Gaming industry increasingly turns to interoperability to avoid tech fragmentation
- Gambling IQ
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
>> System integration without interoperability is slowing growth - building a mountain of technical debt - and increasing risk for online and land-based gaming operators, says industry expert Dominc Le Garsmeur, CPO, Fincore
London - July 4th 2025 - Online gaming operators face mounting operational and compliance challenges due to fragmented technology systems, according to Dominic Le Garsmeur, Chief Product Officer at UK-based software firm Fincore. While integrations remain crucial for extending platform capabilities, Le Garsmeur argues that the absence of strategic interoperability is creating long-term liabilities for operators in an increasingly complex digital environment. “Integration moves data, but interoperability gives it meaning,” Le Garsmeur told GambingIQ. “Without a shared operational logic, systems stay siloed, resulting in duplicated effort, disconnected workflows, mounting technical debt.”
The iGaming sector - and in some cases land-based operations - particularly in sports betting and casino gaming, are grappling with increasingly diverse technology stacks, assembled through years of internal development, legacy infrastructure, acquisitions, and third-party solutions. According to Le Garsmeur, this mosaic of platforms frequently lacks alignment on data structures and business logic — undermining speed of delivery and inhibiting innovation.
While integration typically refers to linking systems to exchange data, interoperability goes further, enabling consistent workflows, data standardisation and real-time responsiveness across platforms. It’s this deeper coherence that allows operators to scale efficiently and innovate without re-engineering the core infrastructure. The complexity is compounded in regulated markets, where jurisdictional variation and compliance demands intensify the consequences of system fragmentation.
“Each integration in gaming is bespoke due to localised requirements and rigid legacy systems. There’s no off-the-shelf blueprint,” said Le Garsmeur. The operational consequences of failed interoperability are extensive: slower market entries, compliance gaps, customer experience issues — and ultimately, lost competitiveness. Le Garsmeur pointed to incidents such as players receiving incorrect promotional messaging or failed deposits as direct symptoms of disconnected backend architecture.
To mitigate these risks, operators must standardise data flows and design systems with extensibility in mind. This means building around a strategic data layer that enables modular integration and aligns business logic across systems. “The goal is a unified view of the customer and platform — not just connected endpoints,” he said.
Strategic partnerships are becoming key to resolving these issues. Firms like Fincore offer architectural frameworks and compliance-aware interoperability layers that reduce integration timelines and enhance long-term agility. A recent project with a US-based operator, for instance, involved deploying a universal digital wallet across multiple land-based venues, bridging siloed loyalty, payment and resort management systems.
“The right partner does more than supply tools — they help define what interoperability looks like, then build it,” Le Garsmeur added. As operators prepare for future market expansions and rising customer expectations, the shift from integration to interoperability is emerging as a critical priority. Without it, platforms risk becoming liabilities instead of launchpads.
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