The world is awash with possibilities. That is the viewpoint of Fazi, with the studio eyeing up expansion across a range of jurisdictions as it bids to make the step-up to the next level of iGaming.
To achieve such ambitions, the company is set to lean heavily onto a number of predicted themes that could define the industry through 2026, with a sweeping strategy tasked with leading Fazi to the upper echelons.
In conversation with iGaming Expert, iGaming Director, Ivica Jovanovski, reflects on how recent highlights have helped to pave the way for future successes, what 2026 is set to have in store, where the group views as boasting the most potential and how it plans to appeal to players in the optimal way.
iGaming Expert: What would you highlight as the major accomplishments that have shaped 2025 for Fazi?
Ivica Jovanovski: 2025 was a year of strengthening Fazi’s long-term position – commercially, technologically, and organisationally. Even though I joined in the final quarter, the culture and commitment inside the company made me feel part of the full journey.
We’re expanding our global footprint across multiple regulated markets. We have increased our distribution network and strengthened our performance in key regions – including Latin America, Africa, and several European markets. Africa, in particular, remains one of our strongest-performing territories.
With regards to compliance and certification, which we view as strategic growth drivers, we have invested heavily in structured certification planning and improved our readiness for more than 20 regulated markets, while preparing for several new ones.
In addition, we have also undertaken a series of product evolutions and infrastructure improvements. This has been achieved through the enhancement of the foundations of our technology to support faster delivery cycles and higher market scalability – areas where Fazi already stands out in the industry.
We’ve also been laying the groundwork for people development. We’ve improved internal processes, introduced clearer performance management expectations, and prepared the base for academies and development programs. This sets the stage for long-term organisational growth.
Furthermore, we have a much stronger content strategy and operator collaboration. We’ve expanded our work on bespoke, branded, and locally-tailored games, while also exploring deeper cooperation with local and global streamers – a major driver of visibility, player acquisition, and content credibility.
iGX: Of the new markets entered, which have demonstrated the most promise?
IJ: Latin America continues to show exceptional promise, especially Brazil and Peru, where player engagement and familiarity with our content style are very high.
Africa remains one of our strongest regions, delivering consistent performance and long-term potential.
Several regulated European markets where we strengthened our presence also demonstrate stable prospects and strong partnerships.
iGX: What do you believe will be the primary themes shaping iGaming through 2026?
IJ: Product-driven innovation is sure to become the core advantage. Studios that innovate on mechanics, UX, volatility, and engagement features will outperform those relying primarily on promotional spend. This shift – from business-driven to product-driven – is crucial and will define the next generation of winners.
Gamification as a foundational layer is also a critical component. Progress missions, jackpots, tournaments, and reward systems will continue to play a central role in retention and player lifetime value.
Our streamer ecosystem integration is also critical. Collaboration with local and international streamers will increasingly drive brand visibility, influence game popularity, and accelerate adoption of new titles.
Our fast, multi-market delivery will also become a competitive edge. Operators expect quicker certifications, faster integrations, and stable distribution. This is an area where Fazi is already extremely strong and will continue building advantage.
Responsible gaming and clearer regulation is also a key talking point, and we are going to install new frameworks that will push suppliers to improve transparency, session management, and responsible gaming tooling.
In addition, our aggregation and tech alliances will continue to grow. Fazi is well positioned here – we already have our own aggregation platform, studios on our RGS, and are actively exploring deeper steps into this segment.
iGX: What are Fazi’s major ambitions for 2026 and how will you achieve them?
IJ: Our ambition for 2026 is to fully transition from a strong tier-2 supplier into what I call the Champions League level of the industry.
We plan to achieve this through several strategic directions. Strong regulatory expansion will be achieved via South Africa and Austria where player preferences in these markets fit exceptionally well with our game style. Our goal is to position Fazi among the top five suppliers once these markets open for certification.
We are also aiming to become a truly product-driven company. Historically, the industry has often compensated for missing features with heavy promotional spend (a business-driven model).
At Fazi, we are shifting the equation through the introduction of more powerful product features, more engaging mechanics and better player experience, combined with the exceptional operator relationships Fazi is known for. This balance will significantly improve performance and efficiency for both us and our partners.
Our enhanced content strategy and bespoke development will see the expansion of tailored content for operators, where we will introduce new mechanics, upgrade top-performing series, and develop personalised concepts based on region-specific behaviour.
Scaled gamification and engagement layers will see the introduction of missions, jackpots, tournaments, and real-time engagement features will become integral to our product ecosystem.
Elsewhere, a strengthening aggregation strategy, where we see a natural path to broaden our ecosystem, will be achieved via our RGS, distribution strength, and strong operator relationships.
We will also expand partnerships with local and global streamers to increase visibility, support launches, and build organic demand, while also preserving our culture while scaling.
The “Niš family” identity is a core value. As we grow globally, maintaining this authenticity and transforming it into a structured, scalable organisation is a key priority.
iGX: Which new markets do you foresee opening up in the next 12 months with strong prospects?
IJ: We see a number of key markets where we need to maximise opportunities. South Africa is historically one of our strongest regions, with clear regulatory progress expected.
Austria boasts high potential due to strong alignment with Fazi’s content preferences, while Georgia and Slovakia are dynamic markets with growing demand for our game profile.
We also closely monitor Finland that is transitioning to a licensing model, with New Zealand also progressing towards clearer regulatory frameworks.
As seen globally, any jurisdiction offering structured, transparent, and predictable certification rules becomes a high-value opportunity for suppliers and operators alike.
