Latest News
Stoiximan/Betano bets on customer experience as European expansion continues
Reading Time: 6 minutes
As the leading online gaming operator in Greece, Stoiximan is well-versed in the art of using customer service as a key brand differentiator in the wider European and international iGaming markets. Stathis Loverdos, Director of Services at Stoiximan/Betano opens up about the crucial role customer service plays in live sports betting and why his company’s current focus on self-service capabilities with Zendesk is only the beginning…
What’s the key to your success and how did you approach expanding into new territories such as Germany?
In the gaming industry, every touchpoint with the player is an opportunity to deliver an exceptional customer experience, to stand out from the crowd, create brand loyalty and increase a player’s lifetime-value. Stoiximan/Betano’s user-centered philosophy means providing exceptional customer support and that has always been an important part of our growth strategy. In the gaming industry there are lots of products that offer similar value, so customer service can be a decisive factor in customer loyalty.
As well as continuously upgrading our internal customer service systems, both in software and process innovation, at Stoiximan/Betano we have heavily invested over the years in creating our own technology thanks to our talented personnel. With more than 650 employees the company has evolved to become the largest GameTech company in Greece and one of the fastest growing in Europe, producing technologically advanced products and delivering an immersive gaming experience.
Based on our successful modus operandi in Greece, we are now present in six markets using the name Stoiximan in Cyprus and the Betano brand in Germany, Austria, Romania and Portugal.
What is unique about working in the Greek betting market and how do any specific challenges differ from those across other European markets?
Each market has to be treated differently and we strategically enter regulated, or soon to be regulated, markets with uniquely identifiable characteristics. We localise offering a special, tailor-made gaming experience to the countries we operate, custom features to assist our members and catapult their experience while always tending to their needs. Therefore, Greece was actually born out of that need. Stoiximan/Betano Group is a 100per cent Greek company marketed as a platform offered by players for players and grasping that need of the Greek market at the time to deliver unique personalised experiences to its members, with top-notch CRM & Marketing communications and distinct customer support. At the same time, Stoiximan created a big portfolio of a wide range of affiliates trusting the brand and its dynamics, promoting to the world and helping them throughout the brand building process. Furthermore, the Greek market has experienced players that need to feel respected and appreciated as they understand the product deeply. Greece is a more Sportsbook-oriented market that loves seasonal Casino endeavours, while its online users want to be assisted in a very fast pace. Therefore, besides product, we created an impressive in-house Customer Support team, without outsourcing any form of communication, ready and dedicated to their cause. To make our users feel like Stoiximan members.
In terms of appealing towards the growing millennial market through social media, what trends have you seen in recent months and where do you see the future of social media evolving for players?
Providing quick and accurate responses is very important for our customers. We are now using apps such as Viber and WhatsApp to provide immediate feedback and resolve any issues quickly and efficiently. We believe that these are the channels of the future, particularly for the gaming industry.
As our millennial customers are increasingly embracing social apps for customer support, we decided to use Zendesk, a software application which provides us with the flexibility to add new channels as our customers’ needs evolve. Currently 55% of Stoiximan and Betano’s customer communication comes through live chat and 18% via email, while Viber and other social apps are responsible for 12% of the customer enquiries. The remaining 15% of customer interactions are allocated to voice channels.
You’re developing self-service capabilities; do you feel there’s a reluctance from traditional gaming brands to embrace this technology and why is it important to work with companies like Zendesk to push technological advances forward?
We are planning to introduce self-service capabilities to provide structured guidance that addresses the most common customer enquiries via an online FAQ content hub. The company is also planning to use Zendesk’s dynamic content feature, which offers automated translation, to make this content available into multiple languages. Zendesk offers great flexibility and rich product capabilities that allow us to continuously improve our customer service operations.
Zendesk provides a variety of data about the nature of the customer enquiries and the way our customer support team is handling them. We can track a number of metrics, including first contact resolution, reply times vs wait times, number of tickets resolved and many others. Moreover, the platform allows us to combine data from different business apps and create easy to understand visual dashboards, graphs and charts. Zendesk is smooth for agents and smooth for our customers. It also offers a lot of great features that help us improve efficiency. For instance, triggers and automations is a very powerful feature as it helps us to prioritize urgent issues, so that we can address them effectively. This also allows us to classify the customer requests in different categories and allocate the tickets to the right agents to ensure each customer request is dealt with quickly. We also use macros to automate simple tasks, which helps us improve efficiency.
Moving forward, we are planning to integrate Zendesk more closely with our business applications and expand the use of the company’s product functionalities to get a more comprehensive view of customer interactions across all channels. As a customer-focused business, we are fully committed to providing exceptional service to our customers and working with Zendesk has helped us to deliver on this promise.
With the future of European iGaming in flux as the possibility of tighter compliance and AML requirements loom, how is Stoiximan using data and social media to ensure a successful future?
First of all, we must say that for Stoiximan / Betano, Responsible Gaming is not a contractual obligation as it is also stipulated in the regulation that all trusted providers must comply with. As a company, we invest in partnerships and initiatives that protect the player from excessive betting and ensure a credible environment where everyone can enjoy the game responsibly. Furthermore, we have adopted an approach developed around the Responsible Gaming policy and the AML (Anti-Money Laundering) prevention policy.
In this context, we have developed mechanisms for the self-protection of players. These mechanisms include the ability to set financial thresholds up to and including self-exclusion, and maintaining informed decision-making policies in order to provide us with insight into the quality of player activity. We have also hired a team of specially trained agents who are able to identify instances of problematic betting behavior, to ensure responsible play. Data analytics tools are also key to helping Stoiximan/Betano manage its customer support team more effectively. We receive weekly reports which provide a detailed breakdown of activity by hour and day, so that we are able to use this data to assess the value of our customers` activity.
We are also a member of the International Betting Integrity Association (formerly known as ESSA) thus further enhancing the worldwide effort to safeguard integrity and prevent corruption in the context of betting. At this level and taking into account Anti-money laundering cases that concern the betting market internationally, at Stoiximan/Betano we implement mechanisms with the support of Artificial Intelligence and especially Machine Learning, so that we can recognize suspicious transactions and notify National Financial Authorities and regulators immediately.
How do you measure the impact of the customer experience with players? Are you predominantly focused on retention and spend or is there more to it?
Retention is obviously a critical indicator when measuring the overall engagement of players towards your product & services as it shows a general trend towards returning customers. Of course, retention rate cannot be the sole criterion when assessing CX as these may lead to certain fallacies that you cannot foresee from Retention figures.
At Stoiximan/Βetano, we not only look at the retention and spend capability of our users but evaluate quality indicators, as we want to develop a stronger and more engaged relationship between our agents and our clients. To ensure the best possible experience, Stoiximan/Betano has invested in one of the best customer relationship management system internationally. The goal was to integrate all channels so that the Customer Support team can share customer information and history at the same time and gain the capacity to evaluate the efficiency of our agents in relation to user requests and activity.
As Stoiximan/Betano was growing, it was necessary to ensure and expand customer service operations across different markets. We chose Zendesk because it offered great scalability and allowed us to centralize all customer interactions into a single platform.
Since the introduction of Zendesk in 2018, our customer satisfaction score has increased by 8% and the efficiency of resolving customer enquiries has improved dramatically. For instance, our one touch resolution rate is 97%, which means that the majority of the roughly 95,000 customer enquiries that the support team receives every month are resolved with a single agent response. Moreover, 77% of the emails adhere to the service level agreements (SLA) set for each customer segment. Most importantly, Stoiximan/Betano has been able to consolidate all interactions with the customer into a single platform and scale support to match the company`s growth. Understanding the key customer experience metrics and applying them at appropriate stages with the most important customers is paramount. Customer journey analytics can play a key role in this endeavor by providing a journey-driven perspective and improving your return on your investment in customer experience measurement.
Zendesk is expanding its reach within the online gaming industry working with operators and partners in new territories across the globe. To learn more about how the company is working with customers like Stoiximan/Betano, visit the Zendesk team at this year’s SiGMA at Stand S40.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Stoiximan/Betano bets on customer experience as European expansion continues
Latest News
The App You Need to Download if You’re Tired of Throwing in League of Legends
Reading Time: 3 minutes
GIANTX launches iTero Standalone — the new and improved version of its AI-powered coaching tool already used by more than half a million players worldwide
If you’ve ever thrown a game because of a bad draft, missed rotations, or your jungler vanished before minute three, there’s now an app that might finally help you clean up your gameplay: iTero.
Developed by the global esports organization GIANTX, the new version of its artificial intelligence training tool —iTero Standalone— arrives with a clear mission: to help players level up their League of Legends performance once and for all.
The new version is fully independent and available for direct download, offering faster performance, better precision, and a smoother overall experience. Lighter, smarter, and more stable, iTero Standalone represents the next step in the evolution of GIANTX’s technology ecosystem, with full control over development and updates.
Founded by Jack Joseph Williams in 2022 and acquired by GIANTX in 2024, iTero Gaming has been developing and refining AI-driven coaching systems for both casual and professional players. Its first virtual coach was designed to enhance the League of Legends experience -developed by Riot Games- by analyzing millions of real matches every patch to deliver personalized recommendations, from strategic macro decisions to champion select choices.
With over 500,000 downloads worldwide, iTero has become one of the most popular performance tools among players of all skill levels. With the release of iTero Standalone, it now aims to become the leading AI coaching platform for gamers.
Five Ways iTero Actually Helps You Get Better at League of Legends
1. It tells you what to pick — and why.
The AI analyzes your team’s and the enemy’s composition to recommend the champion that has the highest chance of winning that game, based on your stats and the current meta. No more questionable picks.
2. And what Build to choose!
After helping you pick the best Champion for the game, the AI also analyzes the enemy composition to decide what the best items, runes, and summoners to take for that specific game. That even includes checking whether anti-heal or anti-shield items are efficient enough to buy!
3. It reviews your matches like a real coach.
After each session, the AI gives data-driven feedback on your macro performance throughout the game and identifies areas you performed well on, and what you struggled with. After ten games, you unlock the AI Macro Coach, which compares your stats with players of your same rank and shows where you’re consistently falling behind.
4. It provides actionable insights about the players in your lobby.
Using its unique data the Scouting Tool provides you with all the information you need to know whilst loading into a game, whether that’s learning that the enemy support loves to invade, your Jungler likes to spend their early game power-farming, or that your lane opponent plays aggressively.
5. All the overlays you expect, and more.
From tracking the gold difference, timing your inhibitor respawns, or quickly checking who has the Baron buff, iTero has every overlay you need to stay on top of your solo queue games.
A New Chapter in the GIANTX Ecosystem
The launch of iTero Standalone reinforces GIANTX’s commitment to technological innovation and expands its presence beyond competition, driving the creation of useful, data-powered products for the gaming and esports community. The organization also practices what it preaches: GIANTX’s performance department already uses AI-based tools to scout talent and support decision-making at the highest competitive level.
With this new version of iTero, GIANTX strengthens its leadership at the intersection of technology, artificial intelligence, and performance, paving the way for a new generation of smarter training in League of Legends —a title that averaged nearly 30 million active players in September 2025 alone.
The post The App You Need to Download if You’re Tired of Throwing in League of Legends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Winning Partnership: Apparat live on bwin in all-German content deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Developer of slots with a German accent integrates 43 games with German top operator
Apparat Gaming, the developer of slot games with a German accent, has added yet another big-name operator to its growing list of partners by entering into a partnership with bwin.
Under the agreement, 43 of Apparat Gaming’s unique slots are made available to players of the award-winning online casino brand bwin.
The operator, which belongs to the Entain Group, has now one of the largest Apparat portfolios on the German market online since November, with 43 of the currently 54 Apparat games eligible for approval under German regulations.
The timing for the partnership couldn’t be better, as bwin was one of the major brands sorely missing from Apparat’s customer list for the German market. The addition of Apparat slots to bwin’s gaming lobby will help position the operator in its fight for German market leadership.
Founded just five years ago, Apparat is one of the up-and-coming game developers in regulated markets due to its German approach to development, with a focus on quality, engineering and providing plenty of Augenweide (eye candy) with absolutely no sense of humour(!) to ensure a superior player experience across its games.
This includes titles such as Total Eclipse XXL, 5 Moon Wolf, Fishin’ the Biggest or Gates of Ishtar. The partnership will also include the missing as well as all of Apparat’s future slot releases like the next release, Piggy Balloons.
Martin Frindt, Chief Product Partnership at Apparat Gaming, said: “It’s great to see that bwin understands the language we speak, even though the casino team is made up of Austrians, and has opted to add our slots with a German accent to its game lobby.”
“We now just hope that the German regulator GGL will approve the remaining games as soon as possible.”
Wanja Richter, Director of Gaming North and Central Europe at Entain, added: “Providing players with access to the best content in the business is a major part of our success story to date, and to be able to offer German players slots that have been developed by Apparat Gaming and that truly capture the essence of Germany is a slam dunk for us.”
“We are happy to finally be working with Apparat and hope to get their upcoming games content approved as quickly as possible!”
The post Winning Partnership: Apparat live on bwin in all-German content deal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Not Just Games. Experiences: Interview with Gabor, CPO at DreamPlay
The iGaming industry has evolved far beyond spinning reels and flashy win screens. Today, it’s a rapidly shifting space where player expectations define innovation. Creativity, data, and emotional design have become central to building not just games — but experiences.
We sat down with Gabor, Chief Product Officer at DreamPlay, to discuss what modern slot development really means, how ideas transform into products, and why the future belongs not to games that are simply entertaining — but to those that resonate.
What makes a slot competitive today — math, visuals, gameplay, or a combination of factors? And which matters most?
Gabor: A great game is like an orchestra: you need every instrument playing in harmony or the whole thing falls apart.
The math and design are the heart and soul of every game — without them, even the best art is just a pretty face. Today’s players also expect to be entertained: strong pacing, polished audiovisuals, and features that feel meaningful, not gimmicky.
I always say that one of the challenges of creating great slots is that you have to be able to tell a whole story just through a push of the button — making them feel exciting while being simple and smooth for the player, but this means a lot of complexity for the creator.
So the real magic happens when everything clicks together. The best slots feel effortless, but behind that effortlessness is a very deliberate balance of math, flow, visuals, and just the right level of innovation.”
When working on a new release, what helps you shape the product vision before development even begins?
Gabor: Ideas can come from anywhere – a family vacation, a conversation, a movie, a meme, pretty much anything you can think of.
Creativity thrives when everyone on the team can chip in with their own ideas – we actively encourage that.
But inspiration alone isn’t enough. Every game needs a clear purpose. Is it pushing boundaries? Refreshing a classic theme? Continuing a successful series? We always start by defining the ‘why.’
Then we let data and experience meet in the middle. When the numbers support the idea and our collective instincts say ‘yes, this will work,’ that’s when a concept becomes a vision worth building.”
Do you see potential for an even closer integration of video games and slots, or are they still two different markets?
Gabor:There’s definitely potential — and honestly, the two worlds have been borrowing from each other for years. iGaming has embraced progression systems, more complex storytelling, achievements… while video games picked up loot boxes and other elements from gambling.
They will never fully merge, because the motivations and regulations are different, but there is clearly much more overlap than 10–15 years ago when these two industries were completely different. Today’s players grew up with games that blend entertainment, challenge, psychology, and reward, and they
expect a different form of entertainment than previous generations.
So we’re moving from ‘old-school gambling’ toward ‘interactive entertainment with a gambling core.’ And that trend will only continue.
Is the industry truly ready for bold experimentation, or does it still prefer playing safe?
Gabor: This is where it gets interesting. The industry loves talking about innovation and bold ideas – but in reality, the audience is still quite conservative. Most players enjoy evolution, not revolution.
We’ve seen a few big hits like Megaways and crash games, but they didn’t throw the core DNA of gambling out the window. These mechanics are mainly focused on enhanced entertainment value and presentation.
So yes, there’s room to experiment, but true format-breaking innovations tend to become niche and usually struggle to gain wider traction. The sweet spot is pushing boundaries without losing the essence of why players show up in the first place.”
What was your first step in iGaming, and when did you realize this was your industry?
Gabor: My start was completely unplanned. I moved to Israel from Hungary at 26, didn’t speak Hebrew yet, and was looking for any English-speaking job. A friend worked at an online casino, said they were hiring, and I thought, ‘Perfect, something temporary to help me get settled, I will find a proper job once my Hebrew improves.”
I have never even tried finding a ‘proper job’ afterward. That ‘temporary’ role turned into a 15+ year career across multiple countries, teams, and roles across casino management and game production — and I’ve loved every minute of it.
This industry is fast, sometimes (often) chaotic, but full of brilliant people and challenges that keep you sharp. Even after all these years, I still wake up excited about what we’re building. It’s hard to imagine doing anything else at this point.”
Final Takeaway
The iGaming industry continues its transformation — not just technologically, but emotionally. As Gabor pointed out throughout our conversation, the future belongs not to those who release the most games, but to those who understand what players truly feel.
We’re seeing a shift toward more immersive, meaningful experiences — where design, psychology, and data work together to create lasting engagement.
And it’s leaders like Gabor — and companies like DreamPlay — who are moving the industry forward, proving that innovation isn’t just about features or mechanics… it’s about connection.
Dream Play’s most recent releases and upcoming products here:
-
Latest News2 months ago
Duels for Friends in Trophy Hunter. Invite your friends and create a shared space for fun and competition.
-
Latest News2 months ago
Announcement: 25th September 2025
-
Latest News3 months ago
NODWIN Gaming Acquires Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Stake in Evo; Becomes Majority Holder
-
Latest News2 months ago
Flamez – A Fiery New Online Casino Contender from Ganadu
-
Latest News2 months ago
GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Wraps Season 1 with Stephen Crystal—From Las Vegas Legends to Global Gaming Leadership
-
Latest News2 months ago
AI-Powered Gamification Arrives on Vegangster Platform via Smartico
-
Latest News2 months ago
The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi
-
Latest News2 weeks ago
JioBLAST Launches All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy: A New Era of Creator-Driven Esports Entertainment




You must be logged in to post a comment Login