Yoni Sidi, CEO of Wiztech, says operators must leverage the power of cutting-edge platforms and solutions if they are to scale and ensure compliance.
Operators must be able to scale if they are to achieve their often-ambitious growth targets. But just how important is the platform and technology they use in facilitating this?
Scalability is crucial to the success of any online casino or sportsbook operator. The highly volatile nature of the industry gives operators few other options when it comes to future-proofing their businesses. Fluctuating market demands, changing player preferences, shifting regulatory sands and tech advancements are just some of the things operators must contend with as they look to build sustainable and successful businesses. This is why scalability is not limited to handling more players or managing a bigger server load. It encompasses a much broader range of requirements including being able to scale up and down bandwidth based on demand, adding new features and functionalities, ensuring a smooth, uninterrupted experience for each player as your user base continues to grow and being compliant at all times.
Any lag, downtime or glitch in the gaming environment can be end-game for the operator – if players are dissatisfied or lose trust in the brand, they will simply play somewhere else. So, for me, scalability means using the latest technologies to allow operators to deliver a smooth and seamless player experience to a growing user base while at the same time being able to handle new market launches and ever-changing regulatory requirements. If the platform isn’t scalable, it becomes a massive barrier to growth.
What are the main barriers to scalability faced by operators?
Many operators still rely on older, monolithic systems that were built many years ago for simpler gaming environments. Unfortunately, these systems often can’t handle the demands of modern online gambling. Today, platforms need to facilitate seamless integrations with new technologies, solutions and content. This includes everything from payment gateways to live games, KYC and regulatory systems. Legacy systems simply can’t handle these demands, nor can they handle the large player bases that operators can now build – especially those in multiple markets.
As companies grow, they often accumulate tech debt. To help repay this, many operators will simply undertake quick fixes or patches, but this only solves the problem in the short term and often introduces more complexity into the tech stack in the long term. Managing and resolving tech debt while trying to scale puts a massive strain on financial and human resources with the business ultimately stagnating.
New market expansion is another challenge for operators. Each market has its own tech regs and requirements, with the operator (assuming they are running on legacy tech) often having to reconfigure its entire system to ensure compliance. If the platform isn’t flexible enough to adapt to each jurisdiction's requirements, it becomes almost impossible to be compliant and thus grow the business through market expansion.
Data is another barrier. Operators handle a staggering amount of customer, payment, game, marketing and compliance data each day – data that needs to be processed, stored and analysed in real-time. Poor data management can lead to server slowdowns, gameplay interruptions and inaccurate reporting, all of which impact the player experience and operator decision-making.
How exactly does a modern platform help overcome these challenges?
In reality, it takes a bit more than a modern platform – operators need to combine this with smart infrastructure, good planning, a great team and a spot of good luck. For me, cloud technology offers the flexibility and cost-efficiency that operators need to scale seamlessly. It allows them to quickly ramp up their processing power, storage and bandwidth in line with demand, paying for only what they use. This removes the need for heavy upfront investment in physical infrastructure and allows the business to be agile.
When it comes to the platform itself, modular is the way forward. This setup allows operators to pick and choose the features they want and need with new components seamlessly integrated without having to undertake a full system overhaul. For example, an operator can implement a new payment gateway or add content from a new provider without disrupting the entire platform. APIs also allow for seamless communication between different software systems, making it much easier to connect third-party services like fraud detection tools, player management systems and more.
How important is automation in the process of scaling?
It’s super important, especially when it comes to areas such as compliance. For example, our solution provides automated compliance features that continuously update according to local regulatory changes. This ensures operators can quickly align with legal requirements in new markets, reducing the time and resources spent compared to manual updates.
Artificial intelligence can also help operators optimise platform performance which in turn facilitates growth. This includes using AI for predictive analytics, fraud detection and even customer support, ensuring customer queries are addressed promptly. It also allows the platform to anticipate and manage high traffic volumes without crashing, key to ensuring player satisfaction. Remember, scaling is about more than just adding more players to the database.
As a tech provider, how do you ensure your platform facilitates the scalability operators need?
At Wiztech, scalability is a core component of our platform design, and we ensure our solution facilitates operator growth by focusing on several key principles. First, our platform is built on a cloud-native architecture, meaning we can scale infrastructure dynamically based on operator demand. Whether it’s a sudden surge in users because of a major sporting event or the need for additional storage capacity, our platform adjusts automatically without requiring operator intervention.
Our platform is also modular and API-driven, allowing operators to select the components they want and when, and then integrate them seamlessly as their business continues to grow. This means operators can scale specific functionalities, whether that be payments, customer support or content, without disrupting the overall system. Of course, we are constantly updating our platform so that it stays ahead of the curve and can always meet changing customer – and market – demands.
It's also important to recognise that each operator’s scalability needs are different, so we offer tailored solutions that meet their unique growth requirements.
How can new operators ensure they can scale from day one?
They must have scalability front of mind from day one as this will prevent the need to undertake major system overhauls or, worse, full platform migrations, later on. This means ensuring the platform they use – whether proprietary or from a third-party – can handle large volumes of players, leverage the power of data and deploy new features and functionality, and be compliant in all of the markets they intend to target. For me, this means using a cloud-based solution as it offers unlimited scalability but without the need for significant upfront investment. AI and automation are also key to unlocking scalability.
Ultimately, scalability is about more than just being able to handle more players. It’s about growing intelligently, being flexible and adapting to an ever-evolving industry. Whether you’re a start-up or an established operator, ensuring your platform can scale from day one is critical to long-term success.
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