Eastern Europe
“We’re currently seeing history in the making”: Exclusive interview with Evoplay Entertainment on the regulation of Ukraine’s gambling market
With Ukraine getting ready to regulate online gambling for the first time in more than a decade, we caught up with Vladimir Malakchi, CBDO at Evoplay Entertainment, to take a deep dive into the market’s potential and what we should expect to see once it goes live.
Can you give us the lowdown on gambling regulation in Ukraine and what’s happening right now?
VM: We’re currently seeing history in the making. In short, the Ukrainian gambling industry is coming back. While gambling peaked at almost $1.4 billion in revenue in 2008, the state monopolised the market into lotteries in 2009, making it the only legal form of gambling – and prohibiting anything else.
After more than a decade of prohibition, the current legislation being adopted by parliament will soon mean that regulated online gaming will be available to Ukrainian players. With one of Europe’s most hotly anticipated gambling bills on the table, we’re sure that regulation will be of great benefit to players, suppliers and the national economy alike.
So, once the market’s live – how’s it going to look?
VM: In its current form, the bill legally permits the operation of online gaming, as well as land-based casinos – along with retail and sportsbook outlets and commercial lotteries. The government is set to appoint a new authority to oversee licencing, compliance and inspections.
The body will outline a list of products requiring mandatory certification, as well as the regulatory authorities responsible for awarding it. The government will also be closely monitoring operator data, with a view to updating regulation by 2022 as the market develops.
How big is the potential here?
VM: Given the market has been out of action for more than 10 years, it’s difficult to evaluate the size of what we’re dealing with today. With the gambling market peaking at $1.4 billion in revenue in 2008, we’re dealing with a respectable benchmark. Conservative estimates put the expected GDP boost at close to $100 million dollars for the first year, which is enough to be taken seriously.
These figures also clearly show that the legalisation of betting causes a significant increase in economic activity. A well-formulated legal framework protects players, creates jobs and drives growth, for which we are strong proponents.
How would you define the typical Ukrainian player? What kind of demographics are we dealing with?
VM: When it comes to assessing player preferences, strong local knowledge is critical. Just as we’ve seen in other territories, it’s going to be all about getting the balance of delivery just right. Prominent Ukraine-based suppliers such as us are going to be well positioned to evaluate the behavioural patterns exhibited by Ukrainian players; and we’ll be looking to capitalise on our unique placement.
From what we can paint as a broad picture, the country’s players share a lot of similarities with their European counterparts – typically a 35 to 54-year-old male. The difference is that, with a lower average income, total bet spends in Ukraine will be lower than those observed elsewhere on the continent. As a consequence, expect low-spend, high entertainment titles to perform strongly.
How accustomed are they to online casino?
VM: The more than decade-long national ban on gambling means that most players will generally be unfamiliar with it, which means that there needs to be marketing efforts to help players migrate. Accordingly, land-based casinos will likely continue to hold most of the market for the first few years as we go through the adoption process.
At the same time, mobile usage in Ukraine is rapidly spreading, with a market share that has tripled in the last three years alone. Over 70% of internet usage is now coming from mobile in Ukraine, which shows how important a mobile-first strategy will need to be here. Digital adoption here for iGaming is definitely going to come via mobile rather than desktop and given how tech-savvy the population is, there’s plenty of potential.
And how about slots in particular?
VM: Online slots offer that classic gaming experience that arguably made Vegas great all those years ago. The same can be said for any new market – and any operator worth their salt is going to make sure they have the industry’s top suppliers in their stable. Of course, this will be a particular plus if they’re also based locally such as ourselves! I’m sure our development team can’t wait to get stuck into one or two Ukrainian-themed titles in the near future to really bring a feel of home.
Take us through the process – what does a game supplier need to get online in Ukraine?
VM: So far, the Ukrainian government has only set out requirements for operators, with suppliers still awaiting the list of mandatory B2B licenses and game certificates that are needed to go live. Once this information is received, our preparations will commence.
Regulatory approval is likely to depend on the commercial reputation of the company in question, which puts Evoplay Entertainment in a strong position given our local presence. I think if we look for a comparative style of entrance requirements, then we’re probably looking at internationally recognised certification or similar – much as you would expect for many European markets.
What does it mean for local suppliers such as yourselves? What are your plans?
VM: For a Ukrainian company like us, the legalisation of Ukraine’s gambling sector is an opportunity to show players in our native territory what we are all about. With an understanding of the country’s culture that only local knowledge can bring, we are ideally placed to become one of the market’s standout suppliers.
But this doesn’t just mean creatively speaking – our time-to-market can likely be fast accelerated too. I also expect, circumstances safely permitting, that we will be able to conduct more face-to-face meetings and attend more local trade shows than our competitors.
Who do you expect to be the biggest commercial players here?
VM: The newly regulated Ukrainian market represents an exciting prospect for some of our industry’s biggest names. We’ve already seen a surge in interest from our foreign partners, and with over 26 million potential customers up for grabs if we’re talking internet users, this will only increase in the future.
We’ll likely see a combination of big-name brands staking their claim with the usual roster of titles, along with the smaller, agile suppliers like us looking to provide operators with a more customised approach to the market.
And finally? Give us a snapshot as to how you see the first year here once we’re ready to go?
VM: In all seriousness – having seen the plans and what’s on the table, I think it’s in the Ukrainian government’s interest to provide a fair playing field for foreign and local brands, and the bill looks like it’s shaping up to do just that.
If we look at LatAm’s recent regulatory developments to compare, everyone will no doubt be hoping for a pro-active Colombia based model similar to the stellar work done by Coljuegos, which has set a shining example. I have no doubt that this will be possible – and having seen how well Croatia, the Baltics and Romania have performed in recent years, I expect to see a market that offers player protection and a fair playing field for all.
As to how the market will look – it’s hard to define. While we can use other European markets as a benchmark, we are dealing with not only a very different culture to the likes of Italy and Romania for example. The Baltics are really the only similar regulated markets we can likely compare Ukraine to. With individual populations numbering as small as one million for Estonia, it does make things hard to compare to Ukraine’s much greater population – so this is certainly a step into the unknown for many!
Eastern Europe
Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating

“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.
On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.
“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.
A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact
The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.
Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.
More Than Just a Run
It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.
“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.
“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”
“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”
“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.
Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.
Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.
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Africa
QTech Games hires Ekaterina Mayorova as sales lead for Africa & Eastern Europe

Leading distributor for emerging markets announces the appointment of its new business lead to drive African sales
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has appointed Ekaterina Mayorova to the new role of Sales & Account Manager for Africa & Eastern Europe, as it bids to consolidate its existing presence across Europe and, in particular, drive new revenue streams across Africa’s evolving landscape.
Ekaterina arrives at QTech Games after successful stints at Trustly and, most recently, PandaScore where she respectively proved herself in both account management and senior business development roles. Now Ekaterina brings those talents to bear at the industry’s leading aggregator for developing markets, where she will be responsible for managing QTech’s existing partners in Africa and Eastern Europe – spearheading that progressive expansion into Africa’s diverse patchwork quilt of territories.
QTech Games CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re delighted to now have Ekaterina at QTech Games where she has hit the ground running and proved herself a quick study. Her extensive experience and network in our targeted territories is already serving us well, especially as we broaden our existing influence across Africa.
“She’ll be a true asset to both QTech and all our clients, as we grow in Africa to make it a substantial part of our total revenue mix. We have high growth hopes for the region in the coming years and we want to dominate by building a strong brand in the region.”
Ekaterina Mayorova added: “I’m thrilled to be underway at QTech Games, a company with the most customizable content suite and focus on emerging markets. Beyond that, I’ve already found a cohesive and collaborative structure with an organisational culture to match – I think the team is fantastic!
“Having worked across iGaming, esports, and fintech, I’m thrilled to take on this new opportunity—bringing innovative gaming solutions to some of the most dynamic and fast-growing markets. Africa holds a special place in my career journey, and I’m looking forward to deepening partnerships, driving growth, and collaborating with forward-thinking operators and platforms in the region.”
QTech Hybrid – join Ekaterina and the team in Ghana to find out more!
QTech Hybrid will next be showcased at the upcoming SBWA+ show in Ghana in August, where QTech Games delegates will be on site to unpack its breakout technology and salient applications for joining up the retail and digital-mobile experience.
QTech Hybrid is a software service that joins up QTech Games’ AI-powered casino lobby (a leading game-personalisation engine known as QTech Play) to a land-based (retail) management system and a state-of-the-art integrated AMS (Agent Management System) to manage both retail outlets and agents. This allows operators to scale their brick-and-mortar operation online. QTech Hybrid simplifies transactions by enabling deposits, withdrawals, and gameplay while allowing access to players both in-store and on personal devices.
For the player, the net result is that they can now enjoy all the games from the comfort of their own home, or on the move. For the operator, there is no need for expensive terminals, as QTech Hybrid runs on cost-effective computers/tablets. In short, it’s ideal for operators looking to extend their reach across multiple platforms, providing the flexibility to operate both land-based and online through the AMS.
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Eastern Europe
GGBET UA became the title sponsor of FC Dynamo Kyiv

The partnership was announced on 25 June at the Dynamo 3.0 media event held in Kyiv, Ukraine. GG.BET is the first betting brand in the club’s history to be given title sponsor status.
Kyiv was the venue of a press conference with the leadership of UPL team FC Dynamo, who were celebrating another special occasion: 30 titles in the club’s history. CEO Dmytro Brif, team captain Vitaliy Buyalskyi, and midfielders Oleksandr Karavayev and Andriy Yarmolenko spoke about their journey to this latest achievement and future plans for the football club.
At the event, they presented a new title sponsor: the GGBET UA will be a partner of FC Dynamo Kyiv for three years. Plans include continuing to bring the fans and the team closer together, opening up new sides of Dynamo to supporters through joint projects, custom content, and special offers.
During the announcement, GGBET UA CEO Sergii Mishchenko revealed the symbolism of the name: “Dynamo 3.0 isn’t just about the thirty titles, although of course this is a momentous and historic event. It’s also about a new era for Dynamo and GGBET UA. It’s a totally new level of collaboration, with a status that no betting company has ever been awarded by the Kyiv club, and involving lots of time and possibilities for carrying out special projects. For us, this is an opportunity to work even more closely with football fans, to increase brand awareness, and to achieve both our own business objectives and those we can work towards with the club. So, I’m confident that during three years of collaboration, we’ll be able to impress both our users and Dynamo fans”.
”Keeping the bar high and working with the best – that’s the dream of every club. This is a very inspiring period for Dynamo. We have thirty incredible successes under our belt. We’re entering the new season as reigning champions. We’re being supported by a partner who can significantly boost our media presence and help us to organize a range of activities that will surprise even the most demanding football fans. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that this season, the quality of our football and the ideas we embody with GGBET UA shine as brightly as the stars on our new emblem,” commented FC Dynamo’s CEO Dmytro Brif.
Previously, GGBET UA had been the official sponsor of FC Dynamo Kyiv for European cup matches, as well as the sponsor of its winter training camp in Turkey.
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