SOFTSWISS Presents the Trends Set to Shape iGaming in 2027

Portugal.- 6 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com SOFTSWISS brought together specialists and industry leaders in Lisbon to present and discuss the main findings of its 2027 iGaming Trends Report.

Held around SBC Summit Lisbon, the discussions focused on artificial intelligence, regulation, emerging markets, cybersecurity and new strategies for digital growth.

More Than 500 Experts

The 2027 edition is the fifth and most extensive version of the SOFTSWISS report.

The research draws on:

  • More than 500 experts.
  • More than 480,000 market signals and media headlines.
  • Tier-1 company case studies.
  • Data and analysis from specialist organisations.

The report was developed with WorldGaming and also includes contributions from Amazon Web Services and Pentasia.

Experts Gather in Lisbon

Participants included specialists from:

  • SOFTSWISS.
  • Amazon Web Services.
  • Pentasia.
  • WorldGaming.
  • Google.

The event was moderated by Emmy-winning journalist and former CNN and Bloomberg TV presenter Elliott Gotkine.

Beyond iGaming

One of the major additions to this year’s report is the “Beyond iGaming” chapter.

The study compares online gambling with digital sectors including:

  • E-commerce.
  • Sports.
  • Film.
  • Video gaming.
  • Streaming.
  • e-Pharma.
  • Crypto.

The aim is to identify common lessons around technology adoption, customer acquisition, regulation and product development.

Strong Digital Maturity

SOFTSWISS also introduced its Digital Maturity Index.

The benchmark assesses areas including AI adoption, mobile-first infrastructure, digital regulation, payment innovation, RegTech and data-driven decision-making.

According to SOFTSWISS Marketing Director Alexandra Kavelich, iGaming achieved a score of 4.67 out of 5, the highest among the sectors analysed.

AI Moves From Pilots to Production

Artificial intelligence was a major focus of the discussion.

Experts examined how companies can move beyond experimentation and deploy AI tools capable of delivering measurable business value.

Key applications include:

  • Customer support.
  • Risk management.
  • Fraud prevention.
  • Cybersecurity.
  • Compliance.
  • Operational automation.

Autonomous Agents

SOFTSWISS Director of AI Denis Romanovskiy said the next major step will be the broader use of autonomous AI agents.

The trend points towards systems capable of carrying out business processes with increasing levels of independence.

Governance and Oversight

The growing role of AI also increases the importance of governance.

Participants highlighted the need for security controls, human oversight and clear operational frameworks as AI becomes embedded in critical business processes.

Regulation as a Competitive Advantage

Compliance was another major theme.

The discussion argued that strong regulatory structures should not be viewed only as a cost of entering new markets.

Companies can also use regulatory capabilities as part of their growth and differentiation strategies.

International Expansion

SOFTSWISS highlighted the importance of combining a global technology platform with local execution.

Localisation, payment methods, regulatory change and consumer behaviour are all critical factors when expanding into new jurisdictions.

Emerging Markets

Olga Resiga, Director of Business Development and Operations at SOFTSWISS; Robin Harrison, Global Content Director B2B at WorldGaming; and Kristina Medvedeva, B2B Marketing Director at Google, discussed markets with multi-billion-dollar growth potential.

Brazil’s changing regulatory environment also formed part of the debate.

Hiring and New Skills

The report also includes Pentasia’s outlook on recruitment.

AI, data, compliance, cybersecurity and regulatory expertise are among the skills expected to become increasingly important to iGaming companies over the coming years.

Next Steps or Impact

SOFTSWISS expects 2027 to be shaped less by speculative trends and more by the practical deployment of technologies that already exist.

AI, regulation, trust, localisation and expansion into new markets are emerging as central themes for future growth.

The report is intended to help operators and suppliers distinguish structural shifts from temporary trends and guide strategic decisions through the industry’s next cycle.

Editó: @fonta

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