Interviews
Exclusive Q&A with Kevin Gosschalk, CEO of Arkose Labs
Arkose Labs has carved a niche for itself in the online fraud-fighting front by launching something that nobody has done before: by offering financial guarantee against credential stuffing attacks for the users of its security system.
Kevin Gosschalk, CEO of Arkose Labs, talks here about this confident initiative. He says this move stems from his belief that “security vendors should stand behind their products and services in a real, tangible way.”
He also offers his insights about the impact of credential stuffing in general and specifically in gambling and gaming industry.
Read on for his forthright and succinct views on fighting online frauds and a host of related topics.
Q. Let’s start with a quick introduction of yourself. Could you tell us about your education, career and interests?
A. I am a native of Brisbane, Australia — born and raised –and graduated from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) with a degree in Interactive Entertainment. Prior to founding Arkose Labs, I worked in biomedical research where I used machine vision technology for the early detection of diabetes. I later developed technology that assisted adults with intellectual differences in social settings. I believe my unique background brings a bit of a unique mindset to fighting fraud.
Q. How do you look back to the days of founding Arkose Labs? What was the vision when founding Arkose Labs?
A. The original vision was an ambitious one, but one I believe we can achieve: to make the internet safe for all good users. Online fraud is the biggest issue facing businesses and consumers today. I didn’t have a background in the fraud industry prior to starting Arkose Labs, but experienced these issues as a user of the internet. We want to be aggressive in fighting fraud and eliminate it rather than mitigate it. In the 5 years since the company started, we have made great strides in achieving our goal. We grew from a two-person startup in Brisbane to a company that now employs hundreds with offices in multiple continents. We also just closed our biggest quarter ever. The company has been on a great growth trajectory.
Q. Do you think credential stuffing is going to become one of the biggest financial threats for online businesses? Do share the reasons if you think so?
A. We believe it already is one of the biggest threats to online businesses today. This is because they are simple attacks to carry out, but the potential financial motivation is very high. There is an organised, underground cybercrime ecosystem that provides cheap and easy access to freshly stolen data and the latest automated tools, allowing fraudsters to attack enterprises at scale.
The low barrier to entry means that only a small percentage of these attempts have to be successful to turn a profit. Once they have compromised an account, attackers have many different ways to monetize it. They can steal money directly from the account, resell accounts or personal information, use the account to launder money, and much more.
Q. Are gambling and gaming industry particularly vulnerable to credential stuffing? Our readers would be eager to hear your insights into this.
A. Yes, the gambling and online gaming industry is a high target for credential stuffing attacks. One reason for this is that they are usually linked with a bank account or payment mechanism, so fraudsters look to compromise these accounts to gain access to that information. A compromised account can also be used to launder stolen money. Unlike bank accounts, these accounts are generally less protected; users may not have two-factor authentication enabled as they would on a financial account, for example. Online gambling is becoming more popular by the day, which means there is an ever-increasing amount of accounts for fraudsters to target.
Q. Arkose Labs is the first and perhaps the only company that offers a financial guarantee against credential stuffing attacks? Could you tell us the thought process behind such an unprecedented offer?
A. We believe security vendors should stand behind their products and services in a real, tangible way. Companies count on us to protect their most valuable data and keep their platforms safe from account compromises. We launched this warranty to show we are a true partner with our clients and we are putting our money where our mouth is. We feel offering such a warranty gives clients peace of mind that 24/7, we are there to help them defend against evolving attacks. This warranty provides commercial assurance that Arkose Labs will deliver the most robust protection against credential stuffing attacks available on the market today. It includes up to $1 million recoverable for covered losses and a 48-hour remediation SLA (service level guarantee). We do this in a user-centric way, without impacting good consumers’ experience.
Q. From the outside, the credential stuffing guarantee appears an incredibly brave move. How confident are you in your technology and processes?
A. We are incredibly confident. We would not have launched this warranty if we did not believe we could back what we say. We have years of experience protecting some of the largest, global enterprises from credential stuffing attacks.
Q. Have the credential stuffing attacks intensified on your systems after the warranty? How was the response from the hackers and ransomware attackers towards the announcement?
A. We have not seen any noticeable increase in attack intensity due to the warranty announcement. There is always a constant stream of attacks that we protect clients from. We do see a seasonality increase in attack intensity during Q4 and we anticipate heightened attacks during the holiday season.
Q. What are the systems and technologies Arkose Labs has developed to prevent the credential stuffing attacks? Could you talk about the journey through the technology development?
A. The Arkose Labs platform performs sophisticated real-time analysis of traffic to look for even the most subtle indicators of fraud. However, this is done without collecting large sets of personal information, as they can cause a privacy and compliance headache. Instead, the platform focuses on behavior, device, and network characteristics and how they are connected
Arkose Labs classifies and segments traffic based on the risk profile. Triaging traffic, based on whether it is likely to be legitimate, a bot, or human fraudster, provides actionable intelligence that can inform the system of any secondary screening required.
So the platform combines risk assessments with challenges, by leveraging a continuous feedback loop to improve fraud detection rates, while decreasing challenge rates for good users. Embedded machine learning will provide advanced anomaly detection and evolving protection, taking the burden away from in-house teams.
Q. Let’s shift the focus to the effect of the pandemic, lockdown and work-from-home on ransomware and credential stuffing attacks? What were the trends of online frauds during the Covid-19 days?
A. Not surprisingly, online fraud spiked during the height of the pandemic and related lockdowns. Since so many more people were online, to buy everything from toilet paper to cars and everything in between, there were many more targets for fraudsters to take advantage of. Furthermore, with massively increased traffic levels, it was easier for fraudsters to “blend in” with food traffic. Even as we are slowly moving past the pandemic, consumer digital habits acquired during the time have become permanent, and as such we are seeing permanently higher levels of digital traffic as well as fraud attacks targeting digital accounts.
Q. Arkose Labs has been growing tremendously and winning laurels along the way. What are the developments and expansions in the pipeline for the near future for Arkose Labs?
A. At Arkose Labs we are always innovating. We take feedback from our clients and use that to continually improve the product. We plan to continue to grow our team, expand into new geographies, and innovate to defend against the latest evolving fraud trends.
Q. Finally, what are your advises and suggestions to businesses, especially those in the gaming and gambling sector, on how to tackle online frauds and threats like credential stuffing?
A. The key is to really understand how fraudsters attack you and how they make money. You almost have to think like a fraudster. The way a fraudster will attack a gambling platform, and how they monetize such attacks, will differ from attacks against an online banking service, social media site, or streaming service. Work backward to figure out how they get money out of your platform and how to make that more difficult. It could be by making it more costly to buy proxies by utilizing robust IP intelligence. Or device fingerprint forcing them to invest in more software. You can trigger additional step-up measures for suspicious traffic. It’s important to not just rely on passive signals, as fraudsters can not only get around those, but it also can lead to false positives.
By making the ratio unbalanced on how much time and money fraudsters have to spend on attacks versus what they get out of them, ultimately they will move on and do something else. That’s the most effective way to stop fraud.
Holly Fairweather Head of Account Management at House of Brands provider White Hat Studios
Women in iGaming Interview: White Hat Studios’ Holly Fairweather
Holly Fairweather, Head of Account Management at House of Brands provider White Hat Studios, sits down with Gaming Americas to discuss the growing influence of women in the iGaming industry, and highlights how more can be done to improve the overall gender imbalance
Gaming Americas: Since joining the industry in 2018, have you noticed a change in how women are represented within iGaming companies, as well as general attitudes?
Holly Fairweather (HF): When I reflect on the past six years, it feels great to say I have seen a lot of positive changes in our industry and more importantly, an ever-increasing drive to address gender diversity. There is still work to do, and I am reminded of this attending our industry events, where it’s very evident we still lack female presence in C-level roles and on expert panels. It’s also not hard to see walking around conferences the overall gender imbalance that exists. With that being said, I do feel it’s moving in the right direction and I am regularly inspired by women around me being promoted to senior management roles, providing great mentors and role models. Awareness of gender diversity and celebrating success is continually being pushed via various channels, and for me plays a big part in why we are seeing more women have the confidence to progress in their careers and more women enter the industry. It’s also important to say, and why I think change is happening more, that the want of women to succeed and to increase female presence in our industry, is indeed backed by a strong support network of women supporting women, but also of the men in our industry.
Gaming Americas: How important are groups like Global Gaming Women? What kind of initiatives have they offered to help your own career development?
HF: I’ll be honest, I’m still learning about all that Global Gaming Women offers. Working in the US market I see GGW as a substantial network which offers reams of support from training courses, lean in circles and mentorship and networking events just to name a few. I have taken part in a few of the industry wide networking events, and really enjoyed them, connecting with some amazing people, learning more about the industry. One of my objectives this year is to participate in more events, adding value where I can whether that’s within the GGW network or through other avenues.
Gaming Americas: What more can the industry do to make it more appealing to women and ensure they are better represented within organizations?
HF: It’s got to start within each individual company taking responsibility for equal representation. This is not a tick box exercise to achieve a target on a gender split % by x date but must be about promotions and roles being rewarded to the best candidate for the role, regardless of gender, ethnic background, or sexual orientation. We need to shout about the success stories of DEI within the industry, creating an inclusive work environment will attract not just more women but more candidates overall, increasing the talent pool.
There is also a piece around exposure and shining the light on the fantastic women we have leading the way. Sharing their career paths, the good, and the challenges, to provide relatable examples of success. To make women in gaming not about the stats or portray the headline as a negative but more around showcasing the women that are successful and why, helping more women relate and pursue a similar path if this is what they wish to do.
Gaming Americas: What advice would you give to the next generation of women that are looking to make a breakthrough in the industry?
HF: This is a good one! First and foremost, you lead your own progression. Be proactive in building your network, push yourself out of your comfort zone to attend networking events. Reach out to other women in the industry for support and mentorship. That is on you to drive.
Immerse yourself in a team with values that align with yours, a team that welcomes and promotes diversity of all types and supports and rewards on merit are key.
Build your knowledge, for me knowledge is confidence. Quickly realise it is ok not to know everything, ask the questions and find out. Be solution-oriented, supporting your superiors will get you noticed for going over and above and adding value to your team and company.
I was told ‘people do business with people,’ which I stand by and could not be truer in the igaming industry. Always treat everyone with respect, be kind, be yourself, but don’t forget to back yourself! Relationship building is so key in this industry and has helped me progress to where I am today.
Lastly, take risks. And by this, I mean sometimes you must step out your comfort zone and push yourself to try something different to progress to the next stage. So far, the most pivotable moment in my career and biggest risk I have taken, and I’m sure Andy Whitworth (CEO) and the White Hat Studios (WHS) team won’t mind me saying, was accepting the job at WHS. A brand-new supplier to the US, no content live alongside the fact I had never worked in the US market, so of course there was an element of risk. It was, however, a calculated risk as I was joining a team of experts, senior level management I had worked for previously, in an ever-growing US market. A no brainer now when I look back.
Gaming Americas: From a White Hat Studios perspective, what DEI initiatives does the company put in place?
HF: DEI of all types is something I believe increases the performance of a team, and is something we are extremely passionate about at WHS. As we grow and expand, maintaining a strong culture has never been more important. We recently held a WHS workshop in Prague, with one section of our day spent holistically agreeing and locking down our values as a team, ‘Who we are, what we stand for ‘and ‘treating everyone equally’ is now embedded in our company culture as one of our five core values.
I have been lucky in the fact I have never felt that my gender has held me back in my current role and previous igaming companies. Although I understand this has not been everyone’s experience, I truly believe the more we celebrate success, drive awareness, embed inclusion within our companies, and work together across DEI as a whole, we will continue to see women progress and take on careers in igaming.
More and more jurisdictions are introducing licensing for B2B providers in an attempt to boost regulatory oversight and restrict black market activity with Sweden and Denmark recent examples. In this piece, we talk to Greg Ponesse, Chief Revenue Officer at Compliable, about how the increased compliance burden can favour suppliers’ standing in the iGaming ecosystem.
Have you seen a shift in attitudes from suppliers to only provide products in regulated markets?
We have seen that suppliers that have traditionally taken a .com approach are starting to move towards being licensed to secure additional revenue and more customers but also to improve their overall reputation and standing. The perception of brand integrity plays a big part of the decision-making process because some operator partners might be reluctant to work with suppliers if they have a mainly grey-market approach.
In the US, supplier licensing has always been the norm, so where we are seeing attitudes changing is primarily with European suppliers. Although most suppliers might have a few licenses that they need to manage in key markets, they are now better understanding the importance of being seen as fully compliant across the board as regulation changes and operators are looking for trusted partners.
Some of these brands are massive enterprises who are now trying to get a handle on how to manage all their licenses across multiple regions, and we have seen an increased interest in our software to support that.
What has been the driving force for this – regulator pressure or business strategy?
It’s a little bit of both. Regulator pressure is definitely a big one as gambling becomes more ubiquitous and mainstream. It’s the responsibility of the government to provide structure and regulation to ensure safety for consumers and many are starting to realize that suppliers play an equally important role in that as operators. We have recently seen examples of locally licensed suppliers being fined by regulators for offering their products to unlicensed operators, so providers need to be on the ball to ensure their reputation stays intact.
That said, the grey market suppliers up to this point have stayed in grey markets because that’s what was available to them. Now you’re seeing new markets opening up like North America, which has been huge, where all states require suppliers to be licensed. These grey market players that have previously focused on Europe now see that there’s revenue over there to be gained, so they need to pull up their socks and play the game.
As a business strategy, suppliers can only remain in black markets for so long, avoiding paying taxes and declaring revenue. In a competitive marketplace, suppliers can definitely benefit from being more established and having numerous licenses. Operators might be wary to work with companies that don’t take compliance seriously so being able to show that you have X number of licenses and that you have infrastructure in place shows that you’re serious, and that you know what you’re doing. It kind of sets the table for you to have a soft landing and to be able to begin those discussions with potential partners.
A sole focus on regulated markets would suggest a negative impact on profits so what benefits do suppliers see from being licensed?
If the train is only going in one direction, you eventually have to hop on it. Moving away from grey markets will inevitably have a negative impact on profits but you then have to look at where you can find additional revenue. If you are a licensed supplier, it does allow you to work with the big local operators. You have to decide on whether you can make more money as a grey-market supplier or by going into markets being licensed and making the most of what that offers.
Do you expect more jurisdictions will introduce B2B licensing going forward?
Yes, for sure. Gambling is ubiquitous now and governments recognise that it’s a great revenue generator for them and it also helps with ensuring responsible gambling. With licensing, you provide a framework, infrastructure, and environment that is safe, and it ensures that everyone is on a level playing field. That needs to include all different sides of the industry such as operators, suppliers, affiliates etc. If everyone in the ecosystem follows the rules, it will be a better place for all.
What are the big challenges that suppliers face when it comes to licensing in 2024 and beyond?
Your licensing strategy, so basically, where you are going to go get licensed. This process takes time and resources, and you want to make sure you are prepared before you start talking with operators. They will want to know, just like as with any other vendor, if you are licensed as a supplier.
If we use the US as an example, there is no shortage of suppliers that want to partner with the available operators, so you need to know who you want to work with and where, and then you have to make sure you sort those applications properly. That is all about getting the right advice or using software because if you fail the process, you will end up at the back of the queue and your go-to market strategy will be delayed.
What, if any, are the key differences between licensing in the US and regulated markets in Europe and other regions around the world?
For starters, every state in the US acts as if it is its own country and the licensing process is very complex and rigorous. In Europe, it was initially somewhat more relaxed. You got your Malta licence, and that was then good for all countries in Europe. We’re now seeing a bit of backtracking, with more and more countries getting tougher on rules and regulation.
Increased supervision, with regulators having more oversight, means there is no hiding and I think that is what we’re moving towards on a global scale.
I do believe that most suppliers and operators prefer a regulated market because it separates proper companies from the bad ones. If I was a large operator or supplier that invested time and money into licensing and establishing a compliance team, I would feel good about that because there are so many companies that can’t do it. There’s this element of pay to play, so to speak, in order to really maximize your profits in a region.
We sit down with Dee Maher, CEO of La Royale Gaming Investments, to learn more about her recent appointment as CEO and how the company is set to challenge the gaming industry’s conventions.
La Royale Gaming Investments has bold plans to become a true power player and redefine industry standards. Through acquisitions and mergers, it intends to build an “ecosystem” of online and offline companies, covering both B2B and B2C. Its first play is Quanta, a unique content aggregation platform designed to leverage a high volume with a focus on delivering unparalleled value at a fair price, aiming to introduce innovative solutions for both operators and suppliers. To learn more about La Royale and its goals for the coming 12 months, we spoke with recently appointed CEO, Dee Maher.
Tell us more about your journey to being appointed as CEO of La Royale Gaming Investments.
I’ve been working in the global online gambling industry for many years now in roles covering legal and compliance leadership. Over the past 15 years, I have had the privilege to work for some of the biggest organisations in the business including the likes of Genesis Global, Betclic, Vera&John and Evolution Gaming. When I was approached about joining La Royale Gaming Investments as CEO, it was an offer that I couldn’t turn down. Recognising the company’s ambition to forge a transformative path in the gaming sector, I was compelled by the vision to lead change and drive innovation. My decision to accept was driven by a profound commitment to spearhead our mission, leveraging the remarkable talents of our team to redefine industry standards and make a lasting impact.
What are your main responsibilities and where are you looking to progress most?
I have been tasked with supervising the expansion of our investment portfolio by recognising opportunities that are aligned with our online and offline strategies. I am also overseeing the day-to-day running of Quanta, our inaugural venture, which stands out in the crowded marketplace as a game aggregation platform like no other. In terms of where we are looking to make the most progress, we plan to curate a unique ecosystem of innovative offline and online gaming companies through strategic mergers and acquisitions which combined will make La Royale Gaming Investments a real tour-de-force in the sector and one of the top tier companies with interests across both B2B and B2C.
How is La Royale Gaming Investments going to disrupt the industry? Is it taking a different approach?
La Royale Gaming Investments is poised to redefine the gaming industry with a strategy rooted in bold vision and innovation. We have built out the best team to deploy these ambitious plans and achieve our strategic goals. We are well-capitalised and have lined up our first run of acquisitions, starting with Quanta. Our approach focuses on identifying USPs within each business we engage, introducing ground-breaking offerings to the market. With Quanta, that is being the first mass-market game aggregation platform, creating value for both operators and suppliers. This is an industry where many follow the same blueprint, but we know that to pull distance from our competitors, we need to do things a little differently.
I think our biggest point of difference is that we are curating an ecosystem of innovative businesses across all areas of gambling and gaming. This includes both online and offline, and both B2B and B2C. There are not many organisations in the industry that are this broad and diverse so again this is an area where we can really stand out.
You mentioned that Quanta is the first mass-market game aggregation platform. What does it offer operators and suppliers and how is it different to other solutions in the market?
Quanta has been developed so that it can handle the largest possible volume of games from a diverse array of providers and seamlessly integrate with a vast network of operators. Due to this volume, we can offer the best commercial deals to both parties. Our scale, in collaboration with leading studios and casinos, positions us as a frontrunner in content distribution. Furthermore, we are committed to achieving certifications across all significant regulated markets. For operators, this means they can quickly and easily add games to their lobbies and for studios, it means access to the widest distribution network and thanks to our minimum reseller fee structure, we make this access available to all providers from the established titans to the rising stars.
But just to be clear, Quanta transcends the ordinary, offering not just a cost-effective solution but a sophisticated high-performance platform. The platform is state of the art, allowing for seamless integrations for both operators and suppliers while ensuring the highest standards of resilience and performance. The concept is simple – high volume, low cost – but the advanced technology and strategic foresight required to realise this vision set us apart from conventional solutions in the market.
Content provision is highly competitive so what makes you confident that Quanta will be heard above the noise being made by other providers and aggregators?
Our mass market approach is unique and is already helping us to stand out and generate significant interest from both studios and operators. In the current challenging economic landscape, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are paramount for all stakeholders. But our advantageous commission structure is not the only way we are helping here. At present, operators often have many integrations with various aggregators and directly with game providers. This is inefficient and expensive. With Quanta, operators can plug into a single platform and access all the content they need for each market they target allowing them to save significant resources or to deploy these resources elsewhere.
On the subject of the current economic climate. Is now a good time to be building a business based around M&A?
That depends on how you are approaching your M&A activity and whether an organisation is taking on debt. Timing can be crucial here – you just have to look at the likes of 888 to see how a change in the direction of the wind can have a brutal impact on the wider organisation. That said, there are always plenty of opportunities to acquire great businesses, technologies, solutions and so on, and part of my remit as CEO is to spot these and if they align with our wider approach, make a move. I think the 12 months ahead will be incredibly exciting when it comes to M&A, with some truly transformational deals taking place – something that La Royale Gaming Investments intends to be a part of.
The post Changing the game for content aggregation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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