Marina Ostrovtsova, BGaming: “The real shortage today is attention, not content”
Ahead of the TRUE WAYS online conference, Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO at BGaming, spoke to Focus Gaming News about igaming content overload and strategies for capturing players’ attention.
Exclusive interview.- As the igaming industry continues to expand, the challenge is no longer a lack of content but an abundance of it. With new games, promotions, influencer campaigns, and AI-generated materials competing for the same audience, capturing and retaining player attention has become one of the sector’s most pressing business concerns. This growing struggle for visibility and engagement is at the heart of this year’s TRUE WAYS conference, where industry leaders will explore how operators and suppliers can cut through the noise and create experiences that genuinely resonate with players.
In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO of BGaming, shares her perspective on why content overload has emerged as a defining challenge for the industry, the role of authenticity and storytelling in building lasting player connections, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping content creation. She also discusses BGaming’s approach to branding, the importance of quality over quantity, and what attendees can expect from the upcoming TRUE WAYS conference as the industry seeks more meaningful conversations about the future of player engagement.
The theme of this year’s TRUE WAYS conference is “Content Overload in igaming.” Why do you believe this has become one of the defining business challenges for the industry today?
Every day, we see new games, promotions, collaborations, and marketing campaigns. There’s simply more content than players can realistically consume.
The real shortage today is attention, not content. That’s why the industry should focus less on how many releases we have and more on how effective they are.
At BGaming, we always put quality first. But even with great products, it’s becoming harder to stand out in such a crowded market. In the world of game providers, content is still king, but only if it captures players’ attention.
That’s exactly why TRUE WAYS online conference matters. It’s a place where the industry can have honest conversations about how to win players’ attention, instead of creating more and more content.
“At BGaming, we always put quality first. But even with great products, it’s becoming harder to stand out in such a crowded market.”
Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO at BGaming.
Players are exposed to an unprecedented amount of content every day, from new game launches and social media campaigns to streamers, affiliates, and AI-generated material. In your view, what actually earns attention in this environment?
What earns attention today is giving players a clear reason to care. It starts with a great product, a strong idea behind it, and content that feels relevant to the local audience. If players don’t immediately understand what makes your game different, they’ll quickly move on.
Collaborations, communities, streamers, and storytelling all help create a stronger connection with players. For example, our collaboration with Júlio César gave the game a story and a familiar face that people could relate to, making the experience more memorable.
In the end, I believe the winners will be the companies that create a complete player experience and build long-term relationships with their audience, instead of relying on individual marketing campaigns.
For years, the industry has measured success by producing more: more games, more campaigns, more promotions. Do you think we’ve reached a point where quality and relevance matter more than quantity?
I do. Simply producing more games or running more campaigns doesn’t guarantee growth anymore. The real question is who you’re creating for and whether each release has a clear purpose. I’d rather have fewer launches, with each one supported by a well-defined strategy, than release content just to increase the numbers.
This also changes how companies think about their game portfolios. Instead of trying to launch everything, we’re becoming more selective about what we launch and how we support each release.
At BGaming, for example, Publishing is becoming a strategic function. It’s about making smarter decisions throughout the entire lifecycle of a game to give every launch the best chance of success.
As AI makes content creation faster and more accessible, how can brands avoid becoming part of the noise instead of standing out from it?
AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a strategy. It can help you create content faster, but speed alone doesn’t make content more engaging.
In fact, as more companies use the same AI tools, originality becomes even more valuable. If everyone can produce content at the same pace, the real difference comes from the ideas behind it.
AI is levelling the playing field in production. The real advantage comes from understanding your audience better than anyone else and using that knowledge to create content that feels authentic and relevant.
BGaming has often taken a different approach to branding, focusing on storytelling, collaborations, and community-driven initiatives. How important has authenticity become as a competitive advantage?
I think authenticity has become one of the biggest competitive advantages a brand can have. Players are exposed to so much marketing every day that they can quickly tell the difference between something that’s genuine and something that’s purely promotional.
At BGaming, we’ve always wanted to build a brand around more than our games. We focus on creating experiences, telling stories, and building real connections with players and partners.
That’s why our collaborations with Júlio César, street artists from different countries, and initiatives like our Charity Gala are part of a long-term brand strategy. They reflect who we are as a company and what we stand for.
In a crowded market, products can be similar. A strong, authentic brand is what makes people remember you and choose to engage with you again.
“I think authenticity has become one of the biggest competitive advantages a brand can have.”
Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO at BGaming.
One of the goals of TRUE WAYS is to encourage honest conversations and practical knowledge-sharing. Do you think the industry is moving away from purely promotional discussions towards more transparent exchanges of experience?
That’s exactly why the TRUE WAYS online conference was created. The industry is ready for a different kind of conversation. People have seen enough sales pitches and polished presentations. They want to hear real stories, real challenges, and real lessons learned.
That’s exactly what we’ll be discussing on July 15, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM CET, together with experts from Stake, SOFTSWISS, Print Studios, Propane, 1w Crypto, and BGaming. Each speaker will bring a different perspective on one question: how do we win players’ attention in an increasingly crowded market? Registration is free, and we’d be delighted to welcome everyone to the discussion.
The best ideas usually come from open and honest discussions, where people are willing to share both their successes and their mistakes.
That’s what we want TRUE WAYS to be. We want people to leave the conference with practical insights and ideas they can start using the very next day, not just a deck full of nice slides.
Finally, if operators and suppliers attending TRUE WAYS could leave with one key insight about winning players’ attention over the next five years, what would you hope that message would be?
The biggest takeaway is that player attention will be the most valuable currency in our industry over the next five years. The companies that succeed won’t be the ones producing the most content, but the ones creating content that is meaningful and relevant.
That starts with understanding your players instead of trying to appeal to everyone. When you know your audience, every game, campaign, or piece of content has a clear purpose and creates real value.
That’s why the future belongs to brands with a strong identity, a clear focus, and a commitment to quality over quantity. And that’s exactly what the TRUE WAYS online conference is about: less noise and more practical strategies that actually work.
