What is an iGaming aggregator, anyway? This is a deceptively simple question with a surprisingly rich and complex answer.
The short answer might be something along the lines of “software that connects operators to slot game providers at scale”. But oh, how much more there is.
In partnership with Alea, iGB has released Aggregators: The State of Play, a new report that takes a look at the place of aggregators in the iGaming ecosystem and the trends and capabilities that will shape the future of the sector.
With data and insights from operators, game providers and aggregators themselves, the report aims to make aggregators’ views sexy, bold and challenging on a subject many in the industry might generously describe as boring.
Ramon Glieneke, COO at Alea – an aggregator handling over €100 million in monthly GGR – said it decided to co-produce the report with iGB because the role of aggregators has never been more critical.
“We wanted to move the conversation away from technical utility and focus on strategic value. We saw this report as the perfect opportunity to showcase how Alea and aggregators have evolved beyond simple connectivity to become vital drivers of growth. Modern aggregation is about leveraging data, ensuring speed to market and opening doors to complex regions like Europe, Latin America and Africa.”
Get the full report
Jordi Sendra, Alea’s CEO, reflected on just how much aggregation has changed in the past two years alone – and hence the need for a report into the current state of play.
“I think this report will be most useful for operators at a decision point: either entering a newly regulated market and realising certification and compliance are more complex than expected, or already working with an aggregator but not getting the performance they need. We’ve been through both situations with our partners, and the report reflects what we’ve learned.”
Aggregator report: Key takeaways
The report opens with an introduction to the shifting role of aggregators in the iGaming industry. Arguably overlooked by many as simple software solutions, the report traces how aggregators have outgrown their origins – and offers guidance on how to make the most out of them.
After looking at the typical revenue models aggregators employ, the report highlights a growing shift in thinking where operators are leaning on aggregators as business partners, not just technology vendors.
One such example is the emergent trend of aggregators employing a Platform-as-a-Service (PAAS) model.
“Operators can now use aggregators’ infrastructure, including API, compliance and certification, while negotiating direct contracts with certain game studios,” report author James Swann-Phillips writes, explaining how this new approach enables operators to hash out economic terms with studios while still relying on aggregators to facilitate technical and regulatory operations.
The report moves on to cover the key players in the aggregator space. The size, scale and services of the top 10 aggregator suppliers are charted, including the number of games, geographic reach and other metrics each provides – alongside an overview of how new games are integrated into an aggregator.
Regional slot trends
Data forms the centrepiece of the next chapter, mixed with insights from operator and supplier experts to form an analysis of the prevailing preferences of slot game players in Europe, LatAm and Africa, as well as globally applicable trends.
Standards are certainly high for tier one operators, and for an aggregator to succeed in different markets, they need an understanding of shifts in game preferences and regional trends, the report explains.
“A game working in Europe is not the same in Mexico or Brazil. You have top providers like Pragmatic that work very well in all markets, but you need to know that for Mexico you need Zitro, Ortiz and Playtech,” Sendra said.
From the game provider’s point of view, aggregators can be helpful with their local knowledge. “Some aggregators have better distribution in some markets… They can shelter us through their operations and licence so they can become important for that side of things,” said Mark Segal, CEO of game studio Gaming Realms.
Case studies on Romania for a European perspective and Brazil for a LatAm perspective form two examples of the regional differences experienced in the slots sector, offering data on the top performing games, studios, and categories in their respective markets.
Additional focused takeaways are offered on Brazil following its first full year as a regulated market – homing in on the importance of doing localisation right.
“You cannot just ask ChatGPT to create something about the Amazon because it’s a big forest and there’s a Peruvian Amazon and a Brazilian Amazon,” explained Fellipe Fraga, chief business officer at EstrelaBet.
“One of the games that is working very well in Brazil is Caramelo Sortudo. It’s a slot game featuring a very common type of stray dog that we see on the streets of Brazil. It’s working because it’s very Brazilian.”
Alea’s Glieneke sees the Brazil launch as a great example of aggregators and operators working harmoniously.
“Step-by-step, we’ve been working together with our clients to make it possible for them to switch from unregulated to regulated [despite] some funny regulation. It’s also a good example for us to show how we are not just a technological company who provide content and scalability. We are a partner to our clients because we went through the process together hand-in-hand, helping them business-wise.”
Get the full report
An ideal aggregator
With change afoot in the aggregator space, what makes a top aggregator in 2026? The report shares operator, game provider and aggregator perspectives on what ideal looks like from each side.
LeoVegas Group’s director of gaming operations, Sam Leggott, puts personalisation top of the agenda due to the network-wide performance data aggregators can provide to show which games resonate with different audience groups.
“We take in information from aggregators in terms of what’s performing really well on their network because they have wider experience and data than us,” Leggott said. “That back and forth may involve them telling us ‘You didn’t position this game very well, but it’s actually performing really well with your benchmark competitors in that market’. So it’s a real mix of our experience as a business and the information we can get from aggregators – the things we might have missed because we don’t know everything.”
For game studios, functionality is a key deciding factor. Gaming Realms’ Segal said technical and commercial support features are particularly important as the squeeze of regulation hits everyone hard.
From an aggregators’ own perspective, Alea’s co-founder and CPO Charlotte Lecomte believes security – often overlooked by operators and providers alike, she says – is key, alongside helping with business logic. “Every game provider has their own way of doing things, their own mechanics, and some of them are very difficult to plug into the way the casino works. Aggregators can make that simple.”
The future of iGaming aggregators
The best aggregators, however, are the ones who can adapt to a changing environment. Many questions cloud the future of the aggregators space. Is aggregation even going to be the main thing aggregators do going forward, the report asks? Or will personalisation, regulatory advice, security and other current value-adds evolve to form the key value proposition?
Security will start moving front of mind as operators form a better understanding of the costly risk posed by security breaches, Alea predicts. Industry experts also forecast growing responsibility falling on aggregators to enable responsible gaming controls as they become more powerful and multifunctional within the industry.
The role AI will play in personalising game suggestions inside aggregators is discussed at length in the report, alongside the valuable role aggregators are coming to have in terms of regulatory advice.
Ultimately, proactivity is of utmost importance to ensure aggregators stay relevant, Alea’s Sendra concluded. “You can’t wait until the operator tells you I need this or that. You need to be proactive.”
Register below to download the full iGB x Alea Aggregators: The State of Play report for free.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/gaming/online-casino/who-why-how-aggregators-work-igaming-report-alea/
