Launching in iGaming is easy, surviving is not: GammaPlus CEO
The barrier to launching an online casino has never been lower, but the odds of surviving beyond the first year may be worse than ever. That is the warning from Arturs Zagurilo, CEO of GammaPlus.
Speaking to SiGMA News, Zagurilo said that many new iGaming operators continue to misunderstand how deeply the industry’s structure has changed, despite more than a decade of regulatory tightening and rising competition. He believes success in iGaming today is defined less by speed to market and more by operational discipline, regulatory foresight, and financial realism.
Regulation is no longer a box to tick
One of the most significant shifts in iGaming, Zagurilo explained, is the expanding role regulation plays in shaping the entire operating model, not just the licensing phase.
“Regulation isn’t just a pre-launch task anymore. It influences product design, marketing freedom, payment flows and how fast you can scale,” he said. “If compliance isn’t built in early, it quickly becomes a growth limiter.”
Many operators, he noted, plan primarily around launch requirements, only to encounter serious friction later as regulatory obligations grow more complex. He believes retrofitting compliance into a live platform often leads to delays, higher costs, and constrained growth when operators are trying to scale.
“When compliance isn’t embedded early, it becomes a bottleneck rather than a safeguard.” According to Zagurilo, rather than accelerating market entry, poorly integrated compliance often slows expansion once traffic grows, rules change, or new jurisdictions are added.
Player acquisition costs are squeezing margins
The interview also highlights a major shift in player acquisition economics. Customer acquisition has become one of the most challenging aspects of running an iGaming business. Acquisition costs across regulated markets have risen owing to increased competition, stricter advertising rules, and affiliate scrutiny.
“What separates successful operators today isn’t who launches, but who survives the first 12 to 18 months.”
– Arturs Zagurilo, CEO at GAMMAPLUS
Bonuses alone are no longer enough to compete. “Traffic is expensive, affiliates are selective, and restrictions keep increasing,” Zagurilo said. “Strong CRM, retention strategy, and data-driven engagement now determine profitability.”
Operators that continue to prioritise volume over value often struggle to achieve profitability. Without robust CRM, segmentation, and retention strategies in place from the outset, acquisition spend quickly outpaces returns. “Retention isn’t a phase-two problem,” he said. “If you don’t build it into your strategy from day one, your margins will suffer.”
Commoditised content, differentiated execution
With most operators offering access to the same game libraries, product differentiation has moved away from content and toward execution. “Everyone has access to the same games,” he said. “Real differentiation comes from platform stability, UX, localisation, and speed.”
Payments are still a major pain point for operators. Slow withdrawals or a lack of familiar local payment methods can erode player trust almost immediately, often long before any marketing challenges even come into play.
“Payments are a trust signal,” Zagurilo said. “If withdrawals aren’t fast and reliable, players don’t stay.” In many cases, payment issues only surface once volumes increase, at which point reputational damage can be difficult to undo.
Localisation is another area where many brands fall short. Language, payment preferences, betting limits, and user flows vary significantly by market. Therefore, operators that fail to tailor their offering often see high churn despite strong acquisition numbers. “Players notice immediately when a platform doesn’t feel local,” Zagurilo said.
Sustainability beats speed
As the industry continues to see rapid launches, Zagurilo believes sustainability has become the defining success factor. “The barrier to entry is low, but the barrier to sustainability is much higher,” he said.
Operators that struggle tend to focus heavily on launch mechanics, licensing, games, and promotions, while underestimating the operational demands that follow. Those that succeed, by contrast, maintain a constant focus on unit economics.
“They understand acquisition cost, payback period, and lifetime value,” Zagurilo said. “And they adjust quickly when something isn’t working.” Data-driven decision-making, he added, is often the difference between adaptation and stagnation.
Partner selection can quietly determine outcomes
Another factor shaping early survival is partner choice. Technology, payments, and compliance partners can either accelerate growth or quietly drain momentum over time.
“The wrong partner can cost you three to six months before the problems are obvious,” Zagurilo said. By the time issues become visible, through delayed payouts, integration failures, or regulatory friction, the opportunity cost can be substantial.
Launch is the starting line, not the finish
For Zagurilo, a major misconception among new operators is treating launch as the destination rather than the beginning of sustained operational pressure. “Launching an iGaming platform is relatively easy today,” he said. “Scaling it responsibly is where the real work starts.”
Operators that view launch as a checkpoint are more likely to invest early in automation, stability and scalable systems. Those who don’t often discover too late that what worked at launch cannot withstand growth.
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