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WATCH: Casumo CEO says gambling operators face “uncharted territory”
Speaking with Richard Dennys, CEO of Game Lounge, Postiglione said the number and speed of changes confronting operators is without precedent in his career. “I’ve never seen so many changes happening altogether,” he said.
Postiglione said Casumo has adopted a hybrid-work model of three days in the office and two days remote, but added that workforce management now depends more on culture and communication than on formal procedures. “It’s really about how you engage with them,” he said, adding that HR functions face increasing pressure as they manage distributed teams and rising employee expectations.
Regulation has become one of the industry’s central challenges, Postiglione said. He described a “paradox” in which regulated operators face higher risks than unregulated platforms, particularly as strict compliance requirements push some players towards offshore or cryptocurrency casinos. “Regulated companies run more risks than unregulated companies,” he said.
Dennys said affiliate data shows that well-intentioned consumer-protection rules can produce unintended consequences by accelerating player movement into unlicensed markets. Postiglione said some jurisdictions, including Belgium and Italy, maintain what he views as manageable regulatory frameworks, while others have become more difficult for operators to sustain commercially.
Postiglione noted that regulators often lack enforcement capacity, especially against decentralised or foreign crypto casinos. “Regulators don’t have any police power… until we reach that point, there is not much they can do,” he said. Even if governments decide to regulate crypto gambling, he added, practical impact may be limited.
Operational agility a requirement in the industry
Both Dennys and Postiglione agreed that younger players move collectively and quickly due to social-network dynamics, making market shifts faster than in previous years. Dennys said this behaviour allows consumers to circumvent restrictions at high speed, often based on peer-to-peer influence rather than brand loyalty.
AI is reshaping game development, concluded Postiglione, noting that this will enable small studios, including one-person operations, to automate production. He said game formats are unlikely to change fundamentally, but features surrounding the core slots experience, such as social interactions and shared play are likely to expand.
On business strategy, Postiglione said heavily regulated markets offer limited room for product creativity because compliance risk outweighs most potential gains. As a result, operators explore new jurisdictions rather than attempt to stretch local requirements.
Postiglione and Dennys discussed affiliation models and how they are likely to change as AI becomes a primary source of consumer information. Postiglione said affiliates will need to build systems that provide value for both operators and players as traditional revenue models come under pressure. “The business model behind affiliation will be deeply changed,” he said.
Both CEOs noted the pace of change and the need for operational agility in the sector.
