As player acquisition becomes more expensive, operators need to think more carefully about how they keep players engaged and how much control they have over those relationships.

In Episode 94 of iGaming Real Talk, recorded in Lisbon, host Surya Palli speaks with Anna Mnatsakanyan, Head of Product Marketing at DIGITAIN, about why native mobile apps could play a bigger role in retention and how operators can use their own platforms to communicate directly with players.

Anna explains how native apps can become an operator-owned communication channel, allowing brands to manage CRM, send push notifications, deliver personalised content and make better use of their own player data without relying as heavily on paid advertising.

The conversation also covers DIGITAIN's “We Know the Player” concept and how it complements the company's existing “Built to Lead” positioning. Anna discusses why understanding player expectations, local market requirements and user behaviour is important when developing products for regulated markets.

Surya also raises a question about the growing number of technology solutions available to operators. Does bringing everything into one ecosystem make operations easier, or does it create more complexity? Anna shares DIGITAIN's approach to integration and explains why technology providers ultimately need to demonstrate real business value.

Altenar is known for making itself visible at major industry events, but Dinos Stranomtis still believes the product has to come before the marketing.

In Episode 91, Surya speaks with Dinos about almost three decades around betting and iGaming, how the industry moved from almost no standards to the much more regulated environment we see today, and why he still believes there is significant room for new companies to grow.

A major part of the conversation focuses on how Altenar itself developed. Dinos says determination mattered, but the bigger factor was getting the right people together. For him, knowledge and motivation are the two qualities that matter most when building a team.

The discussion then turns to startups. If he were starting again today, Dinos says the first priority would be simple: build a product that works, solves a real problem and has enough quality for people to want it. Only then should sales, marketing and large conference investments follow.

He is equally direct about companies arriving at exhibitions with a stand before their product is ready. His view is that customers need something real to see, test and trust before marketing can do its job.

The conversation also covers Altenar's growth, why the company is not currently for sale, what success means personally to Dinos, expansion into Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, and why he believes AI will change jobs rather than simply eliminate them.