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Parimatch: Consumers want stories, not spreadsheets

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Sergey Berezhnoy, Parimatch¹s Chief Product Officer.

 

Parimatch’s Chief Product Officer Sergey Berezhnoy spoke at ICE London 2020 about how the operator plans to evolve the traditional sports betting experience with a focus not just on technology, but on storytelling. With a history in the video gaming industry, Sergey can see many narrative-building concepts that would translate nicely to the betting sector, although he believes the main overlap – esports – still has a few mountains to climb.

Following a strong 12 months in its home markets, Parimatch attended ICE London 2020 with a clear vision in mind for the future of its sports betting offer.

The international operator has grown its market share with bold marketing campaigns and a strong product backed by great tech, but the main focus for Parimatch’s Chief Product Officer Sergey Berezhnoy over the next year is to research, develop and evolve sports betting’s current customer journey. Many of the innovations at ICE provide the backbone of that journey, providing several payment methods, hundreds of ways to bet, and thousands of events and markets to bet on, with other exciting developments such as VR and AI further bolstering to the industry’s toolbox in recent years. For players, the customer journey is smoother than ever before, but for Sergey, that’s not enough. His background is in the video gaming industry, and he believes that to tap into the widest possible market, the sports betting sector has to develop a story around the act of betting that is as engaging and rewarding as current popular mobile games.

“I use one word, and it’s narrative,” said Sergey. “I joined this sector from the video gaming industry, and there the focus is not on waiting for the end result, but providing as much entertainment as possible on the way to it.

Unfortunately, sports betting is currently the opposite; you come, you bet, you leave. There is no story, no great focus on the clubs involved, and often there are very few relevant events to bet on. Players who are engaged with the betting culture might bet on anything, but new and casual players need a story to bring them in. Look at Snapchat, Instagram and Tik Tok, they only show short stories, but it’s enough to get consumers engaged.”

In fact, the immediacy of sports betting is something else Sergey wants to move forward. While the rise of in-play betting has helped, many results can take between a few hours or a few days to come through depending when bets are placed, so Berezhnoy intends to make sports betting on Parimatch something players can jump into and be rewarded whenever they choose.

“In betting, the distance between betting and reward can be very high, whereas in video games the award is more achievable. We are trying to shorten that distance, but not as short as casino games,” he said. “In our research, we have taken a lot from casual gaming. If you are riding the subway or tube, everybody plays casual games or goes on social media. The big question is, why don’t they bet? It’s about a customer journey, but many sports betting sites still look like excel spreadsheets. Instagram has changed the way we consume photos, it’s our ambition to change the way people bet on sports.”

Berezhnoy added that this will involve asking players human-centric questions on pre-selected content, providing a personal touch to short, targeted stories for players to bet through. Like in video games, they won’t be faced with a thousand choices, but with a few highly engaging ones based around content they already enjoy, whether that be through live, fantasy or virtual sports – or even esports. This is another aspect of gaming that Berezhnoy has a lot of experience in, however he still believes there’s a few challenges ahead before the rapidly rising pastime becomes a key vertical for the sports betting sectors.

“Games publishers are in control of esports and they are not interested in the regulations that are needed to elevate the level of trust required for bookmakers,” he explained. “Publishers want more players, and tighter regulations can put up barriers to that. With a few exceptions, they also don’t give access to their data feed, which makes it very difficult to trade. Sports betting operators are interested in the most popular games with the biggest events, but those publishers don’t need to include sports betting into their model to be successful, and these are major roadblocks for its expansion in the industry.”

Sergey hopes that this will change over the next decade, but in the meantime, he is looking forward to weaving the storytelling ability of video games into all of Parimatch’s sports betting offers.

“At the end of the day, most of us prefer to be told stories than to scour over spreadsheets, and that’s what I want to offer to our players,” he concluded.

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Institute for Gambling Regulation Curates Responsible Gaming & Player Safety Day at HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026

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HIPTHER is proud to announce the Responsible Gaming & Player Safety Day of HIPTHER Prague Summit, curated by  the Institute for Gambling Regulation (IPRH). This special section is scheduled for Day 2 (25 March) of the Main Focus Stage at HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026.

The thematic day will focus on current issues related to safer gambling, player protection, regulatory trends, compliance, and illegal gambling and its emerging forms. It will bring together legal experts, regulators, safer gambling specialists, and representatives of the gaming industry to discuss how approaches to safer gambling, consumer protection, and the sustainable development of the legal market are evolving across Europe. Attention will also be given to the way new trends in illegal gambling weaken player protection and why tackling the illegal market is an essential part of the debate on a safer gambling environment.

IPRH has long been regarded as a respected voice in the field of gambling regulation, with its representatives regularly contributing to expert discussions on legislation, public policy, and practical player protection tools in the Czech Republic and across the wider Central European region. Its cooperation with HIPTHER builds on a shared ambition to connect innovation in the sector with responsible governance, regulatory dialogue, and a strong public-interest perspective.

Three Key Topics to Watch

Alongside the broader discussion on developments across Europe, the programme will also highlight several concrete topics that are currently shaping both the market and the regulatory debate.

IRIS: one player, one view, across operators

One of the main highlights of the programme will be the presentation of IRIS, a project that introduces a new perspective on player protection. What makes it unique is that it does not look at risky behaviour solely within a single operator’s environment, but through the lens of one player across multiple operators. This approach has the potential to significantly improve early risk detection and strengthen player protection in practice. The current stage of the project will be presented by Petr Rybák, Project Manager of IRIS.

How much does illegal gambling cost the Czech Republic?

Another key session will feature a new economic study by the Centre for Economic and Market Analyses (CETA) focused on illegal gambling in the Czech Republic. The study will provide data on the scale of the illegal market, the volume of money lost outside the legal sector, and the related losses in tax revenues. Its findings will be presented by Jakub Žofčák, one of the study’s authors.

Can the IPRH model expand beyond the Czech Republic?

An important part of the programme will also be a panel discussion featuring representatives of the Czech, Slovak, and newly emerging Polish institutes. The debate will focus on cross-border cooperation in addressing shared issues in regulation and player protection. It will also explore whether the IPRH model can be transferred to other countries. IPRH is not a traditional industry association, but a unique platform bringing together business, regulators, public authorities, experts, and addiction specialists into one functional ecosystem and one shared discussion.

A Programme Connecting Law, Regulation, Research, and Practice

The Responsible Gaming & Player Safety Day will offer a series of expert discussions on regulatory developments, modern player protection tools, responsible marketing, and cross-border cooperation between regulators, experts, and operators.

The programme brings together a broad range of respected professionals from the legal, regulatory, research, and operational sides of the industry. Confirmed speakers include, among others:

  • Petr Kozák, Lawyer and Secretary General at IPRH
  • Petr Rybák, Institute for Gambling Regulation (IPRH)
  • Jan Řehola, Director at IPRH and Partner at PS Legal
  • Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling at Casino Guru
  • Bill Pascrell III, Partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group
  • Martin Lycka, Vice President Institutional Affairs at Oddin.gg
  • Nika Gigashvili, CEO and Partner at SMH Global
  • Václav Ulrich, Co-founder of the Institute for Gambling Regulation
  • Jakub Žofčák, Centre for Economic and Market Analyses (CETA)
  • Alina Tace, Partner at WH Simion & Partners
  • Olesea Naidion, Brand Manager at Nightrush
  • Dan Illovici, Vice President at ROMBET
  • Dávid Lenčéš, Executive Director Institute for Gambling Regulation of the Slovak Republic
  • Justyna Grusza-Głębicka, Attorney-at-law and Founder at Kancelaria Adwokacka dr Justyna Grusza-Głębicka

Participants can expect practical insights from different jurisdictions as well as discussion on how regulatory requirements, innovation, and the long-term sustainable development of the legal market can be effectively aligned.

A Shared Commitment to a Safer Market

The cooperation between HIPTHER and the Institute for Gambling Regulation reflects a shared commitment to promoting safer gambling and encouraging informed dialogue between regulators, experts, and market representatives.

“As the gaming environment continues to evolve, so must our approach to player protection. This dedicated day gives us an opportunity to show how technology, data, research, and responsibility can work together in the field of safer gambling. We look forward to discussing how modern regulatory frameworks and practical tools can contribute to a safer and more sustainable environment for all stakeholders,” said Petr Kozák, Lawyer and Secretary General at IPRH.

The Responsible Gaming & Player Safety Day will form a central part of the 10-year anniversary edition of HIPTHER Prague Summit, bringing together leaders from gaming, fintech, AI, blockchain, and regulatory sectors for two days of discussions shaping the future of the industry.

🎟 Secure your place at HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026

The post Institute for Gambling Regulation Curates Responsible Gaming & Player Safety Day at HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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White Hat Studios launches all-in-one engagement ecosystem Amplify Suite

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White Hat Studios, a specialist provider for the regulated US iGaming market, has introduced Amplify Suite, a fully integrated engagement ecosystem built to give operators greater flexibility, creative control, and measurable commercial results.

Amplify brings together the company’s promotional tools and proprietary content into a single, scalable framework, offering a broad set of performance-driven solutions designed to accelerate growth across US markets.

Built on an API-first architecture, the suite incorporates White Hat Studios’ Engage promotional engine, featuring tools such as Win Spins, Super Mode, and Triggers, alongside its established Progressive Jackpot networks. The combined offering addresses rising demand for advanced gamification, enabling operators to boost player activity and sustain long-term engagement.

These capabilities are supported by the studio’s premium content portfolio. Known for delivering tailored products for tier-one operators, the new Amplify Bespoke arm expands this approach, offering custom slot development that allows for deeper brand integration and exclusive IP ownership.

Meanwhile, Amplify Franchises is designed to turn successful standalone titles into long-term game families. A key example is the popular 7s Fire Blitz™ series, which demonstrates how familiar branding and player loyalty can drive strong launch performance and ongoing engagement across a franchise.

The ecosystem is further enhanced by Amplify Omni, powered through a landmark distribution agreement with Gaming Arts. This partnership enables the distribution of White Hat Studios’ content across US land-based casinos, while also facilitating the transition of land-based titles into regulated online environments for the first time.

By enabling this two-way content flow, Amplify strengthens connections between retail and digital channels, helping operators engage players seamlessly across both spaces.

The launch marks a major step in White Hat Studios’ strategic development, unifying its entire product portfolio within a single ecosystem tailored specifically for the US market.

Daniel Lechner, SVP of Sales and Marketing at White Hat Studios, said: “Amplify will serve as the promotional and engagement backbone of White Hat Studios. Bringing our diverse offering under one cohesive ecosystem, the suite is optimised to deliver tangible impact across the entire player journey.

“By combining configurable engagement tools with premium, high-performing content, Amplify empowers US operators to differentiate and scale within competitive environments.”

The post White Hat Studios launches all-in-one engagement ecosystem Amplify Suite appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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BGaming Partners With Centurion Association for Charity and Social Initiatives in Brazil

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Popular iGaming content provider BGaming has announced a new partnership with Centurion Association, a Brazilian non-profit focused on expanding access to sport, education, and personal development opportunities for underserved communities. The organisation promotes combat sports as a vehicle for building discipline, confidence, and pathways to social mobility.

Through the collaboration, both parties will roll out a series of social initiatives designed to deliver measurable impact across local communities in Brazil, underlining BGaming’s ongoing commitment to investing in the regions where it operates.

A key component of the partnership is a three-month charity programme aimed at supporting underserved populations. This includes a food distribution initiative that will provide 150 food baskets to families in need, reaching approximately 600 people in underfunded areas.

The programme also features weekly martial arts workshops delivered through the Faculdade da Luta initiative, alongside a youth athlete support project focused on enrolling new students and equipping local sports clubs with essential gear.

BGaming will further strengthen its presence in Brazil by attending BiS SiGMA South America from April 6 to 9, where it will be located at Booth N80 to showcase its latest developments and connect with industry stakeholders.

During the event, the company will also support CFC SIGMA, a premium MMA event hosted by Centurion, reinforcing the growing partnership between the two organisations.

Marina Ostrovtsova said: “This collaboration with Centurion Association reflects our genuine commitment to building meaningful relationships with local communities in Brazil. Social initiatives are not about visibility; they must create tangible and measurable impact.

“Brazil is one of the most dynamic markets in the industry right now, and we are proud to contribute not only to its business ecosystem, but also to meaningful community-driven long-term projects.”

Roberto Gallo, Founder & CEO of Centurion FC and President of the Centurion Association, added: “We’ve been closely following BGaming’s commitment to supporting social initiatives and meaningful community projects, and it’s truly inspiring to see the consistent effort being made to support important causes and help create positive impact.

“For us, it is truly an honor to build this partnership with BGaming and to work together on initiatives that aim to support communities and create real, lasting impact.”

The post BGaming Partners With Centurion Association for Charity and Social Initiatives in Brazil appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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