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“Land-based Casinos Should Crisis-proof Their Operations and Diversify Online” – WinPrincess’ Guven Eraslan

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After announcing its partnership with WinPrincess, whereby the principal retail casino in Tanzania will be diversifying its operations, incorporating the digital channels to its retail business strategy, leading iGaming platform provider BtoBet meets with Guven Eraslan, Executive Coordinator of the WinPrincess Group, to understand key market traits.

Coming from the casino vertical, do you intend to stick to your core brand strategy or diversify and grasp the opportunity that other verticals keep in hold?
Our core business is the operation of land-based casinos. At heart we are a family owned traditional bricks and mortar company with strong values. But like any other company we need to grow in order to continue to remain relevant.

Therefore, we cannot afford to miss any of the opportunities that lie ahead of us, and our focus will be on all verticals within the iGaming industry. Our mid-term strategy is to be online in all the countries where we operate land-based casinos already. With marketing being key to the success of the online business, we believe that we can create a synergy through our already existing physical presence, knowledge of the culture and manpower on the front.

You have targeted Tanzania for your first expansion to online gambling. Why Tanzania?
Tanzania’s betting industry has more than doubled in the last three years. Moreover three of the fastest growing cities in the world are in Tanzania. Dar Es Salaam has a population of 6.7 million people and is projected to grow by 100% to 13.4 million by 2035.

Apart from this it is important to note that all of the fastest growing 15 cities in the world are found in Africa. We believe that Africa is a safe bet if you need a good start. And that is exactly what we need, if we are to tackle and master diversification within a traditional casino company such as ours.

From a global perspective land-based casinos have been slow to shift or expand their operations to the digital channels, and thus providing a more complete betting experience where all the channels are interlinked. Why do you think is there such a reluctance from retail casino operators to transform their business strategies?
I think people are reluctant to change in general. We are talking about two totally different cultures as well, with the online branch of the business considered as the disruptor in our traditional casino world, where until recently people always needed to be physically present in a brick and mortar casino in order to place their money on bets. Thus there always needed to be a live interaction and it was more like a personal experience.

That is not required anymore, with online casino bringing about a clash of cultures, if you will. Well it is quite clear that it is us, the land-based casino operators, the ones that need to change and adapt. Diversification can only be made in the direction of progress. Business diversification is definitely something that all land-based operators need to address in the short term. We are up to the challenge, and with the right vision and the right partners such as BtoBet we will get there.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about never before seen measures requiring social distancing. How has this effected the retail casino business?
All but 12 of our casinos are closed at the moment. So we are talking about 20 closed casinos of which we do not know yet when they will be allowed to reopen. The best business model is a crisis-proof one, and there will be a lot of analysis from all industries on how they can achieve this.
Nonetheless I dare say that if we could have achieved a diversification to online more early, and by doing so hedged our investments, we probably would have not been hit as hard.

Do you think that the pandemic will eventually change the players’ behaviour?
We cannot foresee with certainty what the player behaviour will look like after the crisis. People might be more hesitant to go to a casino but on the other hand once normality returns I believe that social interaction will be a key element that will characterize people’s lives.

My guess is that everything will go back to normal once the pandemic is under control. People have a tendency of wanting to forget bad times. After all social interaction is what makes us human, so we will not easily give up on that.

What elements made you choose BtoBet’s Neuron 3 platform as the technological core of your online business?
When I did my own research for iGaming and sports betting platform providers, which are active in Africa it was amazing that under every stone I turned I found BtoBet. When a company of our size wants to go online there is a lot of demand for working with us. And although we had contact with all the main companies in the online gaming business, our decision in the end was quite easy. Knowledge, expertise and trustworthiness are key elements that distinguish BtoBet, and we look forward to work with them on other similar projects.

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Shaden Dre Shabalala (Captain of the MSSA Protea Esports Team for MLBB) will lead his brave, and dedicated, team against Madagascar on 23 July 2025 at 19H00)

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With the South African Protea Esports Team for the Mobile Legends Bang Bang title having laid waste to all its opponents in its group (Namibia and Congo), the Proteas now have to do battle against Madagascar.

Madagascar has also won all its matches in its group having beaten both Mauritius and Zimbabwe.

Thus to see which country earns its place to represent Southern Africa at the prestigious IESF World Esports Championships – WEC25 – the two titans will meet on the field of battle.

The winner of this clash on 23 July 2025 will see only one country emerge to represent Southern Africa at IESF’s WEC25.

Thus, there is much at stake, honour, prestige, and a nation’s pride!

The match is a thrilling best-of-five games in which, all MSSA is confident that the Proteas will emerge victorious!

As usual the dedicated team from Waylander Gaming will stream the match on https://youtube.com/@waylander_gaming at 19H00.

The battle hardened veteran team of Protea athletes for the Mobile Legends Bang Bang esports title are:

Name Club Nick Province
Shaden Dre Shabalala (Capt.) King of the Hill SUPER Shady Gauteng
Mogamat Junaid Ismail King of the Hill JụjuMC.♡ Western Cape
Slindokuhle Ndlovu King of the Hill lindo Gauteng
Umer Ali Khan King of the Hill VeloTzy. Gauteng
Schalk Rademeyer Paradox SUPER Light Eastern Cape

The post Shaden Dre Shabalala (Captain of the MSSA Protea Esports Team for MLBB) will lead his brave, and dedicated, team against Madagascar on 23 July 2025 at 19H00) appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Africa

TigonBet Enters Kenya’s Betting Market

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TigonBet, a digital sportsbook and casino platform, has officially entered the Kenyan Betting Market.

With gamified features, swipe-to-bet tech and lucrative tournaments, this new platform is putting the fun back in betting, offering speed, interactivity and mobile usability.

TigonBet is backed by a bold brand identity the “Tigon,” a hybrid of lion and tiger. The platform is aiming to blend entertainment with strategic play, catering to both sports bettors and casino enthusiasts.

At the core of TigonBet’s user experience is a Tinder-style swipe feature that allows punters to scroll through match options and betting markets quickly. Built for mobile-first users, the interface reduces friction and aims to make browsing and betting more intuitive.

TigonBet also introduces a tournament system where players can compete in live leaderboards. Whether betting on sports or spinning in the casino, users can climb rankings and win prizes from airtime and smartphones to consoles and TVs. The system is performance-based, meaning consistency is rewarded over high spending.

The post TigonBet Enters Kenya’s Betting Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Altenar appoints Brendon Jeacocks as Regional Director in South Africa

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Sportsbook provider hires respected industry consultant to fuel growth during its first year

Altenar, a leading sportsbook and iGaming software provider, has invested in its presence in South Africa with the appointment of Brendon Jeacocks as Regional Director.

Jeacocks brings more than eight years of experience in the online gaming industry, primarily in finance, regulation and compliance. He joins Altenar after working as an independent consultant for South African iGaming brands, before which he worked as Financial Manager at African operator SportPesa.

The move follows Altenar’s receipt of a National Manufacturer licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board in December 2024, which paved the way for the company to supply its sportsbook technology to licensed operators in South Africa and other African markets.

In his role, Jeacocks will drive growth for Altenar in South Africa, where it already offers its tailored premium data providers, localised sports offering and mobile app aimed at players in the mobile-first market.

John Quaye, CFO at Altenar, said: “We are delighted to welcome Brendon to the team as he builds our on-the-ground presence in South Africa. His expertise in the market will undoubtedly help us achieve strong growth in our first year as a licensed provider in the country.

“He is well-positioned to forge partnerships and help us tailor our product to meet the region’s growing demand for localised sports betting solutions.”

Brendon Jeacocks, Regional Director at Altenar, said: “I’m pleased to be joining Altenar at such an exciting time for the company’s ambitions in Africa. I’m currently based in Cape Town and will serve as the local point of contact for our operations here.

“I look forward to helping to develop Altenar’s presence in South Africa and connecting with the rest of the industry.”

The post Altenar appoints Brendon Jeacocks as Regional Director in South Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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