Alex Gitsik, CMO of Soft2Bet, chats to SBC news amid the launch of Swiper, the company’s social and mobile first online casino and sportsbook, to the Romanian market. 

Why have you chosen Romania to launch this new style of online casino?

Recent data suggest that 94% of the Romanian population has internet access, with the vast majority connecting via their mobile phones. There are also approximately 13 million social media accounts, which account for roughly 68% of the population. When you consider this, there are few better places than Romania to launch a mobile-first product like Swiper. 

People spend a lot of time with short-form videos where they swipe, tap, and share. Swiper is built around those daily habits. A seamless player journey guided every decision, so we placed a strong emphasis on mobile-first design, clean UX, localisation, and a smooth flow through the product.

Swiper is a casino and sportsbook that works like a social feed. Players open it and scroll a vertical feed. Short clips show games, live tables and jackpots. It is fast, simple and enjoyable on mobile. MEGA is built into the experience, turning browsing into progress through missions and challenges. It updates in the flow, so rewards and next steps appear right in the feed.

The experience is tailored for Romania, with language support, locally timed campaigns around national holidays and big matches, and a straightforward path from sign-up to cash-out.

Soft2Bet already has a well-established brand in Romania, Don.Ro. What will the key differences between the two brands be?

The themes and narratives of the two brands differ, so the audiences they attract will too. Don.ro carries an edgy, mobster-themed story that speaks primarily to an older, more established male audience. 

Swiper.ro, on the other hand, is built for mobile natives who have grown up with smartphones and expect quick discovery and an app-like experience from start to finish. 

Could you tell us the thinking behind the move to incorporate social media-style usability into Swiper?

The expectations of the ‘mobile native’ audience are entirely different from those of an older cohort across any digital experience. For too long, our industry has failed to acknowledge that other digital verticals, such as social, e-commerce, and casual gaming, have been setting expectations for mobile for over a decade.

As a consequence, the standard for any mobile experience is now clear, and we believe it was not being met consistently in both iGaming and sports betting. Much of our gamification innovation shows that mechanics and engines from other ‘mobile native’ industries resonate within the casino experience, so we took that one step further by changing how a player interacts with the casino lobby itself.

After months of analysis, we concluded that the most engaging approach for this audience recognises shorter attention spans and rapid content consumption. With that insight, we adopted a reel format that allows players to quickly scan a multitude of games and engage with a simple swipe, as they already do in many other apps on their phones.

Short-form video is central to the user experience of Swiper. How is it used and what benefits will it have for users?

Players open a vertical feed of quick clips that preview slots, live tables, jackpots and sports picks. A single swipe moves to the next option, so discovery takes seconds and feels natural on mobile.

Swiper offers more than 3,000 games, including 50 roulette tables and 120 blackjack tables, plus table games and a full live casino. The sportsbook adds over 85,000 live and 70,000 pre-match events with competitive odds, so players always have something new to explore. 

Promotions are closely tied to Romanian events and holidays, and the design reflects Romanian player preferences and is grounded in local culture. 

For players, the format cuts search time, reduces choice overload, and makes it easier to find a game they will enjoy. 

How does the new style of user interface work in conjunction with Soft2Bet’s MEGA technology?

Discovery starts in the vertical feed of quick clips for slots, live tables and sports. MEGA works in the background, reading each swipe and tap to shape what appears next. As people scroll, the feed lifts the most relevant options and shows mission progress on the cards, so there is no need to wade through multi-step menus or break the flow. A tap opens the game, a swipe moves on, and MEGA keeps the loop going with timely rewards and clear next steps.

For operators, it all runs through one integration, with personalisation, time-boxed campaigns, and targeted rewards. 

As the battle for screentime becomes ever more intense, are you surprised that no one else has yet attempted to combine a casino app with the familiar swipe-based format that has proved popular in so many other mobile products?

Not really. The swipe gesture on its own does not create engagement. People return to apps that feel effortless to use, surface the right content fast, and make the next step obvious. Swiper brings those elements together by pairing a familiar feed with real depth and a progression system powered by MEGA, which turns attention into lasting value.

Our advantage is motivational design backed by MEGA. Operators can run missions, challenges, and rewards that align with the feed and provide high value players with clear goals. The impact is evident where it matters most for a business, with more time on site, higher conversion rates, and increased lifetime value, all delivered through a single API integration that provides the necessary controls for safe, locally compliant operation.

Competition in Romania is fierce with both major multinational operators and well-established local brands vying for market share. What are your goals for Swiper?

We want to set the standard for mobile gaming in Romania. Swiper and MEGA are built for the same player, mobile first and socially engaged and we pair that with deep localisation. Staying close to real players and understanding what Romanian customers like and need is the edge local brands have over global entrants. Our B2C track record shows it, with Don.ro named Best Launch of the Year at the 12th Meeting of Gambling Professionals (by Casino Inside magazine). We are bringing that same local mindset to Swiper.

In the short term, we are focusing on frictionless onboarding, reducing the time to first action, increasing session length and conversion rates, and maintaining healthy reactivation. Over time, we will broaden the content slate, deepen personalisation in the feed, and form partnerships that make Swiper a daily scroll for Romanian players.