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Convergence of gambling and video gaming roundtable – Kalamba Games

Published

4 years ago

March 9, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Andy Sekula, Head of Games at Kalamba

An increasing number of industry titans in recent years have moved into video games and many video game outfits have turned their eye to offering ‘gambling’ elements within games. With these moves and the rise of social/mobile gaming bringing these industries closer to traditional gambling and igaming, what is there to be learned from this growing convergence?

Has the global video game boom influenced the design and development of today’s games? Gamification has been a focus for iGaming developers for some time, has this been driven by the rise in video game popularity?

There has been a lot of work invested in video game development over the years in regards to all sorts of progression and collection mechanics, with the ultimate goal being to reward players for specific behaviours. The primary goal for that industry is essentially the same as ours – to entertain and engage – and to that end, we can learn from video games just as we can from other products and services that compete for leisure spend such as movie streaming platforms like Netflix.

While the nature of certain AAA video games is sometimes significantly larger in scope – think Grand Theft Auto, for example – the same principles of attracting, engaging and retaining players remains and is in a sense more difficult for iGaming studios as we have to pack the same amount of involvement into a product that is smaller in scale and by nature is shorter in terms of average playing sessions. Despite this, many slots are now a world apart from what was produced 10 or even five years ago and highlight the creative talent our industry possesses.

Licensed games, chosen correctly, can be valuable investments for studios. We have already seen classic video game IPs feature in some slot titles in the past – is this something that can be leveraged further? Must it be something more than just window dressing?

This is quite a tricky thing to do well and there haven’t been too many successful examples of IPs moving from the video gaming world to slot games. Whether this relative lack of success so far is the reason why it hasn’t been leveraged more, I’m not sure.

Done right, I can see some potential in classic universal IPs like PacMan or Donkey Kong but for more modern brands such as the likes of Pokemon, you wouldn’t see it appear in slots until it’s not resonating with a younger audience anymore and when the generations that played the original game are old enough to play video slots, such as with Space Invaders or Street Fighter II.

Betting on people playing games (esports) has for some time proven hugely successful. What impact has this had and could have going forward, on traditional gambling as a whole?

Betting on outcomes, as we’ve seen with traditional sports betting, has been around long before esports (or even electricity!) appeared, but now it’s established, esports is an ideal focus for sportsbooks since there’s a lot of both skill and luck (randomness) involved – so its a perfect vehicle for evolving the betting industry. I think given the different demographic that we see watching and being involved with esports, there’s the prospect of opening up igaming and betting industry offerings. This would mean the emergence of a whole new sector of players/bettors and consequently the potential for new styles of games/experiences to suit. It will be interesting to watch it evolve.

A recent study declared that video gamers are up to 4.5 times more likely to participate in betting and igaming. How can this new demographic of potential players be best approached?

To some extent, this could be two things: being literate with technology and already being introduced to the concept of gambling (like gatcha boxes) and competition (leaderboards) that they have already been exposed to and are experienced in. Or maybe it’s more about the preference for electronic entertainment (deemed the ‘spiritual opium’ by Beijing regulators). Either way, it’s another sector of players for us to understand and to do our best to accommodate.

Online, social gaming is a place where many gamers meet up, forge friendships and communities – to what extent can this be mirrored within igaming?

Basically, a brick and mortar casino creates an environment where players can gamble in a social setting, which additionally reinforces many emotions. This can be, to some extent, recreated within the live casino vertical, where people chat and bet on the outcomes of the casino games and their variations in real-time. We can also see some efforts being made in order to make slot games more of a social experience, where people can not only watch and chat with the streamer but can also bet with them. There’s great potential for experiences like this to be developed.

Latest News

Setanta Bet Joins GR8_TECH’s Champions Club with GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame

Published

10 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

George Miller

GR8_TECH has partnered with Setanta Bet, a locally licensed online betting operator in Georgia and part of the wider Setanta Sports ecosystem. The collaboration marks another important step in GR8_TECH’s expansion across regulated markets, with Setanta Bet successfully launching the GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame solution.

By joining the Champions Club—GR8_TECH’s exclusive network of ambitious operators powered by high-performance technology—Setanta Bet gains access to a sportsbook solution designed to accelerate growth, enhance player engagement, and maximize operational efficiency.

“We are delighted to welcome Setanta Bet as a partner of GR8_TECH and a proud addition to our Champions Club,” said Vardan Hakobyan, Head of Sales at GR8_TECH. “The brand has successfully created a strong connection between sports content, player engagement, and entertainment. With GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame, Setanta Bet can further enhance its betting offering while preserving its unique brand identity and delivering a richer, more engaging experience for its players.”

“Setanta Bet was launched on the foundation of the region’s largest and most successful sports media, representing the most vital part of Setanta as a major brand,” said Tamar Badashvili, CEO at Setanta Bet. “It is the ideal synergy between sports media and the betting business, a model already successfully proven by leading global brands. We launched our sportsbook in partnership with GR8_TECH because their regional experience, along with their platform’s features and functionality, perfectly matched our requirements. We believe this collaboration will be mutually beneficial; not only will Setanta Bet succeed, but our vast operational experience in the industry will provide valuable feedback to help further develop the GR8_TECH platform.”

GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame provides Setanta Bet with a scalable, high-performance sportsbook solution designed for rapid deployment and local-market adaptability. The solution delivers more than 180,000 monthly events across 50+ sports and esports disciplines, supported by 24/7 live betting coverage, AI-powered recommendations, embedded CRM capabilities, and extensive customization options.

The solution also includes a comprehensive suite of engagement and revenue optimization tools, including cashout, multi-bets, odds personalization, margin personalization, geo-targeted content, customizable widgets, and a fully mobile-first experience designed to meet the expectations of modern players.

Get in touch with GR8_TECH to learn how the GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame can help launch, upgrade, or scale your iGaming business.

GR8_TECH. Platform for Champions

GR8_TECH is an award-winning provider, delivering high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. GR8_TECH’s comprehensive portfolio includes the GREAT_TURNKEY and GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY solutions, GREAT_SPORTSBOOK, and GREAT_CASINO AGGREGATION.

With a geo-specific approach to solutions, a focus on practical innovations, and an operator-first mindset, GR8_TECH helps its clients achieve measurable results in their target markets quickly and efficiently. Trusted by top operators worldwide, GR8_TECH has over 100 successful cases and earned multiple recognitions, including the title of Platform Provider of the Year by SBC Awards 2025.

AWS

BOYLE Sports adds 65 hires to Belgrade tech hub, targets further growth

Published

37 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

boyle-sports-adds-65-hires-to-belgrade-tech-hub,-targets-further-growth

BOYLE Sports is expanding its Serbia-based technology hub after hiring just over 65 people in the past 12 months, the company said on 14th July, 2026. The hires are based in Belgrade and support BOYLE Sports’ next phase of development as an omni-channel betting operator.

BOYLE Sports said it aims to increase headcount in Serbia by an additional 30% over the next few months. The company positioned the hub as a way to access experienced developers with gaming industry knowledge, as it continues to build out its technology capability.

Jim Parkins, Chief Technology Officer at BOYLE Sports, said: “Serbia gives us access to exceptional technology talent, with the development experience and gaming-sector knowledge we need to support our continued growth. We have been deliberate in how we have built the team, and are delighted with the calibre of people on board.

“AI is changing how technology teams work and we are embracing that while simultaneously continuing to invest in people, because the strongest businesses will be those that combine smart technology with talented teams who know how to apply it.”

The Serbia expansion follows BOYLE Sports’ recent announcement of a partnership with AWS, which the company said is intended to bolster its technology stack and support growth across the markets where it operates.

The post BOYLE Sports adds 65 hires to Belgrade tech hub, targets further growth appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Betano

Betano betting data favours Argentina and France to reach World Cup final

Published

37 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

betano-betting-data-favours-argentina-and-france-to-reach-world-cup-final

Kaizen Gaming has released betting data from its Betano sportsbook indicating users are backing Argentina and France to reach the World Cup final. The company said the data was extracted on the morning of 13 July 2026 across 18 markets, excluding the UK.

In Betano’s “To Qualify” market for the semi-finals, Kaizen said 71% of users backed Argentina to qualify over England. France was a stronger favourite in the same market, with 79% of users expecting France to beat Spain.

Kaizen also shared player scoring selections for the semi-finals. It said Kylian Mbappe was backed by 60% of players to score in the first semi-final, while Lionel Messi led the “any time” scoring selections in the second semi-final at 34%.

For England’s match, Kaizen said users were backing Jude Bellingham to score (28%), ahead of captain Harry Kane (20%). The company noted that “The international data sources may vary according to betting option availability per market.”

The post Betano betting data favours Argentina and France to reach World Cup final appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.