How BGaming’s latest sustainability initiative has become a company philosophy

BGaming, one of the industry’s most socially and environmentally conscious content providers, has had a busy autumn introducing its WE CARE. WE ACT initiative to the iGaming industry. The studio has taken its sustainability initiative to Portugal and Brazil in the last two months, including taking part in a beach clean-up in Lisbon and helping women and girls fight back in São Paulo. We sat down with BGaming’s Chief Executive Officer, Marina Ostrovtsova, to discuss the sustainability initiative, find out more about the events they have been involved in, and look at how this impacts company culture.

Let’s start with Lisbon. Can you tell us what BGaming set out to achieve at this year’s SBC summit?

SBC Lisbon is one of the industry’s most established events, and it provided us with the perfect opportunity to bring our sustainability initiative to the wider iGaming industry.

Our stand’s panels were made from recycled materials; we cut down on print by handing out recyclable QR cards instead of brochures, and we also provided partners with poker sets made from recycled plastic.

We wanted these messages to be more than something people saw and then forgot.

We also partnered with VIVA Lab in Porto, a local organisation focused on recycling, sustainability education, and giving plastic waste a second life. We redirected part of our client gift budget into a donation on our partners’ behalf and included carabiners made by VIVA Lab in our gifts, using 7 kg of recycled plastic. So our partners became part of the initiative too!

You also completed a beach clean-up after the event - can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Yes, we took part in a beach clean-up organised by Lisbon Oceanarium following the SCB summit. So many of these beautiful cities play host to iGaming events, and we wanted to give them something back. Litter on beaches is a major problem in many coastal cities, and this provided us with the opportunity to make a small but meaningful contribution.

What I particularly loved about this activity was seeing our BGamers come together outside the usual conference environment, working towards a shared purpose. It was a different kind of team-building experience, and one that really brought our WE CARE. WE ACT. philosophy to life.

In just two hours, our team collected 2 kg of plastic and 1 kg of cigarette butts. It was a meaningful way to wrap up a busy week in Lisbon and leave something positive behind.

You mentioned VIVA Lab and your work with them. How important is it to work with local organisations when trying to achieve your sustainability goals?

Working with local organisations has always been a key part of our sustainability and social initiatives at BGaming.

In Portugal, we contributed to VIVA Lab to support 10 recycling workshops for up to 240 students, helping young people learn how to give plastic waste a second life. For us, it's important to support organisations that understand their communities and can create meaningful, long-term impact.

Brazil offers some of our best examples of this. Earlier this year, we partnered with the Centurion Association and participated in a three-month charity initiative to benefit underserved communities; this included helping with a food distribution program and providing martial arts classes through the Faculdade da Luta program.

And our collaboration didn't stop there. Starting in October, we extended our support with donations towards two additional projects, including Fight Like a Woman, focused on women's safety and empowerment. We're building a long-term partnership with Centurion, rather than limiting our involvement to one-off charity campaigns.

Looking beyond Lisbon and Brazil, how would you describe BGaming’s wider approach to sustainability and supporting communities?

For BGaming, sustainability goes beyond environmental initiatives or charity. It's about making more conscious choices, creating meaningful experiences, and taking responsibility for the impact we leave behind.

We believe that as our business grows, so does our responsibility towards the communities where we operate. That's why we focus on supporting local organisations, addressing real community needs, and building long-term partnerships rather than one-off charity campaigns.

One example is our annual Charity Gala in Malta, which we've organised for two consecutive years in support of DAR Bjorn, a foundation providing care and therapies for people with severe neurological conditions. Each edition raised €200,000, bringing together the industry and local community around a shared cause.

Whether it's supporting families in Brazil, promoting sustainability education in Portugal, or helping people in Malta, the philosophy remains the same: WE CARE. WE ACT. We want our values to translate into meaningful actions that make a difference beyond our business.

WE CARE. WE ACT runs through all of this. How does this commitment impact your workplace culture?

As we highlighted with the beach clean-up, we want WE CARE. WE ACT to be much more than just a slogan. It is easier to say you care, but to actually turn up and put that into action is a different challenge.

We openly encourage our team to share their ideas about sustainability and to actively support  BGaming values. We’re always looking for new opportunities, and we don't want this to be a top-down message; we want it to be part of our team’s DNA, with everyone involved in their own way.