Supplier Supplement: Technology and dialogue will drive player protection success

Welcome to The Supplier’s Supplement by SBC Media, shining a light on some of the most interesting and thought provoking industry commentary from suppliers throughout the week. Each week, SBC Media’s Craig Davies, Charlie Horner and Fernando Noodt will walk through the quotes, highlight the stories that matter most and offer thoughts on how supplier voices are contributing to some of iGaming’s biggest talking points. 

This week, Europe has marked Safer Gambling Week 2025 by having open conversations about player protection strategies and the need for more dialogue between operators and regulators. 

With tax hikes inbound across several markets alongside more stringent regulations, the gambling sector needs to tell an alternative and positive story about its work; Safer Gambling Week provides a great platform to do just that. I hope that, amid the furore and intense scrutiny, the gambling sector can come together to tell consistent and positive narratives to push back.

Tech driving safer gambling

Kicking off this week’s Supplier Supplement, a weekly roundup of the most thought provoking insights from SBC’s media partners, is Dan De Souza – Flows VP of Commercial – who says that operators should be using automation to deliver smarter, more proactive player journeys.

“Reactive compliance is no longer enough,” he said. “Regulators are already moving toward continuous monitoring and demonstrable, data driven protection. Players expect transparency and responsiveness that mirror the Amazon type of digital experience they are accustomed to.”

Open the revolving door

Simon Westbury, Strategic Advisor of 1xBet, offered some interesting perspectives as part of a player protection webinar with SBC Media. When Peter Marcus, an ex Entain and Willliam Hill executive who now runs Sunny Hill Marketing suggested that more operator leaders should work for regulators later in their career, it appeared a sensible suggestion. 

Yet Westbury, who is leading 1xBet’s player protection research and strategy implementation, noted that there is a stigma in these moves. 

He said: “If you went to the regulator, you’re not coming back into the industry.”

A damning indictment of the operator-regulator relationship, surely not conducive with good collaboration.

Brazil nears anniversary

It’s almost a year ago when President Lula pressed the green light on Brazil’s regulated online sports betting and online casino market. Excitement reached fever pitch, but has it lived up to the hype? 

“The hype was all about instant easy money, but the reality demands stability, strategic execution and long-term thinking,” outlined Felipe Pereira, editorial director at Leadstar Media’s Brazil brand sitedeapostas.

Brazil certainly requires a strategic mindset as it is a unique market with very local tastes. 

One company looking to get on top of these local demands is FIRST, whose CEO Tom Light spoke to SBC about its recent deal with PixBet in Brazil. 

Localisation is essential for Light and First’s Brazilian operation. 

He noted: “A Brazilian bettor touches the interface four to six times more per session than the average European user. They move fast, they decide fast and they abandon anything that hesitates. When you know that, localisation stops being about “Portuguese content” and becomes about designing a platform that breathes the same rhythm as the player.”

Charlie says: Brazil is still one of the globe’s most exciting markets. With a sports frenzied and maturing audience who have experience of online casino from the grey market, those operators who can get in tune with local demands have a host of riches available. Working with the right partners can unlock those treasures.

Innovation Corner

iGaming suppliers are constantly bringing new products, new features and new partners to the market and this week is no exception. 

A core theme shining through this week is the need for operators to level up, ditch legacy tech and unlock the potential of their brands with new solutions. 

That’s certainly the message of Will Fyler, who sat down with us this week to talk about Odds88’s trading and risk management solutions. 

Odds88’s MD said: “Most operators recognise the need to evolve and deliver new ideas that capture emerging trends and player expectations, however, the biggest barrier continues to be technical constraints and/or legacy tech. That’s why we’re focused on developing flexible, ‘black box’ solutions that can be easily customised to each operator’s specific needs.”

Meanwhile, CreedRoomz has recently brought Mr First Casino, a new live casino solution, to the market. 

The company’s Chief Product Officer, Sargis Poghosyan, outlined that Mr First Live is designed with layers to keep players in the session.

“This dynamic, two-part design is engineered to drive unparalleled player engagement, long session times, and high-win potential, with multipliers reaching up to 10,000x.”

Finally for this week, a new brand is entering the sector looking to break the mould with a blend of ‘chaos and soul’. 

Meet Ebaka Games, who debuted on iGaming Expert this week, with its array of slot games that seeks to break the ‘copy-paste’ status quo.

Vitalii Zalievskyi, the company’s CEO, said: “We’re creating gripping games that push boundaries. We have no interest in reskins and clones. Ebaka Games is here to bring new meaning and revive the emotion in online games. We’re not for everyone, but we’ll be the go-to choice for those who get it.”

Thanks for reading this week’s issue of The Supplier’s Supplement and come back next Friday for more of the most thought provoking quotes from some of the industry’s biggest providers. 

I’m logging out for the week for a splendid weekend of sporting action and inevitably no sleep as I attempt to travel to follow Sunderland’s travails at Fulham on Saturday and return home to catch up with England’s exploits down under in The Ashes. There’s plenty to keep the trading rooms of operators and odds providers busy. 

Feel free to check out other features with the likes of iGP, Stats Perform, Upgames, EveryMatrix and Racing & Sports while you’re here.