What will define the next era of iGaming growth?
At SiGMA Central Europe 2025, uncertainty became opportunity during the keynote on 05 November titled “Structuring the Unknown: Trends That Will Shape iGaming.” Taking the People, partners and Performance stage, Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, explored how data-driven insights are transforming the way operators, affiliates and suppliers navigate emerging markets. Montik shared how structured analysis and predictive reporting can turn industry noise into actionable intelligence, helping leaders anticipate change rather than react to it.
From noise to clarity
Montik began by challenging one of the industry’s most common misconceptions that iGaming is a simple business. “I often hear people say iGaming is easy. It’s not. It’s a complex, deeply technological ecosystem with many moving parts and understanding those parts is what separates successful companies from those that are just surviving.” he said.
That complexity, he explained, is often obscured by assumption and speculation. Too many narratives in the sector, he argued, are driven by opinion rather than fact. “There are a lot of myths about iGaming. We wanted to make it more visible, clearer and give the industry and its stakeholders information based on data, not assumptions.” This commitment to clarity gave rise to SOFTSWISS’s iGaming Trend Reports, which have become one of the industry’s most cited resources for data-backed insight.
A data-driven roadmap
Launched four years ago, the SOFTSWISS Trend Reports have grown from a niche project into a cornerstone of industry intelligence. The 2025 edition, Montik noted, exceeded expectations with over 13,000 downloads.“When we started, we didn’t expect this level of engagement,” he said. “Our task was to fragment the market, to collect all the possible information available and bring it together into one structured report. The results showed us just how hungry the industry is for reliable data.”
This year, SOFTSWISS joined forces with NEXT.io, adding a new layer of depth and validation to the research. Over 350 industry experts contributed to the latest report, which Montik described as “a collaboration built on practical experience rather than theory.”
The newest iteration divides insights into three key areas, microtrends, macrotrends and regional outlooks, helping companies adapt both locally and globally. For Montik, the goal is to guide change. “iGaming is a system, not chaos. We want to base our decisions on data and use that information to shape a roadmap for 2026.”
Reports to real-time debate
For Montik, data analysis is only half the equation. The next step, he said, is moving from written reports to real-time industry dialogue where insights meet action. “We’ve gone from online to offline. From publishing reports to hosting discussions where people can debate the findings, challenge assumptions and shape their own strategies.”
This approach transforms static research into a living, evolving conversation, one that reflects the rapid pace of change across markets, technologies, and consumer behaviors. Attendees at the keynote were invited to scan a QR code linking directly to the full report, designed to serve as an “everyday business tool” for strategic planning.
Montik also reflected on the unique collaboration between analytical precision and creative problem-solving that defines the sector’s future. “It’s not just about predicting trends. “It’s about structuring the unknown. Data gives us the visibility we need to move with confidence, even when the market is shifting beneath us.” he said.
Structuring the unknown
As iGaming continues to expand across new jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks, Montik argued that structured intelligence will be the industry’s most valuable asset. The difference between growth and stagnation, he suggested, will lie in how companies interpret and apply the insights available to them. By transforming data into clarity and collaboration into strategy, SOFTSWISS and its partners are offering a blueprint for sustainable, informed expansion, one where the industry’s future is shaped by knowledge rather than chance.
For more forward-looking insights from SiGMA Central Europe 2025, stay tuned for expert perspectives on the trends shaping the future of gaming.
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