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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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SCCG Launches LATAM Division and Opens Miami Office

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After more than three decades opening and operating gaming markets across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, SCCG Management is formally entering Latin America. The firm announces today the launch of its dedicated LATAM division and the opening of a new office in Miami, Florida.

The Miami office will serve as the U.S. base for SCCG LATAM, with a regional headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela to follow within the coming months. The new operation joins SCCG’s existing Latin American presence in Mexico City and Florianópolis, Brazil, which have supported clients across the region for years.

A purpose-built division for an emerging region

SCCG LATAM is combining SCCG Management’s three decades of global gaming expertise with deep local operational knowledge of Latin American markets, regulatory regimes, and consumer dynamics.

“Latin America has been on our radar for years,” said Stephen A. Crystal, founder and CEO of SCCG Management. “We have spent the past several months in working sessions with partners who know the regulators, the operators, and the banking infrastructure from the inside LATAM. With the right people on the ground, this becomes a region we can scale into properly.”

The structure intentionally puts SCCG’s brand at the front. Latin American gaming has historically suffered from operators without international credibility and international consultants without local depth. SCCG LATAM is built to close that gap with the operational resolve of its Founder & CEO Stephen Crystal at the helm.

Why LATAM, why now

Three forces are converging in 2026 to make this the right moment.

First, regulatory maturity. Markets long held back by ambiguity are clarifying. Venezuela is reopening its gaming sector. Chile is finalizing its online gambling framework. Argentina’s provincial regulators are accepting new entrants. Peru and Colombia have established licensing regimes attractive to international capital.

Second, banking and payment infrastructure is improving. The OFAC General License 57 issued in April 2026 authorized U.S. financial institutions to provide services to four named Venezuelan state banks, materially reducing payment friction for operators considering the market.

Third, regional convergence. As LATAM operators look to expand across borders and international operators look to enter, the gap between strategy and execution is widening. SCCG LATAM bridges it.

What SCCG LATAM does

The new division provides end-to-end advisory across the Latin American gaming and iGaming sector. Services include market entry strategy, operator partnership facilitation, regulatory and government affairs, recapitalization and M&A advisory, and trade event organization.

Active focus markets include Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia. SCCG continues to maintain its existing presence in Mexico and operates separately in Brazil where the language and regulatory specificity warrant a dedicated approach.

The post SCCG Launches LATAM Division and Opens Miami Office appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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ELA Games Secures ‘Game of the Year’ Nomination for Joker Winpot at SBC Awards Americas

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As a testament to the studio’s commitment to pushing casino entertainment forward, its hit title is up for a major accolade at the upcoming regional ceremony.

ELA Games is pleased to announce that its popular release, Joker Winpot, has been shortlisted for the ‘Game of the Year’ category at the 2026 SBC Awards Americas. This nomination marks an important step forward for the studio, proving that players are actively seeking the kind of distinct, interactive experiences the team loves to build.

A consistent performer in the studio’s portfolio, Joker Winpot blends a dark, character-driven aesthetic with an accessible 1×1 grid format. The main draw of the game is its proprietary Winpot mechanic, a progression-based feature that places decision-making directly into the hands of the player.

As rewards accumulate within the Winpot, players face the tension of either cashing out their current winnings or continuing to spin for larger payouts. This unique approach transforms a conventional slot format into a choice-based experience, earning widespread praise from players and fueling the title’s commercial success.

The winners will be revealed during the official SBC Awards Americas ceremony on June 10, 2026. This year, the event will take place at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bringing together approximately 600 industry professionals.

Set alongside the larger SBC Summit Americas running from June 9 – June 11, the evening will serve as a central gathering for the industry with opportunities to network and celebrate all the advancements of the past year.

 

The post ELA Games Secures ‘Game of the Year’ Nomination for Joker Winpot at SBC Awards Americas appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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BETBY

BETBY launches fully priced World Cup bracket as part of tournament offering

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BETBY, the leading Tier 1 sportsbook provider, has announced the launch of its comprehensive World Cup offering, led by one of the most distinctive advantages currently available to operators: odds on the entire World Cup bracket already available, before the official draw takes place.

Released exactly one month before the opening match, BETBY’s World Cup package gives operators a crucial head start, enabling them to activate campaigns and capture player interest well ahead of kickoff.

The offering also provides operators with an additional marketing tool to drive engagement and maximise player interaction in the lead-up to the tournament.

By providing a fully pre-priced tournament structure across all potential matchups, BETBY allows operators to offer betting markets from the group stage through to the final from day one.

This early availability extends the betting lifecycle significantly, giving players the opportunity to engage with the full tournament narrative in advance and driving sustained activity throughout the build-up to kickoff.

To further enhance engagement during the tournament, BETBY is introducing microbetting for the World Cup, enabling wagers on events occurring within one-minute intervals throughout each match. With at least 90 intervals per game, players can bet on outcomes such as throw-ins, fouls, corners, offsides, goals, and goal kicks.

This real-time, high-frequency betting format transforms the viewing experience into a continuous stream of opportunities, keeping users actively engaged from kickoff to the final whistle while increasing interaction levels, boosting ARPU, and strengthening retention.

Complementing this is BETBY’s eWorld Cup, an esports experience that replicates all tournament matches in a short-format, high-frequency environment.

With matches lasting just a few minutes, the e-sim ensures continuous football action, helping operators fill off-peak gaps and overcome time zone challenges while maintaining consistent user engagement.

The product is fully customizable, allowing operators to tailor visuals, teams, match configurations, and margins to align with their brand and commercial strategy.

BETBY’s World Cup offering is further supported by a dedicated tournament hub, designed to centralize all content, data, and betting opportunities within a single interface.

Users can explore group stages and full bracket progression, access event pages, view promotions and line banners, watch video content, and analyze detailed statistics, creating a more immersive and informed betting experience.

The package includes boosted odds across all World Cup events, daily featured offers, and a wide selection of prebuilt “hot” combos with enhanced pricing, giving operators the flexibility to engage a broad player base, from high-value users to casual bettors.

Operators also benefit from one of the most extensive market coverages in the industry, spanning main markets, outrights, props, and special bets, supported by a trading team ready to accommodate bespoke requests.

By combining early market availability, real-time engagement tools, continuous betting opportunities, and deep trading flexibility, BETBY delivers a complete solution designed to maximize operator performance throughout the World Cup.

“As the biggest sports event worldwide, the World Cup is as much about preparation as it is about execution,” said Chris Nikolopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer at BETBY.

“By being the first B2B sportsbook provider to make the full tournament bracket available ahead of the draw, we’re giving operators a clear advantage: the ability to start engaging players earlier and build momentum well before kickoff.

At the same time, other features like microbetting and our eWorld Cup ensure that engagement stays high throughout every stage of the competition.

We’re delivering a complete content portfolio that allows our partners to maximize both player activity and revenue across the entire World Cup cycle.”

BETBY

BETBY is a leading B2B provider of top-tier sports betting services, renowned for its groundbreaking technology and dedication to excellence. BETBY’s team of industry veterans tap into their knowledge and expertise to deliver a premium, adaptable, and scalable sportsbook platform tailored to meet the varied demands of operators across the globe.

From dynamic in-play betting options to robust risk management tools and ground-breaking AI tools, BETBY is committed to propelling the success of its partners in the rapidly evolving landscape of online sports betting.

For more information visit betby.com

The post BETBY launches fully priced World Cup bracket as part of tournament offering appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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