Latest News
A New Star Is Born: Ukraine’s Role in the Future of the CIS and Eastern European Markets
International betting and gaming industry event organizer SBC launches a brand new in-person conference and exhibition for the CIS and Eastern European markets. Presented by Parimatch, SBC Summit CIS brings together regional market leaders, national state authorities, and international partners to discuss the future development of the region.
Holding an event of this magnitude in Kyiv confirms Ukraine is becoming a significant new player on the gambling industry map. On the summit panels, state authorities and business representatives discussed the prospects for the region’s development as a gaming hub for Eastern Europe and the increased interest in the Ukrainian market from global players.
The participation of the Olympic gold medal-winner and First Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Youth and Sports, Zhan Beleniuk, who opened the summit, served as a powerful reminder of the strong connection between sport, government, and the entertainment industry.
Oleksiy Kucher, Head of Executive Body, State Regulatory Agency of Ukraine:
“It’s our firm position that regulation needs to be simple, transparent, and understandable for business. The state approves such a positive goal as the step out from the shadow of the gambling business, but it can fail at the stage of implementation. If we do not regulate relations between clients, businesses, and regulators, gambling may step into the shadows again. We do not want this, and we will not let it happen. Gambling in Ukraine is doing well now, and it will be even more accessible, so keep it up and develop.”
Besides the latest developments in Ukraine, the conference sees renowned expert speakers examine the scale of the opportunities in other markets in the region and the potential impact of the latest technological developments that will filter through into next-generation iGaming products, and how could we forget the region’s leading suppliers who came to demonstrate their latest innovations.
Maksym Liashko, co-CEO at Parimatch Tech, said:
“The legalization of the market has opened up many opportunities for the development of the industry, attracting international capital and benefits for the state. The betting and gaming industry brings innovative technologies, high-tech jobs, and increasing technical expertise among Ukrainian specialists, thanks to the legalization. Proof of this was evident in the showcases presented at the exhibition. And this is just the beginning of Ukraine unleashing its potential.”
Another integral part of the in-person SBC Summit CIS was responsible gambling. The development of responsible gambling became essential in Ukraine to establish a legal market and comply with international industry standards.
Paul Dent, Gambling Therapy Manager:
“Gambling Therapy is very pleased to be working in partnership with Parimatch, the first of its kind in Ukraine to develop and progress more responsible gambling. Through Gambling Therapy, an online and international service offered by Gordon Moody, we will be offering free practical and emotional support to those struggling with gambling as well as supporting affected others. This will take the form of a helpline available in Ukrainian and Russian with access to highly experienced counselors, along with native-speaking groups and forums available 24 hours a day.”
Rostyslav Maikovich, Chief Analytics Officer, leader of the Parimatch’s Responsible Gambling Project:
“Responsible gaming is a significant part of Parimatch’s business development and caring for customers. We take experiences from successful world practices and European countries in this area: Parimatch’s Responsible Gambling Project is being implemented in development, analytics, and communications with clients. For example, the absolute world heavyweight boxing champion and gold medal-winner of the 2012 Olympics, Oleksandr Usyk, joins Parimatch brand as the Responsible Gambling ambassador. Oleksandr helps us to highlight the values of responsible gambling to audiences around the world.”
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Compliance Updates
Dabble introduces GeoComply’s digital identity platform, achieving 90%+ KYC pass rates and gaining deeper fraud visibility through device and location intelligence
Dabble, the fast-growing social-first sports betting operator, today announced it has now introduced precise device and location intelligence into its KYC process—an innovative move that has enabled the operator to achieve KYC pass rates above 90% while gaining unprecedented visibility into identity theft and fraud threats. In partnership with GeoComply, these results demonstrate a new model for regulated market entry, where operators can meet strict UKGC compliance requirements while simultaneously reducing friction and strengthening fraud defenses.
GeoComply’s Digital Identity Platform combines identity verification with device integrity, precise location signals, behavioural intelligence, and network-level insights from more than 200 million devices—powering a deeper, real-world view of identity that static, documentation-based KYC checks routinely miss. Dabble selected GeoComply to strengthen its KYC framework with this real-world identity model, ensuring full UKGC alignment while moving beyond traditional approaches that rely solely on documents and databases.
“We didn’t just want to tick a regulatory box,” said Anthony Cugnetto, Head of Product at Dabble. “Having worked with GeoComply in the US, we understood the potential of grounding identity in precise device and location intelligence — not only for compliance and anti-fraud, but for growth.”
“By integrating these real-world signals into our KYC process, we’re seeing higher pass rates, lower friction, and far greater visibility into the funnel earlier in the user journey — allowing us to detect highly advanced identity misuse that traditional UK checks simply can’t see. GeoComply gives us a level of confidence in user identity that wasn’t possible before.”
Precise location, device, and behavioural data reveal previously undetected patterns
Within the first weeks of rollout, GeoComply surfaced coordinated patterns of fraudulent activity—insights that legacy KYC approaches built on static, point-in-time identity checks typically cannot detect:
- A single residential address in Preston was home to +250 “unique” devices, revealed to be a bonus-abuse cluster. GeoComply detected device manipulation across identical device models, upon which +250 accounts were created using inconsistent identity attributes—behaviour aligned with stolen or synthetic ID use. This group was actively exploiting Dabble’s welcome and referral promotions.
- What looked like ~2,000 “unique” devices turned out to be a concentration of emulator- and VM-like environments in central London. GeoComply’s precise location and device integrity signals surfaced advanced spoofing patterns and anomalous device behaviour associated with mass account-creation attempts. These attempts would have bypassed traditional geolocation and KYC controls used by others in the UK market, but were exposed through GeoComply’s device integrity and anti-spoofing controls.
- Stolen and synthetic identities that would have passed traditional KYC checks were surfaced, revealed when cross-referenced against GeoComply’s device integrity signals, behavioural markers, location consistency, and high-risk email-domain correlation.
- Email-intelligence signals showed 97–98% precision, correlating with accurate location and device risk signals to reinforce suspicious clusters and providing early-stage validation of identity misuse.
These findings were detected even before automated blocking was enabled, proving the power of grounding identity in real-world signals rather than static data sources.
High conversion, low friction — a breakthrough for regulated market entry
Despite exposing sophisticated identity misuse, legitimate players moved through onboarding seamlessly:
- KYC pass rates of +90%
- 80–85% voluntary opt-in to device and location checks
- Low false positives, enabling faster approvals and fewer manual reviews
- Minimal engineering lift, thanks to Dabble’s existing integration with GeoComply in the US
“Dabble’s innovative approach proves what operators everywhere are beginning to realize: the old way of doing things is broken,” said Kip Levin, CEO of GeoComply. “Fraudsters can fake documents, manipulate devices, and spoof IP—but they can’t fake physics. By grounding identity in real-world signals, Dabble has set a new benchmark for how operators can protect users, increase trust, and accelerate onboarding. And they’re doing it without adding friction.“
Dabble creates a repeatable blueprint for global expansion
Dabble’s UK entry showcases a new industry standard for regulated market launches:
- Identity verification that supports high conversion
- Real-world identity signals that fraudsters cannot fake
- A modular platform that scales across jurisdictions
- A unified, truth-based view of users from the first interaction
Together, these capabilities provide operators with a repeatable, scalable model for entering new regulated markets with confidence.
The post Dabble introduces GeoComply’s digital identity platform, achieving 90%+ KYC pass rates and gaining deeper fraud visibility through device and location intelligence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
Insurgence Gaming Company Expands Grassroots Vision with MOBA Legends 5v5 Discord Play-Ins
Following the launch of its inaugural women-focused VALORANT tournament La Imperia, the Insurgence Gaming Company has announced its second competitive initiative, MOBA Legends 5v5 Discord Play-Ins, a series of open community tournaments created to make organised competition more accessible to emerging players.
While La Imperia introduced a visibility-led invitational format, the MOBA Legends 5v5 Discord Play-Ins take a different approach. The series is built around open participation and will be hosted entirely online, with all tournament operations managed through Discord. This allows teams from across India to compete in a structured setting without the restrictions often associated with invite-only events.
The Play-Ins are designed as a starting point for players and teams who want to experience organised competition. Matches will be played in a 5v5 MOBA Draft Pick format, with scheduling, match reporting, and communication handled through dedicated Discord channels.
The announcement continues Insurgence Gaming Company’s early focus on grassroots esports. The company was created to address gaps in India’s competitive ecosystem, particularly at the amateur and semi-professional level where consistent tournament opportunities are still limited.
Speaking on the launch, Jasper Shabin, Founder of the Insurgence Gaming Company, said: “With La Imperia, we focused on visibility. With the Discord Play-Ins, the focus shifts to access. Competitive players need regular places to play, improve, and test themselves, not just one-off tournaments. MOBA Legends 5v5 is one of the most accessible competitive titles on mobile, which makes it a strong fit for an open, community-driven format.”
Beyond competition, the Discord Play-Ins are also intended to build a sense of continuity. Players will have access to channels dedicated to match coordination, tournament updates, and post-game discussion, helping teams stay connected beyond a single tournament run.
With the MOBA Legends 5v5 Discord Play-Ins, the Insurgence Gaming Company continues to shape its identity around community-first formats, pairing visibility-led initiatives like La Imperia with open competitive pathways that support long-term grassroots growth in Indian esports.
The post Insurgence Gaming Company Expands Grassroots Vision with MOBA Legends 5v5 Discord Play-Ins appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Sun International Appoints Nomzamo Radebe as COO
Sun International has announced that Nomzamo Radebe will join Sun International as Chief Operating Officer: Hospitality & Sales, effective 2 February 2026.
“Nomzamo will play a pivotal role in advancing our hospitality and property businesses, contributing fresh insights as we continue to build world-class capabilities and pursue our ambition to be a digitally led, market-leading, omnichannel gaming company,” said Ulrik Bengtsson, CEO of Sun International.
Nomzamo is a Chartered Accountant with over 27 years of experience, including 20 years in senior leadership roles across the real estate sector. She joins Sun International from SA Corporate Real Estate Ltd, where she served as COO, and has held executive positions at Excellerate JHI, Pareto Limited and National Treasury. Her expertise includes property asset management, portfolio optimisation, mergers and acquisitions, treasury management and stakeholder engagement, having led teams managing portfolios valued at over R10 billion.
Nomzamo has been recognised with the Five Star Woman Award and IPM Business Leader of the Year and serves on the board of SAPOA.
“I am excited to join such a strong brand like Sun International. I look forward to interacting with the various teams to drive performance and deliver on our business strategies and value creation plans in the hospitality division,” said Nomzamo Radebe.
The post Sun International Appoints Nomzamo Radebe as COO appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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