Lessons from 2025, priorities for 2026
NEXT.io sat down with Comtrade chief commercial officer Steven Valentine to discuss industry trends from 2025 and opportunities for platform providers in 2026.
NEXT: Looking back at 2025, what would you say were the key milestones or achievements for Comtrade Gaming?
Steven Valentine: Two achievements really defined 2025 for us.
The first was having our iGaming platform certified in Brazil and successfully launching our first operator (Betaqi) in the newly regulated market. That entire process accelerated our knowledge of the region and positioned us strongly for continued expansion in 2026 where we now have a very strong pipeline.
The second major highlight was our partnership with DigiPlus in the Philippines. Working with operators of that scale reinforces our position as one of the few platform providers capable of supporting enterprise-level demands around reliability, flexibility, and long-term stability.
NEXT: What internal developments or team achievements during the year made you most proud?
SV: What made me most proud was how the team managed to deliver major market certifications, onboard large-scale clients, and still execute the most significant upgrade to our iCore platform in years.
Alongside our commercial wins, 2025 was also the year we expanded our suite of engagement tools, loyalty systems, gamification features, and AI-powered predictive modelling — a transformative effort that touched almost every part of the business.
The rollout of new features such as missions, enhanced loyalty, expanded achievements, tournaments, jackpots, reward games, and the Rewards Shop was a huge cross-departmental achievement. Seeing product, engineering, data science, operations, and compliance all working together so effectively is a reminder of why we consistently a platform of choice for operators focussed on growth
NEXT: Looking at the broader gaming sector, what industry trends defined 2025 for you?
SV: Three themes shaped 2025 more than anything else: AI, regulation, and tax.
This was the year where real, agentic AI moved from discussion to full integration across gaming systems, becoming a genuine catalyst for product innovation, operational efficiency, and player-personalisation improvements.
Regulation remained a constant focus globally, starting with Brazil and quickly turning towards markets like Finland and New Zealand.
And then you had the ongoing pressure of taxation. The sudden tax increases in Romania and the dramatic 90% rise in the UK will have long-lasting strategic implications for operators and vendors alike.
NEXT: Would you say the developments were primarily technological, regulatory, or something else?
SV: The developments were a combination of technological evolution and regulatory complexity, with economic pressure acting as a backdrop to both.
AI drove a wave of technological innovation, while regulatory shifts dictated where operators could grow and how quickly they had to adapt.
Overlaying all of it is financial pressure from increased taxation, forcing operators to become more efficient and more selective in their investment choices. Those three forces are more interconnected than ever.
NEXT: What did you learn about player behaviour or operator needs in 2025 that will inform future development?
SV: Operators want tools that help them do more with less — more automation, more efficiency, and more control over the player lifecycle. With rising operating costs, platforms need to deliver proactive intelligence, not just reactive functionality.
Players, meanwhile, expect experiences that are meaningful, rewarding, and personalised. That’s why we invested heavily in missions, enhanced loyalty, expanded achievements, tournaments, jackpots, reward games, and a comprehensive Rewards Shop. Players want structure, progression, and purpose — features that create long-term emotional connection with the brand.
Our advanced AI models now predict things like LTV, churn probability, and second-deposit probability, giving operators deeper insights and enabling smarter, more targeted engagement. That intelligence will continue to shape our roadmap.
NEXT: Looking ahead to next year, what major trends do you expect will dominate the iGaming sector in 2026?
SV: AI will move from being a differentiator to becoming the backbone of operational decision-making.
We’ll also see regulatory reform continue to dominate the agenda, particularly around advertising, AML, and responsible gaming.
And consolidation — both among operators and vendors — will gather pace. With taxes rising and profitability under pressure, companies will have to tighten their strategies, and that inevitably leads to mergers, acquisitions, and strategic exits.
NEXT: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for platform providers next year?
SV: The biggest opportunity is in helping operators navigate complexity with platforms that are scalable, regulatory-ready, and rich in engagement and retention capabilities.
Newly regulated markets like Brazil will create clear opportunities, but so will mature markets where operators urgently need efficiencies and more intelligent tooling to offset rising costs.
The winning platforms will be those that deliver not just features, but predictive intelligence, automation, and long-term stability.
NEXT: Are there any specific technologies you believe will become central in 2026?
SV: Absolutely — AI-driven operational automation and player-lifecycle intelligence will be central.
Tools that predict churn, forecast LTV, optimise segmentation, and drive real-time personalisation will move from “nice to have” to “mission-critical.”
We also see continued importance in real-time data orchestration, cloud-native infrastructure, and gamification layers that can adapt to different regulatory environments while maintaining an engaging, responsible user experience.
NEXT: What will be Comtrade Gaming’s primary commercial and product priorities next year?
SV: Commercially, our focus remains crystal clear: deliver exceptional service to our existing partners and add new clients where there is long-term strategic value for both sides.
On the product side, 2026 is about building on the advancements we made this year — enhancing our engagement suite, deepening our AI models, and continuing to improve the reliability, configurability, and speed of our platform.
Our approach isn’t about chasing hype; it’s about consistency, stability, and delivering results operators can depend on.
NEXT: And finally, if you could sum up Comtrade Gaming’s vision for 2026 in a sentence or two, what would it be?
SV: Our vision for 2026 is to continue being the platform partner enterprise operators trust to grow sustainably, operate efficiently, and navigate an increasingly complex market.
We aim to deliver long-term value through reliability, intelligent technology, and a partnership-first approach.
Interview published: https://next.io/news/promoted/comtrade-gamings-roadmap-lessons-from-2025-priorities-for-2026/