{"id":845905,"date":"2025-12-09T14:49:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T12:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=845905"},"modified":"2025-12-09T15:57:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:57:53","slug":"softswiss-on-making-online-betting-safer-worldwide-and-what-they-want-to-do-for-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/845905\/softswiss-on-making-online-betting-safer-worldwide-and-what-they-want-to-do-for-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"SOFTSWISS on making online betting safer worldwide \u2013 and what they want to do for South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For years, the global betting industry viewed regulation primarily as a hurdle &#8211; a necessary layer of red tape.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a major shift is underway. In rapidly maturing markets, regulation has become the single most significant competitive advantage for operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of the core findings of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.softswiss.com\/reports\/igaming-trends\/?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=business_tech&amp;utm_campaign=trends_dec_25_paid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 iGaming Trends Report<\/a><\/strong> released by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.softswiss.com\/?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=business_tech&amp;utm_campaign=trends_dec_25_paid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SOFTSWISS<\/a><\/strong>, an international technology company with over 15 years of experience and a global team of more than 2,000 employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.softswiss.com\/?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=business_tech&amp;utm_campaign=trends_dec_25_paid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to learn more about SOFTSWISS.<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Having navigated and supported the establishment of frameworks in major jurisdictions \u2013 including the recently regulated powerhouse market of Brazil \u2013 SOFTSWISS is now positioning itself as a strategic partner for South African iGaming businesses entering this new era of accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch this video to learn more about the biggest iGaming trends of 2026, or read on for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2--F2iNqDWY?si=SYrlocPuTTcRROPi\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turning rules into responsible revenue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The report highlights that markets balancing responsible oversight with innovation are attracting the strongest investment and seeing the most sustainable growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The \u201cWild West\u201d phase of iGaming is over, and the next phase belongs to those who treat compliance as a brand promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, comments in the report: \u201cThe industry has outgrown its \u2018Wild West\u2019 phase&#8230; 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By bringing technology built on these rigorous international standards to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.softswiss.com\/reports\/igaming-south-africa\/?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=business_tech&amp;utm_campaign=trends_dec_25_paid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">South Africa<\/a><\/strong>, SOFTSWISS aims to help local regulators and operators find that &#8220;sweet spot&#8221; &#8211; ensuring the local ecosystem is safe for players while remaining conducive to long-term, ethical business.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is exactly the type of environment that crowds out irresponsible entities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 &#8211; the customers who are safe enough to play responsibly &#8211; by design.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this space, what\u2019s good for the goose really is good for the gander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cybersecurity: From support function to business driver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Underpinning this regulatory maturity is a non-negotiable need for security.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2026 iGaming Trends Report reveals a threat landscape that is widening at an alarming rate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phishing incidents have increased by 180% since 2023.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DDoS attacks surpassed 20 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>35% of smaller gaming companies report low cyber resilience, exposing a critical gap in the market.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Deepfake voices and synthetic identities that can pass KYC make it easier for attackers to impersonate trusted users,&#8221; he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To counter this, SOFTSWISS advocates embedding cybersecurity into corporate governance frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By adopting a &#8220;secure-by-design&#8221; philosophy, South African iGaming operators can protect not just their data, but their reputation &#8211; preventing the kind of breaches that destroy customer loyalty (and well-being) overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The &#8216;Industrialisation&#8217; of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond security and regulation, SOFTSWISS is bringing a new level of technical sophistication to the market through what the report calls the \u201cindustrialisation\u201d of AI.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moving beyond the hype of experimental chatbots, the industry is shifting towards measurable, AI-native infrastructures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SOFTSWISS is already integrating these technologies to drive efficiency &#8211; from graph neural networks that uncover fraud links between suspicious accounts, to AI-powered CRM systems that enable real-time player engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trust as the ultimate differentiator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, this combination of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.softswiss.com\/compliance\/south-africa\/?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=business_tech&amp;utm_campaign=trends_dec_25_paid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">regulatory robustness<\/a><\/strong>, top-tier security, and industrialised AI converges on one thing: Trust.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Valentina Bagniya, Chief Marketing Officer at SOFTSWISS, summarised: \u201cToday, trust is a differentiator. Building a brand is a long-term strategy&#8230; But in the end, brand is what remains when bonuses expire, products converge, and attention is scarce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For South African operators, the message is that the future belongs to platforms that are secure, compliant, and technically advanced.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With its global track record, SOFTSWISS is ready to build that future alongside local partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em>Email: <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:order@softswiss.com\"><em><strong>order@softswiss.com<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/softswiss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>LinkedIn<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SOFTSWISS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/SOFTSWISS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>YouTube<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/softswisspeople\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/softswiss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>X<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The future belongs to iGaming platforms that are secure, compliant, and technically advanced. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":845907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[22786,22785,24351],"class_list":["post-845905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-igaming","tag-softswiss","tag-softswiss-article-tag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=845905"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":845910,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845905\/revisions\/845910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/845907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=845905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=845905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=845905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}