Märit von Stedingk, Alea: “For 2027, we want to keep growing at the steady pace that has served us so well”

Märit von Stedingk, Head of PR & Comms at Alea, shares how the company is evolving its ecosystem and how it will connect with partners at SiGMA World.

Key takeaways:

• In an interview with Focus Gaming News, Alea’s Head of PR & Comms, Märit von Stedingk, describes 2026 as a year of expansion beyond game aggregation.
• Von Stedingk says aggregation remains “the heart” of Alea, but conversations with partners drove the development of new products.
• She explains that Alea built Alea Jackpot in-house after being unable to find an existing solution that matched its requirements.
• According to von Stedingk, feedback on the sportsbook offering presented with FIRST.bet at SBC Summit Lisbon has been “very positive”, with encouraging conversations involving existing and new operators.
• Von Stedingk expects sweepstakes to become an increasingly important area for Alea in 2027, alongside refining its new products and refreshing the company’s brand identity.

Exclusive interview.- In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News ahead of SiGMA World in Rome, Märit von Stedingk, head of PR & Comms at Alea, reflects on a transformative year marked by strategic expansion beyond game aggregation. By introducing new offerings like Alea Jackpot and the FIRST.bet sportsbook, the company is providing partners with comprehensive tools tailored to their business needs.

She also shared how the company is preparing for the event, the objectives for the final months of the year, and the roadmap for 2027.

Alea will be attending SiGMA World following a year in which it expanded its offering beyond game aggregation. How do you assess this transformation?

2026 has been a really interesting year for Alea. We’ve broadened what we offer, but also the way we think about supporting our partners. When I take the time to reflect on how things have come together, it’s a lot. In a good way, I should add. There’s for sure feelings of pride, accomplishment, but also a sense that we are doing things at a pace that’s right for both us and the people we choose to collaborate with.

Game aggregation has always been the heart of Alea, and it still is. But over the years, through those important conversations with our partners, we’ve come to understand that there are so many other ways we can make their lives easier. And that’s how the Alea’s growth has taken shape, quite naturally, really. Things happen when the timing is right, and when we’ve listened and responded in a way that feels right to us.

We have been paying attention to the market, what people need, and reacting to it. With the introduction of Alea Jackpot, and now the sportsbook offering with FIRST.bet, we’re bringing solutions that give our partners both the right tools to develop their businesses, but importantly, allowing them to do it all in a way that genuinely works best for them.

There are so many people behind each of these developments, and seeing their work come together has been incredibly rewarding. We’ve certainly learnt a great deal in the process, and there’s still plenty we’d like to do.

What are Alea’s plans and objectives for SiGMA World?

We’ve got quite a busy few days ahead of us in Rome! We are always keen to connect in person, no matter how busy the year, month, or event… so It’ll be lovely to see our clients and providers face-to-face. Alex will also be taking part in industry panels, sharing his perspective on some of the topics shaping the sector. For those of you who have met Alex, you’ll know his perspective is always a unique one. Despite working with him for years and helping him prepare, he surprises me all the time, and I even learn a thing or two. Sessions that are well worth a note in the diary. With the year drawing to a close, it’s a good moment to meet up with our partners and discuss what’s ahead for 2027.

We’re also bringing back our golf tournament with ALL IN Platform at Marco Simone, one of the best golf courses in the world, a host of the Ryder Cup. After last year’s 4.5-.4.5 draw, I know both teams are, shall we say, ‘keen’ to settle the score! It’s always nice to spend time with people in a slightly different setting, away from the usual hustle and bustle of the conference floor. These moments matter, and we always make room for them. 

“We are always keen to connect in person, no matter how busy the year, month, or event… so It’ll be lovely to see our clients and providers face-to-face.”

Märit von Stedingk, head of PR & comms at Alea.

You presented your sportsbook offering at SBC Summit Lisbon. What feedback have you received from the public so far?

Sportsbook is something our operators had been asking us for, so there was already quite a bit of interest and demand before we even introduced it in Lisbon. The response has been very positive, which is great to see.

It’s still very early days, of course, but we’ve already had some encouraging conversations with both existing partners and new operators. I’ve been a ‘casino gal’ for most of my career, so it’s been fascinating to get to know a whole new vertical in real detail and to see how a tier 1 sportsbook operates.  Judging by the interest we’ve seen so far, it feels like the right move, and one that will keep growing with time.

Expanding into new verticals also increases technological and operational complexity. What challenges did you encounter along the way, and how did you overcome them?

The nice thing I can say with confidence is that Alea has never taken the approach that there’s a single solution that works for every product. Sometimes you have a very clear idea of what you want to offer, and the thing you’re looking for simply doesn’t exist. That’s exactly what happened with Alea Jackpot. We couldn’t find anything that quite matched what we had in mind, so we decided to build it ourselves. We took the slow and steady approach, launching things in the right way, at the right time.

Our teams spent months working on it, refining every detail until we had something we were genuinely really proud of. And the work doesn’t stop at launch. We listen closely to our operators, learn from their feedback, and keep improving the product as their needs evolve.

If you take that example and apply it to Sportsbook, it was a different story. We knew there were people in the industry with years of experience in that space, and working with a specialist like FIRST.bet made perfect sense.

I think there’s a lot of value in recognising where your strengths lie and where someone else’s expertise can make a huge difference.

“Sometimes you have a very clear idea of what you want to offer, and the thing you’re looking for simply doesn’t exist. That’s exactly what happened with Alea Jackpot.”

Märit von Stedingk, head of PR & comms at Alea.

How would you sum up 2026, and what objectives remain to be achieved in the final months of the year?

I’m writing this with Rome a few weeks away, which means I’ve started my annual ritual of overpacking. It made me think about what we’re carrying out of 2026.

I’ve been in this industry for around twenty years, and the years I remember are rarely the calmest. 2026 has been one of those. It’s had launches, a few regulatory curveballs, and a team that has grown up a little along the way, me included. What I’d like for the final months is a bit of stillness among all the travel. Time to listen to our partners in Rome, to see how Jackpot and Sportsbook are settling out in the world, and to notice how far we’ve come before ICE arrives and we start all over again.

Sitting still has always been harder for me than moving, so I’m counting it as one of my objectives. That, and packing lighter for ICE.

What is Alea’s roadmap for 2027?

For 2027, we want to keep growing at the steady pace that has served us so well. We’ve laid the foundations with our new products, and now we have the chance to build on them, refining what we’ve introduced and exploring what else we can offer.

We’re also seeing a lot of growth in sweepstakes. It’s becoming an increasingly important area for us, and one we’ll be paying particular attention to next year.

And, of course, we already have ICE 2027 on our minds! Having the industry come to Barcelona, our hometown, is always something we look forward to. We’re preparing some pretty special experiences for our clients and partners, and there’s something so great about being able to welcome everyone to our own city for a change.

Later in the year, we’ll also be showing a new side of Alea. We’ve grown a lot over the last couple of years, and the way we look and sound is ready to catch up with who we’ve become. I’ll keep the details to myself for now, which, for someone in PR, is very nearly torture.