Dmitry Belianin, investor and entrepreneur, looks into his crystal ball to pick out the key trends that will shape iGaming during 2025 and beyond.
I’m always a little cautious when people ask me to predict what comes next for the iGaming industry.
I’ve been working in this sector for almost two decades. In that time, you could argue that both everything and nothing has changed.
Chasing buzzwords has never been my style. But identifying emergent trends that are beginning to shift the very foundations of the space is vitally important for all of us.
Here are the five that are on my mind as we start the year.
iGaming’s fragmentation will continue
There was a time when the entire online gambling sector was on the same page. We all faced the same challenges, we all served the same kind of user, and we developed one set of products that were used by all.
This has been changing for many years now, but 2025 is the year when those who have best adapted to the new reality will seriously outcompete others.
Whether it be emerging markets across Africa, highly-regulated and mature European jurisdictions, or US states, one thing is now clear: just about everything is different. And the remaining common threads are unravelling at increasing speed.
One size fits all is no longer good enough. That applies to product, brand, marketing and just about everything else. Understanding this is now vital to success, wherever you are operating.
Artificial intelligence will change our industry (and the world)
Honestly, most people I know are still sleeping on the truly profound impact artificial intelligence is having on our world.
The technology is already shaping our lives on a daily basis, but I feel 2025 might just be a tipping point. The pace of change is accelerating. Standing still now means getting left behind.
What does this mean for gaming? Well, at the highest level it is an opportunity to deliver user experiences that were simply unimaginable a couple of years ago.
Think highly-tailored, bespoke customer journeys, individually targeted marketing communications, reactive product development and real-time market intelligence.
Just about everything is on the table, and “we don’t have the resources” is no longer an excuse.
Active investors will outperform silent ones
I spent 2024 transitioning from a CMO role at a Tier 1 operator to an iGaming investor. I’ve had to learn very quickly, but if there’s one lesson that’s become clear, it’s that signing the check is a very small part of good investing.
I always intended to be an active investor, but I didn’t initially realise how it would shape the opportunities I pursue.
The great thing about having spent almost two decades working in just about every iGaming role possible is that it has given me perspective.
I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses. And most importantly, I know where I can provide support for high potential start-ups.
So my advice to investors large and small who may be eyeing up iGaming businesses in 2025 is simple: don’t just focus on where you can extract value, look at where you can add it.
Competition for the best people will heat up
Our industry’s bottom line is growing faster than its talent pool.
That’s fantastic news for all the amazing people doing great things in our sector. But it does present a challenge for businesses looking to scale.
Hiring (and retaining great people) has always been an underestimated part of iGaming success. In 2025, I’d argue it will be the single most important factor.
Education is also key, both for upskilling existing teams and training new hires from outside the industry. That was the thinking behind 15M, our educational platform for iGaming execs.
Think carefully about your people, keep them happy and incentivised, and remember that without a world-class team, you’ll never deliver world-class results.
Market intelligence will shine light on hidden opportunities
Opportunities are around every corner right now. But identifying the ones that make most sense to your business remains tough.
You only have to look at how several top tier operators have withdrawn from the US over the last couple of years to see that market intelligence isn’t always where it needs to be.
That’s changing, as new tools give company’s the type of iGaming intelligence they need. One company I co-founded, Blask, achieves this by using AI technology to deliver real-time analytics on markets around the world.
This is an ever-more complex world, and having the data on hand to inform your next move is going to be vital in 2025 and beyond.
High-quality, real-time market intelligence is now not just a competitive advantage but a necessity.
