Alexandra Voronetskaya: Storytelling and Client-Centricity are Key to Transforming the iGaming Industry

Congratulations on being recognised as one of the top marketing professionals in iGaming by iGamingExpress! What does this recognition mean to you?

Thank you! Being recognised by iGamingExpress as one of the top marketing professionals is a tremendous honour, especially after only one and a half years in the iGaming industry.

What this recognition really highlights is the power of cross-industry learning. Whether it’s building brand loyalty in premium spirits or navigating the complexities of real estate marketing, I’ve always believed that the core principles of engaging with audiences, delivering value, and fostering trust are universal. Applying those lessons to iGaming has been both challenging and exciting.

I really want to emphasise here that this is a team success and a result of what we achieve together. After all, iGaming is all about community. It’s about collaboration, creative thinking, and a deep understanding of what our partners expect. To be acknowledged in this way is a validation that we’re moving in the right direction and creating real impact.

With your extensive cross-industry experience, how do you leverage insights from sectors like automotive and real estate to develop successful marketing strategies in the iGaming industry?

In transitioning to iGaming, I’ve drawn extensively from my experiences in sectors such as real estate, automotive, and premium spirits. Each of these industries offered valuable lessons that have helped shape our marketing strategies to resonate more deeply with our audience.

From my time in real estate, I brought forward a focus on customer journey mapping and human-to-human technology. In real estate, everything revolves around understanding and addressing the client’s journey, and this has been a core principle we’ve applied in iGaming. It’s not just about creating marketing content based on how we want to showcase the product but adapting it to meet the specific needs and expectations of our clients.

We’ve shifted towards a more client-centric approach, increasing the visibility of our team in communications to highlight a personal connection and project our expertise. This perspective has been particularly impactful in our B2B operations, where we approach partnerships as genuine human interactions rather than purely transactional relationships. By continuously evaluating the client journey and their satisfaction with our products and services, we’re refining our practices and improving the overall experience.

In the automotive sector, I gained valuable insights into product-centric exhibition strategies. Automotive brands excel in showcasing their products in a way that immerses the audience, making each exhibition an experience in itself. We’ve taken this best practice and applied it to our approach at industry expos and conferences. By presenting our offerings not just as isolated products, but as interconnected elements of a larger narrative, we create a more engaging and cohesive brand experience at events like SBC Summit and ICE.

Meanwhile, my background in the premium spirits industry taught me the importance of storytelling. High-end spirits brands don’t just sell a product; they sell an experience, a narrative, and a sense of belonging. We’ve embraced this approach in our marketing, focusing on storytelling to create a connection between our audience and the culture of gaming. Although still in its infancy, our strategy involves developing case studies and narratives that illustrate not only success stories but also the journey and ethos behind them. This helps us build a deeper connection with our audience and promote a sense of community and shared culture in gaming, rather than merely passing time.

By blending these insights from various industries, we’re creating a holistic and evolving approach to marketing in iGaming, one that prioritises client experience, effective product presentation, and the power of a compelling story.

You’ve been a strong advocate for increasing female representation in iGaming. How do you think the industry can become more inclusive, and what role does marketing play in this effort?

The industry has come a long way over the past 10 years. However, there’s still much more to be done, as women are still significantly underrepresented compared to men. This disparity is particularly evident at the C-level.

Interestingly, at EvenBet Gaming, the gender ratio at both C-level and mid-level management is approaching 50-50. And we haven’t actively pursued this balance. We simply provide equal opportunities for men and women.

A major obstacle to gender equality in the industry is the lingering bias. Different standards and criteria are still applied to men and women. I believe this is the main factor holding us back from breaking through the career glass ceiling. However, EvenBet Gaming’s experience shows that women can contribute just as much to overall success as men. In fact, at this stage, women often demonstrate higher emotional intelligence, which is an advantage. Yes, this might also be a gender bias, but it’s what our experience has shown.

Through various marketing tools, we can and should ensure that this topic is discussed in the industry, especially by men. Currently, it’s mostly women talking about gender equality. But as long as we’re having this conversation amongst ourselves, nothing will change. We need to engage more influential men in grey suits in these discussions about gender equality, but sadly, that hasn’t happened yet.

As the iGaming industry evolves, what trends do you foresee having the biggest impact on B2B marketing strategies over the next few years?

This is a broad topic, but I’ll try to summarise the key points. First of all, there’s a reduction in attention span, which is evident in both B2B and B2C. As a result, the quantity and quality of content are rapidly evolving. Back in 2018, every software provider at an exhibition would hand out thick brochures with detailed text descriptions of their products. Now, we’re shifting to dynamic videos, concise presentations, etc. The current trend is towards dynamism, visuality, and simplification.

AI also deserves mention, as it has become part of our daily practice. AI is used for localisation of communications for global outreach, product localisation, customer support enhancement, and more. This is already in use, and the trend will only deepen further.

Another important trend is the human-to-human approach adoption and the increasing role of emotion. Although our segment primarily focuses on business-to-business communication, it’s important to remember that these are just abstractions. In reality, it’s still one person talking to another. This understanding is increasingly recognised in the industry, and emotions will play an ever-greater role in this communication.

You operate as a software provider in highly regulated markets such as the Netherlands. It’s clear that due to the many restrictions, working in such markets is quite challenging. Could you share your experience and plans regarding these markets?

Our goal is to expand and strengthen our presence in such markets. It is strategically important for us to have customers in regions where gambling is legal and regulated, as we believe the future lies in regulated gambling. We are confident that, in 20 years or even earlier, all gambling worldwide will be regulated.

To be ready for this, we are enhancing our product to help operators implement Responsible Gaming practices. We are working on anti-fraud systems to comply with financial regulations and anti-money laundering requirements. Naturally, we also undergo all necessary technical certifications for our product. Currently, we have four certifications from leading laboratories, enabling operators to use our software in any country with regulated gambling. Our licences from strict organisations like the UK Gambling Commission and Kansspelautoriteit demonstrate that we are prepared for any challenges when working in highly regulated markets.

Responsible gambling is a critical issue in the industry. How do you incorporate responsible gaming messages into EvenBet’s marketing campaigns, and how important is this to the company’s overall brand strategy?

We are strong advocates of responsible gaming. We integrated the relevant functionality into our product at a very early stage, including player restrictions and self-restrictions, allowing both operators and users to set limits.

We aim to promote these practices, particularly in emerging markets. For instance, we recently entered into a partnership with AGOS, a Serbian organisation that focuses on responsible gaming. In the Balkans and Eastern and Southern Europe as a whole, this is a very serious issue.

Overall, we are working towards removing the stigma associated with online gambling, aiming to eliminate any negative social consequences and transform it into a pure entertainment industry that brings positive emotions. We urge all our industry colleagues to join us in this mission.