Thriving in the UK: A testing ground for excellence

The UK igaming market provides ample evidence of its prosperity, but with increasing regulation a threat to bottom lines, what innovations are needed to achieve success?

“The UK has always provided a strong and stable proving ground for B2B providers across our industry, as the most robustly regulated and mature igaming environment available globally it is a suitable environment to help distinguish the elite from the run-of-the-mill. Fortunately, everything we have delivered is pointed towards driving the innovations needed to achieve success in the UK and beyond, as we understand that our value truly lies in the quality of our tech solutions, our service levels and our RG credentials.

“I think the best evidence of this is always new partnerships, with two brand new deals we have recently announced for the UK. Our strong pedigree in the market has helped us sign agreements with The Football Pools, an iconic regional brand, and the second with Betzone, providing a strong indication of our potential as a future leader for online casino and sports betting technology in the UK.

“We’ve won these partnerships by offering market leading capabilities in the most efficient way possible, being brilliant at the basics, but with the added secret sauce; DataX & LogicX, GiG’s AI innovations, leveraging what should now be considered fundamental machine learning tools to enhance player acquisition and retention, with predictive interventions essential to an operator’s speed and scalability.

“These systems integrate multiple systems to deliver seamless risk assessment and management tools, ensuring adherence to stringent UK regulatory requirements and elevating our partners RG capabilities with the further benefit of being integration agnostic to third party tools.”

How have the demands of the UK igaming market changed in recent years?

“The UK igaming market has seen significant changes in recent years, mostly based around increased regulatory scrutiny, and a lot of white paper noise. There is a greater focus on responsible gaming and anti-money laundering (AML) measures, requiring operators to implement more robust compliance systems than anywhere in the world, which is ultimately why the UK market is seen as the benchmark for other jurisdictions to follow. 

“It’s a very demanding market too, at minimum players now expect real-time, high-quality gaming experiences with innovative features and personalised content, which you can’t expect to deliver overnight.

“Overall, as the market becomes more saturated it has driven more competitive operators needing to differentiate themselves through unique offerings and superior customer service. This goes back to our concept of brilliant basics, as our vast experience in platform and sports technology leaves us a strong authority on what is needed to meet and exceed these demands.”

How has GiG adapted its business model to comply with the stringent regulatory requirements of the UK igaming market? What challenges has GiG faced and had to overcome?

“Our model relies on enhanced compliance systems, incorporating big data and AI technologies to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. This is complemented by the implementation of continuous monitoring and auditing processes to ensure compliance with evolving regulations. Constantly adapting to new regulations requires significant resources, with training and agility balancing innovation.

“Again, this is one of our outstanding strengths. It’s not easy being licensed in over 30 regulated environments, but it’s something we have built over time, allowing us to scale up as we go. Some of our biggest partners, Betsson Group, LuckyDays and Suprnation have all grown into new markets with us off the back of outstanding performance in others. It breeds confidence to expand, which in turn provides the springboard for exponential growth.”

Has the release of the UK Gambling Act review white paper changed GiG’s strategy for 2024/2025? What impact has this had?

“Very little. As our next-gen igaming platform CoreX is policy driven and highly configurable, it enables us to meet the ever-changing demands of a complex regulated market such as the UK and have the inherent agility to adapt to whatever changes occur. It doesn’t change our approach to partner selection either, as we have always made sure our relationships are built on a shared understanding of the importance of compliance.”

What changes or improvements are necessary to maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving UK igaming market, and how does GiG continue to evolve? Can you give a specific example?

“I think it’s been repeated ad-nauseum, but innovation in player experience, continually enhancements through AI-driven personalisation and gamification advanced analytics, utilising data analytics to gain insights into player behaviour and preferences.

“Enhancing the breadth and depth of our offerings is another critical aspect of our strategy. We’re rapidly finalising an agreement with a leading global official sports data provider, which will significantly enrich our content offering in the UK. Whether it’s this or other partnerships the goal is to provide high-quality content that attracts and retains customers. This enriched content is crucial for generating a higher Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), which is a key metric for our success.

“Moreover, we’re expanding our collaborations with third parties to diversify our product offerings further. For example, we’re working with BetMakers to enhance our horse racing products, with a deal with Inspired Virtuals to offer a wider range of virtual sports and with Sportscast, widely recognised as the leader in sports betting player engagement features. On the platform we’ve continually invested in adding leading content, integrating with Octoplay, Swinnt, Ka gaming and Fazi over the last few weeks to name a few.”

What does the future holds for the igaming market in the UK?

“The UK will continue to be a driving force in setting standards and establishing a model for the future of the industry globally. The stringent regulatory environment sets high standards for responsible gaming and compliance, serving as a model for other markets, but this continued regulatory evolution might not be to everyone’s benefit.

“This will put a squeeze on smaller opportunities not operating to the high standards needed, and I think we’ll continue to see more M&A opportunities as a consequence, consolidating those that carry the capability to stick with the stringent compliance standards.

“The UK has seen a rise in less traditional gambling activities, betting on niche sports like cricket, rugby, and golf highlighting the need for a varied offer and as the industry evolves, experts project a continued annual increase in gambling revenues between 2024 and 2028, cementing its place amongst the most lucrative markets available anywhere on earth.

“Fortunately, we have a suite of the most premium igaming solutions available anywhere in the world, so we feel we are positioned extremely well to capitalise on the unique elements needed to maximise strong and sustainable growth throughout the UK.”