Latest News

Long live the lottery: Future-proofing your business model

Published

5 years ago

July 24, 2020

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Ade Repcenko, CEO of Spinola Gaming discusses the new forms of technology available for the lottery sector and how it can help companies innovate their offering and create a future-proof business model in order to adapt to new market behaviour. He explores how technology can help lottery operators spend less yet increase their revenue, while driving more value towards good causes in the process.

Mobile first

Mobile penetration and stable internet access are at their peak, even across emerging markets, with almost 80 percent of the world’s adult population always having a smartphone within arms reach. This is not news for anyone, but while other industries have long adapted to this shift, the lottery sector has been somewhat stagnant in the digital and mobile transformation of their products. Operators across all markets, especially those in emerging markets such as Africa and LATAM where people are more likely to own a mobile than a computer or tablet, should be adopting a mobile-first approach as a necessity, not an option. People rely on their mobile for all kinds of purchases, now more than ever with the restrictions brought about by COVID-19. It therefore makes sense that players would want to access their favourite games, scratch cards and lottery draws on mobile.

Merging retail and online

Retail is not dead, but the belief that lottery player preferences will shift from retail to online is shared by many in the global lottery industry. The “Lotteries in Covid-19 Lockdown” webinar ran an interesting audience poll asking what changes the lottery industry predicts for post-Covid lottery player behaviour. Many European lottery executives and industry experts believe that some players would return to their normal retail/online preferences, while other players would choose to remain online, with retail lotteries becoming less relevant. As a new generation of lottery players emerges, lotteries need to adopt a hybrid approach which merges retail and online. Business models need to adapt in order to be able to give players what they want, whenever and wherever they want it.

Online ticket purchasing is set to play a very large part in the global lottery industry over the coming years. In fact, Massachusetts Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney, told the Lottery Commission that the online lottery market is the next big thing, and no longer the distant “future” of lotteries, but the present reality which companies need to adapt to in order to continue to reach their players long-term. He stressed that without an online element to lottery ticket sales, retail land-based lotteries such as the Massachusetts Lottery face “a significant threat of becoming somewhat obsolete”.

Rethinking retail

The time for change is now. Using large clunky lottery terminals that occupy very valuable retail counter space is no longer required. There is a whole range of modern lottery solutions that can be used to sell retail tickets of multiple lotteries via a retail POS application software that can be installed into already existing retail POS systems, without the need for traditional retail lottery hardware.

Lotteries can also be used for customer loyalty schemes and other retention or profit boosting incentives. Imagine going to your local grocery store, getting to the checkout, and there is an offer giving you a free lottery ticket with purchases over $100. Many customers will try to reach the $100 purchase mark therefore boosting shop profits and increasing lottery sales and exposure. The retail owner will purchase these lottery tickets as the cost is very low compared to potential overall retail earnings or giving away store credits.

Utilizing online retailers

Lotteries use retailers in the physical space to sell lottery tickets, and this same model can and should be applied to online retailers in the digital space. There is a plethora of online marketplaces, media and news websites, and other popular websites that can embed lottery widgets and iframes into their pages. It requires no integration and allows players to purchase official lottery tickets without leaving the website, earning online retailers a commission in the process. Adopting this system would give lottery operators more exposure, free advertising for their games, and also open up their entire product offering to a readily available global audience.

The power of online influencers

Social Media influencers can be a very powerful asset to leverage. In the same way that some influencers promote clothing brands and hotels, they could also generate exclusive content and promote online lottery games to their global network of followers. Influencers have an immense amount of power over the purchasing decisions of their audiences, based on their authority in the area and relationship with their audience. The unique content they generate, in exchange for earning a commission, can be used to promote lottery games and draws in order to encourage new users to buy a ticket.

The importance of engagement

Let’s face it, lotteries are NOT engaging. The reason why people play is to win the huge jackpots on offer. They dream of buying a new car, boat, house or of having enough money to live the dream.

Younger player demographics want more than just the prize, they want to be engaged, they want to feel like they have earned the prize whether it be through a challenge or journey. Traditional lotteries therefore need to look at new forms of games that can keep younger players engaged for longer periods of time. One way of doing this could be through creating e-sports inspired games with pooled jackpots. These would be short engaging games of 30-60 minutes, aimed at targeting the commuter market looking to kill time whilst at home or on their daily work commute. These games would take players on a journey where they collect points along the way, with each point getting players closer and closer to the opportunity to win lottery style jackpot cash prizes.

More frequent draws

Most national lotteries have draws once or twice per week. Players buy a ticket and wait a few days for the draw to take place. It is understandable that high-value games with multi-million jackpots cannot normally happen every day, but through new forms of jackpot insurance models and prize pooling, operators have the opportunity to create high value jackpot games as frequently as they want, even every hour! Most people, especially younger demographics, need instant gratification when it comes to gambling, they are not patient enough to wait a week for a draw to take place to know if they have won or not. Creating more frequent draws keeps players more engaged and gives them a reason to increase the frequency of their ticket purchase.

Branded lottery games

Creating games in partnership with major brands, films and events is something which the slot industry has accomplished quite successfully. There is a huge opportunity for lotteries to follow suit and partner up with globally recognized brands to create branded lotteries. The games would instantly amass the brand’s established base of fans and followers, with the brand’s reputation reflecting on the actual game produced.

These could be used as CSR based lottery initiatives for the brands to support and endorse good causes, or as PR stunts giving lucky fans the chance to win life changing jackpots or unique prizes like tickets to a film premier or a test drive in a supercar’s latest model. Player ticket purchase can be achieved on a global level through placement on product merchandise and promotional materials, or by using widgets and iframes embedded directly on the brand’s website which links the players directly to the games.

Looking forward

Going digital and embracing the technology available to the lottery sector can open up the door to many new opportunities and kick-start a new era of borderless global lotteries. This would give lotteries access to new player bases and revenue streams on a global level, something that is not currently attainable through the traditional retail model.

Companies like Spinola Gaming provide powerful digital solutions that allow lottery operators to achieve all of what is suggested above, to digitize their products, and create innovative new products to appeal to today’s changing audience. Their software allows operators to monitor all lottery ticket sales and track all online and offline purchases in real-time, complete with a myriad of marketing functions and analytics available at the touch of a button. It allows for full 360 player and reseller network management through one seamless interface. The system is available across all markets, currencies and languages and is fully customisable to suit each operators’ particular needs.

Black Cow Technology

Inside Black Cow’s Decision To Go All In On Multiplayer

Published

57 minutes ago

December 2, 2025

George Miller

inside-black-cow’s-decision-to-go-all-in-on-multiplayer

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Black Cow Technology Founder and CEO, Max Francis, on why the company has shifted focus from software development to game development, and why he believes multiplayer is the future of online gambling entertainment

Black Cow has just announced its transition into a multiplayer content provider. What made you refocus the business in such a way?

We truly believe that multiplayer is the future of online gambling entertainment, and with our own technology capable of building next-gen multiplayer experiences, we wanted to transition into a content-led business and release some innovative games of our own. Our Multiplayer RGS is especially powerful, allowing operators and suppliers to bring multiplayer gameplay to any game format, even including non-gambling events. Black Cow’s robust, reliable and highly flexible technology is already used by some of the biggest organisations in the industry, including the likes of DraftKings and Light & Wonder. The shift into creating our own multiplayer content enables us to build on our successful Remote Game Server (RGS) and Jackpot Server technology to create first-of-its kind games offering unique player experiences via our Multiplayer RGS platform.

Tell us more about your Multiplayer RGS and its capabilities. What sets it apart from similar solutions in the market?

Our Multiplayer RGS has been several years in the making and is already live with Light & Wonder. Our Multiplayer RGS can be used to create multiplayer experiences across anything from slots and table games to crash, plinko, lottery, live dealer and bingo. Games can be player-cooperative or player versus player. The system’s capabilities are really only limited by the imagination of the people using it, and that’s why we’re so excited to be moving into the realm of game development so that we can push its limits to disrupt online casino lobbies with Black Cow content.

Taking a business in a new direction is a significant undertaking, not without its risks. How have you approached this transition?

It was clear to me that we had the technology to create multiplayer content, but not necessarily the experience to date, and that’s why we’ve been making strategic hires. This year we have promoted Paul Jefferson to the role of Chief Technical Officer and we have welcomed two more big-hitters to the business – Ernie Lafky as Chief Product Officer and Shelley Hannah as Chief Operations Officer. Ernie is taking the lead when it comes to what our games will look like and how we combine key elements like multiplayer, gamification and social interaction. Shelley is managing the operational aspects of our transition to a hosted product-first model. In terms of mitigating the risk, it comes down to the deep rooted confidence we have in our technology and our fantastic team, plus our belief that players are seeking social multiplayer entertainment.

Why do you have such a firm belief that multiplayer content is the future? And to what extent will it dominate online casino game lobbies?

It’s not the future, it’s the now. You just have to look at the experiences offered by other online entertainment options to see that they are becoming increasingly multiplayer and social. From dating to streaming, social media to mobile gaming, consumers want to engage with products and experiences that can be enjoyed with others. But online casino and sports betting sit at odds with this as they have been, and remain, mostly solitary experiences. We have started to see a bit of a shift away from this, first with live casino and then the rise of the crash game format. But this is just the start of what multiplayer online gambling entertainment can look like, and at Black Cow we have the vision, people and technology to really spearhead the multiplayer movement and be a true leader in the space.

As for the degree to which multiplayer content will dominate online casino and sportsbook lobbies, I think it has the potential to be significant but there will always be players that want to engage with more traditional games, products and experiences, so it will be down to each operator as to how they promote multiplayer games. Naturally, this approach will differ from brand to brand based on their specific player-base.

What can we expect from Black Cow now that your transition into a multiplayer game developer is well underway?

Paul, Ernie, Shelley and the team are working hard on our initial product roadmap, including the first run of games that will leave our production line. This is a really exciting moment for me and the whole team, as it will bring our vision to life and set the blueprint for what our multiplayer games will look like moving forward. It goes without saying that our multiplayer games will embody the core values we have built Black Cow on – reliability, flexibility and robustness. This is a big change for Black Cow, and change does bring challenges. But we are all aligned and excited by the new direction. Success is never guaranteed, but we are walking into the next chapter of the Black Cow story confident that it will be our best yet.

The post Inside Black Cow’s Decision To Go All In On Multiplayer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

The UAE Gambling License May Become the Most Valuable to Get in 2026

Published

2 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Master Editor

The current decade is proving truly transformative for the whole global gaming industry, given the rollout of new licensing regimes and major upgrades to already established frameworks. Many of the latest frameworks have emerged offshore, with jurisdictions such as Nevis and Tobique using low taxes, a remote application process, lower licensing fees, and light-touch oversight to secure additional budget inflows.

On the other side, “onshore” hubs, especially in Europe, are doubling down on ever-stricter oversight, making it more complex and expensive to run a gambling business from there. Quite unexpectedly, therefore, a jurisdiction where gambling has historically been prohibited by religion and criminal law moved to introduce a comprehensive licensing regime. This was literally a shock for many; only one in a million industry enthusiasts would have predicted that this country would be the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Two years ago, the UAE established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the first-in-history federal regulator in the Gulf to oversee gambling across all emirates. Since then, the GCGRA is rolling out gradually, brick by brick, issuing the first few B2B vendor licenses to a select few of internationally recognized suppliers while setting B2C licensing aside and approaching it with caution.

Today, the UAE gambling regulator is authorized to grant licenses for gaming operators (a B2C gambling license issued for a casino, sports wagering, land-based gaming facilities, lottery, and lottery retailers), gaming-related vendors (B2B gambling license), and key persons (affiliates, stakeholders, and employees). Even though the GCGRA has laid down an essential foundation ahead of B2C license issuance, however, the actual B2C regulations are still developing and unavailable to the public, apart from certain provisions on responsible gaming and anti-money laundering (AML) obligations.

As of this second, just a single B2C online gaming license has been issued. Detailed rulebooks on license conditions and the scope of onsite and online gaming activities, however, are still under development and remain subject to ongoing discussion. In essence, while the sector is gradually progressing toward a formal B2C licensing regime, the key details and timing are largely unclear.

In contrast, the B2B regime is already in full swing, with over fifteen UAE gaming licenses already granted to date. The regulator made it clear to everyone that its first priority is to establish a robust B2B ecosystem of technology, payment, content, and other aggregators before opening the door for B2C companies. Considering this, early GCGRA-licensed gambling aggregators get a rare first-mover advantage: legal setup in a business hub like the UAE with privileged access to serve the first wave of B2C UAE gaming license holders (B2C) and secure an unmatched level of trust among banks, investors, and other stakeholders for meeting rigorous regulatory expectations.

With the largely untapped market potential, many industry analysts argue that the UAE gambling license could become the single most valuable license to get in the next year.

The assumption is based on the fact that the UAE always plays the long game. The country’s goal is not merely closing fiscal gaps, as is often the case with offshore jurisdictions, but to drive meaningful economic diversification, expand tourism, and compete with other global entertainment hubs – all reinforcing confidence for entering the market. What’s more, even though the framework is relatively new, the country has an impeccable track record in building high-end regimes, namely in crypto, setting a benchmark for operators and aggregators.

Yet, what truly stands out is the license scarcity: the current GCGRA framework foresees only a limited number of approvals per emirate granted to B2B operators that meet stringent regulatory, operational, and integrity thresholds. The combination of high demand and limited supply significantly amplifies the license’s commercial value, given that the future B2C operator market – projected to generate billions in annual revenue – will be exclusively served by a select pool of qualified B2B vendors.

Beyond this, the UAE’s combination of robust economy, attractive taxation, political stability, and high consumer trust sets it apart from offshore jurisdictions launching gambling licensing regimes.

Taking all factors into account, the UAE gaming license could become the new “golden standard” as one of the most respected regulatory regimes worldwide, turning into the license every operator wants to add to their portfolio. Unsurprisingly, therefore, aggregators are already preparing to move ahead with licensing, bracing for what may become one of the most scrutinized application and approval processes of all time.

With this in mind, joining the ranks of the select few UAE gambling license holders (B2B) will hinge on early, meticulous preparation of necessary documentation and specialized region-specific professional advice. Among these are qualified consultants at Inteliumlaw, a UAE local law firm with on-the-ground representatives in the country and extensive experience in supporting gambling businesses. Having spent years navigating gambling frameworks and establishing relations with regulators, Inteliumlaw is emerging as a top legal partner for operators looking to capitalize on what is set to become the most valuable licensing opportunity of 2026: the UAE gaming license.

Alexander Kamenetskyi Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook

The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook at Five: From MVP to Award-Winning Global B2B Solution

Published

4 hours ago

December 2, 2025

George Miller

the-softswiss-sportsbook-at-five:-from-mvp-to-award-winning-global-b2b-solution

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking a major milestone in its journey from MVP to a fully mature, internationally recognised B2B product. Over these five years, the team has achieved standout results, from launching a project in just 14 days to delivering a mobile-first experience that generates over 90% of GGR.

Since its debut in 2020, the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook has expanded its sports and esports catalogue, introduced premium cricket, launched a mobile app, added a customisable betting interface, unique bonuses, and various gamification tools for player engagement and retention. It has also introduced seamless integrations with the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator and Jackpot Aggregator.

An important milestone was reached ahead of UEFA Euro 2024, when the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook team delivered 22 new projects across 11 casino platforms, including the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, within a single month. A breakthrough record was also set when the team launched a project in just 14 days from contract signing to the first bet.

The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is engineered for smooth, platform-agnostic integration, enabling fast rollouts on both proprietary and third-party platforms. Delivering a strong player experience and supporting business growth, the Sportsbook seamlessly integrates into any iGaming operation with flexible launch options to meet diverse needs. Recent updates further enhance its efficiency, including API 2.0 for more scalable integrations and a renewed CMS with deeper content control.

Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, comments: “Five years ago, we set out to build a modern Sportsbook – flexible, scalable, and ready for the future of betting. Today, we have a stable architecture, powerful engagement tools, a strong risk management layer, and a team that knows how to move fast without compromising quality. The product has matured, and we are ready to push forward with even greater ambition.”

Delivering 2,000+ betting markets across 200+ sports and esports, with all Sportradar official leagues included, the Sportsbook supports 100,000+ monthly live events and a mobile-first experience that generates over 90% of GGR. Clients also highlight its intuitive CMS, robust risk management, and 24/7 technical assistance, reinforcing the Sportsbook’s position as a reliable B2B solution.

Anton Eshtokin, CMO of Boomerang Partners, shares: “The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is an ideal choice for any iGaming operator looking to diversify its portfolio and strengthen its competitive position in the market. On behalf of our entire team, I’d like to congratulate the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook on reaching this remarkable five-year milestone. As a partner, you’ve consistently demonstrated innovation, professionalism, and a deep understanding of the industry’s evolution. We wish you continued growth, bold ideas, and the drive to keep setting new standards in the iGaming market. May the next five years bring even more success stories and breakthroughs that inspire the entire industry.”

The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook’s achievements have been acknowledged across the industry, earning accolades such as Best Online Sportsbook Provider at SiGMA South Asia Awards 2025, Innovative E-sports Product of the Year at SPiCE South Asia Eventus Awards 2024, Best Sports Betting Provider in the Baltics at BSG Awards 2023, and Rising Star in Sports Betting at SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2022.

In 2025, the sports betting solution entered a new phase, focusing on architectural upgrades to support faster feature delivery. The team plans to release a new API Tester in December and is preparing for the upcoming launch of virtual sports. The Sportsbook platform also covered urgent Brazilian and Bulgarian regulatory requirements. These strategic moves will allow the solution to maintain momentum and scale to meet the growing expectations of operators in diverse markets.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 36,700 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook at Five: From MVP to Award-Winning Global B2B Solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.