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.

LinkedIn can be cringe, repetitive and full of copy-paste content. Eugene Camilleri still believes it is one of the most useful tools available to people working in iGaming B2B.

In Episode 92, Surya speaks with Eugene from Pateplay about the way he approaches LinkedIn, why he refuses to spend hours planning posts and how a personal brand can turn into actual conversations and business.

Eugene says most of his posts take less than 10 minutes. The idea might come while he is in the shower, working or simply thinking about something in the industry. His bigger point is that people often overcomplicate content instead of developing a recognisable voice and saying something they genuinely believe.

The conversation also gets into memes, complaints and controversial posts. Eugene argues that criticism becomes more valuable when it comes with a solution. Memes can build attention and personality, but an audience built only around jokes and complaints is difficult to convert into anything commercially useful.

He also explains his frustration with mass sales outreach, particularly irrelevant messages sent without understanding whether the person receiving them could ever become a customer.

The episode closes with the business impact behind all that activity. Eugene says LinkedIn has improved his response rates, widened his network and directly contributed to business. For someone working commercially, he sees LinkedIn and industry communities as part of the job rather than something separate from it.

SiGMA Rome is set to be the group's biggest event yet, but size is only part of what Chloe Von Brockdorff says the team is trying to improve.

In Episode 90, Surya speaks with the CCO of SiGMA Group about what will be different in Rome this year. The event will bring four verticals together under one ticket, with SiGMA, Affiliate Grand Slam, FX World and AIBC all operating within the same wider event.

Chloe also addresses one of the main complaints from the previous Rome edition: transport. She says the logistics team began working on the issue almost immediately after last year's event, with more shuttle routes, a structured taxi system and additional chauffeur options planned this time.

The conversation then moves to a bigger question for the industry. With SBC Lisbon and SiGMA Rome happening within a relatively short period, does iGaming really need so many large events? Chloe does not claim there is a simple answer, but says the demand is clearly there. She also argues that different shows continue to attract regional audiences, while repeated face-to-face meetings help relationships develop over time.

For her, this is still the main value of events. Business is built through human interaction, knowing clients personally and building trust beyond a single meeting.

The episode closes with SiGMA's expansion beyond traditional iGaming through affiliation, fintech, forex, AI and blockchain, as well as how the company is thinking about future markets while regulatory conditions continue to change.

Alexandre Tomic, Founder of Alea, returns to iGaming Real Talk for a conversation that begins with the business he has built and gradually moves into much bigger questions around purpose, identity and what success actually means.

Surya and Alexandre first catch up on what has changed at Alea since their last conversation. They talk about the company's jackpot product, the very different models operators are asking for, and why building something flexible enough to serve both sides has become part of the challenge.

The conversation then moves into sweepstakes, the US market and the new formats starting to appear around skill, P2P and multiplayer mechanics. Alexandre also reflects on how his own view of sweepstakes changed as the market developed, and why he thinks gambling may be moving closer to certain parts of the video game world.

There is also a closer look at the reality behind aggregation. Alea sits between operators and game studios, which means trust, payments, technology and risk all have to work together. Alexandre explains why community, partnerships and strong technology have mattered so much to the company's growth, especially in a market where much larger competitors were already established.

But the conversation changes when Surya asks a much more personal question: what would be left if Alea was removed from Alexandre's story?

From there, the episode becomes less about building a company and more about why we build anything in the first place.

Alexandre talks about how closely Alea has become tied to his life, why selling the company no longer feels like the obvious end goal, and how he has started thinking about business as one of the ways we learn about ourselves.

That opens the door to a much deeper discussion around happiness, purpose, perception, consciousness and whether success is really something you eventually reach.

They also talk about Alexandre's support for research into psychedelic-assisted therapy and gambling addiction, his own curiosity around consciousness and ego, and why he believes some of the value created by the gambling industry should find its way back toward helping gamblers.

The episode eventually returns to more familiar industry territory with conversations around conferences, LinkedIn, AI and sobriety. But by that point, even those topics feel slightly different.

Because this episode is not only about where Alea is going next.

It is also about what keeps someone building after the obvious goals begin to matter less.

In Episode 88 of iGaming Real Talk, Surya Palli speaks with Louise Mouton Tingager, Head of SiGMA Nexus Elite, about the community SiGMA is building for senior executives and industry decision-makers.

Nexus Elite is an invite-only executive network built around curated connections and experiences. Louise talks about getting to know the people behind the companies, understanding the markets they are interested in, the challenges they are facing and the people who could be relevant for them to meet.

That approach also shapes the experiences around SiGMA events. Members come together through smaller gatherings, dinners, golf and dedicated spaces, with the Nexus team also helping with the practical side of the event experience.

Louise believes this becomes increasingly important as industry events grow. A bigger floor and more attendees give people more opportunities to meet, but they do not automatically make those meetings relevant.

As she puts it, “You can’t automate a connection.”

The conversation also looks ahead to SiGMA Rome, taking place 2–5 November, and what Nexus Elite is preparing around the event. Louise discusses plans around member experiences, including dedicated spaces, transport support, accommodation, golf and smaller gatherings. Pasted markdown

For executives interested in becoming part of Nexus Elite, You can reach out to Louise.

Operators often start the licensing conversation with one simple question: “Which is the best licence?”

Khristina Karanskaia from My Gaming License believes that is the wrong place to start.

In this episode, Surya and Khristina discuss why the right licence depends on the operator's target markets, business model, taxation expectations, compliance requirements and long-term plans. An offshore licence may still work for one company, while another operator may need a local regulated licence as it scales.

The conversation also looks at the UK market. With affordability checks, higher compliance demands and heavier taxation for B2C operators, the market has become much harder to enter. Khristina argues that the UK can still make sense for the right operator, but it is no longer a licence that should be chosen simply because of its reputation.

They also discuss one of the most common mistakes operators make when choosing licensing and compliance partners: focusing too heavily on the initial price. A cheap offer can become expensive once additional signatures, documents and other hidden costs begin to appear.

Khristina's wider point is that licensing should be treated as part of the operator's business strategy rather than as a standalone certificate. The right process starts with understanding where the company wants to operate, how it plans to grow and what regulatory framework fits that journey.