SOFTSWISS on making online betting safer worldwide – and what they want to do for South Africa
For years, the global betting industry viewed regulation primarily as a hurdle – a necessary layer of red tape.
However, a major shift is underway. In rapidly maturing markets, regulation has become the single most significant competitive advantage for operators.
This is one of the core findings of the 2026 iGaming Trends Report released by SOFTSWISS, an international technology company with over 15 years of experience and a global team of more than 2,000 employees.
Having navigated and supported the establishment of frameworks in major jurisdictions – including the recently regulated powerhouse market of Brazil – SOFTSWISS is now positioning itself as a strategic partner for South African iGaming businesses entering this new era of accountability.
Watch this video to learn more about the biggest iGaming trends of 2026, or read on for more information.
Turning rules into responsible revenue
The report highlights that markets balancing responsible oversight with innovation are attracting the strongest investment and seeing the most sustainable growth.
The “Wild West” phase of iGaming is over, and the next phase belongs to those who treat compliance as a brand promise.
Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, comments in the report: “The industry has outgrown its ‘Wild West’ phase… The crucial question for 2026 is not whether regulation expands but what kind of regulation it becomes: a framework that inspires investment, or an over-engineered machine that suffocates innovation.”
By bringing technology built on these rigorous international standards to South Africa, SOFTSWISS aims to help local regulators and operators find that “sweet spot” – ensuring the local ecosystem is safe for players while remaining conducive to long-term, ethical business.
This is exactly the type of environment that crowds out irresponsible entities.
Regulatory robustness is a win-win in any market. It serves as a signal of quality to attract investment, as well as higher-value, long-term customers – the customers who are safe enough to play responsibly – by design.
In this space, what’s good for the goose really is good for the gander.
Cybersecurity: From support function to business driver
Underpinning this regulatory maturity is a non-negotiable need for security.
In 2025, cybersecurity has graduated from a back-office support function to a core business driver for iGaming operators just as much as any other enterprise.
The 2026 iGaming Trends Report reveals a threat landscape that is widening at an alarming rate:
- Phishing incidents have increased by 180% since 2023.
- DDoS attacks surpassed 20 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
- 35% of smaller gaming companies report low cyber resilience, exposing a critical gap in the market.
Evgeny Zaretskov, Group Chief Information Security Officer at SOFTSWISS, noted that while traditional risks persist, AI-driven threats like deepfake deception are increasingly targeting people and systems.
“Deepfake voices and synthetic identities that can pass KYC make it easier for attackers to impersonate trusted users,” he warned.
To counter this, SOFTSWISS advocates embedding cybersecurity into corporate governance frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST.
By adopting a “secure-by-design” philosophy, South African iGaming operators can protect not just their data, but their reputation – preventing the kind of breaches that destroy customer loyalty (and well-being) overnight.
The ‘Industrialisation’ of AI
Beyond security and regulation, SOFTSWISS is bringing a new level of technical sophistication to the market through what the report calls the “industrialisation” of AI.
Moving beyond the hype of experimental chatbots, the industry is shifting towards measurable, AI-native infrastructures.
Survey results in the report reveal that the perceived importance of AI has risen to 8.41 out of 10, as operators shift focus to measurable outcomes.
SOFTSWISS is already integrating these technologies to drive efficiency – from graph neural networks that uncover fraud links between suspicious accounts, to AI-powered CRM systems that enable real-time player engagement.
Trust as the ultimate differentiator
Ultimately, this combination of regulatory robustness, top-tier security, and industrialised AI converges on one thing: Trust.
In a saturated market where every platform offers similar games and odds, the report reveals that differentiation now depends on a consistent, safe brand experience rather than just short-term bonuses.
As Valentina Bagniya, Chief Marketing Officer at SOFTSWISS, summarised: “Today, trust is a differentiator. Building a brand is a long-term strategy… But in the end, brand is what remains when bonuses expire, products converge, and attention is scarce.”
For South African operators, the message is that the future belongs to platforms that are secure, compliant, and technically advanced.
With its global track record, SOFTSWISS is ready to build that future alongside local partners.
SOFTSWISS has been developing iGaming software solutions for over 15 years. Our technology expertise and industry knowledge enable us to power premium iGaming brands worldwide.
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