Press Releases
Parimatch: Consumers want stories, not spreadsheets
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.
Affinity
SCCG Management Partners with Affinity Group and Gaming Gateway to Expand Global Gaming Licensing and Corporate Structuring Services
SCCG Management has entered into a strategic partnership with Affinity Group, the Isle of Man-based corporate service provider and regulatory consultancy firm, to bring multi-jurisdictional gaming licensing, compliance, and corporate structuring capabilities to gaming operators, technology providers, and investors worldwide. The partnership positions SCCG as Affinity’s market representation channel into the broader gaming and sports entertainment sectors, while Affinity’s corporate services, regulatory expertise, compliance support, and multi-jurisdictional licensing through Gaming Gateway give SCCG clients a direct path to licensing in some of the world’s most respected gaming jurisdictions.
What Affinity Group Does
Founded in 2004 on the Isle of Man, Affinity Group is an independently owned corporate services company that specializes in helping regulated businesses establish, structure, and maintain operations across multiple jurisdictions. The company has built a particular depth of expertise in eGaming, where it has been assisting operators with licensing and corporate structuring since 2013.
Affinity operates through several specialized brands, with Affinity Nav serving as its regulatory consultancy arm focused on eGaming and fintech. Affinity Nav provides end-to-end support for both startups and established operators, from initial consultancy and strategic planning, to regulatory liaison, regulatory framework expertise, and ongoing compliance management after go-live.
Beyond licensing, Affinity provides a comprehensive suite of corporate services that gaming companies need when entering new markets: company incorporation and administration, provision of directorship and company secretary services, registered office facilities, bank account opening assistance, escrow services, VAT registration and returns, and liaison with lawyers, payment solution providers, hosting providers, and software suppliers. This breadth means a gaming operator or technology supplier can work with a single partner to handle the corporate and regulatory infrastructure required to operate in a new jurisdiction.
Gaming Gateway: Taking Global Licensing Further
In 2025, Affinity launched Gaming Gateway, its Florida-based brand dedicated to taking Affinity’s proven licensing track record, with a 100% license application success rate, truly global. Building on the deep jurisdictional expertise Affinity has established, particularly across the Isle of Man and Malta, Gaming Gateway extends that capability across a wider range of international markets, assisting clients in obtaining both inward and outward-facing licenses the world over.
Whether an operator is seeking to enter a new regulated market or a jurisdiction requires outward-facing regulatory approvals, Gaming Gateway delivers the same bespoke, end-to-end service that has defined Affinity’s 100% license application success rate, now at a truly global scale. The SCCG partnership directly extends Gaming Gateway’s reach into the operator and supplier relationships SCCG has built across more than three decades in the industry.
Why This Matters for the Gaming Industry
The global gambling industry is expanding rapidly into new regulated markets, and with that expansion comes an increasing demand for licensing, compliance, and corporate structuring expertise that most operators and technology suppliers do not have in-house.
Securing an eGaming license is not simply a regulatory filing. It requires a deep understanding of the specific jurisdiction’s regulatory framework, corporate governance requirements, beneficial ownership disclosure rules, anti-money laundering obligations, player protection standards, and ongoing reporting commitments. Each jurisdiction has its own application process, timeline, and operational expectations.
Affinity operates in several of the most sought-after gaming jurisdictions. The Isle of Man, regulated by the Gambling Supervision Commission, is widely regarded as a gold-standard tier-one jurisdiction with particular strengths in operator flexibility and access to global markets. Malta, governed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), provides the EU regulatory gateway that many online operators require.
For gaming companies evaluating market entry, the ability to work with a single corporate services partner across multiple jurisdictions reduces complexity, speeds up application timelines, and ensures consistent governance standards. Affinity’s established relationships with regulators in each jurisdiction, built over more than two decades of operations, provide clients with a level of access and institutional knowledge that accelerates the licensing process.
What SCCG Brings to the Partnership
SCCG Management will represent Affinity Group across the gambling and sports entertainment ecosystem, connecting Affinity’s licensing and compliance capabilities to the operator, platform, and technology relationships SCCG has built over more than 33 years in the industry.
The engagement covers SCCG’s standard advisory structure: qualified introductions to gaming companies evaluating new market entry, international expansion support, commercial partnership development, and strategic advisory. Affinity will also benefit from SCCG’s content and marketing infrastructure, including newsletter distribution to approximately 34,000 gaming industry professionals, thought leadership placement, event visibility, and amplification through SCCG’s digital channels.
Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, will serve as a brand ambassador for Affinity, representing the company’s capabilities in meetings, at industry events, and across SCCG’s network of operator and investor relationships.
Target Verticals
The partnership will focus on connecting Affinity to several categories of gaming and entertainment businesses: online gaming operators and sportsbooks seeking multi-jurisdictional licensing strategies, gaming technology suppliers and platform providers needing licensing in operator markets, startup and early-stage gaming companies requiring corporate structuring and initial license applications, established operators expanding into new regulated markets, gaming-adjacent fintech and cryptocurrency companies navigating regulated frameworks, and investors and holding companies evaluating jurisdictional structures for gaming assets.
The post SCCG Management Partners with Affinity Group and Gaming Gateway to Expand Global Gaming Licensing and Corporate Structuring Services appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
crypto betting
Duelbits adds Same Game Parlay for soccer player props and World Cup betting
New SGP lets users combine up to 10 same-match selections plus 10 across multiple events on desktop and mobile.
Duelbits has launched Same Game Parlay (SGP), adding a sportsbook feature that lets players combine multiple player and match markets within a single bet slip. The company said the initial rollout is focused on soccer and World Cup betting and is available on desktop and mobile.
The SGP product supports same-match combinations across player props including goals, shots, shots on target, assists, cards, fouls, tackles and goalkeeper saves, alongside match and team markets such as match winner, goals, corners and shots. Duelbits also said users can build parlays across multiple events where SGP markets are available.
Duelbits positioned the launch as a fix for bet combinations being rejected or marked invalid, saying the feature is powered by a specialist player props and statistics provider to reduce rejected selections and streamline odds updates and settlement. At launch, players can include up to 10 selections within a single event and a further 10 selections across multiple events, with plans to expand those limits in future updates.
Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits, said: “Same Game Parlays have become one of the most popular sportsbook products globally, particularly as player prop betting continues to grow across major sports. We saw a clear opportunity to improve the experience available to our players by offering significantly more combinations, reducing invalid bet rejections, and creating a smoother betting journey overall.
“This initial launch is focused on soccer and the World Cup, but it’s only the first step. Our long-term vision is to allow customers to combine virtually any market they want across sports, events and player props, with US sports being the main focus for phase 2. We believe there is a significant gap in the crypto sportsbook market for this type of offering, and we’re excited to continue expanding the product over the coming months.”
The post Duelbits adds Same Game Parlay for soccer player props and World Cup betting appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
LatAm
Innovative payment solutions provider teams up with leading LATAM fintech platform to expand digital wallet access for online betting customers in Mexico
Neosurf, the innovative payment provider specializing in cash-to-digital and digital wallet solutions for the iGaming industry, has today announced a new partnership with Mercado Pago that expands the funding options available to online betting customers in Mexico.
Mercado Pago is Latin America’s leading fintech platform, with over 56 million active monthly users, and the collaboration will enable Mercado Pago wallet holders to use their r Mercado Pago balance to fund online betting accounts via the Neosurf wallet.
The integration, initially focused on the Mexican market, allows users to seamlessly transfer funds from their Mercado Pago wallet directly to participating sports betting operators via the Neosurf wallet.
The partnership marks a significant step forward in payment innovation for the Mexican online betting market, and combines Mercado Pago’s extensive digital wallet reach with Neosurf’s specialized gaming payments infrastructure and unique, player-focused wallet design.
Neosurf’s products are designed for sports betting and igaming, supporting rapid deposits and fast payouts. The new partnership reflects the continued growth in digital wallet adoption across Latin America, where customers are increasingly seeking flexible mobile-first experiences.
Sue Page, Neosurf CEO Americas, said: “Mexico represents a major growth market for both digital payments and online betting, and we’re incredibly excited to partner with Mercado Pago. This partnership creates a new, easy way for Mercado Pago wallet holders to use their balance to fund their online sports betting accounts through the Neosurf wallet. It reinforces our commitment to delivering secure, compliant and player focused payment solutions throughout Latin America.”
The post Innovative payment solutions provider teams up with leading LATAM fintech platform to expand digital wallet access for online betting customers in Mexico appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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