Lusine Khudaverdyan on casino operations efficiency

The content explosion in the gambling industry creates a paradox: operators have access to thousands of casino games, but they often fail to use this abundance effectively. Casino operations usually remain a stable source of up to 7% of revenue, financing the more volatile part – sports betting. In an exclusive interview with SiGMA News, Lusine Khudaverdyan, Head of Casino Business at GR8 Tech, discussed how champion operators are turning endless access to content into a strategic advantage and increasing their revenues.

The effect of choosing the right casino platform

Lusine, you have extensive experience in the iGaming industry. What criteria do you use when selecting gaming, payment and content providers in such a saturated market?

From an operator’s point of view, there are three main things: 

Commercials. I want flexible, competitive commercials that scale. Today I’m in one region, tomorrow I may enter others. The deal should scale with me. 

Stability. How stable is the platform – aggregation or full platform? I’d look at uptime and performance (e.g., requests per second). These shape user experience. For the casino, I’d also pick a partner that delivers localised content.

Yes, top providers like Pragmatic Play perform across regions, but I want support for strong local studios too – variety and unique points for my players. 

Unique differentiators. What sets the platform apart? Player-friendly features, strong gamification, easy-to-use CRM, maybe exclusive games or content.

How can casino content optimisation affect an operator’s revenue?

The difference in revenue between operators who view casinos as a source of stable income and those who optimise their content offering can be around 10% per month or quarter. Depending on the operator’s GGR, this can be a very significant amount.

I get why operators treat the casino as a stable income; it’s because of the fixed RTP logic. They often say: ‘I’ll leave the casino there, take a 4-5% margin, and focus on the sportsbook’. 

But when optimising the casino margin, the right content is put for the right market, turnover increases, and the right promotions run. That’s why we open direct channels between operators and content providers: to negotiate custom, target-market promos instead of generic ones. Plus, you play with gamification, CRM, and bonus tools. 

In growth terms, operating with numbers from our practice, those who ‘just leave it’ see from 5 to 7% monthly or quarterly growth; those who optimise see up to 15% monthly or quarterly growth.

How exactly can a casino aggregator platform turn an abundance of content from an operational burden into a competitive advantage?

Casino aggregation often becomes a commodity: everyone has more or less duplicate content. But it is entirely possible to select content that generates new revenue and optimises existing revenue. That requires:

Tech-wise, give operators dashboards and real data so they can see what works and what doesn’t, down to the provider level, and spot who’s dragging revenue or RTP down. 

Engagement-wise, strong bonus mechanics (free spins, cash drops, tournaments, missions, jackpots) with real-time triggers and caps are crucial. Also, direct operator-provider promo channels so it’s not generic: custom, target-market promos, exclusive drops, and early access. We enable localised promos and smooth execution (budgets, tracking, reporting). With the right partners and positioning, the engagement follows. 

New regional features of the online casino market

You work with operators in MENA, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. How does the optimal casino content strategy differ in these regions?

These are really different regions in terms of players, dynamics, and performance. 

MENA: A pretty stable casino market. We see from 70 to 80% of GGR from the casino. Players are used to specific content, so live casino is more popular than other products. 

Latin America: The casino segment is growing fast year on year. The market is open to new things, so growth depends on aggressive, localised promotions and fresh content; for example, crash games have performed really well. 

Southeast Asia: Many countries, similar yet very different. In the Philippines (recently regulated), there’s a heavy focus on slots and very localised content; Indonesia and Thailand are also similar. In Vietnam, live casino and sports are still predominant. Asian players want familiar content and trust established brands, though they’ll try new games/mechanics if those are interesting. You build the brand first, then you’re successful. 

Africa: The focus is on fast, light-loading games optimised for lower bandwidth and more challenging internet conditions.

The impact of 2025 and plans for the future

How has this year affected the online casino market, and how should operators prepare for 2026? What content are you betting on?

The most significant impact this year was regulatory changes – Latin America is moving toward a more regulated, mature market; we saw changes in Asia. 

On content, first of all, we’re seeing a new hype around chicken-themed games. It began with one provider gaining popularity in Asia and then spreading to other regions, and now many providers are jumping in.  

Of course, slots continue to grow, and we see new live-casino providers offering localised content. 

But if we talk about types of content, crash games still have enormous potential. They grew a lot in 2025, which is likely to continue into 2026. Crash games are fast and easy to play, with a stronger thrill than slots. They also rose alongside influencer-led marketing, which amplified adoption. Plus, they’re a genuinely new kind of game the industry was waiting for: new logic, latest themes. They attract both ‘old-school’ players and the new generation. It hits all the sweet spots. 

At GR8 Tech, we have a lot planned for both the casino platform and aggregation. A big focus is on more localised promo mechanics in 2026 to help partners scale, increase engagement, and grow LTV. By promo mechanics, I mean bonus tools, promo tools, jackpots, and a wider range overall. 

We’re also launching a crypto casino, and 2026 is our proof-of-concept year to validate market fit and feedback. And, as always, we will continue to optimise our technology and add new providers, working toward further optimisation, increased commercial flexibility, and enhanced local content.

This article was first published in Russian on 29 October 2025.

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