The successful transformation of a major gambling business requires both an injection of the latest technology and a reimagining of the corporate culture, evoke CEO Per Widerström reveals all in the new edition of SBC Leaders magazine.
Issue 32 of the magazine includes an in-depth feature about the future of the custodian of the William Hill and 888 brands, in which Widerström and Chief Strategy Officer Vaughan Lewis detail the difficult steps they are taking to get the business back on track after a troubled period.
While the decision to rename the plc evoke is perhaps the most eye-catching step, the company is also undergoing an extensive restructuring programme designed to combine the strengths of its two internationally-recognised brands, together with a revamp of the executive team.
Widerström remains keen to see further change though, telling SBC Leaders: “When we are looking ahead with our value creation plan – the new strategy – we are instigating a new way of operation, which is more data-driven and more integrated with intelligent automation.
“Of course, then we are building a new culture as we go along. It is an ongoing process to make sure you have a fit for purpose, future-proofed culture and way of behaving in any living organisation in order to stay top in the industry.”
Elsewhere in the magazine, cover star Marina Ilina, the CEO of Pin-Up Global, shares her views on what lawmakers get wrong when creating regulated markets or updating regulatory regimes.
“More often than not, states think that if businesses are tightened up with mandatory deductions, it will be good for the country,” Ilina says.
“In reality, however, operators are very good at counting money. Licensed operators will not work in the countries where taxation, for example, mandates withholding winnings from the player, but does not regulate the grey market. Players themselves will not play in licensed products.”
Readers can also look forward to interviews with a number of other high-profile figures in the industry. Betfred’s incoming Chief Intelligence Officer Andrew Daniels discusses plans to use the operator’s all-new tech division to replicate its retail success on digital channels, while LiveScore Group’s General Counsel Rani Wynn examines whether marketing regulations are hampering the promotion of safer gambling practices.
Bulgaria’s gambling regulator Alexander Popov explains his plan to tackle the black market, while PressEnter Group’s Head of Payments Sean Spiteri discusses technological developments in the payments space. Amit Berkovich, evoke’s Head of Poker, calls for greater innovation to give the game a new lease of life, and Christoffer Andersson, Chief Operating Officer at 500 Casino explains why he believes the recent changes to Curaçao’s regulation will be a good thing.
There is also an in-depth look at the international furore about gambling advertising, a deep dive into the growing threat of AI-powered fraud, an evaluation of whether the sweepstakes model can successfully transfer from the US to international markets, and much, much more.
Click here to read the digital version of SBC Leaders Issue 32 or pick up a print copy at SBC Summit in Lisbon.
Soft2Bet, Betsson Group and Kaizen Gaming were among the standout winners at the 2024 SBC Awards, marking the event’s debut in Lisbon.
Held on Thursday 26 September, the final day of the SBC Summit, the prestigious awards ceremony marked its 11th edition at the MEO Arena, one of Europe’s largest indoor sports venues. The evening was a tribute to the extraordinary achievements of global companies and individuals who have driven innovation and transformation within the industry. Over 1,200 industry professionals gathered to recognise excellence across 39 award categories.
Hosted by SBC Awards veteran and TV personality Kirsty Gallacher, alongside former Danish international goalkeeping legend, Peter Schmeichel, the ceremony highlighted the industry’s leading operators, affiliates, suppliers, media organisations and leaders.
Kaizen Gaming upheld their accolade as ‘Casino Operator of the Year,’ and also claimed the title of ‘Operator of the Year – Large’ while bet365 Partners successfully defended their title as ‘Best Affiliate Program’.
In other operator categories, Betsson Group earned the title of ‘Sportsbook Operator of the Year,’ Campeón Gaming claimed the ‘Operator of the Year – Medium,’ and Retabet secured the award for ‘Operator of the Year – Small.’
In the Rising Star categories, Vegas Legends and Boomerang Partners were named ‘Rising Star in Casino’ and ‘Rising Star in Sports Betting,’ respectively. Novibet was awarded the ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’ award, whilst Coolbet were celebrated for their transformative impact on the industry, taking home the ‘Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment’ award.
Winners in the Affiliate categories included FairPlay Sports Media, which earned the ‘Affiliate Product Innovation’ award, while Casino Guru was named ‘Casino Affiliate of the Year.’ Better Collective retained their title as ‘Sports Affiliate of the Year’.
SOFTSWISS secured the coveted ‘Employer of the Year’ award, while the prestigious ‘Leader of the Year’ honour was shared by Corinne Valletta (Betsson), Marina Ostrovtsova (BGaming), and Uri Poliavich (Soft2Bet).
In addition to being recognised for its outstanding leadership, Soft2Bet also garnered accolades for its cutting-edge offerings, winning awards for both ‘Innovation in Mobile’ and ‘Innovation in Casino Entertainment.’
IDnow was named ‘Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year’ for the second year running, while Pay4Fun and Noda triumphed in the ‘Payment Innovation of the Year’ and ‘Payment Solution of the Year’ categories, respectively.
Pascal Gaming, Wazdan, and Pragmatic Play each reinforced their positions as innovators in slot design, taking home the awards for ‘Casino / Slots Developer of the Year – Small,’ ‘Casino / Slots Developer of the Year – Medium,’ and ‘Casino / Slots Developer of the Year – Large.’
Other notable winners on the night included:
The awards ceremony capped off the final day of the SBC Summit, which drew 25,000 industry professionals to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa from September 24-26.
