Now, as CEO of Gaming Entertainment Ltd., she is challenging the stigma of "turnkey" platforms with her Fortuna solution-promising operators total control, hybrid crypto capabilities, and freedom from "clunky tools."

We sat down with her to discuss the deterioration of B2B sales etiquette, why "Turnkey" doesn't have to mean "Generic," and why regulatory volatility is the biggest threat facing operators in 2026.

The Reality of Leadership & Sales

iGaming Times: You often quote, "I didn't come this far just to come this far." You managed retail networks with over 1,100 points of sale before moving online. What is the biggest operational lesson from the "street level" that digital-only CEOs miss?

Victoria Igbauboa: The biggest lesson from the retail world is that real insight comes from the ground, not from dashboards. When you manage over a thousand physical locations, you quickly understand that success depends on people-their habits, their behavior, their feedback.

Digital-only leaders often think in terms of metrics, automations, and dashboards which are important, but incomplete. In retail, you learn that every player is a human being, not just a number in a spreadsheet. That mindset shaped how we built our iGaming platform with strong bonus and loyalty mechanics, market flexibility, and player-centric features. Even online, you’re still serving real people, and the platform must reflect that.

iGaming Times: You recently shared a candid post about the absurd DMs you receive. Do you feel the art of B2B relationship building is deteriorating?

Victoria Igbauboa: Yes, I do think it’s deteriorating. Too many interactions today feel rushed or purely transactional, as if the goal is to close a deal before even starting a real conversation. In reality, it’s not working like that; you often get ignored or blocked.

From my experience, the strongest partnerships come from relationships built slowly, through trust, shared experiences, and time. My advice to sales managers is simple: take the time to understand who you’re contacting and what their business actually is. Make the conversation relevant and show that you’ve done your homework. Focus on building something long-term rather than chasing quick wins.

iGaming Times: There is often a misconception that "Turnkey" means "Generic." How does your team balance speed with deep customization?

Victoria Igbauboa: The misconception comes from older platforms that treated turnkey as a one-size-fits-all solution. We took a very different approach. A real turnkey solution should give you control, not take it away, and that’s exactly the philosophy behind Fortuna.

Our partners have complete control over their product. With our in-house CMS, they can switch languages and currencies, adjust layouts, run segmented campaigns, and update content instantly without relying on external providers. To us, turnkey doesn’t mean “generic.” It means launching quickly with everything you need, while still having the flexibility to make the product entirely your own.

Technology & The Fortuna Platform

iGaming Times: You launched Fortuna with the promise of stopping operators from "fighting with clunky tools." What is the most annoying technical bottleneck that frustrates operators today?

Victoria Igbauboa: The biggest issue operators face today is fragmentation. They rely on one system for bonuses, another for risk, another for reporting, and several others for daily operations. This creates inefficiency, slows decision-making, and often leads to errors or missed opportunities.

Our iGaming platform solves this by bringing everything into a single back office with one login and one reliable source of data. It removes the operational chaos and gives operators complete control over their business.

iGaming Times: Gaming Entertainment highlights its Crypto Casino Solution. Do you see crypto casinos remaining a niche vertical, or is this becoming a standard requirement?

Victoria Igbauboa: We’re definitely seeing hybrid setups becoming the standard. More and more traditional operators are asking for both fiat and crypto capabilities because their players expect flexibility, especially in fast-growing and emerging markets.

It’s almost 2026, and acting as if crypto doesn’t exist simply isn’t realistic anymore. I don’t believe crypto will replace fiat entirely, but hybrid casinos will become the normal way of operating. That’s why our crypto solution isn’t treated as an optional add-on; it’s fully integrated from day one.

iGaming Times: Your platform boasts in-house KYC, Risk Management, and CMS. Why build these internally rather than integrating third parties?

Victoria Igbauboa: When I worked as an operator myself, I constantly struggled with external tools. Every system had its own interface, its own back office, its own support process, and completely different development timelines. Even simple tasks became slow and unnecessarily complicated.

One of our main goals was to give operators a single, unified environment. By building everything in-house, we put all the tools directly in the hands of the operator, reduce long-term costs, and maintain the flexibility to adapt quickly to any market or regulatory change.

Strategy & Future Vision

iGaming Times: You were nominated for "Online Platform Provider of the Year" at BEGE. What is the competitive advantage that allows a boutique company like yours to compete with the giants?

Victoria Igbauboa: Our biggest competitive advantage is our agility and the level of personal attention we give to every partner. Large legacy providers move slowly because of heavy structures and old technology.

What also sets us apart is that operators work directly with decision-makers, not through layers of departments. Many partners tell us that with bigger providers they often feel like a number in a queue, while with us they feel supported and understood. Being boutique nowadays doesn’t mean being small; it means being selective, modern, and fully committed.

iGaming Times: With your background in marketing budgets, how do you advise clients on player acquisition? Is technology or marketing spend the bigger driver of success in 2025?

Victoria Igbauboa: Both matter, but in different ways. Marketing brings players through the door, but the platform determines whether they stay. You can spend heavily on acquisition, but if the product doesn’t give you the right tools like bonuses, extended segmentation, automation, and fast payments, the return on that investment will always be limited. Operators should always balance smart marketing spend with a platform that can actually retain the players they bring in.

iGaming Times: Looking at the next 12 months, what is the biggest threat to an operator's success?

Victoria Igbauboa: For me, the biggest threat is regulatory volatility. New rules are evolving faster than ever, and operators who aren’t prepared can face serious penalties, operational disruption, or even the risk of losing their license.

A lot of challenges arise simply because operators don’t have the right tools or clear visibility when these changes happen. Our platform was designed with regulated markets in mind from the very beginning. Our role as a trusted ally is to provide the visibility and tools operators need so they can address compliance challenges before they escalate.