iGaming is often criticised for being slower to innovate than other digital industries. The SOFTSWISS 2027 iGaming Trends Report points to a very different picture.

In Episode 95, Surya speaks with Alexandra Kavelich, Deputy CMO at SOFTSWISS, about the fifth edition of the company's annual trends report and why SOFTSWISS started producing the research in the first place.

Alexandra says the original problem was simple: iGaming did not have enough structured data for companies trying to build business and marketing strategies. Five editions later, the report brings together surveys, industry experts, media analysis and perspectives from both inside and outside iGaming.

One of the biggest surprises is the report's new Digital Maturity Index. According to the report, iGaming scored 4.67 out of 5 and ranked first among the digital industries compared in the research. For Surya, this challenged something he had said repeatedly before: that iGaming was years behind sectors such as Silicon Valley technology.

They also discuss prediction markets. Alexandra says the subject was one of the loudest trends when SOFTSWISS started preparing the report, but the noise has already reduced. Demand remains strong, yet questions around regulation, liquidity and the right long-term model are still unresolved.

The conversation closes with another sign of maturity. Alexandra says the report expects annual industry growth to slow significantly over time. Rather than seeing that only as a negative, she views it as evidence that iGaming itself is becoming a more established industry.