Interviews
“The key to our success is our ability to identify new trends and opportunities” – Exclusive Q&A with Max Sevostianov, Chief Commercial Officer at Betbazar
Following a year of formidable growth for the industry’s leading matchmaker and sales house, Betbazar, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Max Sevostianov spoke to us about its success, the changing nature of sports betting with the advent of Esports and how AI is leading the way.
Congratulations on your two-year anniversary at Betbazar! Can you talk us through your vision when joining the company and how you and your team have created such record-breaking growth over the past year and a half?
From the outside, I could always see that the iGaming industry held plenty of growth potential, so it was an ambition of mine to get involved. Given the business model and vision, Betbazar had and has, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. I have enough experience working in the B2B segment to know precisely how to build the proposition Betbazar offers.
Given the nature of recent global events, it’s been a challenging couple of years. Still, we have concentrated on analysing the sales processes and optimising our role as a global sales house.
I believe the key to our success is our ability to identify new trends and opportunities. We help our partners to integrate their content effectively. It has been crucial when dealing with a new concept such as Esports. During the pandemic, when top tier sports events were cancelled, we managed to support our clients by providing them with a new form of content.
Looking back at the last 18-months, what do you see as key to contributing to the company’s success?
A clear vision of what we want to achieve and a deep understanding of the types of products needed for our partners’ success has been essential. We have taken a data-driven approach to identify the right products for the right clients. We use transparent sales processes in the B2B segment, and we always try to find new approaches as well. Our priority is to build relationships, not only for the business side but also for growing human relationships. It has proven to be the best way to identify the client’s needs.
For example, we know that the modern player wants fast, engaging and easy-to-understand betting products. This audience needs to feel the integrity of the stats behind the product they are using. For example, our esports partner, BETER, is very popular with the millennial and GenZ age group as it has what they’re looking for. It made them an ideal candidate to become one of the industry’s favourite Esports providers. Such growth, where we can symbiotically benefit each other, is exactly what Betbazar is aiming for.
What do you believe differentiates Betbazar’s business model in terms of what you’re able to bring to your partners?
We’re unique in what we do, and our client-first approach is what makes us stand out. We learned during our journey that content creators often don’t have the sales capabilities they need. They can create the perfect product, but it can be challenging to find the perfect client. Betting providers are also constantly under pressure to identify which products will take off on their websites. Betbazar, as a global sales house, has expertise in B2B sales and clients needs. We help to choose the most appropriate product for the client. We also assist in managing the integration process to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
Your experience spans more than 20 years across both B2C and B2B, how do you feel your experience has contributed to what you’ve brought to Betbazar?
In my opinion, there is a connection between B2C and B2B sales in the betting business. We negotiate directly with the business, and we present the content they might be interested in. Yet the final user of this content is a B2C client, which is an audience whose needs must be taken into account while selling the product. Doing that effectively comes down to being able to build mutually beneficial relationships. It is another reason our business model has worked so well.
When I started working at Betbazar, I shaped the structure that helped us provide a client with all necessary information right after the connection was established. You need to understand that the betting business develops immensely fast, new products appear on the market in the blink of an eye, and it’s us who present them to the client. We constantly monitor and research the market to give our clients the latest trends and create a transparent information sharing process. This clarity is always the best way to retain clients for as long as possible. Experience in doing this is what I bring to the table.
Looking to this year in terms of betting, how much has the B2B and B2C landscape changed in the last year?
We saw a lot of mergers and acquisitions this year, including 888 with William Hill, DraftKings with Entain, Kindred with Abios. Companies are clearly looking to create in-house technology stacks and move away from outsourcing software. We are seeing huge companies looking to start-ups with a winning edge to offer technological and AI-driven solutions, and this is just the beginning. Next year we will likely see more M&A action for this reason – as the business case is clear for many to integrate their tech internally.
On the B2C side, the audience is changing. As we’ve seen with millennials and Gen Z, the way they want to be entertained evolves at the speed of technology, so an effective offering needs to be just as dynamic. Operators need the right insights and the right data to be able to keep up with this kind of fluid demand. How they want to be engaged, what devices they want to use, and what games they like are all in flux. A data-informed solution is the only way to achieve this.
Given your wide selection of products, which B2B supply-side verticals are going to prove key to 2022 success for operators?
No one is surprised that Esports betting is growing in popularity, and it will continue to increase. The priority for the B2B segment is to develop new products that cater to these needs. The integration process also has to be streamlined, which is why we’re seeing plenty of tech being integrated in-house.
I saw The International DOTA 2 tournament, and there is a lot going on in that, even I wasn’t always able to follow it! What became clear to me is that this type of player enjoys investigating different game mechanics. So, it is as important to provide new mechanics as it is to have unique content. The gamification of the betting process is becoming more important in this way.
The key now to attracting the audience is personalisation. It is by far the fastest route to a young audience today. Modern content must include not only high-quality video, information about the players, statistics, but also a correct marketing approach should be applied to present the content in a favourable light.
Looking at the next few years – how much do you believe sportsbooks and casinos are going to be shaped by player demand and what’s going to change?
AI is going to play a much more significant role, and the collection of data to inform these processes will become a far bigger priority for sports betting providers. As a result, we will see more personalised betting for players. We are going to see more intuitive additions of sportsbooks to online casinos to maximise cross-selling and retain their existing audience.
New games will definitely be introduced to the market. I am sure in the upcoming years Esport will become just as popular as the regular sport, if not more popular.
Online betting will continue to grow as people adapt to a post-Covid world. Tech development will inevitably surprise us since we already know the betting industry is one of the most progressive in the world.
New approaches to responsible gaming will also appear as the industry grows. It will be a major step to creating a better customer experience and taking the sector to the next level.
Conferences in Europe
Speaking the Player’s Language: Promatic Group’s Take on Game Localization in CEE
The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together some of the brightest minds in the iGaming and tech industries – and the conversation didn’t stop when the curtains closed. As this year’s General Sponsor through its Promatic Games brand, Promatic Group made a powerful impact on-stage and behind the scenes. In a dynamic keynote presentation titled “Localizing Slot Games: Does the Central European Player Need Localized Content?”, Maciej Makuszewski, iGaming Director, and Luka Oblak, Head of Product Design, explored how cultural nuances shape player engagement and game performance across regional markets.
Now, post-event, we caught up with Maciej Makuszewski to delve deeper into the topic of localization, player behavior, and what makes content truly resonate in Central and Eastern Europe.
Maciej, your keynote at the Summit offered compelling insights into how culture and language affect game engagement. What do you believe is the biggest misconception about localization in the iGaming industry today?
It is that it is enough to hire a translator of a game to deliver localized content. This is not the end of the road – on the contrary – this is just the beginning. This may sound like saying the sun rises in the east, but I still would say there can be a lot more attention paid to giving games a local touch.
But coming back to translations, nowadays, even at this basic level, we can observe so many pitfalls and mistakes that could have been avoided if people really had the player at the core of their strategy. I guess we are past this time in history of globalization that unified products and content simply entered new markets with no tailoring whatsoever and there was demand for them, because there hadn’t been much of a choice of anything else. We’d like to see companies try harder when they enter new markets. I hope we will become one that actually gets the hyperlocalization just right.
You and Luka presented some standout cases on localized content. Could you share one example that truly surprised your team – either by outperforming expectations or revealing a cultural insight you hadn’t anticipated?
I guess that would be the transformation of a simple fruit game launched as Red Hot Jackpot in Poland, into a rich animations theme game it became in Nigeria. The nigerian version of Red Hot Jackpot is called Naija Wheels and it is the exact the same math model and game logic as Red Hot Jackpot, but what makes it appealing to the local customers of slot halls in Nigeria is its hyperlocal theme. Naija Wheels is a funny story of things you see in Lagos traffic. So instead of a Cherry symbol you have a symbol of a police officer. Instead of a plum symbol, you have an okada driver from Lagos etc.
Very different game themes, same logics, same business effects – the game is a great performing slot in Poland and a superb hit in Nigeria.
In your view, what are the non-negotiables when designing localized slot content for Central and Eastern European markets? Are there elements developers often overlook?
There are so many local markets in the CEE that it is really hard to unify this. But in a nutshell – we know in our region, highly volatile fruit themed games are very popular. Having said that, it is not a surfire way to success. You may want to localize the content even further through cultural and humor references.
The ROI of local-branded slots is often debated. Based on Promatic Group’s experience, when does it make strategic and commercial sense to invest in hyper-local content – and when is it better to focus on broader appeal?
It all depends why you do this and how you measure the ROI. If you measure a single game ROI this might be a trap. It will very much depend on the math model and features of the particular game. Apart from revenue stream, there are also costs to be considered. If we’re talking about a “game reskin” then certification will be something you can optimize and so on. There are numerous ways to tackle this issue. Sometimes you can come up with a hyper local game and just launch it somewhere else to test if it works, which will boost your revenue stream and the total ROI. All in all we are very happy with our local approach and we intend to stick to it.
Let’s talk about the future. With shifting player expectations and tech advancements like AI personalization, how do you see the localization strategy evolving over the next 2–3 years at Promatic Group?
I would expect this hyperlocalization becomes a commodity in the industry. This will also require a lot of human factor so that it is done the right way. AI will speed things up, but I believe that the human touch will be key. We already have amazing tools, but using them the right way is what will make a great difference.
The post Speaking the Player’s Language: Promatic Group’s Take on Game Localization in CEE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legal’s Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market
The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together top experts across the iGaming and tech landscape, and Nordic Legal stood out as the event’s Scandinavian Legal Expertise Sponsor. A renowned legal advisory firm in the Nordic region, Nordic Legal continues to shape the future of gambling legislation and compliance in Europe.
In this post-event interview, we caught up with Pekka Ilmivalta, Head of the Finnish Office at Nordic Legal, to dive deeper into the firm’s insights on the upcoming Finnish gambling reform, the legal challenges it poses, and the opportunities it presents for operators preparing to enter the market.
Finland is preparing to launch its regulated gambling sector in January 2026. As an expert with over 20 years of experience in the gambling industry, how do you view its draft legislation and the current state of the Finnish gambling market?
Finns are used to gambling online, and the size of the market is close to 2 billion euros in GGR. As the market share of the national monopoly operator, Veikkaus, has declined to around 50 percent, nearly half of the gambling spending already takes place outside the Finnish regulation. Therefore, the gambling legislation reform is really needed.
The Government Proposal now being dealt with in the Finnish Parliament is generally a comprehensive and a good package. As the political parties are quite unanimous about the need for the reform, I expect the parliamentary discussion to concentrate on the balance between responsibility measures and the features making the market interesting enough for the operators to enter the regulated market. Especially marketing, use of affiliates and bonusing will, and should, be discussed.
I believe that the Parliament will approve the new legislation early next autumn and that the B2C license application process will be able to begin already in January next year.
The Finnish legislative review council has raised concerns about potential increases in gambling harms under the new regulatory framework. What measures do you believe are necessary to mitigate these risks, and how could Finland balance market liberalization with responsible gambling practices?
Personally, I think that gambling harms must be taken seriously. However, as almost half of the Finnish gambling now happens outside the regulated market, I am convinced that succeeding in channelization is a crucial starting point to really mitigate gambling harms. Therefore, attractiveness of the market and measures against the black market are extremely important. Furthermore, self-exclusion and responsible gambling tools are, of course, needed for the players. Generally, I believe that AI assisted monitoring could and will have an important role in preventing harmful gambling in the future. To really work, responsible gambling tools need to be both pragmatic and relevant for each individual player.
Considering Finland’s upcoming gambling reform, what legal and operational challenges should gambling operators be prepared for, particularly regarding compliance and player protection? Which key trends do you see shaping the market’s future?
As it seems now that affiliates and welcome bonuses will be banned, operators will have to find other means to build their brand and acquire customers. Even though traditional marketing and sponsoring are widely acceptable, I would expect to see innovative solutions to stand out from the probable marketing avalanche during the first months after the market opening. Perhaps new kinds of sponsorships or retail activities? Or even enhanced player protection measures to gain a competitive edge?
Overall, I would advise operators to start their market entry preparations early enough. The licensing procedure could take several (6 to 9) months. Also, adjusting to the local technical and player protection requirements might not happen overnight.
What insights could help Finland create a balanced and effective gambling market?
I believe that the new legislation will provide a good enough framework for a functional gambling market. However, based on experiences from Sweden and Denmark, I would point out two practical aspects crucial to making the new legislation effective: First, there needs to be collaboration between licensed operators and the new regulator. Dialogue and a mutual will to find solutions should be the common mindset. Secondly, the regulator hopefully has enough resources (tools, persons and persistence) to interfere with the black-market operations, which will evidently still exist also after the reform.
Nordic Legal has extensive experience advising European governments on regulatory best practices. How can your firm assist operators looking to enter the Finnish market and navigate the evolving legal landscape?
With our deep knowledge of Finnish legislation, extensive experience from regulatory developments in other jurisdictions, and strong industry relationships, we are well-positioned to support operators and B2B suppliers entering the Finnish market. We can offer comprehensive guidance not only on compliance and licensing, but also on navigating strategic challenges, ensuring our clients are well-prepared for a dynamic and shifting legal landscape. Our proactive approach enables us to identify regulatory changes early and help clients stay ahead of industry developments.
The post Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legal’s Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Online casinos are in a race to meet the growing demands of players, but many operators are being left behind. Slow payment systems, high transaction fees, and outdated software are limiting growth and hurting the player experience. But with the right tools, operators can break free from these limitations and create fluid, player-first experiences.
Bar Konson, Chief Business Development Officer at NuxGame, offers solutions that many operators have been waiting for. With NuxGame’s crypto-ready turnkey platform, operators can quickly solve common issues and roll out future-forward digital casinos that appeal to modern players. The crypto market is growing fast, with an expected $5 billion by 2030. Find out in this interview how making the most of crypto can take your casino to the next level and leave competitors behind.
The impact of crypto in iGaming is undeniable. Bar, do you believe Bitcoin is here to stay, or are we just seeing the beginning of a temporary trend?
The truth is, Bitcoin and crypto are here to stay, and it’s not just a “cool new thing” for players. They offer fast transactions, more security, and a level of transparency that players are increasingly looking for. The iGaming scene is modernizing, and those who aren’t adopting crypto solutions are definitely going to fall behind. You don’t want to watch everyone else pass you by.
So how does NuxGame support the crypto trend? What makes your platform stand out in this fast paced environment?
At NuxGame, we’re not simply handing over a crypto solution and calling it a day. We provide a fully integrated crypto casino software solution that supports multiple cryptocurrencies, but more importantly, we’re here for you every step of the way. Our customer service managers understand that each operator has unique priorities, so we work closely with you to make sure that everything works exactly the way you want it. The dashboard shows everything in real-time, while players get quicker transactions and a better overall game. And the best part is that you’re not left alone with the system integration. Our team is always ready to make your operations work exactly how you want.
I know you’ve got a lot of experience with turnkey solutions. What makes NuxGame’s turnkey casino solution a perfect fit for operators looking to add crypto into their business?
The whole idea behind a turnkey casino solution is to give operators everything they need to go live as soon as possible. When you add crypto, that means offering everything from crypto-friendly payment systems to blockchain-backed gaming for transparency and security. But the important part is that it’s not merely about putting a “crypto” label on your website and leaving it at that. We provide full integration with multi-coin support, crypto bonuses, and even real-time analytics. For operators, it’s the peace of mind that comes with knowing that upon making the switch, everything works — and it works fast. No waiting, no stress, just a revenue-boosting crypto experience. And you’ll be seeing profits in no time. Because you’ll get the tools to start engaging players immediately.
Bar, let’s talk about the notable transition from traditional casinos to online. Are operators who come from land-based casinos jumping on the crypto train? How are they adapting?
Absolutely! A lot of traditional operators are taking their first steps into the online scene and realizing crypto’s impact in it all. They already have local brand recognition, and now it’s time to take that trust and build it online. The great thing is, with crypto, they don’t have to worry about those annoying international payment delays or high fees. We help them adapt without the growing pains, offering localization for both payments and content. It’s basically taking what they already know and applying it to the online space: no need to rebuild everything. You’ve got your brand and audience — now let us help you go digital. It’s that easy.
One last thing: with all the changes happening in the iGaming space, especially with the crypto’s growing presence, what do you think operators should be focusing on in 2025?
2025 is all about speed and adaptability. Markets are moving at record pace, and operators who are stuck in the “perfect platform” mentality are going to miss the boat. Players expect fast, secure experiences, and with crypto, that’s what they get. But to keep up, operators need to launch fast, learn fast, and be ready to grow quickly. That means not over-complicating things: you don’t need to build from zero when you’ve got the right tools. With platforms like ours, operators can quickly adapt to trends, integrate new features, and focus on what really matters: delivering a fantastic player experience. The market’s moving, and those who move with it are the ones who win.
The post Exclusive Q&A With Bar Konson, Chief Business Development Officer at NuxGame appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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