Zenith: "Our mission is to build a truly borderless iGaming ecosystem for our partners"

Zenith has built a strong reputation in the iGaming industry as a reliable B2B partner, with proven success in Asia and Latin America. Now, the company is entering a new phase of global expansion, bringing its platform and solutions to new regions, from established European markets to the fast-growing opportunities in Africa.

Ahead of SBC Summit Lisbon, Yogonet sat down with Vitaliy Smoliarenko, Business Development Manager at Zenith, to discuss the company’s global-first strategy, the key opportunities in new markets, and how Zenith is leveraging its experience to support partners worldwide.

Zenith has built a strong presence in Asia and Latin America. What’s driving the decision to expand into global markets instead of focusing solely on emerging regions?

That's an excellent question, and it really gets to the heart of our long-term vision. While we have enjoyed immense success in Asia and Latin America, our strategy is built on a global-first mindset. We believe that true resilience and sustainable growth in the iGaming industry come from having a diversified footprint. Relying on any single region, even a high-growth one, can make a business vulnerable to regional fluctuations, whether they are regulatory, economic, or competitive in nature.

Our decision to expand globally is a strategic move to diversify our revenue streams across both mature and emerging markets. This approach allows us to balance the high-growth potential of regions such as LatAm with the stability and scale of more established markets. 

We're not just expanding for the sake of it; we are leveraging the deep learnings and proven models from our success in Asia and LatAm. The localisation strategies we perfected, the technology we developed for seamless integration, and the commercial relationships we built are all being adapted to new territories.

We have found that the challenges operators face are universal—they need the best content, at the best rates, with the most efficient technology. Our mission is to build a truly borderless iGaming ecosystem for our partners, connecting them to a world of content and a global network of operators, regardless of their location.

When you look at new markets for global expansion, what are some of the key opportunities you see? What makes these regions attractive to you?

The opportunities we see are directly tied to fundamental industry trends. Across the world, we are witnessing a rapid increase in high smartphone penetration, which is a powerful driver for the mobile-first gaming opportunities that define modern iGaming. This is a trend we've seen dominate in Asia and Latin America, and it's a key factor in our decision to enter new territories. Our proprietary ALIZE studio, for example, is built with a mobile-first design, ensuring our games provide quick load times and a perfect player experience on any device.

We are also seeing an accelerating pace of regulatory developments in many regions, which is opening up a significant new demand from operators. As more countries introduce clear frameworks, operators are looking for trusted partners who can provide compliant, high-quality, and scalable solutions.

Our recent BMM certification of our Pragmatic Play portfolio and other popular games in Brazil is a perfect example of our proactive approach to regulation and our ability to deliver certified content to our partners. This is a crucial proof point that we can replicate this model in other markets as they evolve. 

Finally, there is a clear opportunity to replicate our successful B2B aggregator and proprietary game models. Our success in providing unbeatable commercial terms on popular games, such as our position as the world's largest distributor of PG Soft games, is a powerful value proposition that resonates with operators everywhere. We know how to identify what players want and deliver it at an unrivalled rate.

While it might be deemed as a mature market, what regions in Europe do you see as having the most untapped potential? What will be your strategy for these markets?

While much of Europe is considered a mature market, we see a strong growth potential in many regions, especially those with developing frameworks and a high appetite for new content. Many operators in these markets face high operational costs and a need to continuously refresh their content to stay competitive. Our strategy is designed to directly address these challenges.

To achieve that, we will be offering a diverse content portfolio tailored to regional player preferences. We have the data to show that player behaviour can vary significantly even within Europe, with some markets preferring slots, while others have a stronger affinity for table games or other unique verticals. Our vast library of over 10,000 titles from 150+ providers enables us to build bespoke game portfolios for any operator in any market.

Secondly, our business model allows us to offer highly competitive rates to operators. This is a significant advantage in a market where margins are often tight. We're not just a supplier; we're a partner that helps operators achieve profitability and scale more efficiently.

The speed-to-market via our OneAPI is another key part of our strategy. In a fast-paced environment, operators need to launch and integrate new content quickly. Our single, seamless API integration allows them to get up and running with a world-class content library within days, not weeks. 

Your portfolio includes OneAPI, GamesAPI, and your proprietary ALIZE studio. How are you tailoring these core products to meet the unique market requirements in Europe, Asia and beyond?

Our three core products—OneAPI, GamesAPI, and ALIZE—are designed to be a flexible, interconnected ecosystem that can be tailored to the specific needs of any market. The versatility of our technology is what allows us to succeed across diverse regions.

OneAPI is our unified gateway to ultimate gameplay. Its strength lies in its seamless integration, which is a universal selling point regardless of the market. Operators can connect to our platform with a single API and instantly gain access to our entire content library, eliminating the need for separate contracts and technical management for each provider.

GamesAPI focuses on diverse content distribution. We use our data-driven insights to curate and distribute content that resonates with local players. For example, while PG Soft games are hugely popular in Brazil, we know that other markets have different preferences. Our GamesAPI ensures operators can easily access and deploy the popular titles that are most likely to convert and retain players in their specific jurisdiction.

Finally, our ALIZE studio allows us to create truly unique content. We use our data insights to develop games that are perfectly suited to a market's player profile. A key feature of our ALIZE titles is the customisable RTP (Return to Player) and mechanics. This allows our partners to tailor the game settings to meet diverse market needs, which is a powerful tool for maximising engagement and retention. Our in-house content ensures we can provide unique, exclusive titles that give our partners a distinct competitive advantage.

As you expand globally, how do you ensure your platform always has the content that players in each country are looking for?

This is one of our key strengths and a cornerstone of our success. The iGaming world is not a monolith; a game that is a hit in one country might not perform well in another. Our approach is deeply data-driven. We use sophisticated analytics to track regional player behaviour and preferences in real-time. This allows us to see what games are trending, what mechanics are most engaging, and what themes are resonating with a specific demographic. These insights guide our content strategy.

Beyond that, our partnerships are what truly sets us apart. We have cultivated relationships with over 150 studios to provide unparalleled depth and diversity in our content library. This means we can offer everything from blockbuster slots from global giants like Pragmatic Play to niche, regional-specific titles from local studios. Our recent content distribution deal with CP Games in LatAm is a prime example of this strategy. We believe that a mix of global bestsellers and hyper-local content is the winning formula for success. Our team of experts is dedicated to curating the perfect portfolio for each of our partners, ensuring they can always offer what their players want, when they want it.

What is Zenith's long-term vision, and how will your global expansion help shape this?

Our long-term vision is clear: we aim to be the world’s leading B2B ecosystem enabler in iGaming. Our global expansion is not just about entering new markets; it's about solidifying our role as a truly global connector of content, operators, and markets. We are building an infrastructure that can support any operator, anywhere in the world, from a startup in a new market to an established brand looking for new growth opportunities.

This expansion will strengthen our ability to provide a comprehensive, future-proof solution for the entire industry. By building a network that spans Asia, Latin America, Europe, and beyond, we are creating a more resilient and sustainable ecosystem for our partners. We are empowering them to scale faster, smarter, and with confidence.

Our goal is to be the ultimate partner that not only provides the technology and content but also the strategic support and local expertise needed to navigate diverse markets. We are confident that by continuing to focus on technology, commercial excellence, and a deep understanding of player preferences, we will help our partners—and the industry as a whole—reach its Zenith.