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Playing the technology card: How Europe is winning the game

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By Eriks Petersons, Digital Transformation Director, Ciklum

 

The last few years have seen a real period of growth in the gaming industry fuelled by technology. The push for responsible gambling and tighter regulations has helped reposition an industry which has carried a negative stigma for so long. Instead it is now accepted as a form of entertainment which is governed responsibly.

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Europe has been at the core of this image transformation and now accounts for more than half of iGaming revenue worldwide. Investing in gaming technology over the last few years has seen Europe take advantage of the stagnant gaming scene in the US, which came as a result of the Black Friday events of 2011, and saw the closure of the three largest online poker websites.

Whilst the online gaming scene came to a halt in the US, advancements in European gaming technology meant that in the case of sports events, for example, bets could be placed live during a game – even via a mobile phone. In contrast, the US was reliant on land-based establishments where bets had to be placed before a game started. This resulted in many US companies snapping up European companies in order to benefit from these innovations. And who can blame them, with the sports scene so big in the US compared to across the pond.

But what the Black Friday events in the US taught the whole industry was the need for stricter regulations. Also crucial for upholding the gaming industry’s new positive reputation. Again, this is where Europe has been at the forefront – with the UK, Sweden and Germany leading the way – and certainly looking to stay in pole position.

 

How Covid-19 helped propel the gaming industry online

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The Covid-19 pandemic hit the gaming industry on a global level, and as with many industries, companies were forced to move their operations online. With the temporary closure of land-based establishments, it taught the gaming industry an important lesson on product diversification and why it shouldn’t be over-reliant on physical world interactions.

With live sports temporarily suspended, meaning loss of revenue from sports betting, many players switched to casino gaming. Live shows with a real dealer helped to bridge the gap between online and land-based casinos, with players feeling more confident watching a real person dealing rather than trusting an algorithm.

It came down to which iGaming operators were willing to adapt to meet their players’ changing needs – and who had the technology to be able to do so. Those who did were the ones who came out as winners.

 

Why gaming platforms need to be customisable

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The last ten years have seen the industry change from one that was initially market-driven to one that is now technology-driven. Traditionally gaming platforms were monolithic in nature meaning updates were often slow to implement and with many limitations.

Fast forward to the present, and as a result there are a lot of big companies who now own multiple platforms and products under one umbrella, but who have also inherited legacy technology obstacles.

Modernising platform infrastructure is key for allowing both scalability and flexibility. Microservices allow specific functions to be developed, deployed and managed independently from one another. This allows teams to focus on different areas, for example, whilst one team works on ‘responsible gaming’, another can work on ‘player acquisition’ testing or improving new features on the homepage.

Using microservices with APIs – which allows numerous front end experiences to be connected to a single back end program – enables flexibility beyond the limits of any one platform or technology. This allows gaming companies to work on regulatory changes and product features in parallel meaning one does not hold the other back.

Cloud is also key to scalability meaning you can manage large spikes of traffic or prepare for a new market launch. It also means that huge amounts of data can be stored securely.

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Why tech has been key in adapting to new regulations

Technology has played a key role in ensuring the gaming industry is compliant as rules continue to evolve. As the call for improved consumer protection and responsible gaming rises, we have seen stricter regulations being introduced across Europe. For iGaming operators, this has demonstrated the need to have highly customisable gaming platforms which can be swiftly adapted to meet new regulations introduced country by country.

Take Germany as an example. In July this year, Germany launched its legal casino market, allowing private operators to apply for licenses offering sports betting, online poker and virtual slot machines. Industry players seeking the new license had a full year to make adequate changes, known as toleration regime. With the long list of German regulatory rules touching upon different parts of the system, many of these were kept to the last moment before they were introduced.

Player deposits, for example, were reduced to a maximum of 1000 euros. This was a big hit on the industry which is very VIP driven – with the majority of revenue coming from such players.

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Spins in slot machines also came under fire with new regulations dictating a time limit of five seconds per spin. With an average spin lasting 0.5 seconds meaning a 5 second period normally allows for multiple spins, this runs the risk that players can’t play quickly enough and in turn will get bored.

Through the use of microservices, iGaming operators were able to create and release new features gradually. Instead of facing a huge hit on resources at one time, they were able to apply feature toggling and test and push different changes live over time. And ultimately ensure that by releasing these at the last moment they would not affect the customer experience earlier than they needed to.

 

How tech is improving player acquisition and retention

One area where companies can use technology to stand out is by offering a differentiated player experience. Player trends are constantly changing, and the successful iGaming operators are the ones that keep experimenting, keep validating and keep improving their product.

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With some exceptions, most casinos are all the same, they just have a different look and feel. Through agile software development, gaming platforms can use canary releases to trial and test changes and features initially within a small group of users before rolling out to a wider audience. For example, how you show games to players or how games are grouped together to understand game player behaviour. This can also be applied to promotions to decide which ones work most effectively.

The registration process is another area which is a key part of the player acquisition journey. Consider experimenting with a three-stage process rather than one lengthy form. Also what works better in the UK, may not work so well in Germany.

Even the smallest things like the colour, shape or positioning of a button can have an enormous impact on the player behaviour and thus the conversion rate.

Technology has played a key role in transforming the European gaming industry. For iGaming operators, there’s both a need to innovate as well as to regulate. It’s about ensuring gaming platforms are adaptable, scalable and that changes can be implemented at speed. In other words, if you want to ride this positive wave that’s happening in the industry right now, then you need to implement the technology that will allow you to stay ahead of the game!

 

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Logifuture enters high-growth Croatian market with Mozzart partnership

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Leading South-Eastern Europe operator integrates virtual product Simulate

Logifuture, an award-winning supplier of iGaming products, has expanded its partnership with leading South-Eastern Europe operator Mozzart to launch its Simulate virtual product in Croatia. This latest rollout follows the success of the same product in Serbia and Kenya, where the collaboration between the two companies has already delivered strong results.

Simulate delivers an entirely new level of engagement – something players have never seen before. It adds instant fun to the betting experience, allowing users to simulate the outcome of their betslip in just a few seconds, using real teams, real events, and real markets. No waiting for matches to start. No delays. Just instant action and instant payouts, bringing an extra layer of excitement that enhances the classic sportsbook experience.

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Croatia represents a key growth market for both Mozzart and Logifuture, with its rapidly expanding online gaming sector offering a dynamic opportunity to engage a new and diverse audience.

‘Fast, immersive experiences’

Niccolo Cassettari, Chief Business Development Officer at Logifuture, said: “We’re proud to partner with Mozzartbet Croatia to launch Simulate, our next-gen football game designed for players who crave fast, immersive experiences. The Croatian market has a strong appetite for innovative sports content, and Simulate delivers exactly that – real match scenarios, rapid gameplay, and a format that keeps users engaged round after round.

“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of virtual sports. For Logifuture, it’s about more than just adding another game to the portfolio – it’s about enhancing Mozzartbet’s user offering with something genuinely different. We’re confident Simulate will quickly resonate with their audience and drive both engagement and retention.”

Katarina Masal, Virtual Games Sector Manager at Mozzartbet Group, said: “At Mozzartbet, our commitment has always been to deliver exceptional gaming experiences to our players.

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“The positive response we saw with Simulate in other markets made it an easy choice to expand this partnership into another exciting market for us.

“We’re excited to introduce Simulate and eager to offer our Croatian players an engaging and immersive gaming experience.”

The post Logifuture enters high-growth Croatian market with Mozzart partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Former Betway director joins Yolo Entertainment as Chief Revenue Officer

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Sportsbet.io and Bitcasino operator Yolo Entertainment has appointed former Betway Commercial Development Director Stephanie Eddy as its new Chief Revenue Officer.

Eddy joins after more than a decade at Betway, and will oversee Yolo Entertainment’s commercial performance across key regions and strategic channels.

This will include a sharp focus on driving revenue growth while enhancing the efficiency of Yolo Entertainment’s acquisition funnel.

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“Steph is a proven leader with the commercial instincts and strategic vision that align perfectly with our ambitions, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our leadership team,” said Matthew D’Emanuele, CEO of Yolo Entertainment. “Steph’s appointment underscores our commitment to accelerating the growth of Sportsbet.io and Bitcasino, expanding our brand and product portfolio, and delivering an exceptional customer experience. Steph’s expertise will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our global presence.”

Stephanie Eddy, Chief Revenue Officer at Yolo Entertainment, added: “Yolo Entertainment has consistently pushed boundaries in gaming and crypto. I’m thrilled to join the team at this exciting moment, and help take these world-class brands to even greater heights.”

Over the last few months, Yolo Entertainment has hired a series of industry leaders to help drive the next stage of growth for its Sportsbet.io and Bitcasino brands.

In April, Jock Jamieson-Black, James Clark, Abu Koroma and Charlene Cassar joined in senior positions across CRM, content, product engineering and business intelligence.

The post Former Betway director joins Yolo Entertainment as Chief Revenue Officer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGT Digital and Optimove Partner to Power Real-Time CRM Marketing in iGaming

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EGT Digital is proud to announce a strategic partnership with the leader in Positionless Marketing Optimove. This collaboration marks a major advancement in the company’s X-Nave platform capabilities, enabling operators to deliver real-time, personalized player experiences at scale.

“Partnering with Optimove and integrating their Positionless Marketing Platform into our X-Nave system marks a significant leap forward for our ecosystem,” commented Georgi Mihaylov, Deputy CEO at EGT Digital. “It arms our operator partners with the intelligence and agility they need to craft personalized, real-time experiences that boost retention and long-term player value. This is not just an enhancement – it’s a competitive edge in the fast-evolving market.”

Optimove’s Positionless Marketing approach breaks down silos and empowers marketers to act swiftly and autonomously, aligning perfectly with EGT Digital’s commitment to providing flexible, scalable solutions across casino, sportsbook, and lottery verticals.

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“EGT Digital is pushing the industry forward with an agile and future-focused platform,” said Motti Colman, VP Revenue, Gaming at Optimove. “Together, we’re enabling operators to unlock the full power of Positionless Marketing, giving every marketer the ability to analyze data, generate creative assets, and launch self-optimizing campaigns without waiting on anyone else.”

This partnership will bring numerous benefits to operators using X-Nave platform. It will enhance player retention through deeper personalization and will streamline marketing operations with AI-driven insights, while launching smarter campaigns faster and maximizing player lifetime value.

EGT Digital remains committed to delivering innovation that drives growth. The collaboration with Optimove sets a new standard for marketing performance in the iGaming industry.

The post EGT Digital and Optimove Partner to Power Real-Time CRM Marketing in iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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