Baltics
The importance of reg-tech for new market expansion
Mark Chakravarti, Investment Director at SportingWin, talks about the operator’s experience of securing a licence in Bulgaria and how it will now use its in-house regulatory platform to enter additional European markets
I would argue that a proprietary regulatory platform is the most important thing for operators looking to drive European market expansion. Without a modern, agile platform that provides the insight that regulators require, licence applications will be drawn out for months and even years.
At SportingWin, we came to learn this the hard way.
When we started the business back in 2019, we identified Bulgaria as being a market of huge potential and one that we were keen to make our debut. Based on our assessment, AGR would hit 20% a year for the next five years, leading to a market value of €500m per year.
We then set about compiling the legal paperwork required by the National Revenue Agency for the licence application – this was a significant task in its own right, but we would soon learn that this was just the very start of the process.
The Bulgarian regulator is one of the most stringent in the world, which of course is a good thing. It ensures that the operators that do secure approval to enter the market are of the highest calibre especially when it comes to responsible gambling.
Under its requirements, operators must be able to deliver certain insights and information to the regulator in real time and this in turn requires a powerful, agile regulatory platform. Ultimately, we took the decision to develop this technology in-house.
While this was the right course of action, it significantly slowed down our licence application process while the regulator and our in-house development team worked together to ensure that it was fully compliant with its requirements.
We eventually reached the point where the National Revenue Agency was happy with the paperwork we submitted and our proprietary reg-tech platform, giving us the green light to enter the market in January 2021. Since then, we have gained incredible traction with players.
As with most operators, we are now looking to take SportingWin into additional markets and our in-house developed regulatory platform will be the foundation for building out our presence across the region. It really is impressive and now that it has been certified in Bulgaria, it can be used elsewhere.
We have identified Romania as our next market and while we have yet to submit our application to the regulator, our proprietary regulatory platform will ensure it is a much easier – and faster – process than that in Bulgaria.
This is for several reasons. Given just how stringent the National Revenue Agency is with its standards and enforcing them, other jurisdictions are happy to approve our platform without subjecting it to the same level of scrutiny again.
The same applies to a lot of the paperwork that we completed as part of our application in Bulgaria – for example, the Romanian regulator is happy to carry this over as well as the technical and software certifications that we were granted.
Of course, local regulators will still carry out their own investigations and will want to test certain aspects of our platforms, tech and software, but much of the hard work has already been done and this will allow us to enter additional markets at pace – we anticipate being live in Romania in H1.
In addition to an in-house regulatory platform, approved paperwork and the experience of having been through a licence application, the final piece of the puzzle operators need is a European trademark for their brand/brands.
We have recently secured this for SportingWin and it really does put us in the driving seat to identify and enter regulated European markets with an incredibly strong brand, superior product offering and a powerful regulatory platform running in the background.
Because of this, SportingWin is an attractive proposition for investors looking to join our success story. Due to the technical foundations we have in place, the investment we secure is pumped into marketing our brand in each country, which in turn allows us to generate significant share quickly.
Despite having been live in Bulgaria for only a year, we have a large and loyal player base and in Q4, generated €500,000 in NGR. This is set to grow significantly off the back of our recently-announced partnership with Pinnacle, allowing us to add a betting exchange to our offering for the first time.
As with most small to medium-sized operators, the team behind SportingWin has a long-term plan for the business and that is to grow it into an exciting acquisition opportunity for one of the power players looking to build their presence in regulated markets across Europe.
Without our proprietary regulator platform, European trademark and growing collection of licences, SportingWin would simply not be on the radar of these organisations, let alone be considered a serious M&A opportunity.
Of course, there is still a lot of work to do before we reach that chapter of our story but given that the founders of SportingWin have built and sold betting businesses before, it is one that I am confident we will write in next to no time at all.
Meanwhile, we will continue to use our regulatory platform to launch our player-favourite brand and superior betting experience into markets across Europe, generating substantial revenues from each of the jurisdictions we target.
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Baltics
SYNOT Games Announces Strategic Partnership with Boost Casino
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In a move that further reinforces its footprint across regulated European markets, SYNOT Games has announced a new partnership with Boost Casino, a prominent platform in Estonia. The collaboration brings certified SYNOT titles, including some of the studio’s latest and most innovative releases, to the casino’s rapidly growing grid.
Players on Boost Casino can now enjoy brand-new titles such as the mystical Respin Multi Joker, 40 Coins of Chance, or Rio Mystery Night. These additions expand Boost Casino’s offering with a spectrum of engaging mechanics, premium design, and mobile-first performance, ensuring the highest-quality entertainment for the Estonian audience.
The agreement is part of SYNOT Games’ strategic initiative to solidify its presence in licensed, regulated markets, providing innovative content through partnerships with established and trusted regional operators.
Martin Krajčí, Chief Commercial Officer at SYNOT Games, said: “We are excited to bring our portfolio to Estonian players through this strategic alliance with Boost Casino. Estonia represents a market with great potential and an audience that appreciates quality, variety, and innovation. Boos Casino’s agility and commitment to delivering premium entertainment make them an ideal partner for our continued Baltic expansion.”
Boost Casino, known for its user-centric approach and cutting-edge platform, views the addition of SYNOT Games content as a key enhancement to its offering and a testament to its mission of hosting best-in-class gaming experiences.
Janis Bariss, Head of Gaming, Entain Baltics & Nordics at Boost Casino, said: “Teaming up with SYNOT Games is an exciting opportunity to enhance our content library with vibrant, engaging titles that truly connect with today’s audience players. Their blend of storytelling, striking visuals, and proven game performance perfectly complements our vision for the future of digital gaming in Estonia.”
This collaboration not only empowers Boost Casino to further differentiate its portfolio but also underscores SYNOT Games’ long-term commitment to regulated growth, responsible gaming and working exclusively with trusted local operators—a model increasingly valued by players and regulators.
The post SYNOT Games Announces Strategic Partnership with Boost Casino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
AI customer service
Introducing the newest testing tool for AI-boosted customer engagement
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Is AI technology really at the point where it can truly add value to customer engagement? Tugi Tark’s new sandbox environment allows operators to find out.
Tugi Tark, the Estonian-based international AI customer service company, has launched its sandbox this week with the aim of giving operators the ability to explore how AI could work for their players, using their specific casino policies and player profiles, all in a real-world scenario.
By testing an unlimited number of situations wherein players interact with AI agents, the sandbox allows operators to experience how conversations and escalation flows would work if they implemented Tugi Tark as their customer service solution.
Harpo Lilja, CEO of Tugi Tark, explains: “The sandbox is essentially a controlled environment we’ve created where operators can test the AI agent capabilities against their own needs. They can configure the sandbox to their specific casino policies and adjust the agent’s tone of voice — which gives them a first-hand preview of how our AI agent can serve their players.
He continues: “One reason we built the sandbox is that we know from conversations with operators that people are still hesitant about whether AI solutions have reached a point in customer service where the impact is worth implementing – or if AI technology is still at a level where it risks alienating players due to poor quality. And people don’t want to commit if they don’t really know what they’re getting, which is often the case, as companies usually don’t provide enough testing to do so.
What does the sandbox allow operators to do?
Tugi Tark’s sandbox can mimic everything operators need to see how it actually works, including:
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player frustrations
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technical troubleshooting
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KYC concerns, bonus requests
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payment issues, and more.
Casinos can manually add synthetic player data without integration, which showcases how well the AI agent can handle player inquiries when it has access to both policy documentation, player data, and gaming history.
Tugi Tark’s hybrid AI model blends operational automation with human oversight, focused on compliance, emotional intelligence, empathy, service mindset, and player safety. And now, that’s available for operators to test fully using their own unique circumstances.
The testing environment allows manual casino player profile inputs, such as name, account creation date, birthday, KYC status, account limits, player segment, available bonuses, transaction and game history, and a brand’s all policies.
Using intuitive automation, the AI agent is contextually appropriate for each conversation – there are no drop-down menus or prompts, but rather, ‘natural’ language that mimics how humans communicate. For example, if users misspell, abbreviate, or use slang, the agent will understand, and if not, it will ask follow-up questions until it does.
Another feature that was integrated for customer comfort is that if a player is a little vague, rather than return the classic AI chatbot “I didn’t understand your inquiry”, the agent can check all the KYC documentation, including status, player history, exact amounts and date, so it can ask intuitive follow-up questions and arrive at a solution more quickly and thoroughly.
“With the sandbox up and running, any operator in dozens of languages and geos is able to test how Tugi Tark’s AI agents will work, on their site, within their player base. That means without having to endure lengthy sales pitches or commit to a product, operators are able to test exactly what it’s like having our technology work for them,” concludes Lilja. “And the great thing is that the entire process has a setup time of 30 minutes.
The post Introducing the newest testing tool for AI-boosted customer engagement appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Baltics
Bombay announces strategic C-Suite appointments with a view towards regulated online growth
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Bombay Group is pleased to announce two strategic appointments to its C-Suite, Rhiannon Bach as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Lauren Findlay as Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Bach and Findlay join the executive leadership team at a pivotal moment in the Group’s evolution.
The Group encompasses Bombay Club Tallinn, the exclusive Bombay Yacht and Jet, a collection of high-end restaurants and bars, the five-star Burman Hotel, and most recently the launch of Yolo.com, a newly licensed, Estonian-regulated online casino. Yolo.com is set to become a unique digital destination where players can unlock exclusive rewards and experiences across Bombay’s prestigious offline assets. Bombay forms part of Yolo Group’s luxury B2B and B2C offering, covering a suite of online and land-based options.
Bach will lead the global marketing and advertising for Bombay Group, overseeing the company’s Clubs, maritime operations, and expanding hospitality and concierge brands. Her mandate includes strengthening brand identity, elevating guest experiences and expanding loyalty and VIP engagement across markets. With a career spanning four continents, Bach brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in casino marketing, hospitality, and technology. She has held executive roles with multinational casino operators in Macau, Australia, and the United States, and most recently served as Head of North American Growth for Atomize RMS, a Sweden-based hospitality technology company.
Findlay is tasked with leading the Group’s new flagship online casino, Yolo.com, and driving the digital transformation of Bombay Group’s luxury offline ecosystem into a seamlessly integrated premium digital experience. She brings over 15 years of combined experience in iGaming, agency, and e-commerce, having previously held senior leadership roles including Commercial Strategy Director at LeoVegas Group, Chief Marketing Officer within Happy Hour Group. More recently, she has served as Fractional CCO/CMO for multiple start-ups and scale-ups through her consultancy. Her expertise lies in go-to-market launches, brand development, and optimising commercial performance across digital acquisition and retention operations.
“We are delighted to welcome Rhiannon and Lauren to the executive leadership team,” said Kevin McGowen, Chief Executive of Bombay Group. “The combined and extensive international backgrounds of both individuals and proven track record make these executive appointments exceptionally well-suited to lead Bombay’s digital and marketing strategies as we continue to expand globally.”
These appointments underscore Bombay Group’s commitment to investing in world-class leadership and delivering innovative, memorable experiences to guests worldwide.
The post Bombay announces strategic C-Suite appointments with a view towards regulated online growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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