Over the last decade, Soft2Bet has gone from strength-to-strength, becoming a leading force in the iGaming industry, writes Lauren Harrison.
Founded in 2016, the company has developed a rare 360-degree view of the sector, shaped by its role as a B2B platform provider, across regional markets spanning Europe and the Americas.
Taking a moment from his busy schedule to join iGamingFuture for an exclusive discussion today is Soft2Bet’s Chief Marketing Officer, Alex Gitsik.
Alex, who spent almost a decade rising through the ranks at 888holdings, is a marketing executive who has earned his stripes from the bottom up and is fluent in all aspects of iGaming marketing.
Join iGF for an insight-packed Q&A with Alex, covering everything from building trust and player engagement to gimmick-free gamification and enhancing the player experience while maintaining responsible protocols. It’s all right here.
We began by asking Alex:
As the iGaming market continues to mature, has its increasingly competitive nature caused operators to focus too heavily on acquisition rather than retention? How can operators achieve the perfect balance between the two?
“Specific trends in the industry do not dictate or dominate our approach.
“Soft2Bet maintains a stable strategy, regardless of whether the market is trending towards acquisition or retention at the moment, so these external shifts do not impact us.
“This allows us to keep our focus on maintaining our goal and prioritising high-performance indicators from the start.
“Rather, we focus on maintaining a healthy balance between our acquisition investment and our retention efforts, always staying within our established benchmarks and guidelines.”
Localisation continues to be a defining factor in player trust and engagement. How is Soft2Bet using its global experience of cultural insights and data-driven personalisation to create experiences that truly resonate across different markets?
“Localisation has always been a core element of Soft2Bet’s strategy.
“Using gamification, localisation and customisation features, brands can create a more engaging experience and differentiate themselves among competitors when attracting new customers and increasing retention.
“Our experience and footprint in key markets give us access to a huge amount of behavioural data. We combine that with local cultural expertise to tailor experiences on three levels: product, content and engagement.
“On the product side, our gamification and front-end frameworks allow us to deploy market-specific UI/UX quickly. Everything from navigation styles to bonus mechanics can be adapted to the preferences of a particular region.
“For example, when developing TopBet in Romania, we saw that players respond strongly to fast access to sportsbook features and high-frequency missions.
“In Ontario, with ToonieBet, our approach is shaped by the region’s strong sports culture.
“ToonieBet builds relevance through sports-driven engagement, including CFL-themed activations and locally resonant fan experiences.
“Meanwhile, in Nordic markets with Betinia players show a very high engagement with achievement-based progression and collection-style missions, which aligns with the region’s preference for gamified, skill-influenced experiences.
“In terms of content, we go beyond language localisation.
“We integrate local payment options, localised game lobbies, seasonally relevant themes, and culturally relevant missions.
“It is why Soft2Bet’s MEGA is built for the global market but adapts to local cultures, behaviours, and expectations.
“And for engagement, MEGA’s unique gamification mechanics, narrative-driven progression, and localisation of the highest standards help operators stand out in competitive markets and resonate with diverse audiences.
“This means two players in the same country might still receive very different experiences, based on what resonates with them personally.
“When you combine that level of targeting with deep cultural insight, you get higher trust, higher retention – and much deeper engagement.”
Gamification is often cited as a key tool for boosting engagement. But how do you ensure these elements feel authentic and not just another retention gimmick?
“If we look beyond our industry–according to research by the American Marketing Association–game rewards significantly boost user-engagement – even more so than real-world perks, such as discounts or coupons.
“Heightened engagement essentially translates into building long-lasting connections with brands. The findings also show that game rewards increase engagement significantly over and above value rewards, leading to a lift in business value.
“But to make gamification not just like a retention hook, brands must design it as part of the core user experience. For us, that means:
- Gamification aligns with player motivation: Progress systems, missions, and rewards reflect real needs, such as progression, achievement and strategy.
- It’s transparently fair: Mechanics, reward thresholds are clear. That builds trust between players and brands.
- It’s personalised: Using data-driven approaches, missions and bonuses are tailored to what individual players care about. Casual players get easy, fun objectives; experienced users get more challenging, rewarding content.
- It respects player protection and compliance standards: Gamification is designed with responsible gaming in mind, using safe limits and mechanics that encourage healthy engagement rather than excessive play. This ensures the experience remains entertaining, transparent, and fully aligned with regulatory expectations.
“When gamification is no longer a feature, but a growth engine, it enhances engagement and retention while maintaining authenticity and trust.”
The industry often talks about the balance between entertainment and responsibility. From your perspective, how can CRM be leveraged to both engage and protect players sustainably?
“For the Soft2Bet team, CRM is not just a marketing tool. It’s where engagement and responsibility actually meet. We only release products when they follow both regulatory and player-protection standards, and CRM is part of that framework.
“Our team always adheres to all regulatory rules and takes every measure to ensure players play responsibly. All restrictions operate automatically, excluding players from CRM campaigns upon their request or self-exclusion.
“This allows us to leverage CRM in three main ways.
“First, advanced segmentation: We don’t just segment by value, but also by behaviour and risk indicators, so that high-value doesn’t automatically mean more bonuses, it can also mean more safeguards and tailored messaging.
“Then proactive protection: Our algorithms monitor frequency of play, changes in spending behaviour and other signals in real time, triggering personalised notifications, time-out reminders or promoting limit tools when behaviour changes. That allows us to act early instead of only reacting when a problem appears.
“And finally: The Soft2Bet team designs entertainment journeys that are compliant by design.
“With MEGA, for example, we focus on session-to-session progress, narrative and intrinsic motivation rather than aggressive bonus cycles, so CRM campaigns amplify a safe, long-term experience that regulators are comfortable with and players really enjoy.”
As emerging technologies like AI and predictive analytics continue to advance, what role do you see them playing in shaping the next generation of player communication and relationship management?
“The global AI in gaming market size is projected to reach US$51.26 billion (£42.03bn) by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 36.1 percent from 2025 to 2033.
“The market development is anticipated to be accelerated by growing use of AI technologies in the gaming industry and advancements in deep learning technologies, which allow users to personalise and adapt gameplay, expanding the number of gaming platforms in the industry.
“In our industry, AI and predictive analytics are becoming the backbone of modern CRM and at Soft2Bet we’re already integrating them deeply into our MEGA and engagement ecosystem.
“They allow us to move from big campaigns to the tailored gamification strategies by predicting what each player needs next and communicating in a way that feels natural.
“AI also strengthens player protection.
“Predictive models help us spot early signs of risky behaviour and trigger supportive, Responsible Gaming messages and limits, so CRM becomes a proactive protection rather than just an engagement tool.
“Finally, AI helps us optimise responsibly. We can test content, missions and reward structures within strict compliance rules and roll out what works across markets.”
Editor’s Note:
Soft2Bet has every angle covered and, via Alex, the company offers a clear and evidently experience-driven and research-grounded view of global iGaming dynamics.
What stands out most is Alex’s dedication to enhancing the player experience through a deep understanding of players and different markets, while providing a safe, sustainable experience that continues to raise the bar.
It is this motivation to go beyond the surface level, to truly understand players and provide a great experience that drives trust, loyalty, and longer-term retention.
Importantly, for Alex and Soft2Bet, safety and engagement are not competing terms, but complementary. It’s that simple: These goals are not misaligned and should not be treated as such.
The same data, monitoring, and personalisation tools used to enhance gaming experiences and offer deeper levels of engagement can also be used to protect players.
And by embedding player protection directly into CRM, gamification, and AI-driven decision-making, growth and safety naturally begin to complement one another.
