Sportingtech CEO Tom Ustunel on Supplier Evolution Beyond Technology Platforms
TL;DR — Sportingtech CEO Tom Ustunel tells iGaming Future that operators now demand market expertise, regulatory adaptation support and commercial insight beyond baseline technology. He stresses local knowledge for Latin American markets like Brazil, Mexico and Peru, and calls for strategic partnerships that extend past go-live. The interview frames this as people-powered growth replacing transactional supply.
SCCG Take — Local expertise and post-go-live alignment allow operators to address jurisdiction-specific dynamics rather than replicate models. Suppliers that listen and challenge on long-term objectives reduce risks of generic deployments.
Sportingtech CEO Tom Ustunel has outlined how operators require more than robust technology from suppliers amid tighter regulation, rising customer expectations and competitive intensity. In an interview with iGaming Future, Ustunel detailed the shift toward partnerships that deliver market expertise, regulatory adaptability and commercial insight.
Ustunel entered iGaming nearly two decades ago as senior product manager at Rank Interactive. He spent almost seven years at News UK in senior betting, bingo and gaming roles, served as chief of gaming at GAN and assumed the CEO position at Sportingtech in 2024. That progression informs his view that suppliers must address operators’ broader business challenges.
Operator Expectations and People-Powered Growth
Operators still expect great technology as the baseline. What has changed is the demand for support entering markets effectively, adapting quickly to regulatory change, differentiating from competitors and creating better player experiences while maintaining commercial performance. Ustunel said: “Increasingly, the conversations we’re having are about wider business challenges: entering markets effectively, adapting quickly to regulatory change, differentiating from competitors and creating better experiences for players while maintaining strong commercial performance.”
Innovation holds value only when tied to tangible operator outcomes such as speed to market, customer response, player retention, margin protection or brand differentiation. Suppliers must listen because no operator is the same. Each brings distinct ambitions, infrastructures, customers and challenges. Ustunel noted that real value appears in responsiveness after onboarding, understanding of commercial objectives and proactive opportunity identification.
From Transactional Supply to Strategic Partnership
The traditional supplier-client model is outdated. Ustunel said: “Yes, I think the traditional supplier-client model is outdated.” Previously transactional, success was measured solely by whether the technology performed as promised. Operators now seek alignment on long-term objectives at the outset, with suppliers bringing insight, experience and willingness to challenge when necessary.
The relationship must continue after go-live. In Latin America, assumptions that one market model replicates elsewhere fail. Brazil, Mexico, Peru and other jurisdictions present distinct regulatory environments, player behaviours, payment preferences and commercial dynamics. Local expertise allows suppliers to work alongside operators rather than at a distance. Sustainable growth stems from understanding a market before scaling within it.
Ustunel concluded that the next competitive advantage in B2B iGaming will arise from great technology backed by people genuinely invested in an operator’s long-term growth.
Reporting: iGaming Future
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Suppliers who listen, adapt locally, and stay post-launch win — generic platforms and transactional relationships lose in 2025.
We've watched this shift accelerate across 545 partnerships in every regulated market. Operators don't fail because of bad code — they fail because suppliers don't understand Brazil's regulatory nuances, Mexico's payment rails, or how to pivot three months post-launch. Ustunel's right: local knowledge and long-term alignment separate winners from vendors.
- Operators demand market-specific expertise and regulatory adaptation support beyond baseline platform delivery
- Latin American markets — Brazil, Mexico, Peru — require deep local knowledge, not replicated models
- Strategic partnerships that extend past go-live reduce risk of generic, one-size-fits-all deployments
SCCG angle: When SCCG connects operators to platform providers, we map regulatory readiness, local payment integration, and post-launch support capacity across our network — because we've seen launches stall in São Paulo and Mexico City when suppliers treat compliance as a checklist. We help clients choose partners who listen and adapt, not just deliver code.
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