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Thought Leadership/Q&A with Thomas Aigner head of business development at Ibex.ai discussing the future of CRM
Thomas Aigner, Head of Business Development at Ibex.ai discusses the changing landscape of CRM processes and how the development of artificial intelligence is altering the future of CRM.
How does Ibex see the future of iGaming CRM developing in relation to AI and how will this benefit operators?
What does the current landscape of iGaming CRM look like- what changes are you expecting over the next few years?
Currently, we are seeing more and more investment in AI solutions as operators and suppliers look to gain an edge in the increasingly competitive iGaming market, however, I think as an industry we have only just begun scratching the surface with significant changes to CRM forthcoming. There are some obvious, well-known CRM suppliers in the market, such as Optimove and Fasttrack as well as a lot of promising rising stars entering the space. We have already seen examples of acquisitions of these newer companies through recent deals involving Optimove acquiring Graphyte, and I’m expecting to see more of these types of partnerships moving forward.
Most of the ongoing innovation has been structured in a traditional linear way, to optimise the current CRM processes and how those teams work, essentially helping them better segment players or create rule-based systems (gamification or customer journeys). Once built, they send automated communications, but much in the same way as the term personalisation is often misused, automation is also because businesses still need someone to constantly create new target groups, campaigns and rules for new journeys. This increases overheads through the cost of labour to manage these systems whereas using an AI that offers true automation reduces these costs. The future of CRM is AI – creating full automation and developing a self-driving system is paramount, and this process is at the core of what Ibex.AI stands for.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the CRM process, we will see fundamental differences in how companies operate daily. CRM teams will begin moving away from segmentation and average campaigns for target groups and pivot towards 100% personalisation. We will see less human error through data analytics, and close to perfectly accurate execution.
What does the advancement in AI technology mean for jobs going forward?
There’s always a sense of fear of the unknown when it comes to innovations, especially surrounding Artificial Intelligence. The real aim here is for AI to assist companies by automating the process, reducing the amount of legwork that is currently done by humans, with these job roles adapting to focus increasingly on creativity, strategy and giving more commercial responsibility to people. It could mean that CRM and Retention Managers can grow more into the role of Brand Managers, gaining more responsibility and taking care of bigger markets. AI also creates the opportunity to help start-ups without the budget for their CRM team, as well as those brands looking to enter new markets.
How will changes to CRM affect issues surrounding bonus abuse and player retention?
Bonus abuse and player retention have been a cause for concern within the industry and AI can solve many of these issues through the use of deep learning algorithms. AI can predict the LTV of each player under many different scenarios, only executing an action if it will return a profit. As a result, those models can also identify bonus abusers and would limit or even stop bonusing these players because it has become unprofitable for the business.
Real personalisation will play an important role in player retention moving forward – albeit not in the way it is currently used – all companies say they personalise but in fact, just get more granular when setting up target groups or building more and more rule based customer journeys. This relates heavily to retention, with players receiving a far greater personalised experience from campaigns and activities that are aimed specifically towards them, as opposed to an average group of people, further connecting customers to the brand.
How does AI allow operators to affect player behaviour- does it differ from the standard CRM approach?
AI can fundamentally change the standard CRM approach and how it functions as it reduces the workload of marketing teams and the CRM process. A practice that can in many cases have six major steps to it can be shortened to one or two, those being checking on the performance of the machine and coming up with new and creative ideas that AI can then execute and optimize. This focus on new creative ideas goes on to change players’ behaviour by diversifying how operators are reaching out to players. Additionally, AI is affecting each player by analysing them as individuals and constantly improving what is best for them, a process which would take far too much time using the standard CRM approach.
Are there any specific markets you believe will get an added benefit from advancement in iGaming CRM?
Obviously, the majority of innovative ideas originate in mature markets in Europe and the US, but I think that, especially in LATAM and Africa, there is a great opportunity to grow and help operators there to make a difference and to scale more quickly while developing the overall market. This can only be a positive. If we can raise the overall betting experience for players in these markets and allow the companies to free up time and focus on other areas of business as they grow, then I think that is a great outcome.
What is the future for AI?
I believe in the future we will reflect and struggle to understand how we could have lived without the support of AI to be able to offer the best entertainment to each player. AI will be integral to the iGaming market and it is only going to continue to grow and develop as more people within the industry come to understand how machine learning is now proving an invaluable asset to retention teams. Everybody will use at least some and in some cases a greater number of AI tools and will be developing their teams to understand and work effectively alongside this innovative technology.
GR8 Tech is enhancing sportsbook engagement with the new “Fancy Mode” feature—a UI upgrade that offers the look and feel of exchange betting while keeping operators’ revenue models intact
By introducing an exchange-inspired interface without modifying underlying bet calculation mechanics or risk models, GR8 Tech offers operators a powerful tool to expand their audience, differentiate their offerings, and ensure revenue stability during high-traffic events like IPL that starts this weekend.
“The exchange-style sportsbook UI gives operators a smart, low-risk way to appeal to exchange bettors without overhauling their platform,” said Denys Parkhomenko, CPO at GR8 Tech. “This is exactly the type of flexible, player-driven evolution we believe in—small but impactful changes that drive engagement and revenue.”
Key Functionalities of the Exchange-Style Sportsbook UI
Designed to expand audience reach while providing a frictionless betting experience, the feature introduces:
- UI Toggle: Players can switch between “Fixed” and “Exchange” views, with a customizable default setting for new users. Preferences are saved locally for future visits.
- Optimized Market & Odds Display: Odds automatically convert to a Back/Lay-style format, with distinct layouts to help exchange bettors navigate effortlessly.
- Cricket-Specific Enhancements: Dedicated updates to Cricket event pages ensure players experience a more intuitive and familiar interface.
- Refined User Experience: Adjusted CashOut, BetSlip, and BetHistory functionalities ensure smooth tracking and execution of bets.
“Operators need every advantage to capture and retain traffic during the world’s biggest sports tournaments. With the “Fancy Mode”, we provide a high-impact engagement tool that requires no operational risk but delivers significant player retention benefits,” added Parkhomenko.
Available now for Cricket single bets, the “Fancy Mode” can be enabled by operators as a default view or offered as a toggle-on feature within Cricket event pages. Contact GR8 Tech today to unlock a more flexible, high-performance Sportsbook experience—with a touch of fancy.
The post GR8 Tech Rolls Out “Fancy Mode” Sportsbook UI appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Rocket League Championship Series Announces Progressive Insurance® as Presenting Sponsor for Entire 2025 Season
BLAST, an esports entertainment company, has announced an expanded sponsorship with Progressive Insurance, making it the Presenting Sponsor for the entire Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2025 season.
Following its successful sponsorship of the Rocket League World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, last year, Progressive is deepening its investment in Esports by extending its presence across all Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) events in 2025, including Qualifiers, RLCS Majors, and the Rocket League World Championship.
Progressive is the second largest personal auto insurer in the United States, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, and boat insurance, and one of the country’s top 15 homeowners insurance carriers.
The sponsorship will see Progressive featured both digitally and physically across the RLCS 2025 season and includes logo placement on the Rocket League ball in RLCS broadcasts, branded broadcast content and a number of in and out of game logo integrations.
The RLCS is the official competitive league for Rocket League Esports, which features the world’s best teams and players competing across the year for a place in the much-anticipated arena events – fans can look forward to events such as the RLCS Major in Birmingham, UK and Raleigh Majors and the Rocket League World Championship in Lyon, France.
Progressive first sponsored Rocket League Esports last September for the Rocket League World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, where Team BDS claimed the lion’s share of the $1,165,500 total prize pool and coveted world title.
Alexander Lewin, SVP of Commercial Revenues for BLAST, said: “The expansion of our sponsorship with Progressive highlights the growing global reach of Rocket League Esports, along with its brilliant passionate fanbase and the exciting arena events on offer across the year. We are looking forward to further integrating Progressive into the Rocket League esports ecosystem in 2025.”
Sean Freeman, Media Business Leader at Progressive, said: “We’re excited to help bring a fun and competitive Rocket League Championship Series season to the Esports community in 2025. We look forward to connecting with the passionate fans of Rocket League both in-game and in the arena all season long through this expanded sponsorship.”
The post Rocket League Championship Series Announces Progressive Insurance® as Presenting Sponsor for Entire 2025 Season appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
What is the Ultimate IndieMash Game Contest?
The Ultimate IndieMash is a contest for unique playful makers of the world, to present their work to an international audience. Hosted live from Bristol, UK and Enschede, NL, and streamed all over the world, the participants get three minutes each to show their game, interactive project, immersive installation or playful performance, through an online video connection. So you don’t have to travel to participate!
The evening is for them to share their concepts and gain new fans, and at the end of the program, the viewers and a jury of professionals will vote for their favourite project. Besides receiving the Sickest Trophy, the winner of the Ultimate IndieMash will also get a spot at the Overkill Festival 2025!
What are we looking for?
Not only are we looking for the most original, extravagant and alternative playful concepts, the Ultimate IndieMash is also a celebration of diversity within the indie-game community. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in the gaming world. From coding mothers to queer visual artists and indigenous storytellers, everyone is invited to show their unique project and creations to our audience online!
How will the evening look?
The Ultimate IndieMash is a two-hour online program, filled with music, playful interactions and of course the gamemakers and their projects! In the first hour, the participants show their work in a 3 minute presentation, that can be as playful as you want! They will get a chance to answer some questions from the audience as well, to explain their projects as well as possible! In the second hour, the participants together with the audience will play some exciting games in which the audience creates prompts, drawings and more for the participants to be creative with! After that, the audience ánd the jury will vote for their favourite project, and at the end of the show the winner will be announced!
When is this all happening?
The application-deadline for the participants is the 30st of March. Afterwards, the Sickhouse team will make a selection of 10 participants to present their projects! These makers will be announced on the 16th of April, and the show itself will take place on the 24th of May!
The post THE OPEN CALL FOR THE ULTIMATE INDIEMASH GAME CONTEST IS OFFICIALLY OPEN appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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