The champions of iGaming have revamped, rebooted and are ready to rock. With more than 30 years of experience behind it, GR8_TECH is entering a new era, proving it is as fluid as the global markets it serves, writes Lauren Harrison.
The difference in name might be slight–bound to caps and dashes–but the change in ambition is anything but, according to GR8_TECH’s Chief Revenue Officer, Sergey Ghazaryan.
In this frank and insightful interview, Sergey delves into this leading platform provider’s decision to rebrand, how operators should actually focus on keeping the players they have during global tournaments over chasing costly acquisition–hot tip: If you’re not protecting them, you’re losing them–and how operators should be preparing for the trends of tomorrow.
Read on!
GR8_TECH recently unveiled a refreshed brand identity. Beyond the visual evolution, what does this update say about the company’s wider ambitions? And how does it reflect the changing needs of operators in an increasingly competitive global market?
“Brand identity should represent what you stand for.
“At our core, GR8_TECH stands for one important thing: Nothing is set in stone. If we want our clients and partners to win, we have to be able to change and change fast.
“Rebranding is a hard choice because you’ve invested a lot in brand recognition and reaching a certain point. But the reality is, if you don’t metamorphose, you stagnate and stop growing.
“You stop getting better because you don’t need to.
“GR8_TECH’s rebrand signifies that we don’t want to stop growing, we don’t want to stop improving and we’re committed to this at our core, not just our product line.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been one of the defining events for the industry this year. Looking at the performance of GR8_TECH’s operator partners, what have been the biggest lessons learned about sportsbook engagement, player acquisition and retention during a tournament of this scale?
“Firstly, this isn’t our first World Cup, so we already knew what to expect, obviously with some differences reflecting modern trends.
“During tournaments like the World Cup, everyone focuses on getting new players, leveraging the hype, but the reality is that if you are getting a player, you are taking them from someone else.
“Protecting your players is as important as getting new players during the World Cup.
“Otherwise it’s just shifting players from brand to brand and the market stays the same.
“To help keep players loyal, we double down on a lot of features, increasing personalised elements and generally ensuring players have a seamless, intuitive experience.
“This is how you increase retention. For us, during a global tournament, we’re playing defence. Essentially, weaponising our sportsbook and ensuring it delivers a fantastic experience to the players we already have.
“Our experience in past World Cups has shown this strategy works. Our partners have high retention rates by providing a naturally sticky experience.”
Many operators invest heavily in acquiring players during major sporting events but struggle to maintain momentum once the tournament ends. What strategies and technologies are proving most effective in helping operators convert World Cup traffic into long-term customer value?
“The World Cup is often an operator’s first interaction with a player, and it’s an expensive one because CPAs skyrocket during major tournaments.
“You end up paying far more to acquire that customer than you would have five years ago, so it becomes critical to maximise that player’s lifetime value.
“I think when people talk about LTV, they sometimes forget what it actually stands for: lifetime value.
“The way to increase it isn’t always by trying to squeeze more revenue out of a player during their time with you. It’s about extending that lifetime for as long as possible. If you can keep players engaged for longer, their lifetime value naturally increases. The economics have changed.
“That’s why we double down during this time with very deep customisation and personalisation driven by AI and by creating unique content. This is something operators can’t get anywhere else.
“And it works. We see it in our partners’ results. Our clients can outbid their competitors in acquisition and, when it comes to maximising LTV, they still turn a healthy profit due to our products.
“So that’s our whole philosophy. We compete on the P&Ls of our clients. Our job is to help them achieve a better P&L than other platforms help their rivals achieve.”
With much of the industry’s attention focused on the World Cup throughout H1, what do you believe will become the next major growth driver for operators in H2? Are there emerging trends or opportunities that businesses should already be preparing for?
“At its core, I think it’s the same logic I touched on earlier: It’s a battle of P&Ls.
“Player experience is obviously important and that’s something we focus on, but you also have to deliver it efficiently. If you’re spending too much money running your platform, you won’t have enough left to acquire increasingly expensive traffic.
“It’s about combining technical efficiency with the things that, on an intuitive level, make players gravitate towards your product.
“It’s also about making sure your product is highly tailored to VIP players because, let’s be honest, they are the lifeblood of this market. You have to retain them and keep them happy. That’s why we work so hard to deliver a premium experience that no one else can.
“We’re applying the latest technologies–I won’t even say which ones because no one else is doing it–that dramatically reduce loading times and make everything faster, smoother and more seamless. The result is simply a more enjoyable experience.
“Pleasure is always relative. When I was a kid, we had the internet, but it took 15 seconds to load a single picture. That was normal. We didn’t mind because we didn’t know any different.
“That doesn’t cut it anymore.
“And that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re making everything faster so that, once players experience our platform, slower products no longer cut it.
“We’re also doubling down on giving our clients more tools to reduce their operational overhead through AI, automation and additional services.
“We provide a lot of that as part of the package because it eases the pressure on operators’ P&L. Lower costs mean higher profits, which gives operators more to invest in acquiring players and more to give back to them. That’s how they win.
“It’s actually very simple.
“As a platform, you can’t be too greedy. You have to understand what your clients need and give it to them. That’s what will drive growth for our clients, at least from our perspective.”
Editor’s Note:
Short, sweet and absolutely packed with practical insights, it’s always a pleasure to speak with Sergey and hear how GR8_TECH is approaching its next chapter with renewed vigour.
If there’s one message that strikes at the heart of the current debate, it’s this: During major sporting events, your biggest battle isn’t winning new players; it’s keeping the ones you’ve already got.
Why?
Because operators are all vying for the same players, meaning if you’ve gained a new sign-up, they’ve probably come at a competitor’s expense.
That’s why operators should focus on defensive strategies, which ultimately boil down to delivering the most engaging tournament experience possible because if you’re not engaging your players, someone else will.
