iGamingFuture’s annual pre-ICE Supper Club, held this year in the singular and storied Catalan capital, Barcelona, encapsulated the “learnings and earnings” buzz of the online gambling world’s greatest event.
A clutch of top-top C-Level executives from Betsson, MaxBet, Novibet, Blixx Gaming, Grand Casino Luzern AG, Nolimit City, SuprNation, Fitzdares, and others, were in attendance to hear expert research, forensic analysis and critical recommendations from keynote speakers Josh Hodgson, of H2 Gambling Capital, and Paula Wesołowska, of Revolut, at the event, sponsored by Crucial Compliance.
Crucial Compliance CEO Paul Foster introduced Josh and Paula, who spoke on a broad theme of “Building Sustainability Through Compliance”.
Featuring an elaborate cocktail bar, a mouth-watering offering of contemporary Catalan tapas and a chocolate tasting session, the event was held at the chic Kaktos Botanical Society, a space just off the famous Rambla avenue.
Change
The central theme of Paula’s discourse at the iGF Supper Club was that: “Change is the only constant.
“Launch [of a product] is not the end of the product’s development,” emphasised Paula, the Head of Risk/Customer Relations at the financial disruptors.
“The product needs to be subjected to regular review and analysis; research to influence changes; monitor performance; gaps that haven’t been addressed,” she said.
“Customer satisfaction, being improved through the judicious use of AI, is crucial.
“Queries about potential fraud should be addressed immediately. Time is of the essence.
“And we really need to listen to customers and make products that are made for them.”
For his part, Josh, a Senior Associate of H2 Gambling Capital, offered a superb data-driven analysis of current iGaming market trends, with killer metrics, in particular, on Brazil: by common accord, the “biggest opportunity” in world online betting.
Clicks and Mortar
Referring to H2’s latest report, “Exploring the Growth Opportunities in Regulated Markets in 2025 and Beyond”, Josh noted that while land-based retail remains the dominant market in international gambling, online, with an expected growth this year of some 10.2 percent–compared to retail’s 2.9 percent–continues its spectacular ascent.
GGR estimates for bricks-and-mortar betting run to €409 billion (£345.62bn/US$427.09bn) this year and €171 billion (£144.5bn/US$178.54bn) for iGaming, he revealed.
Although he cautioned, with a wry smile that: “All models are wrong, but some are useful.”
Stepping up to the iGF Supper Club podium, Crucial Compliance chief Paul Foster affirmed the “positive outcomes” of compliance and regulation in building a sustainable market.
“We all want it,” said Paul: “Compliance is good for the players, good for the market.
“Players play longer, they play better, without harm. There’s less burn-and-churn.”
