{"id":21161,"date":"2026-03-24T10:21:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T13:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=21161"},"modified":"2026-04-19T07:24:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T10:24:22","slug":"nikita-keino-softswiss-regulated-markets-have-fundamentally-changed-the-economics-of-operator-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/nikita-keino-softswiss-regulated-markets-have-fundamentally-changed-the-economics-of-operator-growth","title":{"rendered":"Nikita Keino, SOFTSWISS: \u201cRegulated markets have fundamentally changed the economics of operator growth\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nikita Keino, Head of Partnerships at SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, discusses how operators in regulated markets use tournaments and jackpots to drive player retention amid rising costs and promotional restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Exclusive interview.- Player acquisition costs are rising as marketing channels narrow, and compliance adds operational overhead. At the same time, bonuses and promotional mechanics are increasingly restricted, while regulators require full transparency across the player journey. This combination makes it harder to compete through acquisition alone, shifting the focus towards retention \u2013 and that is where structured engagement becomes critical. When operators must work within tighter promotional boundaries, sustainable growth depends on keeping players active and returning over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this conversation with Focus Gaming News, Nikita Keino<\/strong>, head of partnerships at SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator<\/a>, explains how operators can build loyalty in regulated markets: which engagement mechanics help compensate for limited promotional flexibility, why gamification becomes more effective as bonus-driven models lose ground, and which tools create measurable impact on player activity and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with the big picture. Why has engagement become such a critical topic in regulated markets?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regulated markets have fundamentally changed the economics of operator growth. Customer acquisition costs continue to rise due to limited acquisition channels and additional compliance requirements. At the same time, the promotional tools that operators historically used to drive volume are no longer available in the same form. This creates a clear commercial dilemma: operators still need to compete, but the traditional acquisition levers are restricted, and margins are tighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where engagement becomes strategic. When acquisition is expensive and promotional mechanics are limited, growth increasingly depends on whether existing players remain active and return consistently. Engagement tools create repeatable reasons to come back \u2013 through competition, progression, anticipation, and other non-bonus drivers \u2013 supporting retention and reactivation without relying on short-term promotional incentives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does this mean acquisition is not that important any more? And how do you see the balance between acquisition and retention today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acquisition remains essential. But it is becoming more expensive every year, and the underlying economics only work if retention converts that spend into long-term value. Operators who acquire players but fail to retain them are running a leaking funnel: costs accumulate while value does not because players churn before generating meaningful returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retention becomes the mechanism that stabilises unit economics over time. Instead of continuously paying to replace churned players, operators extend the value of the audience they have already acquired \u2013 increasing lifetime value through repeat engagement and longer player lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has player behaviour evolved, and what does that mean for engagement strategies?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players increasingly expect interaction and feedback loops. They are used to competitive and progressive mechanics in other digital products, where participation, progression, and recognition are built into the experience rather than added as a separate layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In regulated markets, operators cannot always respond to these expectations with financial incentives. What they can do instead is introduce gameplay-related mechanics that feel dynamic and rewarding without creating compliance pressure. Well-designed gamification engages players on a motivational level \u2013 through competition, achievement and emotional involvement. When implemented properly, it drives retention while remaining within regulatory frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some operators worry that gamification might clash with compliance. Is that a valid concern?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be a concern if gamification is poorly designed or communicated. Compliance risk arises when mechanics are opaque, rules are undefined, or outcomes cannot be verified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regulators primarily focus on financial transparency and control over how money flows through the system. Engagement tools, therefore, need to operate with clear rules, predictable outcomes, and mechanics that can be verified and audited. When designed this way, engagement mechanics fit well within regulated environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cRegulators primarily focus on financial transparency and control over how money flows through the system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nikita Keino, head of partnerships at SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What engagement tools does SOFTSWISS offer to operators in regulated markets?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most widely used engagement features is the Tournament Tool within the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator<\/a>. It allows operators to configure fully customisable tournaments using different mechanics, for example, based on total wins, bet multipliers, or number of spins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Competition is the key driver here. Real-time leaderboards give players visibility into their standing and progress, creating a self-sustaining engagement loop grounded in the product experience itself. The mechanic does not depend on promotional spend to function \u2013 it generates activity through participation and competitive motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a compliance perspective, the mechanic works well because everything is defined in advance: rules, timing, and prizes are clearly specified, and results can be verified. The result is consistent and measurable. On average, tournament participants place twice as many bets and wager three times more than non-participants, while average daily bets increase by more than 20 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How powerful are Jackpots in terms of supporting long-term retention, and which tools can you propose for this mechanic?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackpots are among the most durable retention mechanics available, precisely because they operate on anticipation rather than on immediate reward. The possibility of a large win creates a reason for players to return \u2013 not in response to a promotional trigger, but because the mechanic itself sustains interest over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator included an integrated Jackpot Aggregator, allowing operators to configure local, global, or network jackpots across multiple providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scale is a significant factor in effectiveness: larger prizes concentrate player attention and activity. For example, the two most recent Prime Network Jackpot draws delivered more than EUR 2m in total winnings. Since jackpot pools are fed by wager contributions across the network, a payout at that scale reflects the volume of player activity behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With proper implementation, jackpots can increase average player turnover by up to 50 per cent. When combined with other engagement mechanics, the effect can be even stronger \u2013 in some cases, wagering volume triples within the first month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, jackpots remain a robust mechanic in regulated environments: they are easy to explain, clearly defined, and straightforward to regulate and report on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How easy is it for operators to implement these tools from a technical and operational perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implementation simplicity is critical. All engagement tools within the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator are available through a single API, so operators do not need separate integrations with individual game providers or third-party services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOFTSWISS also provides technical support and marketing guidance. This allows operators to focus on player experience and campaign strategy while the technical complexity is handled in the background. This is particularly valuable in regulated markets, where internal resources are often limited and compliance processes already require significant attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is there a proven tool or combination of tools that works best and guarantees engagement growth?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No single mechanic works equally well for every player segment. Behavioural diversity is real: some players are drawn to competitive dynamics, others to progressive mechanics, others to chance-based anticipation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why a layered engagement approach is effective. By combining tournaments, jackpots, and other gamified mechanics, operators create multiple entry points into the experience. A player may initially engage through tournament competition, sustain that engagement through jackpot anticipation, and continue returning because the overall experience consistently feels rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no universal formula. Operators need to understand player segments, monitor what drives activity within each, and continuously offer reasons for players to return \u2013 using tools that can be monitored, adjusted, and scaled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“No single mechanic works equally well for every player segment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nikita Keino, head of partnerships at SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What best practices would you recommend for operators working in regulated markets today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, treat engagement as a system rather than a one-time campaign<\/strong>. This means building a structured calendar of mechanics and integrating engagement into the product layer rather than relying solely on promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, prioritise transparency<\/strong>. In regulated markets, clarity is not only a compliance requirement but also a retention factor. Players are more likely to return when rules are consistent, outcomes are understandable, and participation feels fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, measure engagement with the same discipline as acquisition<\/strong>. Define success metrics before launch, analyse behaviour across player segments, and optimise based on data rather than assumptions. Engagement should be evaluated through its effect on retention, activity depth, and reactivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, regulated markets require a different operating model<\/strong>. Operators who build for long-term value \u2013 through product quality, player trust, and consistent experience \u2013 are better positioned than those relying on short-term spikes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nikita Keino, Head of Partnerships at SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, discusses how operators in regulated markets use tournaments and jackpots to drive player retention amid rising costs and promotional restrictions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":21162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":true,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"The article, featuring Nikita Keino of SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, analyzes the critical shift from player acquisition to retention in regulated iGaming markets. It highlights how rising customer acquisition costs and increasingly stringent promotional restrictions necessitate the adoption of gamification, tournaments, and jackpots as compliant engagement mechanics to drive player lifetime value and ensure sustainable growth.","focusai_entities":"Nikita Keino, SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, Focus Gaming News","focusai_location":"","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (0.9), regulator (0.7), compliance_legal (0.75), operator_casino (1.0), product_ux (0.9), marketing_crm (0.9), investor_analyst (0.9), supplier_vendor (1.0), journalist_researcher (0.85)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"Regulatory Impact on Gamification","query":"Given the varying regulatory interpretations across jurisdictions, what specific governance frameworks or licensing conditions most significantly constrain or enable the deployment of gamified retention tools like tournaments and jackpots?"},{"label":"ROI of Engagement Tools","query":"Beyond anecdotal evidence, what empirical data or case studies demonstrate a superior return on investment (ROI) for advanced gamification features compared to traditional bonus structures in terms of NGR uplift and player LTV extension?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60301],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21161"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21177,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21161\/revisions\/21177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}