Dmitry Arabuli: “Playing by the book builds strong and long-lasting relationships with both customers and regulators.”

In this interview, Dmitry Arabuli, CEO and UBO of Tonybet, discusses the company’s growth, its position in the competitive iGaming market, and the strategies driving its success. He highlights Tonybet’s focus on innovation, player experience, and responsible gaming, while also reflecting on the broader challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Arabuli shares insights into future plans, emphasizing how Tonybet aims to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by regulators and rival businesses.

Q: Tonybet has just come back from iGB L!VE several weeks ago. How happy are you with your showing at the event, and what were the main takeaways the Tonybet brand took home?

Ecstatic. We’re stepping up and getting more involved outside of our usual scope. The event gave us the opportunity to talk about player protection, highlight how players matter in everything we do, and the push for better responsible gaming initiatives. Other speakers also shared a lot of good insights about player engagement and retention, notably through designing new features that are truly engaging. And prior to the panel discussion, we had the chance to have a chat with some of them behind the scenes. Overall, we went all out on that day, showing how far we’ve come.

Q: Can you tell us a bit where the Tonybet brand stands today, and what the brand’s key philosophy is?

It’s been almost 15 years since we entered this business. Our success is founded on being transparent and reliable. Playing by the book builds strong and long-lasting relationships with both customers and regulators. As a licensed operator, we’ve become a brand players can count on. Keeping them safe and upholding legal compliance, on top of giving premium entertainment, are what we do consistently. We take pride in following regulations across all our licenses no matter how stringent they can be. Our dedication to developing the best platform, providing easily accessible, consistent, and efficient customer support, and entering the market the right way is all to ensure a safe playing experience for all of our clients. That is what we stand for.

Q: Can you share your thoughts on the competitive landscape within the iGaming industry? How does Tonybet plan to differentiate itself from other operators?

It is progressing fast and getting extremely competitive. Regulations are more complex now, where every market has its own standards and requirements to abide by. Companies have to adapt to these constant changes to keep their footing in the industry. In the same vein, there is no longer one simple method to stay ahead of competition. For an operator to succeed long-term, they must invest in all different aspects of the business, always on the lookout for innovative approaches and optimizing existing ones.

As for us, we have developed various ways to stand out. The main one is how thorough we are in breaking into markets. We have several licenses across the world, including those that are tightly regulated like the Netherlands and Ontario. This kind of approach of going all out without compromises earned us a respected name in the industry. Players trust us to do things properly, to offer them a worry-free space to enjoy gambling.

Another notable way is how we incorporate gamification in our strategy. Tonybet’s slogan, "We’re here to play," reflects our goal of making our platform feel just as exciting as the real thing, and gamification plays a big role in achieving this feat. Daily Missions, one of our unique offerings, is a prime example of this. Even our VIP program is gamified. We also invest in AI to tailor gaming lobbies, personalize promotions, and even enhance live dealer gameplay for players. AI is used similarly as an additional layer to protect our players and their data, while also supporting our responsible gaming tools to deal with threats early on.

Q: One thing that has served as a guiding principle for the Tonybet brand is guiding players rather than standing in their way. How does this philosophy translate into real-world examples?

Players often have a clear idea of what they are looking for. So rather than making assumptions and forcing them in a certain direction, we act as a guide through their experiences. User segmentation addresses this very well. It helps them get what they want effectively.

In the same spirit, we don’t overstimulate nor rush players. You have to let them experience the product at their own pace. This is crucial to keep in mind, especially if it’s their first time trying it out. For example, when a player places his first bet, it’s better to notify him of a nifty feature that can accept new or changing odds. Overall, we simply inform them of the available tools to make their experience more enjoyable. These little ways of creating a comfortable and safe environment for our players foster a long-lasting, trusting relationship.

Q: Another interesting part of the Tonybet strategy has to do with user segmentation – can you walk us through why this process is important and how it contributes to the customer journey and user satisfaction?

Sure. User segmentation contributes a lot in many ways and is absolutely essential to our platform. It is founded on the idea that every player is unique. Some players turn to slots to relax. Others are hardcore sports fans who want to support their favorite teams or athletes. Their lifestyle and habits are important factors. Through these considerations, we turn to this feature to tell players apart and group them accordingly. It helps us personalize the benefits for them. For passionate users, we reward them with our VIP programs. For casuals, we reward them with our Daily Missions. Everyone on our platform gets their benefits through equity. It is also our way to be inclusive, notably in how we further gamify our platform. New or an old hand, any player can fit right in.

Q: Your company has mentioned that it sees itself as a market driver that focuses on core issues such as the role of white-label operators, as well as responsible gambling. How have these commitments impacted your business strategy?

For the better we hope. We’re aware of the difficulties following this path and the landscape where rules and regulations keep evolving. We’re much more thoughtful in our approaches, looking two steps ahead and considering the smallest details in our launch projects. For us, localization is more than just about adopting the proper language to the market: we also study the culture, monitor new regulations, and adopt safe gaming practices in a way people understand and follow. In making our product better and safer, we look to a creative, sustainable strategy. At Tonybet, player protection and the quality of our platform go hand in hand.

Q: What are the real-world challenges that Tonybet has to address when seeking to uphold and enforce RG best practices?

Responsible gambling is about creating and fostering a safe, reliable, and enjoyable playing environment for the players. Gambling and especially playing in a casino is unfortunately still seen as a social taboo, even though it is a perfectly acceptable, and fun way to spend past-time when it’s done responsibly. In order to change this view and perspective, we as an industry have to convince the new potential players that playing in an online casino is first and foremost a safe experience. Offering the players instant withdrawals, transparent and easy to understand bonus requirements, and professional and timely support are some of the ways to achieve this. Additionally, guiding and encouraging players to take a break, to set limits, and regularly checking in with the more avid users shows the players that their protection and safety are taken seriously.

Unfortunately, in every regulated market, there is also a substantial ‘grey’ sub-market. Online casinos and sportsbooks that operate in the market illegally and without a certain set of rules and code of conduct exacerbate the perspective of online gambling as a dangerous affair, creating more risks and challenges for the industry as a whole.

When the reaction of regulators is often to impose general limits without considering other factors, licensed companies get the short end of the stick, while the black market continues to grow. It often escalates the players’ frustrations and leads them to looking for illegal alternatives. These unfair practices must be reformed. That’s why we’re focused on being a good example that motivates other companies to follow suit. Players should be treated like a community, not like a commodity.

Q: As the online gambling landscape continues to evolve, what emerging trends do you foresee having the most significant impact on Tonybet's business model in the next few years, and how is the company preparing to adapt to these changes?

There’s a stronger shift towards localized regulations as opposed to broad, blanket standards, and this is something we are expecting to see more of in the future. This will inspire us to be even more resilient— help us future-proof our business. There are plenty of learning opportunities that can benefit our existing operations and vice versa. We will continue working towards our bigger goal of changing the narrative about gambling in a more positive light. It’s part of our long-term strategy to maintain the level of comfort and safety for our players.

Meanwhile, AI will continue to transform the industry, with both upsides and challenges. AI will be used to improve personalized experience, responsible gaming policies, and analytics that benefit stakeholders. On the other hand, there’s also a growing trend of using the same technology to commit fraud. Fortunately for us, we have the means to stay on top of these threats. Our security is well-equipped with high-tech solutions, and we have access to the latest tools and global intelligence. As always, we will keep evaluating our systems to spot potential gaps.

The industry is volatile in nature, but the key to adapting is to acknowledge the changes and think long-term.

Q: What are Tonybet’s key focus areas for the rest of 2025, especially in terms of product development and market expansion?

There are several products and product extensions we are exploring as an addition to our platform. These include expanding our e-sports offering, partial and full cashouts of live bets in-game, tailoring the user player journeys on our site and within the app using gamification tools, and many more.

As for market expansion, we are currently working on the license request for Portugal as well as keeping an eye out on the developments in Finland, New Zealand, and Alberta. We’re excited to see that more and more countries are looking to develop a localized licensing framework. I believe that this trend will greatly benefit both the players and the operators and help to mould a positive image of gambling as a safe and entertaining past-time.

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