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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.

AI

Slotmatic previews Pidiots in London during EGR week with live tournament test

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The studio frames the 3 June showing as an early prototype and engagement experiment, not a full launch.

Slotmatic will stage a live preview of its new slot universe, Pidiots, on 3 June in London during EGR Awards week, alongside what it says will be the first tournament built around the title. The company positions the activation as a public test of how it wants to launch and iterate slots, rather than a conventional release.

Slotmatic says the EGR-week build is intentionally an early preview and that the “full Pidiots experience” is expected to evolve over the coming months. The studio describes a roadmap built around recurring characters, evolving mechanics, adaptive feature systems, tournaments and creator-oriented interactions. It characterises the London showing as “a prototype, a public laboratory, and a live engagement test.”

The press release ties the title’s design to social and creator behaviour, with a cast Slotmatic calls “The Gang of Five” and visuals it says reference meme culture, streaming and internet-native aesthetics. The stated aim is to create characters that can live beyond the base game across tournaments and social content, framing the IP as a broader “slot saga” rather than a standalone title.

Alongside the content layer, Slotmatic pitches what it calls a shift toward a “Slot Intelligence Layer” spanning creation, behavioural analysis, feature testing, deployment and live evolution. CTO Domenico Vacchiano argues feature architecture will drive differentiation, saying: “A feature is not decoration. It is engineered attention.” He also claims the company is exploring predictive modelling to simulate engagement outcomes before launch, adding: “True innovation is not predicting the future. It is reducing the cost of uncertainty.”

Slotmatic says its proprietary AI engine, AGENTIX, is built for slot modelling, feature logic and behavioural simulation, and that it is progressing through RNG certification, RGS certification, game certification and security testing, with “ISO 27001-oriented security infrastructure development for UK and Italian regulated markets.” The company also claims an engineering ecosystem of around 100 professionals contributing across AI systems, game development, predictive systems and infrastructure.

The post Slotmatic previews Pidiots in London during EGR week with live tournament test appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Alea receives two nominations at the SiGMA Europe Awards 2026

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Alea, the igaming aggregattor, has been shortlisted in two categories at the upcoming SiGMA Europe Awards 2026, taking place on May 27th at the Malta Casino during one of the busiest weeks of the iGaming calendar.

The company has been nominated for Creative Excellence 2026 and Best Aggregator 2026.

The recognition comes during a year of continued growth for Alea, as the company expands its aggregation platform across global markets while continuing to invest in product development, infrastructure, and international expansion.

A Strong Presence Across NEXT.io Valletta

The awards also coincide with NEXT.io Valletta, where Alea will have a strong presence both on stage and across several side events taking place throughout the week.

Founder Alexandre Tomic will join the panel “Founders Anonymous – The Conversations That Don’t Make the Press Release,” focused on the realities behind building companies, from difficult decisions to fundraising and acquisitions.

On May 27th, Alexandre will also moderate “The Day the Lights Go Out,” an interactive keynote built around a simulated regulatory crisis scenario challenging industry leaders to react in real time to the sudden loss of major markets.

Later that same day, he will present “The World Under One Lens,” a keynote exploring what aggregation-scale data reveals about how the world actually plays: which markets are growing faster than expected, how player behaviour differs across regions, and why some of the industry’s biggest assumptions no longer match reality.

Beyond the Conference Floor

Alongside the conference agenda, Alea will once again sponsor the Ice Bath & Yoga/Breathwork session led by Neil Agius ahead of the event opening, as well as co-host an exclusive CXO dinner together with NEXT.io at Contessa Restaurant inside The Phoenicia Malta.

To close the week, Alea will also attend the BGaming Charity Gala in support of DAR Bjorn, continuing the company’s involvement in community initiatives taking place across the Malta event week.

About Alea

Alea is a leading iGaming aggregator, offering a customizable platform that provides operators worldwide with seamless access to over 23,000 games from 170+ top-tier providers through a single API integration.

Known for its innovative technology, Alea simplifies the integration journey and delivers a flexible, scalable solution designed to enhance game variety, player experience, and operational efficiency.

Alea is highly committed to a security-first infrastructure, ensuring reliability and trust at every level. In 2024, the company strengthened its cybersecurity framework through a strategic partnership with Continent 8 and achieved VAPT certification.

In addition to game aggregation, Alea has introduced Alea Pay, an exclusive payment gateway that further optimizes financial transactions. With a strong focus on security, compliance, and ongoing support, Alea continues to empower operators with cutting-edge tools to thrive in the evolving iGaming market.

For more information, visit www.alea.com.

The post Alea receives two nominations at the SiGMA Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Brazil

EGB Group launches institutional portal to strengthen corporate presence in iGaming in Brazil

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EGB Group (Esportes Gaming Brasil), owner of Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu, has launched its new institutional portal, bringing governance, strategy and corporate operations together in a single digital environment.

The initiative aims to structure the group’s institutional presence and increase transparency across its processes, operational pillars and expansion projects.

The portal features dedicated sections such as Compliance, ESG, Ecosystem and a fully structured Press Room, improving access for partners, media and regulatory authorities to compliance information and strategic initiatives.

According to Iury Tavares, Media Relations Manager at EGB Group, the launch reflects an already consolidated internal evolution.

“The launch of our institutional website materializes EGB Group as an ecosystem.

We are no longer seen only as isolated consumer brands, but as an integrated structure with different business fronts connected by a common purpose of innovation and market leadership.”

Camyla Lima, Branding and Creative Manager, added that the new platform also improves how this structure is communicated.

“The new corporate identity balances the energy of entertainment with the rigor of a structured operation.

We developed an interface that prioritizes institutional storytelling and ecosystem navigation, making it easier to understand how the brands are integrated.”

The more sober visual identity reinforces the group’s institutional positioning in a regulated market and reflects its organizational culture, recognized by its Great Place to Work certification and a workforce of around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.

With employees placed at the center of the communication strategy, the launch was also supported by internal activations across offices in São Paulo and Recife and corporate channels.

Beyond governance, the portal highlights the group’s broader social impact initiatives.

It showcases support for street carnival blocks and official sponsorships of major Carnival celebrations across Brazil, including traditional hubs such as Recife and Olinda.

Social responsibility projects such as Costura Cidadã, support for waste pickers during major events, and partnerships with NGOs focused on river cleaning are also featured.

In sports, the group maintains sponsorships with clubs including Corinthians, Náutico, Ferroviária and Ceará, as well as support for inclusive sports initiatives.

A key highlight of the portal is the company’s investment in Brazilian technology development that underpins its operations.

The group details its use of proprietary platforms to ensure technical autonomy and compliance with requirements set by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA/MF).

This structure also includes the use of artificial intelligence for personalization and security, contributing to formal job creation and revenue generation across digital advertising and sports-related sectors.

Esportes Gaming Brasil

Esportes Gaming Brasil is one of the leading betting groups in the country, operating under a fully Brazilian structure with an official licence granted by the Ministry of Finance through SPA/MF. The authorisation covers its three brands: Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu, with nationwide operations across Brazil.

A benchmark in innovation and a strong advocate of market regulation, the group is committed to responsible gaming and continuous investment in user protection technologies, while generating hundreds of jobs.

Beyond sports betting, Esportes Gaming Brasil invests consistently in sports, culture and social projects. It is a master sponsor of clubs such as Corinthians, Ceará, Ferroviária and Náutico, and supports major cultural initiatives.

This include Galo da Madrugada and Carnival celebrations across Recife, Olinda, Salvador, Maceió, Natal, Caicó, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as well as the Parintins Festival. The brand also expands its digital presence through creative campaigns and influencer partnerships, strengthening its connection with audiences across online platforms.

The post EGB Group launches institutional portal to strengthen corporate presence in iGaming in Brazil appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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