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European Gaming Congress 2024

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The importance of reg-tech for new market expansion

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Mark Chakravarti, Investment Director at SportingWin, talks about the operator’s experience of securing a licence in Bulgaria and how it will now use its in-house regulatory platform to enter additional European markets  

I would argue that a proprietary regulatory platform is the most important thing for operators looking to drive European market expansion.  Without a modern, agile platform that provides the insight that regulators require, licence applications will be drawn out for months and even years.

At SportingWin, we came to learn this the hard way.

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When we started the business back in 2019, we identified Bulgaria as being a market of huge potential and one that we were keen to make our debut. Based on our assessment, AGR would hit 20% a year for the next five years, leading to a market value of €500m per year.

We then set about compiling the legal paperwork required by the National Revenue Agency for the licence application – this was a significant task in its own right, but we would soon learn that this was just the very start of the process.

The Bulgarian regulator is one of the most stringent in the world, which of course is a good thing. It ensures that the operators that do secure approval to enter the market are of the highest calibre especially when it comes to responsible gambling.

Under its requirements, operators must be able to deliver certain insights and information to the regulator in real time and this in turn requires a powerful, agile regulatory platform. Ultimately, we took the decision to develop this technology in-house.

While this was the right course of action, it significantly slowed down our licence application process while the regulator and our in-house development team worked together to ensure that it was fully compliant with its requirements.

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We eventually reached the point where the National Revenue Agency was happy with the paperwork we submitted and our proprietary reg-tech platform, giving us the green light to enter the market in January 2021. Since then, we have gained incredible traction with players.

As with most operators, we are now looking to take SportingWin into additional markets and our in-house developed regulatory platform will be the foundation for building out our presence across the region. It really is impressive and now that it has been certified in Bulgaria, it can be used elsewhere.

We have identified Romania as our next market and while we have yet to submit our application to the regulator, our proprietary regulatory platform will ensure it is a much easier – and faster – process than that in Bulgaria.

This is for several reasons. Given just how stringent the National Revenue Agency is with its standards and enforcing them, other jurisdictions are happy to approve our platform without subjecting it to the same level of scrutiny again.

The same applies to a lot of the paperwork that we completed as part of our application in Bulgaria – for example, the Romanian regulator is happy to carry this over as well as the technical and software certifications that we were granted.

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Of course, local regulators will still carry out their own investigations and will want to test certain aspects of our platforms, tech and software, but much of the hard work has already been done and this will allow us to enter additional markets at pace – we anticipate being live in Romania in H1.

In addition to an in-house regulatory platform, approved paperwork and the experience of having been through a licence application, the final piece of the puzzle operators need is a European trademark for their brand/brands.

We have recently secured this for SportingWin and it really does put us in the driving seat to identify and enter regulated European markets with an incredibly strong brand, superior product offering and a powerful regulatory platform running in the background.

Because of this, SportingWin is an attractive proposition for investors looking to join our success story. Due to the technical foundations we have in place, the investment we secure is pumped into marketing our brand in each country, which in turn allows us to generate significant share quickly.

Despite having been live in Bulgaria for only a year, we have a large and loyal player base and in Q4, generated €500,000 in NGR. This is set to grow significantly off the back of our recently-announced partnership with Pinnacle, allowing us to add a betting exchange to our offering for the first time.

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As with most small to medium-sized operators, the team behind SportingWin has a long-term plan for the business and that is to grow it into an exciting acquisition opportunity for one of the power players looking to build their presence in regulated markets across Europe.

Without our proprietary regulator platform, European trademark and growing collection of licences, SportingWin would simply not be on the radar of these organisations, let alone be considered a serious M&A opportunity.

Of course, there is still a lot of work to do before we reach that chapter of our story but given that the founders of SportingWin have built and sold betting businesses before, it is one that I am confident we will write in next to no time at all.

Meanwhile, we will continue to use our regulatory platform to launch our player-favourite brand and superior betting experience into markets across Europe, generating substantial revenues from each of the jurisdictions we target.

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iDenfy Partners with Confindo to Enhance Security and Prevent Loan Fraud

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iDenfy, an AI-powered identity verification, compliance and fraud prevention solutions provider, has partnered with Confindo, a leading provider of IT solutions specialising in customer relationship management (CRM) tools for group companies and external partners. This collaboration will help Confindo manage third-party risks and ensure proper fraud and breach prevention while building a seamless and secure verification experience.

The rise in digital transactions has made robust security measures more critical than ever. With security challenges like forged documents and synthetic identities, particularly in the financial and lending sectors, companies increasingly seek advanced solutions to protect their customers. Spending on information security and risk management products and services is expected to grow by 14.3% this year, reaching more than $215 billion. However, many companies operating in the financial sector see fraud as a top priority on the list, where even a single breach can have significant legal and reputational consequences.

Confindo, a dominant player in the consumer lending market since 2018, recognised the importance of securing its platforms against potential threats. Brands under the “Confindo” name, like Lenders, Bancovo, Comparar Prestamos mainly serve as intermediaries for consumer lending services. Consequently, the business is best known for representing over 20 banks and creditors in Lithuania and processing more than 10,000 inquiries monthly. As the business experienced a high volume of requests and new registrations, it required a new trusted Know Your Customer (KYC) vendor to help safeguard its operations, especially in this expansion stage across Europe.

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According to Confindo, its recent operations in Latvia and upcoming launches in two new markets also showed a need for extra automation measures in its customer onboarding process. Before partnering with iDenfy, the IT and financial service provider aimed to build a conversion-optimised verification workflow that could remove the hassle around the application onboarding process. Among several identity verification providers, Confindo selected iDenfy for its reliable and efficient identification verification solution. The new software, already trusted by other platforms under Confindo’s management, stood out for its smooth integration with existing systems and provided a comprehensive global document base for more efficient scaling into new markets.

iDenfy’s ID verification solution is designed to automatically recognise, verify and extract information from over 3000 identity documents across 200 countries and territories. This comprehensive approach helps Confindo ensure that all possible safety measures are in place to prevent fraudulent loans, a key concern in the rapidly growing consumer lending sector.

It is worth mentioning that iDenfy is ranked as the top 1 identity verification solution in customer satisfaction on G2, boasting an average of 4.9 stars and over 70 reviews in 2024. This recognition underscores iDenfy’s commitment to providing high-quality, reliable services and prioritizes online user identification security.

“We chose iDenfy because their solution is not only trusted and tested but also perfectly aligns with our commitment to ensuring the highest level of security for our customers,” said Eitautas Bartuškevičius, CEO of Confindo.

Domantas Ciulde, CEO of iDenfy, said: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Confindo in their mission to enhance security within the consumer lending space. By integrating our ID verification solution, we’re helping them create a safer, more reliable platform for their users across multiple countries.”

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BGaming launches in Lithuania with Uniclub

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Popular iGaming content provider BGaming has made its debut in Lithuania in partnership with casino and sports betting platform Uniclub.

As part of the agreement, Uniclub will add BGaming’s wide ranging portfolio including popular Dice Million, Merge Up and Wild Chicago titles to its line-up of more than 2,000 games.

Uniclub has a rich heritage in the Lithuanian market, opening its first slot machine hall in 2004. Its owner UAB Unigames also runs iGaming website Uniclub.it, which offers slots, live casino and sports betting. UAB Unigames has sponsored Lithuanian basketball team BC Juventus, also known as Uniclub Casino Juventus, since 2021.

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This deal builds on notable success in Eastern Europe for BGaming, after it launched in Bulgaria in July and strengthened its presence in Serbia and Romania through the first half of this year.

Olga Levshina, CCO at BGaming, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Uniclub as we continue to expand across regulated European markets. The Uniclub brand is a prominent player in the Lithuanian entertainment space, with more than 20 years in the casino and sports betting arena.

“We look forward to bringing our games to their players’ screens and fostering a strong working partnership.”

Martynas Matulevicius, CEO at Uniclub, said: “We are delighted to add BGaming’s vibrant content to our platform. We strive to continue delivering the best possible gaming experience to our players and with the studio’s memorable titles, we are delivering on this promise.

“Our customers can enjoy further additions as BGaming releases its sizzling summer line-up.”

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Live in Latvia! Spelet.lv and Hacksaw Gaming Celebrate New Launch Together

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We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with the swiftly up and coming Spelet.lv, launching Hacksaw’s expansive portfolio of top-tier games on the Spelet.lv platform.

Popular Hacksaw Gaming titles, including Wanted Dead or a Wild, Le Bandit, R.I.P City, and Chaos Crew, are known for their unique user experiences and have captivated players globally. These titles, along with the full portfolio of slots and Dare2Win™ games, are now proudly featured in the dedicated Hacksaw tab on Spelet.lv’s platform. This exciting addition is set to captivate Spelet.lv users across Latvia!

Founded as a trusted online casino and sportsbook, Spelet.lv has been at the forefront of delivering exceptional gaming experiences. Since its establishment, it has continually pushed the boundaries and embraced emerging technologies.

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Spelet.lv expressed their enthusiasm about the launch: “Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce a dynamic collaboration between Hacksaw Gaming and Spelet.lv! Get ready to elevate your gaming experience as we introduce Hacksaw’s innovative and immersive games to the Spelet.lv platform. Together, we’re not just launching games, we’re shaping the future of online gaming, one thrilling experience at a time. Players can look forward to a diverse selection of Hacksaw titles, ranging from thrilling scratch cards to engaging slots, all seamlessly integrated into the Spelet.lv experience. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to the scene, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”

Marcus Cordes, CEO of Hacksaw Gaming, also shares Spelet.lv’s outlook on this new beginning. “Another strong collaboration under our belts, driving our mission to revolutionise the industry and deliver innovative gaming experiences!”

The post Live in Latvia! Spelet.lv and Hacksaw Gaming Celebrate New Launch Together appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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