joined Digitain in June 2019. How was it like driving growth during this Covid-19 affected period?

As a Sales Department, when the world went into lockdown, we had two choices, to either take the bull by the horns and try and grow or sit back and become stagnant. I’m delighted to say that the Sales Team were ready to take the bull by the horns and see where the ride took us.

As a business we focused on Digital Marketing and our B2B Marketing team did a great job in assisting us in driving potential sales opportunities. As a result, I was able to expand the Sales team from 6 to 12 in 2020 and we are now at 13.

I focused on building sales momentum, a key ingredient in my view, and an important lesson I learnt from my professional sportsman friends. Key to building that momentum in the sales team was the removing of “excuses” – reasons why the team could not sell – and focused on solutions. I also adapted my leadership style, to deal with the new challenges – encapsulated in the following quote;

“Leadership is not about being in charge, leadership is about taking care of those in your charge”.

I am proud of how the team has developed over the last 12 months – in terms of deals but also the ability for the team to develop professionally, with 5 internal promotions over the last year. The pathway to professional success for colleagues is as important to me as achieving sales targets.

Could you share some success stories in terms of new client acquisitions and new market entries during this period?

We signed more new deals last year than in 2018 and 2019 – fantastic performance given the unusual circumstances, plus we are already seeing 50% growth over 2020 and we are tracking to hit our annual target. We saw good success in LatAm, with the help of Digitain’s Account Management team, where our monthly revenues have continued to grow. Additionally, we have seen many new partners go live with impressive numbers in both CIS and CEE regions.

Tell us about the latest features of Digitain Turnkey solution. How does it stand apart from the competitors?

Our turnkey iGaming platform is an amazing, fully featured, one-stop shop suitable for any betting and gaming operator, new or existing, with everything they need to get to market quickly and run a successful, profitable business, whatever the global location.

In terms of highlights, these include our sportsbook, especially our lighting fast in-play odds and results service with the fullest range of sports and betting opportunities available, our recently enhanced eSports area, dedicated to the new customer demographic, which no astute operator can ignore, with the all the key eBrands covered, and including our own Cyber Masters eFootball and eBasketball leagues.

Add to that our award-winning games portfolio, developed by our own in-house Fast Games studio and a wealth of other cutting-edge gaming products and you can see why our Turnkey solution is so highly regarded by our partners.

Could you tell us more about Digitain API and how it can make life easier for igaming operators?

Not all operators, especially established ones need to swap their platforms. Our range of APIs allow partners to quickly and seamlessly integrate a range of our products into their existing back-office.

For example, if they choose, operators can integrate our world-class award-winning sportsbook on its own, a highly competitive product supported by 150 developers and 700 experienced traders, covering over 70,000 live events per month with over 3000 betting markets plus live video streaming and a wealth of stats, results and interactive data. A highly effective way of achieving a competitive advantage for this hero product in our industry.

Now, let us ask a simple customer-centric question. What are the benefits can a new gaming or gambling operator expect from a technological collaboration with Digitain?

A simple answer then – from an operator’s perspective we believe their success is our success. Entering the world of online betting and gaming as a new operator is exciting, but also a potentially scary endeavour. We are a long-established igaming platform provider with a management team with excellent industry experience, and we pride ourselves on our ability to help new businesses successfully launch and build their online operations – whether that help is licensing, marketing or product development.

What are the steps Digitain takes to ensure that all your customers get the best of your products, irrespective of the jurisdiction they operate in or irrespective whether they operate land-based or online?

From the minute the prospective partner comes into contacts, their needs are put first. We operate a needs-based sales process focusing on the Features, Advantages and Benefits that the Digitain product can bring to the prospective partner. Further to the sales process in parallel, we undergo a rigorous scoping procedure to work with the partner to understand the requirements and scope this into the technical delivery of the project. It is joint effort between Sales and the Partner Relations and Implementation Division of Digitain to ensure that the customers’ needs are put first and always met. This includes use of localized versions of our products to ensure fitness-for-purpose wherever they are in the world. Our omnichannel solutions mean that if you are online or retail focused or even both, we will service you in a seamless manner.

You have stated that expanding the business into Asia and Latin America is one of your ambitions. How much progress has been made so far in that regard?

I was delighted to promote one of my Sales team to the role of heading up our international expansion. Also, we have appointed an Africa Regional Director, opened an office in South Africa and are now looking to expand further.

We also have deals in place in Asia and LatAm, but we understand to best serve the markets we operate in, we need to be there with the customer. As I have always said Digitain has a Glocal focus, a global outlook with laser-like local focus. To that end we’re currently undertaking a rigorous interview process to find the best people to be our “boots on the ground” in these new markets.

How does Digitain constantly upgrade the software platforms with respect to fast changing technology, such as new machine learning theorems, new digital payment formats and even new forms of fraud attempts?

We believe that research and development is a key differentiator in our industry, where there is a lot of “me too” product developments. We have a product group dedicated to optimizing new technology, including AI and machine-learning. One exciting outcome from their effort is our new, fully-featured CRM system – which has many benefits for marketing, risk management and ensuring responsible gambling.

Let’s conclude the interview by a look into the immediate future. Could you share some expansion plans or new product launch in the pipeline at Digitain?

So much going on its difficult to choose. As mentioned, we’re excited about our new CRM product, developed using AI and machine-learning. It will give our partners a great advantage in customer retention. It also has several additional potential benefits including highlighting potential responsible gambling customer issues to enable speedy operator intervention.

Other highlights for the future include the launch of our new platform, our live dealer products and some serious enhancements to our eSports and Table Sports products.

B2B iGaming

Gamblers Connect Strengthens Trust with Launch of Verified Sources Panel

Published

30 minutes ago

July 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

gamblers-connect-strengthens-trust-with-launch-of-verified-sources-panel

Gamblers Connect, the independent B2B iGaming media platform, has introduced a Verified Sources panel that appears at the bottom of every article, linking each factual claim directly to named primary documents hosted on the original source’s own domain.

The panel lists the specific sources consulted, identifies the issuing authority, and includes editorial notes explaining what has been verified and where the limits of the available evidence exist. Positioned immediately beneath the article body, each source is presented in the order it was consulted and includes the responsible individual or office where applicable.

Each entry also includes relevant disclosure tags drawn from the newsroom’s editorial taxonomy, and a direct hyperlink to the original document on the source’s own domain, allowing readers to verify the reporting in a single click.

The initiative responds to widespread practices in online publishing where sources are hidden, paraphrased or omitted altogether, leaving readers to rely on trust rather than independently verifiable evidence.

Luka Dimitrijevic, Partnerships & Operations Lead at Gamblers Connect, said: “Trust is not something a media outlet can declare. It is something the reader gives, and only once they can see the documents the story was built from. The Verified Sources panel exists so that verification is never more than one click away. If a claim in a story is worth making, the source behind it is worth linking to.”

The post Gamblers Connect Strengthens Trust with Launch of Verified Sources Panel appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Boaster Fnatic

Esports World Cup: Level Up Returns to Prime Video June 26 with Season Two

Published

30 minutes ago

July 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-world-cup:-level-up-returns-to-prime-video-june-26-with-season-two

Esports World Cup: Level Upreturns for its second season on June 26, with all five episodes dropping that day exclusively on Prime Video. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Martha (Netflix), Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (Apple TV)), the five-part docuseries goes inside the human stories behind the world’s largest esports competition, following players, Clubs and families through the pressure and ambition of the 2025 Esports World Cup.

Set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the seven-week event, the new season follows the chase for the $70 million prize pool and the EWC Club Championship, while showing the personal journeys at the heart of the competition. The series captures what it takes to compete on a global stage where one match can change a career, a season can define a Club, and a single moment can turn a player into a star.

Produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with director R.J. Cutler, showrunner John Dorsey and executive producers Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty all returning for the second season, Esports World Cup: Level Up takes a vérité-style approach to esports, capturing the sacrifice, stakes, and rising fame of the world’s top competitive gamers.

Featured players include Jake “Boaster” Howlett (Fnatic; VALORANT), Vivi “Vivian” Indrawaty (Team Vitality; MLBB), Kasimili “Soka” Tongamoa (Team Falcons; Call of Duty: Warzone), Xiao Hai (KuaiShou Gaming; Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves) and Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren (Mongolz; Counter-Strike). To bring the players’ personal stories to the forefront, the film’s crew was on set in Riyadh for seven weeks and also traveled to locations across the U.K., U.S. and Indonesia for rare at-home visits.

Standout storylines woven throughout the series include:

Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid, Chess) – Widely considered the greatest chess player ever, Carlsen faces the isolation of dominance, with no traditional peaks left to conquer. His story follows his shift into esports, where a new generation of challengers awaits.

Boaster (Fnatic, Valorant) – As Valorant debuts at the event, the British competitor’s journey from aspiring actor to title contender shows there’s no single path to success, shaped by resilience through personal and professional setbacks.

Xiao Hai (KSG, Street Fighter) – A reigning champion shaped by strict discipline, Xiao Hai was competing against adults by age six. Now a father, he balances global competition with family life.

Vivian (Team Vitality, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) – Competing for a life-changing prize, Vivian’s story centers on overcoming recent setbacks and confronting childhood trauma.

The Mongolz & bLitz (Counter-Strike 2) – Led by their star player bLitz, this grassroots Mongolian team has risen from obscurity to national prominence, becoming symbols of pride and perseverance.

Soka (Team Falcons, Call of Duty: Warzone) – The reigning champion faces pressure on multiple fronts, dealing with rivalries from former teammates while navigating a turbulent home life.
Coach ArSy (Team Liquid, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) – Offering a rare coaching perspective, ArSy draws on a difficult upbringing to lead and inspire his team’s pursuit of redemption.

“Level Up captures the human side of what we are building with the Esports World Cup,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports Foundation. “EWC creates the stage: the best games, the best Clubs, the best players, life-changing stakes and moments that bring together a global gaming community of billions. The documentary takes you closer to the people inside those moments: their pressure, their ambition, their families and the stories that make esports meaningful to a new generation.”

“This next chapter deepens our exploration of a global phenomenon that is as much about human ambition and identity as it is about competition,” said Cutler. “Esports is one of the most dynamic cultural movements of our time. In season two, we continue to chronicle not just the competition, but the lives, dreams, and sacrifices of the players at the center of it, revealing a world that is both intensely personal and globally resonant.”

Around those player journeys, the series also captures the wider cultural energy of the Esports World Cup, where sport, music, entertainment and gaming meet. In addition to elite competition, Level Up showcases moments from a star-studded lineup of musical artists and athletes, including opening headliner Post Malone, who shows off his gaming skills backstage; grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, who triumphs in his first chess esports event; and football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who ushers the Club Championship trophy to the stage in a dramatic closing ceremony.

The magnitude of the Esports World Cup is also seen through the reactions of some of the world’s biggest sports and entertainment figures, including reigning F1 champion Lando Norris; Brazilian football legends Ronaldo Nazario and Kaká, who go one-on-one in an EA FC showmatch; professional footballer Alisha Lehmann; skateboarder Tony Hawk; and tennis star Nick Kyrgios, who stated: “The crowd, the atmosphere, is literally better than Wimbledon or any Grand Slam.”

The Esports World Cup 2025 marked a defining moment in competitive gaming. In its second year, EWC reached 750 million viewers worldwide and generated 350 million hours watched, with peak concurrent viewership of nearly 8 million during the League of Legends at EWC ’25 tournament. Coverage was delivered across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages. Twenty-five tournaments spanning 24 games featured more than 2,000 players representing approximately 200 Clubs from over 100 countries.

The 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup will be held in Paris, France from July 6 through August 23, as the top Clubs in the world compete for $75 million and the 2026 EWC Club Championship trophy.

The post Esports World Cup: Level Up Returns to Prime Video June 26 with Season Two appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGLC license

Tonybet Secures Alberta iGaming License as Regulated Market Opens

Published

30 minutes ago

July 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

tonybet-secures-alberta-igaming-license-as-regulated-market-opens

Tonybet, an international iGaming operator already licensed in Ontario and Kahnawake, today announced that it has received an iGaming license from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), clearing the company to operate in Alberta’s regulated online gaming market.

The license allows Tonybet to enter Alberta, Canada’s second province to introduce a competitive, multi-operator iGaming market following Ontario’s launch in 2022. It also extends Tonybet’s Canadian footprint, reinforcing the company’s position as one of the most broadly licensed operators in the country.

Alberta’s regulated market represents a significant opportunity. The province has an estimated population of nearly 5 million, a strong sports culture, and a regulatory framework designed to channel existing online gaming activity into a licensed, player-protected environment. Tonybet intends to bring the same localized approach that has driven its growth in Ontario – combining regionally relevant sports betting markets, responsible gaming tools, and dedicated customer support – to Alberta from day one.

“Alberta is taking the right approach – building a regulated market that puts player protection and operational standards at the center from the start. That’s exactly the kind of environment we want to operate in. We’ve spent years proving in Ontario that you can grow a business and maintain the highest compliance standards at the same time – registrations and gross gaming revenue in the province both grew by 52% in 2025, with responsible gaming embedded in that success rather than working against it. Securing this license means we can bring the same commitment to Alberta, and we plan to be fully operational in the market,” said Dmitry Arabuli, CEO of Tonybet.

Tonybet has already begun preparations for its Alberta launch, including platform localization, integration with the province’s centralized self-exclusion system, and commercial onboarding with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC).

The post Tonybet Secures Alberta iGaming License as Regulated Market Opens appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.