Sponsoring football’s biggest international competitions, introducing a fresh brand identity, achieving further market expansion in five new territories and introducing the Kaizen Foundation are among the highlights of a momentous 2024  for Kaizen Gaming, one of the biggest GameTech companies in the world.

International Expansion

In 2024 the company continued its growth journey as part of its goal to reach 26 markets by 2026 with its brand Betano. Last year, the online gaming leader entered five new markets – Mexico, Argentina, the UK, Denmark and Colombia – reaching a total of 18 markets.

The “Orange Summer” of football and a brand new identity

The past summer saw Betano becoming the Official Global Sponsor of both the UEFA EURO 2024™ and the CONMEBOL Copa America™ 2024 in an unprecedented first for the GameTech industry. The two tournaments served as an excellent introduction to Betano’s new brand identity, involving a new logo, to align with its position as one of the most popular online sports betting and gaming brands in the world.

Going into the 2024-25 season with landmark football partnerships

The new football season kicked off with two new landmark partnerships. First, Betano became the Principal and Front of Shirt partner of Aston Villa Football Club, marking its first ever entry into the world of the English Premier League. Moreover, in August, Betano continued building upon its already successful partnership with UEFA during the Euros, becoming Οfficial Global Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League from the 2024/25 season until 2026/27.

Big in LatAm

Except for sponsoring the CONMEBOL Copa America and entering three new LatAm markets in 2024, Betano also became title sponsor of South America’s two largest domestic leagues: the Brasileirão Betano in Brazil and the Torneo Betano in Argentina. The brand further established its leading position in Brazil, being the first operator to apply for a license and the first one to receive the relevant notification for authorization. As of January 1st, 2025, Betano will be a fully licensed operator in the new online gaming Brazilian landscape.

Products powered by Gen AI

Kaizen Labs, Kaizen Gaming’s product and innovation accelerator, introduced several innovations using Gen AI during the past year. Key highlights include Casino Co-pilot, an AI assistant helping players navigate the casino games, offering them personalized recommendations and insights, and AI Cards, which transform winning bets into personalized digital collectables, creating a more engaging and exciting way for players to share their successes. Kaizen Gaming also began developing its own slot games with AI-generated graphics, producing visually stunning results. Three games are in production, with a fourth underway.

Giving back

The past 12 months also saw the launch of the Kaizen Foundation, the Social Purpose Foundation exclusively funded by Kaizen Gaming, that rolled out its activities in Greece and Romania with children’s hospital renovations as well as a partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children to support the “10,000 Smiles” project. At the same time, Betano reinforced its commitment to local communities with various activations, as for instance its partnership with Porto FC and the local university that brought to life  INZONE, a sensory room at the Dragão stadium for people with sensory challenges. Kaizen Gaming also introduced its new international volunteering program, “The Collective”, which has already launched initiatives in six cities across Europe and Latin America.

Industry and people champions

This year  held significant industry recognitions for Kaizen Gaming, which was Operator of the Year at both the SBC Awards and the EGR Operator Awards. At the EGR Operator Awards, the company set a new record by becoming the first operator to win seven awards in a single year. As one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe™ Kaizen Gaming shows  its commitment to its people and creating a winning culture.

Greco, the leading provider of innovative gameplay risk management solutions, has officially partnered with Bad Hombre Gaming to integrate its cutting-edge Gameplay Risk Engine into Bad Hombre’s advanced gaming and crypto platform.

This strategic partnership will empower Bad Hombre Gaming to strengthen player insights, streamline operational strategies, and optimise risk management across its portfolio of white-label partners.

Bad Hombre is widely recognised for its innovation in the crypto gaming space and its advanced suite of gaming platforms, sportsbooks, and multi-currency financial tools. With Greco’s Gameplay Risk Engine now part of its offering, Bad Hombre Gaming can deliver unparalleled risk management strategies to its partners.

“Integrating Greco’s powerful gameplay risk insights into our platform demonstrates our continued focus on technological innovation and operational efficiency. This partnership enables us to offer enhanced player risk evaluation, improved performance, and better analyse risks,” says Hugh Casey CPO of Bad Hombre Gaming.

Greco’s Gameplay Risk Engine provides operators with real-time insights using theoretical value modelling and behavioural risk analysis, enabling early decision-making to minimise risks, improve player experiences, and cut operational costs.

“Partnering with Bad Hombre Gaming is an exciting step forward. Their innovative approach to gaming aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering cutting-edge risk management solutions. We’re confident this partnership will create significant value for their platform, players, and operational goals,” comments Ozric Vondervelden, Co-Founder and CEO of Greco.