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What Is iGaming?

What Is iGaming? Definition, Industry Map, Legal Basics, and How It All Connects
what is igaming 2 - What Is iGaming?

Last Updated on September 3, 2025 by Caesar Fikson

iGaming = real-money betting and gaming delivered online. Sportsbooks, casino (RNG + live dealer), poker, bingo, lottery, fantasy, esports where allowed—and the back-office stack that keeps it compliant, secure, and profitable.

At NOWG, I treat it like a machine: operators, suppliers, affiliates, payments, identity, geolocation, trading, risk, data, and regulation moving in sync. Miss one gear and the machine grinds.

Understanding iGaming

Core products

  • Sports betting (pre-match and in-play)
  • Casino RNG (slots, tables)
  • Live-dealer casino (studio streamed)
  • Poker networks (shared liquidity)
  • Bingo and lottery (draw + instant win)
  • Esports wagering (where permitted)
  • Social casino (virtual currency; typically outside gambling regulation)

The platform pieces

  • Player Account Management and wallet
  • KYC/AML checks, sanctions screening, document verification
  • Geolocation and device intelligence
  • Risk and trading, odds feeds, managed trading services
  • Game servers and aggregators
  • Payments orchestration (deposits, payouts, refunds)
  • Bonus and loyalty engines, anti-abuse controls
  • Responsible-gaming tooling (limits, timeouts, self-exclusion)
  • Data warehouse/BI, cohort analytics, marketing attribution
  • Independent testing/certification for platform and RNG fairness

How the money flows

  • Stakes placed → outcomes resolved → wins paid
  • GGR = stakes − wins
  • NGR = GGR − bonuses − fees − taxes
  • Profit depends on product mix, promo governance, PSP costs, fraud leakage, and live trading decisions

iGaming Industry Connection

Where the industry actually connects

  • Global expos and regional shows: operators meet suppliers, regulators, affiliates; roadmap alignment and deal-making
  • Trade bodies and working groups: safer-gambling guidance, AML best practices, ad standards
  • Peer networks: private forums for product, risk, CRM; fast answers to real implementation issues

How to use these connections

  • Arrive with specifics: target jurisdictions, tax model, payments routing, certification timeline, migration plan
  • Ask for artifacts: architecture diagrams, sample data exports, incident playbooks, SLAs—not just slides
  • Book short working sessions with vendors; decide next steps the same day

iGaming Business Information

The value chain

  • Operators (B2C): run the brand, hold the license, own acquisition/retention, earn GGR
  • Suppliers (B2B): platforms, sportsbooks, studios, aggregators, payments, KYC, fraud, RG tech; fee or rev-share
  • Affiliates/media: performance acquisition under strict local advertising rules

Operator KPIs to watch

  • First-time depositors, cost per FTD
  • ARPU, LTV by cohort/source
  • Effective reward rate, bonus ROI
  • Hold and trading margin (sportsbook)
  • Payment acceptance, chargeback rate, payout TAT
  • RG compliance (limits, self-exclusion adherence)
  • Data freshness, attribution accuracy, BI adoption

Build choices and trade-offs

DecisionOption AOption BTrade-off to manage
Stack approachTurnkeyModularSpeed vs granular control
TradingManaged serviceIn-houseVolatility buffer vs custom risk bias
ContentAggregatorDirect studioBreadth/speed vs margin per title
WalletSingle walletSplit walletsUX simplicity vs regulatory separation
HostingSingle regionMulti-regionCost/latency vs residency/failover

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Caesar Fikson
Author:

Caesar Fikson

I am an iGaming Data Analyst specializing in examining and interpreting data related to online gaming platforms and gambling activities as well as market trends. I analyze player behavior, game performance, and revenue trends to optimize gaming experiences and business strategies.

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