Addressing Growing Complexities

We’re coming up to halfway through 2025, how has the year been so far for Comtrade Gaming?

Our strategic focus on existing clients while expanding into emerging markets, such as Brazil, underscores our commitment to fostering global growth and innovation. Brazil, with its dynamic gambling industry and evolving regulatory framework, presents a wealth of opportunity for our company to establish a strong foothold. By tailoring our offerings to the specific needs of the Brazilian market, we aim to not only navigate regulatory complexities but also deliver engaging and culturally resonant gaming experiences.

Our decision to begin producing our own games has proven to be a transformative move, showcasing the immense creative talent and technological expertise within our team. These games, developed with cutting-edge technology and innovative gameplay mechanics, have already captured the imagination of players and operators alike.

Last year you began producing your own games – how has that been going so far?

As a newcomer we started by building an initial portfolio of popular mainstream games, including crash and slot games, which helped us establish a strong presence and appeal to a wide audience. However, having laid that foundation, we now plan to focus more on developing new, unique concepts that push the boundaries of innovation and creativity, offering players experiences that are both fresh and engaging.

What are the biggest challenges you are seeing in the gambling industry at the moment, and how are Comtrade Gaming dealing with them?

The gambling industry is characterized by its dynamic nature, driven by continuous shifts in both regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Navigating the evolving regulations requires a steadfast commitment to compliance and adaptability. For a company like Comtrade Gaming, this means not only ensuring adherence to existing laws but also proactively anticipating changes in diverse jurisdictions. By fostering strong collaborations with regulators and leveraging our extensive expertise, we continuously align our operations with global standards, building trust and positioning ourselves as a leader in the industry.

You’ve been at Comtrade for a long time, what are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed at the company in this time?

We started more than 20 years ago as a technology specialist working for leading vendors in the gaming industry. We then started building our own products focused primarily on the platforms with the goal to deliver the best possible technology and innovative features to our clients. From that moment on our strategy has not changed until the last year when we decided to expand also in game production business. That change was not that dramatic since we don’t shift our focus away from our initial strategy, but we enrich it with additional offering that will make our clients even more competitive.

And looking at the wider gambling industry, what are the biggest changes you’ve seen?

Since we are a B2B supplier, I would focus here on the changes and challenges brought about by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the evolving ways players interact with or consume our products through their mobile devices. Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the industry, allowing us to provide personalised gaming experiences, detect fraud, and streamline compliance processes. By leveraging AI, we can analyse player behaviour and preferences to deliver games that align with their interests, ensuring greater engagement and satisfaction.

Additionally, the shift towards mobile gaming has transformed how players access and experience our products. Mobile platforms demand optimised designs, seamless integration, and faster responsiveness, posing challenges that require constant innovation. As most of the interactive gaming these days is delivered through mobile devices, we must adapt our offerings to meet the expectations of players who seek convenience, accessibility, and engaging gameplay on-the-go.

Of those changes, which are good and which are bad?

Artificial intelligence is undeniably one of the most transformative forces in the world today, reshaping the way how we function. On the positive side, AI has enabled operators and suppliers, such as Comtrade Gaming, to deliver personalised and engaging player experiences. By analysing vast amounts of player data, AI can recommend tailored gaming options, detect patterns, and even predict preferences. This not only enhances user satisfaction but also supports responsible gaming initiatives by identifying signs of problematic behaviour early on.

AI has also improved operational security and efficiency. Machine learning algorithms are being deployed to tackle fraud detection, streamline compliance efforts, and optimise resource allocation. For example, in new markets like Brazil, where regulatory frameworks are complex and still evolving, AI can be a vital tool in ensuring adherence to legal requirements while minimising administrative overhead.

However, the rise of AI is not without its challenges. One of the biggest concerns is the ethical dimension and the use of AI in decision-making processes raises questions of transparency and accountability. If an AI system flags a player for potential gambling addiction, for instance, how do operators ensure the system’s decisions are fair and unbiased?

Another downside is the growing dependency on data. Companies need access to extensive datasets to train their AI models effectively, which raises privacy concerns. The gambling industry must tread carefully to safeguard user data, ensuring compliance with global data protection standards like GDPR.

In essence, while AI holds immense potential to improve gaming experiences and operational frameworks, its implementation demands responsibility, transparency, and careful oversight to mitigate its risks. Comtrade Gaming, with its commitment to innovation and ethical practices, is well-positioned to navigate these contrasts, ensuring that AI becomes a tool for progress rather than disruption.

If you could change one thing about the gambling industry, what would it be?

With all the challenges mentioned the industry is becoming more and more complex. On top of that we see more and more new suppliers entering the industry that don’t have the experience to cover all the aspects that are necessary for operators to deliver best gaming experience to their players while protecting vulnerable ones and being compliant with constantly changing regulation. Over the past few years, we saw quite some consolidation on the operator side but at the same time we observe the opposite on the supplier side with big expansion of new suppliers. This variety makes the supplier side of the industry more competitive but can also reduce the quality of our solutions if operators focus is cost optimization and not quality.

While achieving global standardisation is no small feat, the gambling industry's stakeholders must recognise the benefits of collaboration. By working together, operators, regulators, and technology providers can establish frameworks that not only streamline operations but also set new benchmarks for responsibility and fairness in this rapidly evolving sector.

Looking at the rest of 2025, what are you hoping to see Comtrade Gaming to achieve?

I’m excited about the opportunities ahead, particularly in expanding our reach into emerging markets and enhancing our technological innovations. We are already deploying new AI based innovations to our existing clients that open a lot of new possibilities to improve their operations, create more accurate fraud detection systems, and identify valuable players in early stages to adjust their campaigns and promotions.

And you personally as CEO, what would you like to achieve this year?

My ambition would be to simplify the lives of both our team and clients by addressing the growing complexity of products, procedures, and regulations in the gambling industry.

Ultimately, making life simpler isn’t just about reducing complexity—it’s about enabling people to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional experiences while upholding ethical and responsible standards.

Interviewer: Aleš Gornjec, CEO at Comtrade Gaming

Editorial published in: G3 September 25 :: 102