News
Exclusive Interview with Jens Bader, Co-founder of MuchBetter, previously CCO at Secure Trading
Reading Time: 7 minutes
My interviewee today is Jens Bader, who has a rich management background with more than 20 years of experience in the Online and Mobile Payments industry. He is a a seasoned commercial leader, Jens recently co-founded MIR Limited, an FCA-licensed FINTECH group that develops and operates second-generation electronic money services servicing on- and offline merchants.
I would also like to thank you for following my interview series and for sharing these information with your colleagues and partners. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming interview, please send me an e-mail to [email protected] and I will happily get back to you!
Thank you very much for being available for this interview. First I would like to ask you to shortly introduce yourself.
Jens: My Name is Jens Bader, I am one of the co-founders of a new payments company and scheme called MuchBetter. I spent most my professional life in the payments industry, hopefully growing my knowledge alongside the fantastic and exciting development we have seen in payments technology during that last 20 years.
Will you please tell us more about your company and why you chose to get into gaming?
Jens: As said, I have been working in the online payments industry from the very early days on and online gaming industry has always been at the forefront of innovation. Many of the pioneers in online gaming have been quite important in the continuous development and improvement of online payment services.
During my career, in different roles and for different providers, I worked very closely with online gaming operators. I always found that the cooperation between the payment service provider and the demanding gaming client to be both challenging and exciting. What was once considered to be one of the riskiest online businesses that a payment provider could underwrite, is today one of the most professional managed online industries. Indeed, gaming is now often a benchmark in risk management, fraud detection and prevention.
Personally, I can say that having worked at the intersection of payment and gaming allowed me to learn at a pace that would have been difficult to achieve in a different setup. In my 20 years in the industry, I have seen payments from all sides: Issuing, Acquiring, e-money, cash, processing – there is not a spot in the payments chain that I have not been active in. About a year ago and after a few inspiring conversation with some of my future co-founders, I felt the timing was right to bundle all my experience, my network and enthusiasm for payments to build a payments product that I felt was a next-generation payment service. I felt that it needed to be centred around a number of typical and systematic payments challenges and issues that the gaming industry has been consistently facing. What my team and I came up with is a new payments app that by technological design eliminates or neutralizes the issues we have identified. Our product delivers a better commercial model, hence substantial cost savings, counters and eliminates the typical fraud patterns in gaming and allows operators to have a reliable and indemnified payment product that can be operated internationally. Our payments app “MuchBetter” has also been engineered considering the vast regulatory changes that affect the gaming and the payments world. Our payments service provides data points that support operators being compliant with AML4/5. The world is talking about open APIs, we have anticipated a data and information sharing-approach already when we built the product. We don’t just talk about it, it is live and working. In general, MuchBetter is a payment product purpose-built for the gaming industry, a bench-mark for combining modern technology to deliver a superior payments experience to both players and operators.
You have a rich management background with more than 20 years of experience in the Online and Mobile Payments industry. You have recently co-founded MIR Limited, an FCA-licensed FINTECH group that develops and operates second-generation electronic money services servicing on- and offline merchants. As co-founder of MIR you also design and oversee the commercial strategy of the Group. I would like to congratulate you for this successful career and I would like to ask you: What is the price or what is the secret of such an impressively successful career?
Jens: I enjoy what I do immensely. While it is quite a mountain of work, there is never a dull moment either. The spirit and atmosphere within our small organisation is amazing. I am lucky to be able to work with such an exceptional group of people. The industry is fast-moving, constantly changing and has always had a certain complexity. The fact I could practically grow up with the developments in the payments industry helped me in understanding the complexity. When I am challenged to solve a problem, it often helps me to remember the early days in payments and how the services have developed the way they have. It helps me distinguishing the parts that are actually addressable from the parts that are not worth conquering as they are historical and a pillar I have to work around or incorporate in my approaches. The biggest sacrifice over the years has been the enormous amount of travel that my roles requested. There is so much you miss at home and the time with the family you miss. This I felt was the biggest personal challenge over the last couple of years, being there for the family.
Will you please tell us more about the projects you have worked on and about any difficulties and successes you have experienced during your career?
Jens: I remember the days when payments were mostly unregulated. The sole priority was ensuring that a customer could somehow pay a merchant. That was pre-PSD in Europe and worldwide there was no regulatory framework whatsoever for online payments. When the industry grew up and regulation kicked in, this change needed to be managed. What was OK six months ago, wasn’t OK anymore. I was in the middle of a changing industry that is such a critical item of modern e-commerce as we know it today. I realized payment companies needed to change to comply but were still required to secure and hang on to their existing revenue sources. When I compare the old days with today’s environments, I often smile. It feels so surreal; the way things were handled back then.
The payments industry is all about scale. Transaction business is volume business, so the underlying main revenues come from processing vast volumes. If you operate within an organisation that has been built up for the last 10 years, you have that advantage of sitting on a large merchant portfolio. Pricing pressure on acquiring and processing further increased the necessity to aggressively grow the volume within every payments organisation. The challenge that we face here as a newcomer is being able to offset the fact you come with only marginal existing business into a commoditised industry where volume is the most business-critical economical factor with the chance to utilize better, faster, smarter technology to attract new, meaningful business quickly. We need to challenge the business models to stand a fair chance of succeeding – and this is what we do and what is quite a tricky subject to manage.
What role do you undertake in the company’s life? What are your tasks and responsibilities?
Jens: For one thing, I am the guy with the nice shirts. However, my main role is to set the company’s commercial plan and strategy, and ensure it is formed in a way that allows the teams to execute it promptly. I oversee the commercial day-to-day activities and still take on many of the market-facing tasks such as meeting prospects, representing Muchbetter in the industry, and talking to influencers to imbed Muchbetter further into the payments landscape. I like the hands-on activities, writing to business and helping to execute the commercial plan that I set in place. The shirts sometimes help with that.
What is your personal opinion about the gambling industry in general in Europe or in the countries you know better?
Jens: The gaming industry has constantly developed and is – in Europe – on a very high, professional level. The amount of regulatory change and adoption over the last 10 years has been almost overwhelming. One effect we witness today is the state of consolidation. Consolidation in any industry vertical is always a sign of maturity, market saturation and requirement to capitalise on synergies to maintain growth. Overall, I think that the European Online Gaming industry has achieved higher social acceptance, improved their overall reputation and grown to an exceptional professional level. Personally, I sometimes miss the “old days”, the eccentricity and unconventional ways of how the industry operated, but as someone running a supplier business now, I am immensely grateful for the solidity and good governance that we see in the industry today. Gaming today and certainly even more so tomorrow is all about the quality that is being delivered to the customer. You can enjoy gaming, you are legally allowed to do so, now it is about coming out on top by meeting customer’s expectations.
Which are the future plans of the company that you can talk about to our readers?
Jens: We are all gaming and payments experts, so we will always be close and aligned with the gaming industry. However, we need to further develop our payment service to be just as ground-breaking in other industries as we are for gaming today. Diversification is always a difficult task to manage and succeed with, so it’s better to start early. We identified certain online industries that are battling similar payment challenges as gaming does. We apply the same philosophy here – we identify the main issues that we as a payment supplier can address to make life easier for the participants in such markets. We further build on our existing payments app to grow acceptance on both sides, merchants and customers, but we will also be broadening our payments portfolio and infrastructure to offer additional services and capabilities to our merchants. We have great ideas around subscription management, market-places and money remittance markets. Social money concepts are one of the topics close to my heart.
Tell us please about your future plans, projects regarding your professional life.
Jens: Obviously, my main objective is to build MuchBetter into a rock-solid, leading payments organisation. This won’t happen overnight, so I consider this to be the long-term goal. I also serve as advisory to some companies which helps me keeping an open mind and a sense for the wider market and helps us in identifying opportunities for partnerships. Any successful payments business needs to be international, when the time is right, I like to take the lead on our internationalisation and maybe be the one that opens our Chinese offices!
Who is your favourite actor or actress?
Jens: I enjoy watching Steve Buscemi – he is a genuine character and unique in how he plays his roles.
Where would you travel the most in Central Europe?
Jens: London for business, but for pleasure and good food, it has to be Italy
About Jens
Jens has a rich management background with more than 20 years of experience in the Online and Mobile Payments industry. A seasoned commercial leader, Jens recently co-founded MIR Limited, an FCA-licensed FINTECH group that develops and operates second-generation electronic money services servicing on- and offline merchants. As Chief Commercial Officer of MIR he designs and oversees the commercial strategy of the Group. Previously he was Chief Commercial Officer of Secure Trading Group, a leading European Payment Service Provider and Card Acquirer. At Secure Trading Jens managed the Group’s revenue generation and retention. In his prior role as CCO of paysafecard he led the global Account and Sales Management Teams overseeing and managing all commercial merchant relationships. Before joining Paysafecard in 2010, Jens was holding various roles in the payments industry with blue-chip financial institutions as well as payment start-ups. Jens is a frequent speaker on payments and fraud-related topics worldwide. Jens holds a degree in International Business Management.
About MuchBetter
MuchBetter, operated by MIR Limited UK Ltd, an FCA-licensed and regulated e-money issuer, is the new payments application for iGaming. Available on Android and iOS, MuchBetter make effortless online, offline and contactless payments throughout EMEA. Funds can be transferred and received in real-time and MuchBetter’s unique commercial model increases operator revenues while its anti-fraud features and use of best in class technology reduces risk.
Source: European Gaming Media and Events
Objective: Examine how customer experience shapes player retention and brand loyalty in iGaming, placing emphasis on the role of localised, high-quality support.
Outline:
- Introduction: The growing focus on customer experience as a differentiator in iGaming.
- The Value of Localised Support: Exploring how cultural nuances and language fluency enhance player satisfaction.
- Flexibility in Resource Allocation: Meeting fluctuating demand without compromising quality.
- Future Trends: How advancements in technology and localization will shape the next era of player engagement.
Questions for Exploration:
- How does high-quality, localised support impact player satisfaction and retention?
- What role does cultural understanding play in shaping effective customer interactions?
- How can operators balance flexibility with consistency in customer support?
- What emerging trends in customer experience should iGaming businesses prepare for?
Answer:
In the rapidly evolving iGaming industry, players have more choice than ever before—whether it’s brands, slots, game types, payment options, the list goes on. With so much competition, customer experience is quickly becoming a significant differentiator for operators. The ability to deliver a seamless, player-centric experience across multiple jurisdictions is not just a competitive advantage but a necessity in retaining players in this growingly saturated market.
Customer experience today goes far beyond just problem-solving for players. It encompasses proactive, personalised engagement, meaningful recommendations, and a culturally resonant approach. The operators that succeed in this space are those who maintain high standards across these elements, delivering them in a timely and localised manner. Localisation, in particular, is a key factor in turning good customer service into exceptional customer experiences.
So, why is localisation so important? At its core, successful customer support is built on trust. But building trust across diverse jurisdictions is not something that can be achieved through a single, uniform strategy. Methods of communication are a prime example. In Brazil, where the newly regulated market is flourishing, players may expect warm and conversational interactions. In contrast, many European players often favour more concise and formal communication. Recognising and adapting to these cultural nuances allows operators to foster a stronger connection with their entire player base.
Beyond communication style, localisation also plays a critical role in regulatory compliance. The iGaming industry is highly fragmented in terms of regulations, and players are increasingly aware of their rights. A customer service team that understands local legislation implicitly adds immense value, ensuring compliance while delivering tailored support. This not only reinforces trust but also strengthens the player’s respect for the brand.
At the same time, operators face the challenge of balancing high-quality customer support with the flexibility needed to respond to fluctuating demand. This is where RokkerX delivers measurable value. By offering scalable resource allocation and rigorous cross-functional training, we ensure our teams can adapt to surges in demand; whether it’s a major sporting event in a specific jurisdiction or global-scale activity, without compromising on quality. Our teams remain aligned with the core values of our clients’ brands, ensuring a customer-centric approach at all times.
Looking ahead, the iGaming industry is poised for further transformation, driven by advancements in technology and localisation. At RokkerX, we are committed to staying at the forefront of these changes to help our clients deliver exceptional experiences. Trends like the growing prominence of omnichannel communication, including social media and in-app messaging, and advancements in natural language processing (NLP) will enable operators to communicate with even greater precision and cultural nuance. Yet, the future will demand more than just technology. The ability to strike the right balance between tech-driven solutions and the human touch will be essential in creating meaningful connections with players.
As the industry evolves, the blend of cutting-edge technology, cultural understanding, and human expertise will define the next era of player engagement. By staying ahead of these trends, RokkerX ensures our clients are not only prepared for the future but thrive in it.
The post The Untapped Potential of Localised Support January 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The iGaming industry is advancing at breakneck speed, driven by technological innovation and evolving player expectations. Itai Zak, Executive Director of iGaming at Digicode, emphasizes the importance of bridging client aspirations with customized business solutions. Key trends shaping the future of iGaming include live dealer games, blockchain integration, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), enhanced personalization, and shifting regulatory environments. Let’s delve into how these trends influence the industry, presenting new opportunities while paving the way for future growth.
A Closer Look at Emerging Trends
- Live Dealer Games
Live dealer games are revolutionizing the online gaming experience, blending the best aspects of land-based casinos with the convenience of virtual gaming. Players can now engage with real-life dealers via high-definition video streams, enhancing the social component of online gambling. This bridge between physical and virtual casinos introduces interactive features like live chat and immersive gameplay. Industry leaders like Evolution Gaming and NetEnt are setting new standards in player engagement with innovative game formats and top-tier studio setups, redefining the realism and appeal of live gaming.
- Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Integration
Blockchain technology is transforming iGaming by offering unparalleled transparency and security. With blockchain’s ability to enable provably fair gaming, players can verify that each round is fair via an immutable ledger. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum facilitate faster, more secure transactions, catering to tech-savvy players who value privacy. Platforms like Bitcasino.io are leading the way, leveraging blockchain to ensure fairness and seamless payments. However, the rise of blockchain also attracts regulatory attention, requiring operators to balance innovation with compliance as governments navigate this new technology.
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI and ML are instrumental in enhancing player experience and operational efficiency. AI algorithms analyze player behavior in real-time, offering personalized game recommendations and promotions. Additionally, AI-powered chatbots provide instant customer support, improving user satisfaction. AI-driven predictive analytics also help operators fine-tune marketing strategies based on player preferences. Companies like Bet365 are already using these technologies to stay ahead of the competition, offering more personalized and efficient gaming experiences.
- Richer Personalization and Engagement
Personalization has become crucial for iGaming operators looking to boost player satisfaction and retention. By leveraging data analytics, companies can offer tailored game recommendations, dynamic bonuses, and individualized promotional offers. This level of engagement enhances the player experience and strengthens loyalty. Industry pioneers like DraftKings and FanDuel push the envelope by offering highly customized features, such as personalized fantasy sports leagues and bespoke betting options.
- Regulatory Changes and Market Expansion
The constantly evolving regulatory landscape offers both challenges and opportunities for iGaming operators. As more regions legalize various forms of online gambling, companies gain access to new markets. With their large populations and increasing internet penetration, emerging markets like Brazil and Nigeria represent lucrative opportunities. However, navigating the diverse regulations in these markets requires agility and strict compliance with local laws to succeed.
- Enhanced Payment Solutions
With digital transactions becoming the norm, the demand for fast, secure, and flexible payment methods is skyrocketing. From digital wallets to instant banking and cryptocurrencies, players expect payment solutions that offer convenience and security. This growing demand is driving innovation in payment processing, giving operators more opportunities to streamline the transaction process while building trust with users.
Future Implications
The Expanding Role of AI and Blockchain
AI and blockchain are not just current trends, but they are poised to play an even more significant role in iGaming’s future. As AI technology evolves, more sophisticated algorithms will emerge, enabling real-time adaptation to player behavior and preferences. Blockchain’s application may extend beyond transparency and security, transforming game mechanics and player interactions potentially redefining how games are designed and played.
Shifting Player Preferences
Player expectations will continue to evolve toward immersive, interactive experiences. As Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) become more mainstream, they will significantly influence the future of iGaming. Players will demand more engaging, lifelike environments, pushing the industry to create innovative game formats and features that offer deeper immersion and entertainment value.
Regulatory Developments
The regulatory environment will continue to evolve, and iGaming operators must stay agile to navigate future changes. New regulations may increasingly emphasize responsible gaming and player protection, influencing platform design and operational practices. A more harmonized regulatory framework across jurisdictions could provide stability while requiring operators to prioritize compliance.
Integrating Emerging Technologies
Technologies like 5G and edge computing are set to revolutionize iGaming by enabling faster, more reliable connectivity. This will allow for more complex game designs and real-time player interactions, opening new avenues for innovative gaming experiences. As these technologies mature, operators will have greater opportunities to differentiate their offerings. The potential of these emerging technologies to revolutionize iGaming is truly exciting and promising for the industry’s future.
Final Thoughts
The iGaming industry is on the cusp of significant transformations, driven by technological advancements and shifting player demands. Innovations like live dealer games, blockchain integration, AI, ML, and enhanced personalization are just the beginning. As the industry evolves, staying ahead of these trends will be critical for operators looking to thrive in an increasingly dynamic environment.
At Digicode, we are constantly exploring new technologies and refining our solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients. Our focus on adaptability and foresight ensures that our clients are not just keeping pace with the industry—they’re leading it.
The post Innovations Redefining iGaming: What Operators Need to Know appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.
Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”
Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.
According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.
There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.
Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”
Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”
What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.
Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.
ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
More information: https://slotegrator.pro/
ABOUT TURBO GAMES
Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.
Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.
The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.
More information: https://turbogames.io/
EstrelaBet Reinforces Its Commitment to Betting Integrity Through Membership in the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA)
Recap of EEGS Webinar on AI’s Transformative Power in Gaming Industry Now Available On-Demand
Bulgaria first for Push Gaming with Kaizen Gaming’s Betano
RokkerX Expands into Latin America with São Paulo Operations
BiS SiGMA Americas announces institutional partnership with ANJL to strengthen the new regulated betting market in Brazil
Portside Game Assembly: Studios behind Dead Cells, Dungeon Clawler, Dorfromantik, Blasphemous on board and ticket sales for brunch and party launched
Bragg Gaming Announces Preliminary Unaudited Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2025 Strategic Initiatives and Guidance
DNSFilter Data Reveals Dangers to Fake Gambling Sites and Illegal Streaming in Lead Up to Super Bowl LIX
Skillhub Online Games Federation and Global Esports Federation Unite to Bring Global Esports Tour 2025 to India
IBIA establishes innovative Payment Provider Forum to protect the integrity of the sports betting market in Brazil from financial fraud
-
gaming2 years agoODIN by 4Players: Immersive, state-of-the-art in-game audio launches into the next generation of gaming
-
EEG iGaming Directory8 years ago
iSoftBet continues to grow with new release Forest Mania
-
News7 years ago
Softbroke collaborates with Asia Live Tech for the expansion of the service line in the igaming market
-
News6 years ago
Super Bowl LIII: NFL Fans Can Bet on the #1 Sportsbook Review Site Betting-Super-Bowl.com, Providing Free Unbiased and Trusted News, Picks and Predictions
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
Rick Meitzler appointed to the Indian Gaming Magazine Advisory Board for 2018
-
News6 years ago
REVEALED: Top eSports players set to earn $3.2 million in 2019
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
French Senator raises Loot Boxes to France’s Gambling Regulator
-
News7 years ago
Exclusive Interview with Miklos Handa (Founder of the email marketing solutions, “MailMike.net”), speaker at Vienna International Gaming Expo 2018
