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Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Interviews

Exclusive QandA with Eriks Petersons, Digital Transformation Director of Ciklum

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3 years ago

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

 

We have here a fascinating interview with a leader in the gaming industry. Meet Eriks Petersons, Digital Transformation Director of Ciklum.

He talks here about his introduction into the industry as a professional poker player in Riga to his move to Malta and his career in the industry.

What stands apart in the opinions and views are a clear-cut focus on the player experience and how it needs to be unique and standardized.

“One area that is really lacking, in my opinion, is differentiated player experience.” He says with absolute conviction.

He also elaborates about the use of technology, regulation and the need to break down the internal processes into smaller and simple steps.

Read on. Don’t miss the wisdom.

Q. Let’s begin the interview with a brief intro into your career. Our readers love to hear top entrepreneurs talk about themselves.

A. I started off in the iGaming industry in early 2008, back in my hometown Riga, where I was a professional poker player. Poker was at its peak and everyone was talking about it. Fast forward to 2011, specifically the Black Friday events of April 15th, which pretty much put an end to the poker hype. I bought a one-way flight ticket to Malta in order to further develop my career in an industry I’d fallen in love with.

I’ve spent the past 10 years or so working in various operational positions in major B2B and B2C companies, working closely with clients, tech and products. Looking back, I was fortunate to join the industry at a time where I’ve been able to grow and mature alongside it. This has allowed me to develop a well-rounded knowledge of company operations and industry specifics.

My current role at Ciklum is leading the iGaming vertical. Our aim is to contribute back to the industry, sharing our technological know-how and supercharging the growth of our clients to reach new heights.

Q. How do you view the development of technology for the iGaming industry over the last few years? There have been too many things happening, such as the covid 19 pandemic, frequent regulation changes and the emergence of newer tools in artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and blockchain?

A. The last few years have been quite interesting. Whilst one might say regulation has been the biggest culprit for the lack of innovation, especially for those companies that have a global footprint, it’s also been one of the main motivators for innovation. The same is true for AI, Big Data and Cloud, which all serve regulatory needs in one way or another.

Now that we have seen the adoption of these new tools to some degree, it’s time to spread them out to the other areas of the product. One area that is really lacking, in my opinion, is differentiated player experience.

With some exceptions, most casinos are all the same. They just have a different look and feel. There’s nothing special that makes the player choose a particular brand, or even more importantly, stick to it.

Q. On what ways do you think the pandemic affected the igaming technology development? And what are the technological changes that igaming companies can adopt to make their functioning pandemic-proof in future?

A. There’s not been many new developments, but one that I do like is the shared player experience. It’s also a trend we have seen in other industries, such as video streaming, with tech giants like Netflix and Disney+ both launching watch-along features earlier this year.

In regards to technological changes, the industry has once again proved its recession-proof status. Although I’d say this is more due to the entertainment nature of the industry, rather than any particular technological development.

When times are tough, people look for moments of joy. As long as it happens in a sustainable and responsible way, why not have a chance of winning something as well?

On the other hand, the closure of all the sporting events during the pandemic taught us the importance of product diversification and over-reliance on physical world interactions. Therefore I’d expect things like already popular esports betting and virtual sports, especially built on the blockchain technology, to now grow in significance.

Q. Let’s now talk about technological changes. How can iGaming companies work on different regulatory changes and product features in parallel – without stalling each other, and offering seamless service to users?

A. There are quite a few factors at play here, from your product strategy, to planning, to prioritisation, to available budgets and headcounts. There needs to be a well-segregated system with teams formed around different areas of responsibility, which can work independently on their own release cycles. The emphasis should be on independence. For example, whilst your ‘responsible gaming’ or ‘fair play’ team is busy implementing a change in Germany, your ‘player acquisition’ team can refactor, test or improve the new features on the homepage.

The only other piece of advice, which is similar to what every productivity coach would tell you, is break things down into small logical chunks and start working on them at your earliest opportunity. This way you’ll avoid any last-minute stress for your teams, gain some productivity points, and thus benefit from extra time to spend on some nice, new, shiny features. The trick here is to keep releasing these small logical chunks directly to production, and in case the full feature (constituting of multiple small logical pieces) is not ready or requires to be launched later, you can keep its functionality configurable on or off – known as feature toggling.

Q. Why do companies need APIs to work with a number of 3rd party tools, such as fraud detection platforms, KYC verification tools, and others?

A. It’s not a question of why, but rather a question of how? If you don’t have a standardised process, you’ll keep adapting to each new integration coming your way and thus fitting more and more customisations and exceptions to your platform, which would eventually grow into an uncontrollable beast that no one wants to deal with.

As a simple example, if we focus just on the basic functioning of the online slot – there’s tons of various online slot providers out there which each have their own API. However, all slots function pretty much in the same way. You need to query the wallet to check the balance, you need to call the provider to make a bet (spin), and then you need to be notified of any winnings. Now, as an example, some providers will not return any calls when there is a loss, some will return a call as 0 winning, whilst others will register each loss separately. If you don’t have these things standardised in your platform, you’ll keep having different variations of the same that will eventually become hard to maintain.

Q. What are your insights on the use of cloud computing in working with huge amounts of players data?

A. There are numerous benefits of using Cloud which are already pretty well documented. First of all, huge amounts of data require enormous amounts of storage. Whilst it’s technically possible to increase the capacity of your in-house servers, you need to plan these things well in advance.

Secondly, due to cloud’s ‘infrastructure as a service’ model, you’re basically moving all your upfront bare metal CAPEX expenses to much smaller OPEX expenses which would grow only as you grow, and thus are much better on your bottom-line.

Last but not least, cloud provides the ability to scale your infrastructure very quickly so you can manage large spikes of traffic or prepare for a new market launch. The cherry on top is when you manage to automate this horizontal and vertical scaling.

Q. How do you think simple changes – such as registration forms design – can make a big difference in the player experience and eventually the revenue for iGaming operators?

A. One can never stop experimenting. Player trends are constantly changing, and you should not forget to account for the multiple market and cultural aspects in this equation. There are tons of untested hypotheses which can only be validated by real data. Is a three step registration process better than one?

Even the smallest things like the colour, shape or positioning of a button can have an enormous impact on player behaviour and thus the conversion rate. Successful operators never stand still, they keep experimenting, keep validating, and keep improving their product and thus revenue in small, manageable increments at a time.

Q. Finally, where do you see the current digital transformation heading to. In future, will digital transformation invade privacy and data security of the end users much more than it does today?

A. Overall, the digital transformation topic is quite broad, but one important aspect of it is the ability to see things in much greater detail, understanding those details, and then having better control over them. This may be physical items, events or outcomes. Having said that, it definitely touches on all possible aspects of player data. I would expect regulations and moral principles to set the boundaries.

Think of your phone, it already has dozens of various sensors built into it which can detect light, sound, gravity, acceleration, location, temperature, biometrics, and a lot more. One can opt to use this data, and who knows, maybe in the future, instead of the traditional spin buttons on the slot machines, players will throw their phone up in the air to feed the slot’s unique RNG algorithm.

But on a more serious note, short to mid-term I’d expect to see more control given to the players in terms of how they want to entertain themselves. From the look and feel to the actual dynamics of the play. They might want to play solo, or have a party game with their friends, where balances are shared and winnings distributed. Prop bets will also become much more granular by using every imaginable data point of the particular sport / market, placed via smart speakers directly on your TV whilst watching the live stream.

Long-term, affiliates, and probably even individual players themselves, will be able to create their own casino within the casino and keep a portion of the revenues. They would be able to define every aspect from the look and feel to the type of games, localised bonuses and loyalty programs, and so on.

Then, in the not so distant future, this all will probably move to some sort of metaverse, with such attempts having already been made.

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Interviews

Irina Laivina, Media 24: “Our content is meant to educate and entertain”

Published

3 days ago

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March 25, 2025

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

We’ve sat down with Irina Laivina, Head of Content at affiliate marketing company Media 24, to discuss how iGaming content could evolve, the key elements of a successful content strategy, the traits of top content managers, and more.

 

Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to the iGaming industry?

Since childhood, I have been attracted to philology and the study of foreign languages. After university, I realized that content creation was where I could combine my passion for languages with creativity. When I moved to Latvia and changed my social circle, I became more and more drawn into the world of iGaming. Over time, this industry fascinated me so much that I found my professional niche there.

I started at Media24 as a senior content manager, where I introduced new ideas to improve both content and design. These changes had a positive impact on our business goals, eventually leading to my promotion to head of the content department. Now, I continue to optimize and shape our content strategy.

 

How do you see the role of content evolving in the iGaming affiliate marketing industry over the next five years?

In affiliate marketing content will still play a key role, especially for the SEO-driven affiliate companies. But the way we will create and deliver it will change. The average reader today is more demanding than ever, expecting more value in the content he consumes daily, and willing to spend less time doing it.

The number of content sources has also increased now, too, and that has created many additional angles and opportunities. There’s live streaming, new social media formats, short form videos, and everything in between. So you have to think outside of the traditional strategies and experiment with new ways to connect with your audience to keep up.

Mobile traffic dominance will require adapting for the relevant formats. This trend is already happening globally and will only develop further. Internally, we are following along and are aligning our design and content strategies. Everything must be optimized for mobile-first consumption today.

 

What are the key elements that make up a successful content strategy in your opinion?

The best content strategy starts with clear goals. At Media 24, we believe that our content should educate and entertain, not take advantage of players. We aim to be a source of helpful information for the reader, not just a platform to promote iGaming brands. In a world of informational overload, your content should be focused on providing real value. Users love it, and search engines prioritize this kind of content too.

We are thinking about the long-term perspective. If content that we produce helps a reader to find what he’s looking for, and is engaging, search engines will naturally rank it higher. So for us it’s not a question of how we can exploit the algorithms, but what is the best way to help a reader make an educated decision.

 

What role does SEO play in shaping the content strategy at Media 24, and how do both teams collaborate for the best results?

At Media 24 content and SEO departments always work hand by hand. It’s hard to imagine our success without close communication between the two teams. We work closely together to develop content plans, conduct competitor analysis, and rely on the SEO team to guide us in the right direction with their data-driven insights. From there, we apply our editorial expertise to make sure our content is relevant, valuable and helpful. So the SEO team navigates us strategically, while the content department is responsible for creating valuable content that keeps readers coming for more.

 

When building your team, what traits do you value most in a content manager, and why?

For a content manager, first of all, the key thing is attention to details. In content creation, even small errors can affect credibility, user experience, and performance, so precision is key. I also highly appreciate the initiative and the desire for learning new things. The industry does not stand still, so a good content manager is constantly exploring new tools, trends and working methods, offering fresh ideas and solutions.

We work with 90+ geos and with such a reach it’s very important for the content to be relevant to every country niche specifics and language. That’s why we prioritize hiring native speakers and local experts in every given market. The ones that have a deep understanding of cultural nuances, player preferences and market regulations. This guarantees our content is authentic and resonates with readers in every region.

 

Are there any long-term goals you’re focusing on at Media 24?

I would really like to optimize all our processes as much as possible. This is something that we are working on actively, and we see that the development of technology can assist us in that. For example, we are currently exploring how we can use the possibilities of AI agents to save time for our team. The main goal is to create smarter work processes.

AI will not replace human content creators, as it lacks originality and niche-specific expertise. But this technology can enhance how we work in many ways. That’s why we’re already developing AI-driven solutions to speed-up our operations and assist us in different repetitive tasks. Once we are able to automate routine and time-consuming parts of our work, this will allow the content team to focus more on creativity and strategy. So by experimenting with AI, we’re not replacing creativity. We are giving it extra space.

The post Irina Laivina, Media 24: “Our content is meant to educate and entertain” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Affiliate Industry

Affiliates in the US Sports Betting Market – Has The Game Gone Cold?

Published

4 days ago

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March 24, 2025

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A lot has changed since the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA (The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992) as being unconstitutional, effectively ending Nevada’s near-monopoly on sports betting in the country. With every US state now free to legalize and launch its own sports betting market, in-person, online, and mobile sports betting grew at a neck-breaking pace.

This explosive growth saw the emergence of ‘affiliate companies’ – marketing agencies specializing in performance marketing and promoting licensed sports betting operators. However, as the market entered a new phase and growth slowed, some affiliates have been seeing mixed results in the past year.

We sat down for a chat with Shmulik Segal, Founder and CEO of Media Troopers, an advertising agency specializing in sports betting and iGaming in North America, to hear his views on the gambling marketplace and what the future holds for affiliates. Segal takes a realistic approach and acknowledges the days of insatiable growth are gone, but he still sees great potential in the market.

 

Looking at the bigger picture, how bad were things for affiliates in the past year?

Segal: “I won’t tell you the past year hasn’t been challenging for marketing agencies like ourselves. Looking at 2024 earning reports of publicly traded marketing agencies in the gambling industry, the results are a mixed bag, Segal says. “While some of the largest players in the space saw their US revenues drop by over a third compared to 2023, the earnings of others just flatlined.”

 

What causes you to be optimistic then?

“But on the flip side of the coin, there were also companies that saw double-digit growth in earnings,” Segal compares. “So what does that mixed bag of results tell us? Although the days of explosive growth are over, the market is certainly not on a one-way street. I still see tons of opportunities for companies that are adjusting and doing the right things.”

 

So what are the main challenges the affiliate market is facing?

“I can divide the challenges into two main categories: objective and subjective. Objective categories would be anything that’s ‘man-made’, such as legislation (new states that open up), increased regulation (restrictions on advertising, increased taxation), the evolution of technology (Artificial Intelligence and further mobile personalization), competition (both operators and other marketing channels and companies), and all other factors that are created by governments, companies, and individuals,” he explains.

“The subjective factors are more geographical or permanent. Let’s take sports betting as an example. According to the American Gaming Association’s state tracker, Out of 51 potential jurisdictions across the country (50 states + Washington DC), 38 have legalized sports betting. However, only seven states have legalized iGaming.”

 

So, how do you treat these challenges differently?

“As an affiliate, you understand the fundamental difference between the two types of challenges: your level of control. While you can mitigate objective challenges, you must adapt to subjective ones.”

 

How do you stay relevant as an affiliate amidst these challenges?

“The first thing we must always keep in mind is that we make a living out of providing our customers with additional value, i.e. unique knowledge and expertise that the operator doesn’t have and fits perfectly into its marketing mix. We must provide our customers with a competitive, cutting edge.”

“Case in point: we constantly strive to be ahead of the curve in everything we do. Our technology platform constantly adapts and upgrades to include more powerful AI tools for segmentation, targeting, and personalization. A huge part of our media teams’ job is to look for the ‘next big thing’ be it a fresh marketing channel or a new source that will enable us to expand our reach and tap into new markets.

Our commercial teams work closely with existing and potential operators to find new ways to bring value to players, be it new games, news, or promotions. And it goes without saying that our compliance team takes great care of ensuring we adhere to the highest standards of safe advertising and responsible gaming.”

“But no less important,“ he concludes, “is the operations team that ties all the pieces together and executes everything. That’s one of the biggest challenges, given operations can be slow-moving, we constantly need to improve our execution to keep up with the changes the other parts of the team bring.”

 

What about other types of challenges? The ones you can’t mitigate?

“When it comes to subjective challenges, however, you have much less control, and this is where companies must brace themselves and adapt quickly. Case in point, there are 38 sports betting states, while a portion of the remaining ones, such as Hawai, Utah, Texas,  and California, won’t introduce sports betting or iGaming in the foreseeable future.

 

With fewer states regulating gaming in the foreseeable future, is the market bound to shrink?

“I don’t see it that way. Long gone are the days when a new market opened every few months. What would you do? You can’t ‘magic up’ more states. But you can certainly adapt and brace yourself to improve and grow your share in existing markets, which is exactly what we are focusing on doing,” he explains. “Along with acquiring new players through new and existing markets, we are constantly looking for new channels that will bring our customers (operators) loyalty and higher lifetime value.”

 

You are talking about increasing share and value, does that mean there are no new opportunities?

“We see huge potential, with opportunities constantly coming to knock on our door. North Carolina and Vermont were the two new markets that launched in 2024, and we are already seeing a lot of growth there. For example, North Carolina, which only went live with sports betting in March 2024, but by the end of the year, already clinched ninth place in the Top 10 sports betting states, reporting revenues of over $583.

This is why we treat every state as a standalone ecosystem with its unique set of challenges, requirements, and potential. The next exciting challenge (and opportunity) we are preparing for is Missouri, which legalized sports betting at the end of 2024 but has yet to launch. We have already been hard at work since the ballot was approved in November, so we can hit the ground running and start sending our MO sportsbook partners newly depositing customers from day one.

 

What about organic growth in existing markets?

“There’s certainly that also. While every new state that launches sports betting can potentially bring a spike in growth, we are certainly seeing organic growth and improved results across the board year after year. Take as an example the Super Bowl. In 2025, legal US bets on the Super Bowl grew 10% year-on-year. Or March Madness, on which best are expected to grow 13% from last year.

So, is there still organic growth in existing markets? For us, it’s a big, fat yes.”

 

Are you planning on staying within the iGaming and sports betting markets in the near future?

“That’s a very good question I ask myself every day, Segal smiles and immediately corrects himself. “Actually, scratch that. I ask myself this question many times over the course of a day in the office.”

He elaborates: “iGaming is tangent to other gaming verticals, and sports betting has an overlap with a whole universe of sports and its related verticals. Every website in these verticals needs traffic, and we know how to provide it. So new opportunities knocking on our door. But how do we capitalize on these without losing our focus and commitment to our core business? We keep our ears and eyes open, but never lose focus.”

 

The post Affiliates in the US Sports Betting Market – Has The Game Gone Cold? appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Elevating Player Experience: Cloudfresh’s Vision for AI-Driven Gaming Support

Published

1 week ago

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March 21, 2025

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

HIPTHER, organizer of the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025, is excited to welcome Cloudfresh as the Networking Break Sponsor, a company empowering businesses with top-tier cloud services. As a Zendesk Premier Partner, Cloudfresh specializes in integrating, optimizing, and scaling the best in-class cloud solutions, acting as a vital link between companies and cloud technologies. In this exclusive interview, we speak with Vita Usatiuk, Sales Executive at Cloudfresh, to explore how AI, omnichannel support, and personalized player interactions are reshaping customer service in gaming.

Player support is becoming a crucial factor in gaming retention. How can integrated customer service solutions enhance player satisfaction and engagement while keeping gamers in the game?

Integrated customer service solutions are essential for enhancing player satisfaction and engagement, ultimately driving player retention. By providing support across various channels like chat, messaging, phone, and email, gaming companies can meet players where they are, offering seamless and convenient assistance. This omnichannel approach ensures that players can easily reach out for help before, during, or after a game. Furthermore, AI-powered tools can provide instant help and personalized interactions, addressing player needs proactively and efficiently. A robust support system contributes significantly to a positive gaming experience, fostering loyalty and encouraging players to stay engaged with the game.

The gaming industry faces unique challenges in customer support, from omnichannel demands to peak traffic surges. How does Cloudfresh leverage Zendesk to help gaming companies streamline support operations and optimize agent workload?

The gaming industry presents unique customer support challenges, including omnichannel demands and peak traffic surges, especially during new release windows. We in Cloudfresh implement Zendesk solution for the customer support to help gaming companies streamline their support operations and optimize agent workload. Zendesk offers a unified platform that integrates various support channels, enabling agents to manage interactions from a single workspace. AI-powered automation can handle routine inquiries, allowing agents to focus on complex issues. Zendesk also provides tools for intelligent ticket routing, workforce management, and performance monitoring, which helps optimize agent efficiency and ensure timely issue resolution.

Personalization is key to delivering a top player experience. How can gaming brands use AI-driven customer support to provide more tailored interactions and proactively address player needs?

Personalization in gaming support is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. AI-driven solutions are empowering gaming companies to meet this demand in innovative ways. Here are some practical examples:

  1. AI Agents for 24/7 Support and Instant Answers: Players expect support around the clock. Zendesk’s AI Agents can provide instant, accurate answers to common questions, drawing from your knowledge base. This ensures players get the help they need immediately, any time of day.
  2. Intelligent Triage and Routing: AI can analyze incoming support tickets and route them to the right agent or team based on the player’s issue, game, or platform. This ensures that players are connected with specialists who can address their specific needs efficiently.
  3. Proactive Support and Personalized Recommendations: By analyzing player data and behavior, AI can help anticipate common issues and proactively offer solutions or tips. This could include in-game notifications, personalized FAQs, or tailored support articles. For example, Kaizen Gaming, a European eGaming company, delivers 95% resolution at first contact with live chat and 360° views of customers. This level of insight allows for highly personalized and proactive support.  
  4. Automation for Scalability: Gaming companies often experience peak support volumes around game releases or updates. Zendesk’s automation capabilities, enhanced by AI, can handle surging ticket volumes and reduce wait times. Play Games24x7, an Indian online gaming company, reduced their resolution time by 68% by leveraging Zendesk automation and analytics. This demonstrates the power of AI in scaling support operations efficiently.  

By leveraging Zendesk’s AI-driven features, gaming companies can provide more tailored, efficient, and proactive support experiences, ultimately driving player satisfaction and loyalty.

Cloudfresh has extensive expertise in implementing and optimizing Zendesk solutions for gaming businesses. Can you share a recent success story where your solutions significantly improved customer experience?

Yes, we have many success stories, and one recent example is our work with Bloober Team, a renowned game development studio specializing in psychological horror games. Bloober Team faced challenges in providing efficient player support, especially during peak times around game releases.  They needed a solution that could scale, provide comprehensive data from players, and streamline their support workflow.  

We implemented Zendesk’s Enterprise Suite for Bloober Team, including add-on apps and a custom ticket form to gather essential information from players.  We also integrated DeepL for translation to assist with their diverse player base.   

The results were transformative.  Bloober Team now has a robust system to manage player support, allowing them to react quickly to issues and provide timely solutions.  This has significantly improved their ability to maintain contact with players, address concerns, and ultimately enhance the player experience.  This case demonstrates our ability to tailor Zendesk solutions to the specific needs of gaming companies, helping them to overcome support challenges and foster stronger player relationships.

At the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025, AI and automation in gaming support will be major discussion points. How do you see AI-driven support evolving in the next few years, and what should gaming operators focus on to stay ahead?

It’s clear that AI is no longer a future possibility in gaming support – it’s the present and the driving force of its evolution. We’re seeing a distinct separation between companies that are embracing AI and those that aren’t. Those “CX Trendsetters” are pulling ahead, and gaming operators need to be in that category. It’s not just about replacing human agents either; it’s about ‘human-centric AI.’ We’re talking about augmenting agents, giving them superpowers to handle complex issues while AI handles the routine.

Looking ahead, expect AI to get even smarter – predictive, hyper-personalized, with more natural conversations. And it’s not just chatbots anymore; AI-powered automation will touch every support channel, creating those seamless omnichannel experiences players demand. Crucially, AI will provide a wealth of data and insights, allowing for data-driven optimization of support strategies.

So, for gaming operators who want to stay ahead, it boils down to this: invest strategically in AI, empower your agents to work alongside it, focus on leveraging those AI-driven insights, build systems that can scale and adapt, and, of course, prioritize data security. That’s from my point of view the roadmap for success in the AI-driven future of gaming support.

With Cloudfresh at the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025, this year’s event will showcase the latest innovations in AI-driven player support and customer service strategies. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, gain exclusive insights, and explore the future of gaming support technology!

The post Elevating Player Experience: Cloudfresh’s Vision for AI-Driven Gaming Support appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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