Anastasiia Shcherbyna, MelBet Partners & Affiliates: “Expansion is not just a goal for us, it’s a natural continuation of our strategy”

MelBet’s CMO unveils the company’s strategy in Asia and their expectations ahead of SiGMA Asia 2025.

Exclusive interview.- Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, sat down with Focus Gaming News to reveal how the company has evolved from a betting-focused brand into a multi-product platform with global reach, and their strengths in the Asian market ahead of SiGMA Asia 2025.

MelBet has a strong presence in Asia, including with several sports teams. What are your strengths when it comes to such a vast geography?

There are several factors for MelBet’s successful global presence, particularly in Asia. 

• Transparent partnership is the core value of the brand. As a large, well-versed team, we adhere to this approach at all stages. Both with users and partners, we declare our reliability, thereby taking the first step towards them. No trust without clarity. By researching and taking into account geo-specifics, we cooperate with partners in each region. 
• A strong affiliate program is an obvious follow-up,  a hallmark, achieved through the reliability approach. All the marketing and product strategies affect not only the B2C segment but also significantly increase partners’ results as a bonus.
• Focusing on awareness. Building up sponsorship deals, signing the best and most relevant teams and ambassadors, increasing presence in traditional media – we choose a long term strategy, rather than the fast conversion. This is how we get tangible and more stable results without any rollbacks. We are proud to mention Faf du Plessis and Sherlyn Chopra among our collaborations. And guess what? Melbet will soon introduce our new brand ambassador, who will celebrate our values. The contract is already signed. Who do you think this person is?

Many companies have found Asian markets challenging to break into. How have you found success?

Being customer oriented, our well versed international teams exchange and operate data implementing different approaches. 

• Agility is the key to success. Agile management leads to experimenting and responding to changes in a timely manner. 
• We provide constant research of the audiences’ best responses, studies, hypothesis testing and permanent analysis of new products to make sure that the platform contains gaining trendiness games and slots. Adding attractive promotional offers in the iterations required to secure interest 
• Simplifying the customer journey to please a customer more: constant monitoring of payment systems to prevent any issues related. We work meticulously to ensure that the user does not have problems on the way to placing a bet and withdrawal.

With well over a decade in operation, how has MelBet’s offering evolved in that time?

Over more than 10 years of operation, MelBet has evolved from a betting-focused brand into a multi-product platform with global reach. Initially, the company offered only sports betting and operated solely on a RevShare model in a B2C format.

Over time, the offering has expanded significantly:

• A full-scale casino vertical was launched, featuring thousands of slots, live games, and crash products
• New commission models were introduced, including CPA, CPI, custom partner deals, and more
• MelBet entered dozens of new GEOs, covering Latin America, the MENA region, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the CIS
• he support service was significantly strengthened and now operates 24/7 in multiple languages, assisting not only players but also affiliates

As a result, the brand has transformed from a niche sportsbook operator into a flexible, partner-oriented ecosystem capable of scaling to meet the demands of diverse markets and affiliates.

You had a great start to the year, picking up Best Casino Operator 2025 at the SiGMA Africa Awards. What do awards like this mean to you?

For us, awards like this are not just formal recognition — they reflect the team’s daily, deep, and systematic work. The Best Casino Operator 2025 award is especially meaningful because it confirms that we’re moving in the right direction — both in terms of product and our approach to partnership and localisation.

It’s also a sign of trust from the industry and our partners. We don’t see such awards as the final goal, but rather as a foundation for the next stage of growth. Behind every trophy are real solutions, working mechanics, a committed team, and partners who believe in us.

And, of course, it’s a powerful motivation — to keep raising the bar, go even deeper into local markets, and stay strong on the global stage.

Do you hope to continue to expand the company’s reach?

Absolutely. Expansion is not just a goal for us, it’s a natural continuation of our strategy. We operate based on three core principles: reliability, flexibility, and a strong focus on the partner. Thanks to this approach, in recent years we’ve significantly strengthened our international presence, enhanced affiliate support, and reinforced our reputation as a mature and strategically minded partner.

We continue to invest in our partnerships, helping teams not only generate revenue, but grow and scale alongside us. In 2025, we’re not slowing down — we’re already working on obtaining new licenses and entering additional markets. For us, it’s not just about geographical expansion — it’s about developing an ecosystem where every partner feels supported at every stage.

What will you be showcasing at SiGMA Asia 2025?

This year, we’re participating in SiGMA Asia in a flexible format — without a booth, but with full team engagement. Our managers will be actively working on the ground, meeting with partners, discussing new opportunities, and answering questions directly. This format gives us more freedom for live communication and focused one-on-one meetings.

We’re also preparing an exclusive side event that will take place alongside the exhibition — a great chance to connect in an informal setting and strengthen partner relationships. We’ll be sharing more details about the event very soon.

And of course, we’re not coming empty-handed — as always, we’ll have branded merchandise, which will be available directly from MelBet Partners & Affiliates representatives during meetings and at the event.