Emiliano Sanchez, Chief commercial officer at Mancala Gaming sits at the center of one of the most competitive segments in the global iGaming supply chain – content distribution and commercial expansion. With a mandate spanning market entry, operator partnerships and revenue growth. 

Sanchez brings a sharp perspective on how gaming suppliers scale in diverse and fast evolving market. In this interview with John Bamidele, Editor FindMoreAfrica, Sanchez shares insights on realities of expansion across emerging markets including Africa. 

Mancala Gaming has expanded aggressively across emerging markets. What key trends are currently shaping player behavior in global iGaming, particularly in Africa and LatAM?

Two big forces are shaping behavior in both Africa and LatAM: mobile-first consumption and speed. Players want instant entertainment, short sessions, and quick results. In Africa, we also see the rise of micro-betting behavior, in which short, fast cycles drive volume and engagement, even when connectivity is not ideal.

Across both regions, it is increasingly clear that gamification is important. Players respond better when the experience feels structured and rewarding over time, not only “spin and hope.” Progression, missions, tournaments, and smart reward systems are becoming central to how content performs.

As competition intensifies, providers are under pressure to produce more psychologically aggressive products simply to maintain operator relevance. How do you manage this situation at Mancala Gaming?

We keep it simple: entertainment first, and structured gamification, not psychological pressure.

The market may push toward “aggressive” products, but long-term performance is built differently. Operators don’t win by burning players faster. They win when they create repeatable entertainment that brings players back consistently. Our approach is to give operators tools that improve retention and ARPA without simply increasing bonus pressure, and to help them build predictable performance through planned gamification rather than gimmicks.

As CCO, how do you balance aggressive growth with increasing pressure around responsible gaming and player protection?

Growth without sustainability is not growth, it’s churn. We focus on long-term partnerships and work best with operators who share a long-term view of the market. As a provider, we can influence structure through product design and gamification logic, but the operator is ultimately the one closest to player-level controls and protection frameworks.

On our side, we stay aligned with regulatory direction and are currently working through multiple certifications, so you’ll hear more news on that soon.

AI is rapidly transforming casino gaming. How is Mancala Gaming integrating artificial intelligence into personalization and fraud prevention strategies?

We use AI primarily for internal optimization: workflows, analysis, simulations, and faster iteration cycles. We are not positioning ourselves as the personalization engine for players. That’s typically the operator’s role through recommendation engines, segmentation models, churn detection, and automated bonus triggers.

Regarding fraud prevention, we have anti-fraud measures and review big wins, including jackpot wins, but the real battlefield here is shared between the operator and the PSPs. Fraud is not a single-vendor problem.

Findings have revealed that some operators are prioritizing aggressive expansion into Africa because regulatory oversight remains weaker than in Europe. This is undeniable.

I understand the statement, but I’d reframe what responsible players in the industry should focus on. Gambling is entertainment for adults, and entering a market with the idea of “weaker oversight” is not a long-term strategy. Providers can help up to a point, but we do not have the same level of user information operators do, and ultimately, operators are the controllers and decision-makers at the player level.

If you want durability in Africa, you enter with execution, ethics, and discipline. Shortcuts don’t scale.

Global gaming companies are extracting enormous volumes of user data from emerging markets. Who truly owns the data: the player, the operator, or the platform provider?

It depends on legal frameworks and contracts, but the direction is clear: the player has rights, and the industry is moving toward higher accountability. In practical terms, operators usually act as primary controllers, platforms and vendors operate as processors, and everyone is expected to justify collection, limit processing, and prove security.

From our side, we focus on the integrity and secure processing of game-related data, not “owning” the player.

Many operators struggle with localization in emerging markets. What mistakes do global gaming providers still make when entering Africa and LatAM?

Two common mistakes are repeated constantly:

Ignoring connectivity and device fragmentation. If your game delivery is heavy, slow, or unstable, you’re losing players before the gameplay even matters.

Entering without a gamification strategy. In these markets, operators need more than content. They need structured tools to activate players, create progression, and build repeat behavior.

Localization is not translation; it’s performance under real conditions.

If you were to advise a new operator entering Africa today, what is the biggest underestimated risk and the biggest untapped opportunity?

The biggest underestimated risk is execution and planning. Many operators underestimate the realities of payments, fraud pressure, operational complexity, and the need for disciplined marketing execution.

The biggest untapped opportunity is gamification with segmentation: progression systems, loyalty structures, tournament logic, and reward paths that are targeted, measurable, and sustainable. If you do that right, you can grow without relying only on bonus pressure.

The iGaming industry is facing a cyber security crisis, particularly as AI-driven fraud and digital attacks become more sophisticated. How can operators in emerging markets prevent this?

Start with the fundamentals and treat them as non-negotiable: secure infrastructure, monitoring, access-control discipline, and incident readiness. At Mancala, we focus heavily on server security and secure data processing, using strong standards such as ISO-aligned security frameworks, along with continuous controls and audits.

But prevention is not only technology. It’s a process and constant contact with partners. Operators that win here are those who treat security as a daily operation, not a yearly checklist.

Many providers claim to support responsible gaming, yet their commercial models depend on prolonged player engagement. Is there an inherent contradiction?

It can be a contradiction if the model depends on unhealthy behavior. But it doesn’t have to be. There’s a difference between designing for entertainment and repeatable value versus designing for pressure.

Our belief is that the industry will mature toward responsible, sustainable entertainment, with gamification built around progression and enjoyable experiences rather than exploitative loops. The brands that last will be the ones that build trust while still delivering great products.