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A bigger game portfolio doesn't always mean better business results. The real value comes from having the right games for the right players. In Episode 99 of iGaming Real Talk, Surya speaks with Kate Puteiko, CMO at BGaming, about turning a game portfolio into a growth engine through BGaming's Three Game Worlds strategy. BGaming has divided its portfolio into three categories, each serving a different business goal. Casual games focus on bringing in new players, Classic games support retention, and Entertainment games are designed for streaming and wider reach. Kate shares why BGaming introduced this approach and how it helps operators choose games based on their business needs rather than simply adding more titles. She also shares examples of BGaming's game performance, including Fishing Time, which helped move more than 50% of players acquired through the game into slots within a month. Some Classic titles have also delivered retention results well above client benchmarks. The conversation also covers BGaming's approach to sustainability, personalisation, AI, and the role of product quality in keeping players engaged. Kate believes reducing player frustration is one of the most important parts of building a good product. A better gaming experience can encourage players to return and help brands maintain their trust.

There are hundreds of game providers in iGaming. For a newer brand like ThunderSpin, simply having games is not enough. In Episode 98, Surya speaks with Salome Lomtadze, Brand Marketing Lead at ThunderSpin, about how the company is trying to build a brand that looks and feels different while still keeping the product at the centre. Salome explains the thinking behind the ThunderSpin name, its use of energy, metal and natural textures, and why the company wanted its visual identity to feel less like a typical digital-only iGaming brand. But the conversation goes beyond design. ThunderSpin’s main message is that it wants to build “games that really make sense.” Salome says that means looking at game quality, creative concepts, retention, session duration and direct player feedback. They also discuss how the whole team gets involved in product ideas, why the company designed its Lisbon stand like a game market, which channels could matter most for Gen Z, and why trust still beats bonuses, influencers and product features when a player chooses a brand.

Players no longer discover a betting brand through one clean journey. They can move between TikTok, streamers, Google, WhatsApp, Telegram and different browsers before finally registering. In Episode 97, Surya speaks with Tamara Hovhannisyan, Head of Products at DIGITAIN, about what that fragmented journey means for affiliate tracking and attribution. Tamara says traditional cookie-based tracking is no longer enough. The harder question is deciding which channel should actually receive credit when a player may have first discovered the brand through a streamer, searched for it later, opened another app and registered somewhere else. The conversation also looks at the relationship between affiliates and operators. Tamara says both sides can sometimes try to protect their own interests, which makes transparency around reporting, permissions and attribution especially important. They also discuss retention, hybrid affiliate deals, responsible product development and where AI can provide practical value. For Tamara, the clearest use cases today are reporting, data management and helping affiliates create content more efficiently.

Table tennis is still sometimes treated as content that fills the space between bigger sporting events. Maksym Vitushko says that view is already outdated. In Episode 96, Surya speaks with BETER’s General Manager of Sports about fast betting content, why table tennis has developed into a standalone category and what happened when the 2026 World Cup brought a new wave of bettors into sportsbooks. Maksym says BETER saw table tennis betting volume grow during the tournament, but the more interesting part came afterwards. Some of those new players continued betting on table tennis even after the World Cup ended. The conversation also looks at why the format works. A table tennis match is short, settlement is quick and players can move to the next bet faster. Maksym says this behaviour has helped the category move beyond its old “gap filler” label. Surya also asks what operators still get wrong. Maksym points to two things: perception and visibility. If table tennis is buried inside a sportsbook, players are less likely to discover it. Better positioning can directly affect turnover. They also discuss different betting behaviour across regions, what younger players want, the role of data and gamification, and where fast sports content could move next.

iGaming is often criticised for being slower to innovate than other digital industries. The SOFTSWISS 2027 iGaming Trends Report points to a very different picture. In Episode 95, Surya speaks with Alexandra Kavelich, Deputy CMO at SOFTSWISS, about the fifth edition of the company's annual trends report and why SOFTSWISS started producing the research in the first place. Alexandra says the original problem was simple: iGaming did not have enough structured data for companies trying to build business and marketing strategies. Five editions later, the report brings together surveys, industry experts, media analysis and perspectives from both inside and outside iGaming. One of the biggest surprises is the report's new Digital Maturity Index. According to the report, iGaming scored 4.67 out of 5 and ranked first among the digital industries compared in the research. For Surya, this challenged something he had said repeatedly before: that iGaming was years behind sectors such as Silicon Valley technology. They also discuss prediction markets. Alexandra says the subject was one of the loudest trends when SOFTSWISS started preparing the report, but the noise has already reduced. Demand remains strong, yet questions around regulation, liquidity and the right long-term model are still unresolved. The conversation closes with another sign of maturity. Alexandra says the report expects annual industry growth to slow significantly over time. Rather than seeing that only as a negative, she views it as evidence that iGaming itself is becoming a more established industry.

As player acquisition becomes more expensive, operators need to think more carefully about how they keep players engaged and how much control they have over those relationships. In Episode 94 of iGaming Real Talk, recorded in Lisbon, host Surya Palli speaks with Anna Mnatsakanyan, Head of Product Marketing at DIGITAIN, about why native mobile apps could play a bigger role in retention and how operators can use their own platforms to communicate directly with players. Anna explains how native apps can become an operator-owned communication channel, allowing brands to manage CRM, send push notifications, deliver personalised content and make better use of their own player data without relying as heavily on paid advertising. The conversation also covers DIGITAIN's “We Know the Player” concept and how it complements the company's existing “Built to Lead” positioning. Anna discusses why understanding player expectations, local market requirements and user behaviour is important when developing products for regulated markets. Surya also raises a question about the growing number of technology solutions available to operators. Does bringing everything into one ecosystem make operations easier, or does it create more complexity? Anna shares DIGITAIN's approach to integration and explains why technology providers ultimately need to demonstrate real business value.

The iGaming job market is changing quickly, and AI is now affecting both the companies hiring and the people trying to get hired. Jennifer Innes, CEO of BettingJobs, joins Surya at iGB Live in London to discuss what she is seeing after 20 years with the recruitment company. Redundancies are increasing across parts of the industry, but Jennifer says AI is only one part of the picture. M&A, restructuring and regulation are also changing where companies hire and which roles remain. For candidates, the challenge is different. More applications are being screened by systems before a hiring manager sees them. Jennifer explains why one generic CV is no longer enough and why applicants need to adjust their CV depending on the role, the company and even whether the first reader is a person or an AI system. The conversation also challenges a hiring belief Surya heard from another recruiter: that people who are actively on the job market are not the strongest candidates and that the best people are always headhunted. Jennifer strongly disagrees, particularly in a market where many talented people have been made redundant for reasons outside their control. They also discuss remote work, employer expectations and the difficulties companies face when hiring globally. Even when the right candidate is found, location, employment structure, culture and benefits can still decide whether a hire actually works.

LinkedIn can be cringe, repetitive and full of copy-paste content. Eugene Camilleri still believes it is one of the most useful tools available to people working in iGaming B2B. In Episode 92, Surya speaks with Eugene from Pateplay about the way he approaches LinkedIn, why he refuses to spend hours planning posts and how a personal brand can turn into actual conversations and business. Eugene says most of his posts take less than 10 minutes. The idea might come while he is in the shower, working or simply thinking about something in the industry. His bigger point is that people often overcomplicate content instead of developing a recognisable voice and saying something they genuinely believe. The conversation also gets into memes, complaints and controversial posts. Eugene argues that criticism becomes more valuable when it comes with a solution. Memes can build attention and personality, but an audience built only around jokes and complaints is difficult to convert into anything commercially useful. He also explains his frustration with mass sales outreach, particularly irrelevant messages sent without understanding whether the person receiving them could ever become a customer. The episode closes with the business impact behind all that activity. Eugene says LinkedIn has improved his response rates, widened his network and directly contributed to business. For someone working commercially, he sees LinkedIn and industry communities as part of the job rather than something separate from it.

Altenar is known for making itself visible at major industry events, but Dinos Stranomitis still believes the product has to come before the marketing. In Episode 91, Surya speaks with Dinos about almost three decades around betting and iGaming, how the industry moved from almost no standards to the much more regulated environment we see today, and why he still believes there is significant room for new companies to grow. A major part of the conversation focuses on how Altenar itself developed. Dinos says determination mattered, but the bigger factor was getting the right people together. For him, knowledge and motivation are the two qualities that matter most when building a team. The discussion then turns to startups. If he were starting again today, Dinos says the first priority would be simple: build a product that works, solves a real problem and has enough quality for people to want it. Only then should sales, marketing and large conference investments follow. He is equally direct about companies arriving at exhibitions with a stand before their product is ready. His view is that customers need something real to see, test and trust before marketing can do its job. The conversation also covers Altenar's growth, why the company is not currently for sale, what success means personally to Dinos, expansion into Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, and why he believes AI will change jobs rather than simply eliminate them.

SiGMA Rome is set to be the group's biggest event yet, but size is only part of what Chloe Von Brockdorff says the team is trying to improve. In Episode 90, Surya speaks with the CCO of SiGMA Group about what will be different in Rome this year. The event will bring four verticals together under one ticket, with SiGMA, Affiliate Grand Slam, FX World and AIBC all operating within the same wider event. Chloe also addresses one of the main complaints from the previous Rome edition: transport. She says the logistics team began working on the issue almost immediately after last year's event, with more shuttle routes, a structured taxi system and additional chauffeur options planned this time. The conversation then moves to a bigger question for the industry. With SBC Lisbon and SiGMA Rome happening within a relatively short period, does iGaming really need so many large events? Chloe does not claim there is a simple answer, but says the demand is clearly there. She also argues that different shows continue to attract regional audiences, while repeated face-to-face meetings help relationships develop over time. For her, this is still the main value of events. Business is built through human interaction, knowing clients personally and building trust beyond a single meeting. The episode closes with SiGMA's expansion beyond traditional iGaming through affiliation, fintech, forex, AI and blockchain, as well as how the company is thinking about future markets while regulatory conditions continue to change.

Alexandre Tomic, Founder of Alea, returns to iGaming Real Talk for a conversation that begins with the business he has built and gradually moves into much bigger questions around purpose, identity and what success actually means. Surya and Alexandre first catch up on what has changed at Alea since their last conversation. They talk about the company's jackpot product, the very different models operators are asking for, and why building something flexible enough to serve both sides has become part of the challenge. The conversation then moves into sweepstakes, the US market and the new formats starting to appear around skill, P2P and multiplayer mechanics. Alexandre also reflects on how his own view of sweepstakes changed as the market developed, and why he thinks gambling may be moving closer to certain parts of the video game world. There is also a closer look at the reality behind aggregation. Alea sits between operators and game studios, which means trust, payments, technology and risk all have to work together. Alexandre explains why community, partnerships and strong technology have mattered so much to the company's growth, especially in a market where much larger competitors were already established. But the conversation changes when Surya asks a much more personal question: what would be left if Alea was removed from Alexandre's story? From there, the episode becomes less about building a company and more about why we build anything in the first place. Alexandre talks about how closely Alea has become tied to his life, why selling the company no longer feels like the obvious end goal, and how he has started thinking about business as one of the ways we learn about ourselves. That opens the door to a much deeper discussion around happiness, purpose, perception, consciousness and whether success is really something you eventually reach. They also talk about Alexandre's support for research into psychedelic-assisted therapy and gambling addiction, his own curiosity around consciousness and ego, and why he believes some of the value created by the gambling industry should find its way back toward helping gamblers. The episode eventually returns to more familiar industry territory with conversations around conferences, LinkedIn, AI and sobriety. But by that point, even those topics feel slightly different. Because this episode is not only about where Alea is going next. It is also about what keeps someone building after the obvious goals begin to matter less.

In Episode 88 of iGaming Real Talk, Surya Palli speaks with Louise Mouton Tingager, Head of SiGMA Nexus Elite, about the community SiGMA is building for senior executives and industry decision-makers. Nexus Elite is an invite-only executive network built around curated connections and experiences. Louise talks about getting to know the people behind the companies, understanding the markets they are interested in, the challenges they are facing and the people who could be relevant for them to meet. That approach also shapes the experiences around SiGMA events. Members come together through smaller gatherings, dinners, golf and dedicated spaces, with the Nexus team also helping with the practical side of the event experience. Louise believes this becomes increasingly important as industry events grow. A bigger floor and more attendees give people more opportunities to meet, but they do not automatically make those meetings relevant. As she puts it, “You can’t automate a connection.” The conversation also looks ahead to SiGMA Rome, taking place 2–5 November, and what Nexus Elite is preparing around the event. Louise discusses plans around member experiences, including dedicated spaces, transport support, accommodation, golf and smaller gatherings. Pasted markdown For executives interested in becoming part of Nexus Elite, You can reach out to Louise.

Operators often start the licensing conversation with one simple question: “Which is the best licence?” Khristina Karanskaia from My Gaming License believes that is the wrong place to start. In this episode, Surya and Khristina discuss why the right licence depends on the operator's target markets, business model, taxation expectations, compliance requirements and long-term plans. An offshore licence may still work for one company, while another operator may need a local regulated licence as it scales. The conversation also looks at the UK market. With affordability checks, higher compliance demands and heavier taxation for B2C operators, the market has become much harder to enter. Khristina argues that the UK can still make sense for the right operator, but it is no longer a licence that should be chosen simply because of its reputation. They also discuss one of the most common mistakes operators make when choosing licensing and compliance partners: focusing too heavily on the initial price. A cheap offer can become expensive once additional signatures, documents and other hidden costs begin to appear. Khristina's wider point is that licensing should be treated as part of the operator's business strategy rather than as a standalone certificate. The right process starts with understanding where the company wants to operate, how it plans to grow and what regulatory framework fits that journey.

Game development and distribution are often treated as two separate parts of the business. Tequity is connecting them with their full suite products: Originals, RGS, Publishing, and Exclusives. Alex Scott had joined Tequity as CPO only four days before this conversation with Surya. One of the things that attracted him to the company was its reputation for being fast, responsive, decisive and innovative. A big part of the conversation looks at how Tequity’s RGS, Originals, Publishing and Exclusives work together. Rather than building each vertical separately, the company has developed them as connected parts of the business, with each one building on the technology, experience and distribution created by the previous one. The RGS gives studios the infrastructure to build games. Originals helped Tequity develop its own content and distribution channels. Publishing then opened those channels to studios using the RGS, while Exclusives uses Tequity’s development and distribution capabilities to create bespoke content for individual brands. The conversation also looks at what comes next. Alex discusses the thinking behind Tequity’s product roadmap, keeping the company fast as it grows, and preparing to enter more regulated markets based on customer demand, commercial value and market requirements.

Paul Dolman-Darrall does not describe G.Games as a company that followed an existing iGaming playbook. His view is that there was never really a playbook to follow. In this long-form conversation with Surya, the CEO of G.Games talks about coming into gambling as an outsider, why relationships still have enormous influence over who gets deals in iGaming, and why trying to build something genuinely different can take years of failure before the idea starts to work. A major part of that story is G.Games' multiplayer slot project. Paul says the company has spent years and around £22 million developing the idea, effectively putting years of company profit behind one product. The original vision was always built around competition and multiplayer, but getting there required Paul to challenge his own bias against slots and learn why players actually enjoy them. The conversation also goes deeper into product design. Paul argues that customers usually cannot tell a company what product should be invented, but they know very quickly whether they want something once they see it. He also gives a deliberately provocative view on game engagement, addiction and responsible gambling, arguing that a product designer's job is to create the strongest possible experience within rules set by operators and regulators. But the thread running through the full conversation is persistence. Paul talks openly about unsuccessful products, an acquisition that came extremely close to completion, being an outsider in a relationship-driven industry and the difficulty of building an independent iGaming company today. His advice to would-be founders is simple: there is no playbook. If you want to build something, you need to start and keep going long enough to find your own route.