The SiGMA Eastern Europe Summit has successfully concluded, with over 200 exhibitors showcasing their brands at Budapest's largest exhibition venue, Hungexpo. Each booth was as unique as the companies themselves, but all shared a common goal—to tell their story.

This article highlights the growth of participants in the Eastern European global iGaming market. It discusses the experiences of payment system representatives, niche providers, sports platforms, and developers of anti-fraud solutions, including the creators of the first crash game and their competitors.

Trends in Payments by Old Money Payments

Old Money Payments in Kazakhstan positions itself as a trustworthy partner with a gentlemanly demeanor, valuing honesty and integrity. The team (as shown below) is committed to creating a secure and reliable business environment in the online payment sector. The provider is making every effort to ensure that participants in the payment market can cooperate with mutual trust without worrying about the security of their funds.

The team highlighted the following payment system trends in the global iGaming market:

• Open banking is becoming increasingly popular among payment systems and merchants in the EU.
• Recently, regulatory changes have occurred for Canadian MSBs: companies now need to register with the Bank of Canada.
• In Kazakhstan, mobile commerce is actively developing. With growing demand in Africa and India, Old Money Payments is expanding in these directions.
• Old Money Payments' solutions currently cover Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Japan, India, New Zealand, South Korea, and Uzbekistan. The provider also plans to expand to Argentina, Peru, Portugal, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• The company is eager to win a SiGMA award, which would prove the trust of its partners.

Aviatrix on Product as a Service

Victoria Lambruso, Senior Account Manager for the CIS region at crash game provider Aviatrix, discussed their successful entry into the Indian and African markets. The company also operates in Latin America, Asia, and the CIS region, with offices in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. When discussing audience differences, Victoria noted that the average bet size in the CIS region is higher, at 4 euros per player. In contrast, in Africa and Asia, there are many players with smaller bet amounts.

The company has launched a game of the same name, which offers many additional features. Players can customize their planes, use loyalty program rewards, and participate in competitions. The developers focus on enhancing this product to maximize player engagement.

Aviatrix won a SiGMA award in Africa and has been nominated for an award at the next summit in Malta. The company's account manager, Polina Turuntaeva, believes their game deserves an award because it falls into the "product as a service" category, with an unlimited development cycle. Additionally, their extensive loyalty program attracts new customers for operators and plans to launch a social casino with NFT features.

Altenar on White Label Opportunities in Eastern Europe

Diego Sallas (pictured below), Sales Manager at Altenar, a global turnkey sports betting platform provider specializing in the Latin American and Eastern European markets, pointed out the unique challenges of creating fully legal online casinos in Europe. Altenar's main strategy in the CIS region is product localization.

Diego stated, "The main task in creating quality products is finding the right solutions that comply with regulatory requirements." Altenar explores licensing and software solutions, selecting the best options for each specific operator. Additionally, there are universal tools applicable in both South America and Eastern Europe.

"We have a dedicated team to monitor market trends and regulatory changes. We develop customized products based on the specific needs of each operator and support them at every stage of their development," said Altenar Sales Manager Diego Sallas.

The developer recently obtained a license to operate in Georgia, launching its first white label operator in this new market. The company has also established a partnership with a well-known supplier in Bulgaria. Altenar has won multiple SiGMA awards, aiming to win more by providing innovative features to bettors and strictly adhering to regulatory requirements during its development process.

Winfinity on the Advantages of Niche Products

Maria Sverdlova, Marketing Director at Latvian company Winfinity (team pictured above), discussed the benefits of operating as a niche provider. Compared to more established market participants, Winfinity is more flexible. The brand has built a good reputation in the market over four years, three of which were dedicated specifically to live casino games.

"We have assembled a team that not only understands casinos from a professional perspective but also personally enjoys them. This insight helps us meet the true needs of players," said Winfinity Marketing Director Maria Sverdlova.

Although this approach is just beginning to be promoted in European gambling regulation, Winfinity places great importance on responsible gambling principles. The player support team identifies signs of risky behavior and offers counseling to address the issue. Additionally, each social media message includes appropriate reminders, and the provider is preparing to add a GambleAware page to its website.

The company's games feature unique studio designs. In addition to a previously won "Best Live Provider" award, one of their games, Cabaret Roulette, also won the SiGMA Asia 2024 award. Winfinity plans to continue developing and increasing its SiGMA awards at future summits.

Sumsub on EGBA Certification

Arina Rumyantseva (pictured above), Legal Advisor and Regulatory Consultant at Sumsub, a company providing KYC and anti-fraud solutions to global iGaming operators, discussed how they obtained EGBA, GDIC, and other certifications. This labor-intensive process involves extensive product checks to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. However, after successful collaboration among the development, marketing, and legal teams, obtaining these certifications can elevate the status of both clients and Sumsub and confirm their capabilities. The solution's design complies with regulatory requirements, legal practices, and high standards.

"We strive to maintain a leading position. Often, rumors of regulatory changes in a country emerge before they occur, and we start working in that direction. Once, European regulators began requiring video verification for players, and we quickly developed a solution that met the current requirements," said Sumsub Legal Advisor and Regulatory Consultant Arina Rumyantseva.

Rumyantseva personally monitors political situations and prepares materials for Sumsub's articles.

Sumsub is proud of its EGBA-compliant electronic signature solution, which is not only suitable for iGaming but also for other commercial sectors in Europe. In terms of the Eastern European market, the demand for legal solutions among operators has steadily grown over the past three years.

Sumsub has won a SiGMA award, and according to Rumyantseva, receiving this recognition has increased the brand's visibility.

SPRIBE's Plans for 2025

According to George Tsutsikridze, Business Director at SPRIBE, the provider will continue to expand its list of licenses, currently covering over 50 jurisdictions, and launch online slots. The company is in the final stages of obtaining a New Jersey license, and once all pending applications are approved, its list of licenses will be complete.

"We aim to ensure that our users can play fairly and have the best experience. To achieve this goal, we have obtained licenses," said SPRIBE Business Director George Tsutsikridze.

The SPRIBE team is simultaneously working on several new game projects, with the largest being the Broadway platform. With this project, the provider won the SiGMA "Rising Star" category of the year award. The project involves developing slot machines for online operators, which will be launched in the coming months.

"We are very interested in the Eastern European market because we have already achieved success and become the number one crash game. It has its unique market positioning and universal appeal, which we are very satisfied with," Tsutsikridze concluded.