Dzangar Jesenov: "Successful international expansion always begins with thorough preparation"

Casino Guru News spoke with Endorphina's Head of Compliance, Dzangar Jesenov, about the challenges and opportunities of global expansion for iGaming content providers, with a particular focus on the company's recent entry into Alberta. Jesenov touched on how content suppliers are not only in competition with each other, but also the wider entertainment industry as they vie for player attention.

Q: Endorphina has recently expanded into Alberta, Canada, entering one of the newest regulated markets in the world — and specifically in North America. How important is this for you as a supplier?

Yes, that’s correct. We recently entered the regulated Alberta market, and this represents another important step in our strategy of expanding into newly regulated jurisdictions. We aim to build direct, partnership-based relationships with local regulators. Drawing on our many years of international experience, we are also ready to share practical recommendations that can contribute to the development of effective local regulatory frameworks.

North America is particularly important to us. Entertainment is deeply rooted in the region’s culture, which is reflected in the global prominence of leagues such as the NHL and NBA, as well as many other forms of mass entertainment. We therefore see strong long-term potential in Alberta and across the wider North American market.

Q: North America is still relatively slow when it comes to online casino expansion. Do you reckon this trend will continue over the coming years, or do you expect more jurisdictions to pick up the pace and eventually regulate the sector?

North America reflects a broader trend in the regulated online gambling industry: jurisdictions are carefully assessing the experience of more established markets and using those lessons to avoid regulatory mistakes. This approach may appear conservative, but its purpose is to create a balanced, sustainable and effective framework for the sector.

In my view, regulation will continue to expand across North America, although the pace will vary between jurisdictions. Over time, I expect more markets to introduce regulated online casino models that protect players, ensure proper tax collection and allow licensed jurisdictions to remain competitive with both international and less-regulated markets.

Q: Entering regulated markets comes with inherent challenges, especially when suppliers have to navigate such vastly different geographical regions. How does Endorphina adapt to this, and was there anything particularly challenging about getting compliance-ready for your Alberta launch?

Successful international expansion always begins with thorough preparation. To achieve this, you need experienced people who genuinely care about their work and approach every requirement with attention to detail. We are proud to have one of the strongest compliance teams in the gaming industry. Their expertise, dedication and close cooperation with our technical and product teams allow Endorphina to adapt efficiently to different regulatory frameworks and operate confidently across regulated markets.

Alberta naturally presented its own specific requirements, but thanks to our established compliance processes and the commitment of everyone involved, we were able to address them effectively and prepare our portfolio for the market.

Since regulated markets tend to attract global competition, how has Endorphina been adapting to this, and what's the core focus in these initial stages when differentiation matters most?

Our perspective on competition is slightly different. We do not compete only with other game providers, we also compete with the wider entertainment industry for players’ attention. In that sense, platforms such as Netflix, YouTube, Facebook and other global digital networks are also our competitors.

That is why our primary focus when entering a new market is to offer high-quality, visually distinctive and genuinely engaging products. Strong design, entertaining gameplay and a smooth user experience are our key tools for capturing attention and building a sustainable position in a highly competitive regulated environment.

Q: With Alberta following a model similar to Ontario's, is Endorphina adapting its content or approach differently for Alberta than it did for Ontario, or is this largely a repeatable playbook?

During the early stages of entering a newly regulated jurisdiction, we naturally take a more measured approach. In close cooperation with the regulator, we have decided not to make any radical changes to our game portfolio at this stage.

While our experience in Ontario provides us with a strong and repeatable foundation, we continue to treat Alberta as a distinct market with its own regulatory and commercial characteristics. We expect our offering to evolve more significantly over time as we gain deeper market insight. For now, our priority is a stable, compliant and sustainable market entry.

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