In episode 75 of iGaming Real Talk, our host Surya Palli was with Simone Bacchin, Head of Sales at Kerma Games.We discuss what makes a game stand out in an increasingly competitive iGaming market, why player experience matters more than releasing large volumes of titles, and whether celebrity IP games could be the next big thing.Simone explains why Kerma Games approaches game development more like entertainment, and why using a celebrity in a game needs to go beyond simply putting their face on the product.What the industry is facing:- Game studios competing in an increasingly crowded market- Players expecting more from the overall gaming experience- Celebrity IP becoming a new way for games to differentiate- Simply putting a celebrity's face on a game not being enough- A new generation of players changing expectations- Operators and studios looking for new ways to build player engagementWhat this conversation explores:- Why Kerma Games focuses on quality over quantity- How celebrity personality can become part of the game experience- How Snoop Dogg's personality is built into the Snoop Dogg Blackjack experience- Why celebrity communities can give games an existing audience and level of trust- Kerma Games' work with artists including Lil Baby- Why differentiation is becoming increasingly important in iGaming- How changing player generations could influence the next decade of the industry- What's next for Kerma Games and its celebrity game roadmap-------Brought to you by:Evoverse - https://evo-verse.com/ Wicked Games - https://www.wicked.games/ --------Hosted by Surya PalliConnect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryapalli28/For podcast sponsorship and collabs: [email protected] out igamingrealtalk.com--------Chapters00:00 - What Makes Kerma Games Different?01:02 - What Are Celebrity IP Games?02:25 - How Snoop Dogg Becomes Part of the Game03:56 - Kerma Games' Celebrity Lineup04:39 - Why Differentiation Matters05:03 - The Next Generation of Players05:30 - What's Next for Kerma Games?05:45 - Closing Thoughts

In episode 74 of iGaming Real Talk, Surya sits down with Ivonne Montealegre from SiGMA Poker Tour to discuss poker, business, failure, women in poker and the growth of live poker across emerging markets.

Ivonne shares how she went from psychology and radio in Los Angeles to iGaming and eventually building a career around poker. She explains what poker has taught her about failure, risk-taking and business, and why the lessons from the table can apply far beyond the game.

What the industry is facing:

• Live poker going through a new wave of growth after the pandemic

• Women still needing more confidence and opportunities to enter poker

• Emerging poker markets facing regulatory and jurisdiction challenges

• Online poker needing to keep players entertained and socially engaged

• Operators looking for stronger ways to connect with players and communities

• A new generation of players changing how poker is experienced

  
  

What this conversation explores:

• Why poker teaches people how to deal with failure and take risks

• The growth of the SiGMA Poker Tour across Brazil, Malta and Manila

• Why Africa could become an important emerging market for live poker

• How poker events bring players, affiliates, operators and influencers together

• What to expect from the SiGMA Poker Tour in Sri Lanka

• The future of online poker, streaming and AI

• Ivonne's vision for the future of the SiGMA Poker Tour

  
  

Brought to you by:Thunderspin

--------Hosted by Surya PalliConnect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryapalli28/For podcast sponsorship and collabs: [email protected] out igamingrealtalk.com--------

Chapters

00:00 - What Can Poker Teach You About Failure?

01:10 - Meet Ivonne Montealegre

02:26 - From Psychology & Radio to iGaming

06:08 - What Poker Teaches Us About Failure

07:38 - How Poker Empowers Women

08:29 - The Growth of the SiGMA Poker Tour

15:00 - Where Is Poker Growing Next?

20:07 - AI & the Future of Online Poker

23:05 - Ivonne's Vision for the SPT

25:18 - Ivonne's Message to the iGaming Community

Episode of iGaming Real Talk with Ivonne Montealegre from SiGMA Poker Tour.

In episode 73 of iGaming Real Talk, recorded at iGB Live London, our host Surya Palli was with Irina Veselkova, Head of Marketing at Endorphina, to discuss creative B2B marketing, event campaigns, LinkedIn engagement and what actually makes people remember a brand.

Irina explains the thinking behind Endorphina Kingdom, why interactive experiences can make a campaign more memorable, and how Endorphina adapts its marketing approach to different markets.

What the industry is facing:

• Brands competing for attention at crowded iGaming events

• B2B marketing becoming harder to stand out with

• Different markets responding to different creative concepts

• bLinkedIn's changing algorithm making performance harder to predict

• B2B audiences engaging more with people and personal content

• Brands needing to test different formats to understand what works

What this conversation explores:

• Why Endorphina Kingdom is built around interaction rather than just branding

• How Endorphina adapted its campaign for the LATAM market

• Why a strong creative idea can be more memorable than a big exhibition stand

• Why people and faces matter in B2B content

• How LinkedIn engagement is influenced by relationships and communities

• Why marketers need to keep testing different content formats

• What's next for Endorphina's events and marketing plans

• What the company has planned for the rest of 2026

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Brought to you by:St8: https://st8.io/Endorphina: https://endorphina.com/

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Hosted by Surya PalliConnect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryapalli28/For podcast sponsorship and collabs: [email protected] out igamingrealtalk.com

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Chapters

00:00 - What Makes People Remember a Brand?

01:18 - Meeting Irina at the Endorphina Stand

01:32 - What Is Endorphina Kingdom?

03:50 - Adapting Campaigns for Different Markets

05:12 - What's Happening With B2B Marketing on LinkedIn?

05:30 - LinkedIn's Changing Algorithm

06:21 - Why Content With People Works

06:38 - Do People Engage With the Content or the Person?

07:27 - Endorphina's Plans for 2026

In Episode 72 of iGaming Real Talk, recorded at iGB Live in London, our host Surya Palli was with Alec Gehlot, Founder & CEO of PlaySignal, to discuss the problems around self-exclusion, responsible gaming and what operators can do before players reach the point of self-exclusion.

Alec explains why self-exclusion may not be the safety net the industry thinks it is, why players can fall through the gap, and how operators can identify behavioural changes earlier.

What the industry is facing:

• Self-exclusion numbers are rising rapidly

• Players can fall through the gap before reaching self-exclusion

• Operators often have limited tools around the journey towards self-exclusion

• Players who self-exclude can become targets for the black market

• Responsible gaming interventions can feel like a short-term revenue risk

• Operators need to focus more on sustainable players and lifetime value

What this conversation explores:

• How PlaySignal identifies behavioural signals before self-exclusion

• Why responsible gaming interventions should be protective, not punishing

• How early intervention can support long-term player value

• Why regulated operators need to think differently from the black market

• Why building trust with players could become a competitive advantage for regulated operators

• What the future of responsible gaming could look like

Brought to you by:

St8: https://st8.io/

Endorphina: https://endorphina.com/

In Episode 71 of The Real Roadshow and In Part 2 of our conversation with Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of AffPapa, we get into the problems behind affiliate marketing, fake streamer numbers, creative campaigns, team building and what it actually takes to scale an iGaming business.

Levon explains why relying on one marketing channel is risky, why operators need to verify streamer traffic before spending money, and why traditional B2B marketing is becoming harder to stand out with.

What the industry is facing:

• Fake streamer numbers and inflated traffic

• Operators relying too heavily on one marketing channel

• Affiliate fraud and unverified traffic

• B2B gaming marketing becoming repetitive

• Companies playing too safe with creative campaigns

• Teams scaling faster than their internal systems and remote teams struggling without clear KPIs

What this conversation explores:

• Why operators need a multi-channel marketing strategy

• How AffPapa is verifying streamers and their traffic

• Why iGaming brands need to experiment with marketing

• How AffPapa deals with affiliate and operator complaints

• Why responsibility and curiosity matter when building teams

• How clear KPIs make remote work possible

• Why success is a process, not a final number

• What keeps Levon building AffPapa for the long term

Episode 71 of iGaming Real Talk. NOW LIVE on YouTube.

Brought to you by: St8: https://st8.io/

Endorphina: https://endorphina.com/

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Hosted by Surya Palli Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryapalli28/

For podcast sponsorship and collabs: [email protected]

Check out igamingrealtalk.com  

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Chapters

00:00 – Fake Streamers & Inflated Numbers

01:26 – Why One Marketing Channel Isn't Enough

03:03 – How AffPapa Handles Streamers

05:18 – The Philosophy Behind AffPapa's Marketing

06:18 – Why Traditional B2B Marketing Isn't Working

07:25 – Learning From Other Industries

08:18 – When Marketing Trends Become Mainstream

09:32 – Why iGaming Marketing Is Still Old-School

11:36 – Why Brands Need to Experiment

12:29 – Building AffPapa From the Ground Up

13:39 – Fighting Affiliate Fraud & Bad Traffic

15:23 – Building a 40+ Person Team

17:23 – What Makes a Good Leader?

20:00 – Building Teams in Armenia

21:13 – Remote Work vs Office Culture

22:00 – Why KPIs Matter

23:31 – The Problem With Scaling Too Fast

24:08 – What Does Success Mean?

25:56 – Is There a Number That Means "Enough"?

27:22 – Why Small Wins Keep Us Going

28:16 – What Keeps Levon Building?

Part 2 of our conversation with Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of AffPapa.

Sports betting is huge across Africa. But keeping players engaged beyond the big games is the real challenge.

Episode 70 is with Nastia Karma, Regional Market Lead for Africa at EvenBet Gaming. 

She shares what operators need to understand about the African market, from Nigeria and Kenya to South Africa and beyond.

The problems the industry is facing:

• Heavy dependence on sports betting across major African markets

• Limited product diversification beyond sports betting

• Keeping players engaged during the sports off season

• Mobile first users and simple game requirements

• Limited connectivity and lower network speeds in some markets

• Complex poker products that are difficult for casual players

• Strict gambling regulations in markets such as South Africa

• Difficulty entering established local operator communities

• Lack of strong local partnerships and market presence

How this conversation addresses them:

• Why African operators need casino and poker based products alongside sports betting

• How simple, mobile friendly games can improve player engagement

• Why One Click and Spins are designed around African player behaviour

• How social and skill based games can support player retention

• How EvenBet is expanding from poker into casino and turnkey solutions

• What operators need to consider when entering regulated African markets

• Why local resellers and regional teams can make market entry easier

• Which African markets are showing the strongest opportunities

• What Nastia expects from the next stage of Africa's iGaming growth

Africa isn't one market, and treating it like one could be the first mistake.

Episode 69 of iGaming Real Talk. NOW LIVE on YouTube.

Brought to you by:

St8: https://st8.io/

Endorphina : https://endorphina.com/

Are there too many iGaming events and how should companies decide which ones are worth attending?

Flexing an initial milestone of Episode 70 of iGaming Real Talk, we are here with Alex Pratt,

Managing Director at Clarion Gaming, about the changing landscape of iGaming events.

Alex shares his perspective on iGB Live, ICE, event ROI and return on objectives, measuring value

through data, the role of technology and fintech, and why an event should be treated as part of a wider

marketing campaign.

We talked about how the industry is facing:

- Too many events competing for the same budgets

- Rising costs for exhibitors and attendees

- Difficulty proving the real value of events

- Smaller suppliers competing with huge exhibition stands

- Limited time for follow-ups between events

- Growing pressure to measure attendee and buyer behaviour

What this conversation explores:

- Why iGB Live gives smaller suppliers a level playing field

- Why London gives iGB Live a unique advantage

- How ICE is expanding beyond the traditional gaming event

- Why event success should be measured by clear objectives

- How data can help prove the value of events

- Why events need to be part of a wider marketing campaign

Episode 70 of iGaming Real Talk. NOW LIVE on YouTube.

Brought to you by: St8: https://st8.io/ Endorphina: https://endorphina.com/

AI can build an app. But can it understand an iGaming business?

In Part 2 of iGaming Real Talk, David Harris and Vlad Bondarenko from ReferOn go beyond affiliate tracking to talk about AI, product development, legacy systems, migrations, and what it really takes to build B2B software for iGaming.

The industry is moving fast, but some problems are still very familiar:

• Legacy affiliate platforms that are difficult to move away from

• Large operators stuck with old workflows and systems

• Long and complex platform migrations

• Product teams building features users may not actually need

• An iGaming industry that can be slow to adopt ideas from other industries

• The growing pressure to use AI without simply adding it because it's the latest buzzword

• Finding the balance between automation and human relationships

• Building software that feels simple in an industry full of complex systems

This conversation looks at how ReferOn is tackling some of these problems.

• Using AI for real tasks like QA, prototyping and creating tracking links

• Looking outside iGaming to find better product ideas, with examples from crypto, finance and gaming

• Building around real customer problems instead of guessing what users want

• Making migrations easier by understanding how operators actually work day to day

• Showing users how the product fits their workflow, rather than forcing them to learn a completely new way of working

• Keeping the human side of iGaming alive, even as more parts of the business become automated

• Using automation to make work easier, rather than using AI simply for the sake of saying a product has AI

The conversation also gets personal, with Vlad sharing his approach to hiring, why he looks for the “spark in the eyes,” and why David believes relationships and human connection still matter in iGaming.

They also discuss ReferOn's management buyout, the future of affiliate management platforms, and where the space could be heading next.

Whether you're an operator, affiliate manager, product leader, or simply interested in the future of iGaming technology, this conversation offers valuable insights into one of the industry's fastest-evolving infrastructure categories.

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Brought to you by:

My Gaming License: https://www.mygaminglicense.com/ 9th Street Games: https://9thstreet.games/

Every game aggregator says they have great content. So what actually makes operators choose one over another?

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8 addressed our curiosity here. 

The game aggregation market is crowded. Almost every company says they have the best platform, the best technology and the best content. But operators today are dealing with much bigger challenges than choosing another API.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why regulated markets are becoming the biggest focus for aggregators

• What operators actually need from a game aggregation partner

• Why personalization still matters in a technology business

• The biggest challenges operators face in regulated markets

• Expanding into Ontario, Alberta, the UK and other licensed jurisdictions

• How St8 plans to compete with larger, established aggregators

• Why trust and transparency matter when working with operators

• The future of casino game aggregation

One thing I found interesting was David's mindset. St8 doesn't try to be the biggest company in the room. They openly call themselves the underdog. Their focus is building long-term relationships with operators and growing market by market.

If you work with casino platforms, game aggregation, regulated markets or operator partnerships, this conversation gives a good look into how one of the newer players is approaching the industry.

Guest

David Fall : https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-fall-5a3875158/ Business Development Manager, St8

About St8

St8 is a fully licensed casino game aggregator and full-service technology provider helping operators launch, manage and scale in regulated markets. 

To learn more about St8, please visit https://st8.io/ 

Brought to you by:

St8: https://st8.io/ 

Endorphina : https://endorphina.com/

Affiliate Marketing Has a Bigger Problem Than Traffic.

The more people I speak to in this industry, the more I realise that the biggest risk isn't finding affiliates.

Because let’s assume you find 10 good affiliates, are you sure that all their past results are their own and not some fake screenshots, AI-generated reports or maybe edited screenshots?

Presenting you Episode 67 with Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of  @affpapa  ,where we understand how affiliate marketing is changing, and whether the industry is actually keeping up.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why affiliate fraud is becoming more sophisticated

- How AI is making fake reports look real

- Operators getting scammed repeatedly

- The debate around affiliate listing fees

- Why trust is becoming harder to build

- Where affiliate marketing is heading next

One thing I liked about this conversation is that he didn't pretend there was one perfect solution.

Levon has seen these problems from every angle, as a platform, working with operators, affiliates, and brands. He made this discussion practical instead of theoretical.

If you work with affiliates, manage affiliate partnerships, or run an iGaming business,

this episode will help you think about:

- How operators can better protect themselves

- What affiliates should expect from platforms

- Where AI is helping and where it's creating new risks

- What needs to change if the industry wants stronger partnerships

Follow Levon’s Journey (https://www.linkedin.com/in/levon-nikoghosyan/)

Affpapa (https://affpapa.com/)

Subscribe to iGaming Real Talk for honest conversations with the people building the iGaming industry.

Hosted by Surya Palli.

Sponsored by:

MyGamingLicense and 9th Street Media.

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Brought to you by: My Gaming License: https://www.mygaminglicense.com/ 9th Street Games: https://9thstreet.games/