Lubov Stelmakh, BGaming: “if you have an idea and you truly believe in it, especially if it has a meaningful purpose, you will find support”

Lubov Stelmakh, Event Manager at BGaming, discusses the inspiration behind the Charity Gala by BGaming and its goal to provide long-term support for the DAR Bjorn foundation.

Exclusive interview.- As the global igaming industry increasingly embraces corporate social responsibility initiatives, few projects have resonated as deeply across the sector as BGaming’s ongoing support for DAR Bjorn, the Maltese neurological home founded by former igaming professional Bjorn Formosa. What began as a personal connection has evolved into one of the industry’s most visible and emotionally significant charitable movements, uniting operators, suppliers, affiliates and media companies around a shared purpose that extends far beyond business.

In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Lubov Stelmakh, Event Manager at BGaming, reflects on how the Charity Gala by BGaming transformed from a simple act of support into a large-scale initiative focused on creating measurable impact. She discusses the emotional roots behind the project, the importance of transparency and long-term commitment in CSR initiatives, and why collaboration between competitors can send a powerful message about the human side of the gaming industry.

Stelmakh also shares her perspective on how initiatives like the BGaming Charity Gala are helping reshape perceptions of the sector internally and externally, while revealing the very real outcomes generated by the funds raised for DAR Bjorn.

Most companies talk about impact, but this initiative feels personal. What was the exact moment or story that made BGaming say, “we have to do something real”?

It felt like a responsibility to help DAR Bjorn. I still remember my first event there. I was a volunteer. We didn’t raise a huge amount that day, but I remember how grateful Bjorn and Maria were just for people showing up and helping. It was very simple, very human.

And then something clicked for me.

When you are standing next to someone living with a serious neurological condition, and you still see their dignity, humour, and real will to live, it changes your perspective.

At some point, I understood there is a big gap between “we support” and “we actually change something.” A one-time donation doesn’t close that gap.

But as a company, if you bring in your network, your relationships, your voice in the industry, you can do something much bigger. That’s how the idea of the Charity Gala by BGaming came up. Not just as an event, but as a way to do something that continues beyond one night.

“If you bring in your network, your relationships, your voice in the industry, you can do something much bigger.”

Lubov Stelmakh, Event Manager at BGaming.

DAR Bjorn isn’t just another cause; it has deep roots in the igaming community. How did that connection shape the way you approached this project, emotionally and strategically?

It’s a very special case, because Bjorn, the founder, was part of the igaming industry himself. That alone creates a strong emotional link. It doesn’t feel like a distant story. It feels like someone from your own circle.

When I first heard Bjorn’s story, how he had been active in igaming and even helped Pierre from NEXT.io with events, I remember thinking: this could happen to any of us. We all work in the same industry, go to the same conferences, and then suddenly someone’s life changes completely.

From a strategy perspective, it also matters. People are more likely to engage when they feel that personal connection to the cause. But at the same time, we were very clear from the beginning that emotion alone is not enough.

So we built everything around real impact: transparency, clear goals, and results you can see and measure.

Gaming is often seen purely through a commercial lens. Do you think initiatives like this can change how the industry is perceived, both internally and externally?

I think initiatives like this are already changing how people see the industry, both outside and inside.

From the outside, gaming is often viewed in a very flat way: numbers, marketing, competition, events. So when companies come together around something that brings them no commercial benefit, it breaks that stereotype a little.

But what matters even more to me is what happens inside the industry.

Last year, BGaming brought together sponsors who are direct business competitors, yet they still chose to support the same cause. This year, our partners include Next.io, Flutter Entertainment, Alea, SiGMA, My Affiliates, Amusnet Gaming, 1spin4win, Finteq Hub, EGT, TaDa Gaming, Focus Gaming News, and Internet Vikings.

I don’t believe one event can completely change the reputation of an entire industry. But I do believe that if we keep doing things like this, consistently, then over time it can shift how people see us and how we see ourselves, too.

This event brings together companies that usually compete. What has it been like to see the industry unite around a shared purpose instead of performance?

This has been one of the most inspiring parts of the whole project. In normal life, these companies compete. But here, they end up on the same side, which completely changes the energy.

It’s so powerful to see people set aside business interests and focus on one shared goal. In moments like that, you see how much potential this industry has when it moves in the same direction.

To be honest, I had doubts for a while about whether we could pull it off on the organisational side. But then the whole picture became very clear in my head. I started to feel that we would be supported, that other companies would join in, and that people would come together.

And that’s exactly what happened.

“It’s so powerful to see people set aside business interests and focus on one shared goal.”

Lubov Stelmakh, Event Manager at BGaming

When people attend the gala, they see the event, but not always the outcome. What happens after the lights go off that most people don’t realise?

What happens after the event is the most important part.

All the funds go directly to DAR Bjorn, and then they turn into very concrete things: medical equipment, rooms for new residents, and better care conditions.

It’s not an abstract “impact.” It’s real changes in people’s daily lives. And for me, that’s the most valuable part, when you realise that behind one beautiful evening, there are very tangible results.

Last year we raised €200,000, and this year we’re planning to increase that number, of course.

On a personal level, how has being involved in this initiative changed the way you see your role in the industry?

It completely changed how I see my work and my role in the industry.

Before DAR Bjorn, an event was just an event. You think in terms of production, timing, guests, and feedback. It’s complex, but still very structured and “contained.”

After DAR Bjorn, it became something else.

The last event felt different in every way, especially because of the people who came to support and the atmosphere we created together. I remember families of DAR Bjorn residents coming up to me during the event, hugging me, and you could really see how grateful they were for the industry’s support.

That moment stayed with me.

The biggest lesson for me is this: if you have an idea and you truly believe in it, especially if it has a meaningful purpose, you will find support. I experienced that myself.

As this becomes a recurring initiative, what kind of legacy do you hope the BGaming Charity Gala will leave, not just in Malta, but across the global igaming community?

I would like it to become more than just an annual event, more like an example for the whole industry. So that other companies also start creating similar initiatives in their own markets.

For me, the ideal scenario is opening LinkedIn in a few years and seeing ten other companies doing something similar. Each with their own reason, their own DAR Bjorn, their own story behind it. If that happens, it means we didn’t just host a few nice evenings; we set a standard.

I also want CSR to stop being something “extra” or occasional, and become a natural part of how we work. Not because it’s trendy, but because we genuinely have the ability to affect people’s lives.

And of course, I want Bjorn and his story to be remembered. That in five or ten years, new people in the industry still know who he was, and why this centre exists.

If you could say one thing to the industry about why this matters, beyond business, what would it be?

We work in a very powerful industry. We have big resources, big networks, big opportunities. And that means we have the ability to influence not only the market but people’s lives as well.

Sometimes it only takes one decision, one “yes,” one phone call. And those same resources can completely change someone’s life. Not in an abstract way. In a very real one.

If I could say one thing to the industry, it would be this: don’t wait for the perfect moment to focus on CSR. That moment is already here. For all of us.