“Movers and Shakers” is a dynamic monthly column dedicated to exploring the latest trends, developments, and influential voices in the iGaming industry. Powered by GameOn and supported by HIPTHER, this op-ed series delves into the key players, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes shaping the future of online gaming. Each month, industry experts offer their insights and perspectives, providing readers with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on what’s driving the iGaming world forward. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, “Movers and Shakers” is your go-to source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving iGaming landscape.

Dominic Le Garsmeur (CPO) at Fincore, says integrations without a clear interoperability strategy add technical and operational debt, hampering future growth.

System integrations are hugely important for any online sportsbook or casino, adding capabilities and features to drive growth.  But integrating without considering and optimising interoperability can do more harm than good by adding technical and operational debt to the business and ultimately hitting growth.

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Integrating without interoperability pushes information from one system to another, but the connection itself has no intelligence. It’s a mechanical link, and the systems remain fundamentally separate, each operating with its own distinct rules. Any real understanding, like why that data was sent or what other processes it should trigger, is lost, creating data silos that are technically connected but strategically disconnected.

System interoperability provides the intelligence the connection lacks, establishing a shared operational model for the platform so all systems can act in concert. Most importantly, it creates a future-proof foundation, allowing new capabilities and features to be added with agility and confidence, turning the platform into an engine for innovation rather than a source of technical debt.

Before looking at why interoperability is more powerful than integration, and how companies can solve it, it’s important to understand how disconnects between platforms and systems occur in the first place.

Why does disconnection happen?

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Operators acquire their tech stacks in different ways, but usually through a combination of building, inheriting legacy tech, acquisition and third-party providers. This often leads to platform and system silos with little to no compatibility between them.

Ultimately, disconnected systems drag down delivery and without interoperability, companies waste time reconciling platforms and tech rather than advancing forward.

Interoperability is more powerful than integration

Integration often means linking systems at a basic level, but interoperability ensures that data, logic and workflows are aligned and extensible.

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It’s critical to have a strategic data layer and shared data structures that enables standardising of data representations, aligning systems at the logic level, not just the interface, and building an architecture designed to unify and extend across platforms.

In complex industries such as gaming, where tech plays such an important role in the user experience and the trust consumers have in brands, system interoperability is the only way to scale with control. In short, integration links, interoperability empowers.

Why interoperability is such a challenge in the gaming industry

Each integration is unique. Why? Because the combination of legacy systems, niche vendors and varying regulations in markets across the world means there is no blueprint for operators to follow.

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Remember, most operator platforms are now decades old and were not built with modularity or openness in mind. And even those developing new platforms and systems from scratch often lack the in-house capability to design for interoperability from the get-go.

The risk of not achieving interoperability

When systems don’t interoperate, things start to fall apart. For example, delivery can grind to a halt, with every new feature launch or market entry becoming a grind. There are compliance risks, too, especially when it comes to fractured data and an increased risk of errors and audit gaps.

Then, of course, there is the poor player experience that will be provided. This could be anything from glitchy games to failed deposits and even the wrong marketing communications being sent to the wrong player cohorts.

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It also impacts an operator’s ability to develop and innovate, as IT and tech become reactive rather than proactive. And in such a competitive market, this can see a brand quickly fall behind the curve.

How to solve the interoperability conundrum

Ensuring interoperability is a complex and comprehensive undertaking, but there are some high-level things operators can do.

This starts with standardising critical data flows and logic, not just the interface. Remember, a single view of data is what ensures all the platforms, systems and networks communicate with each other in the same language.

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Operators should also design for change, as architecture must support long-term growth and plug-and-play modularity. In most cases, it’s best to invest in strategic partners, not just tools.

How strategic partners can help

Partners such as Fincore can provide the strategic clarity operators need, defining what interoperability looks like for them and based on their business goals. We also bring execution muscle – we don’t just design it, we build it.

The right partner also brings compliance confidence. Companies such as Fincore are highly experienced when it comes to interoperability, and everything we do stands up to regulatory scrutiny.

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This can be seen in our proven track record for delivering interoperability for everything from complex migrations to global-scale game roll-outs.

A real-world example of interoperability

Fincore worked with a US-based gaming services provider whose legacy systems across its land-based venues had created silos in payments, loyalty and in-resort experiences.

The solution we proposed saw us design and deliver a digital wallet that became the unified digital layer across the physical properties. We also integrated deeply with multiple rigid legacy systems to provide secure and compliant interoperability at scale.

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The result? We delivered on time, unlocked a new digital product line and created a long-term tech foundation for the company to continue to build on.

When it comes to integrations, you can always wire systems together, but if you don’t do it in the right way, you get chaos. Interoperability is about creating order within platforms and systems, which in turn allows for unlimited scaling and growth.

And that’s why interoperability is the real game-changer.

London fintech Yaspa, an award-winning provider of real-time payment, account verification and intelligence solutions for the iGaming industry, has announced its partnership with VIALET, the European-licensed electronic money institution. The collaboration significantly enhances Yaspa’s payment ecosystem, providing iGaming operators and platforms across the UK and Europe with expanded access to instant, multi-currency payment solutions.

The partnership builds on VIALET’s deep experience as a European fintech, offering specialised business accounts and a full suite of payment services designed for digital businesses. For Yaspa’s customers – particularly in the high-growth iGaming sector – these accounts provide a secure, compliant way to hold and manage funds, including those deposited and withdrawn through Yaspa’s instant bank payment solutions.

The result is a powerful, integrated offering that is quickly becoming a preferred choice for operators seeking seamless, multi-currency support for real-time transactions. By combining instant pay-ins and payouts with robust business banking infrastructure, the collaboration delivers a streamlined, scalable solution for managing money across the UK and Europe.

‘A single, powerful platform’

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Yaspa CEO James Neville said: “Our mission at Yaspa is to provide iGaming businesses with a single, powerful platform to manage their payments intelligently.

“Partnering with VIALET not only expands our instant payment capabilities across Europe, but also reinforces our commitment to building a resilient, multi-partner ecosystem that offers our clients unparalleled choice and reliability.”

Ioannis Chatziathanasiou, Chief Business Development Officer from VIALET, said: “At VIALET, we are committed to delivering secure, fast, and scalable payment solutions tailored to the needs of digital-first industries. Partnering with Yaspa allows us to extend our reach and offer even greater value to merchants across Europe who demand flexibility, intelligence, and speed in their payment infrastructure.”

Yaspa’s instant bank payments are available across the UK and Europe, ready to integrate seamlessly into the payment systems of both current and future VIALET account holders who want to provide a real-time payment option that is quick to implement and simple for players to use.

REEVO, the leading B2B games aggregator known for its innovation in the iGaming ecosystem, has announced a strategic partnership with MEGAFAIR, an emerging pioneer in next-gen gaming experiences. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in REEVO’s mission to deliver high-quality content to operators and players worldwide.

MEGAFAIR has carved a distinct identity in the industry by blending traditional game mechanics with engaging and visually captivating experiences. Now, through REEVO’s best-in-class aggregation platform, MEGAFAIR’s portfolio of high-quality, competitive games will be available to a global audience, instantly accessible via a single API integration.

This partnership expands MEGAFAIR’s content distribution while offering REEVO partners access to a differentiated product category that’s capturing the attention of a new generation of iGamers.

Yan Shif, Co-founder and CEO of MEGAFAIR, said: “It’s not just hype, it’s a truly new level for our team. Partnering with REEVO is a game-changer for MEGAFAIR. Their unparalleled aggregation capabilities and commitment to operator success perfectly align with our vision. This alliance will not only enhance the delivery of our top-tier games, but also enable us to leverage REEVO’s advanced promotional tools to boost player engagement, satisfaction, and retention.”

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His statement highlights the strong synergy between both companies and the shared benefits operators can expect from this collaboration.

Daniel Cuc, Head of Account Management at REEVO, said: “Partnering with MEGAFAIR adds a bold and refreshing edge to the REEVO content universe. Their fusion of innovation, entertainment, and quality is exactly what today’s iGaming landscape demands. We’re excited to integrate their titles into our platform and look forward to introducing this dynamic new offering to our operator network. This is just the beginning, our partners should stay tuned for what’s next.”