If you spend enough time in the igaming space, you start hearing the same claims about innovation repeated in every meeting. What caught my attention during my conversation with Yoel Zuckerberg was how little he tried to dress anything up. He said what most people only say privately: ninety percent of innovation efforts fail. Soft2Bet is working inside the 10 percent that actually hits and MEGA is the clearest example of that. The numbers were stronger than they expected and gave the company every reason to double down.
Soft2Bet has been talking about innovation for years, but with MEGA, all of that talk turned into measurable results. Retention climbed more than 60 percent. Lifetime value and gaming revenue grew. Engagement rose month after month. It is the kind of outcome suppliers often claim to chase, but very few have been able to deliver at this scale.
Yoel credits the results to three elements that give Soft2Bet an edge: speed, creativity, and a flexible tech stack that lets product ideas move from concept to live feature faster than most competitors can prepare a pitch. He believes a large portion of the market is still working on outdated technology with slow release cycles. Many companies are profitable enough that reinvesting in innovation becomes optional. That creates room for the teams willing to build aggressively and iterate quickly.
MEGA itself began as an internal question three years ago. What kind of experiences are modern players actually looking for beyond the standard casino layout that has barely changed in decades? The answer became a gamification framework that layers missions, levels, tournaments, challenges, and personalized journeys across casino and sports content. According to Yoel, players want more than transactions. They want progression, surprise, rewards, and a sense of being part of something larger than a static lobby.
The internal goal was a 20 percent lift in key metrics. The result was more than 60 percent. That kind of jump is rare in a regulated environment and the company is clear that long-term success depends on doing this responsibly. MEGA isn’t designed to overwhelm players. It’s meant to create a more engaging, entertaining, and rewarding experience that aligns with what consumers expect in modern entertainment.
Beyond Mega, Soft2Bet’s expansion into regulated and regulating markets continues.
ToonieBet marked its first year in Ontario with steady growth. Month after month, player engagement increased and the platform proved it could perform well in a market known for strict standards. For Yoel, the lesson was simple: A strong local presence is essential. Global scale is only an advantage when paired with people who understand the specifics of each regional market.
When asked where gamification goes next, he pointed to social features, multiplayer missions, integrated journeys across casino and sports, and real-time personalization supported by AI. He believes operators will struggle long term without adapting to these expectations. Identical lobbies, tools, and experiences are no longer enough to compete.
He believes the industry is moving too slowly in some areas. He sees a reluctance to invest in platform and technology upgrades, especially among legacy providers. Many platforms are held back by older architecture that can’t support fast iteration. Soft2Bet releases software multiple times a day. He has seen companies where releases happen once a month. That gap shapes everything from innovation capability to player experience.
Looking ahead to 2026, Yoel expects mobile app dominance, increasingly strict regulation across North America and Europe, and a sharper focus on responsible gaming powered by data. Localized strategies, personalization, and entertainment-focused features will play a larger role in operator growth strategies.
Before we wrapped, he reflected on what it means to work in an environment that encourages experimentation. Most product leaders aren’t given the freedom to attempt bold ideas and accept that most will fail. Soft2Bet is structured to make that possible. Yoel sees that as a privilege and believes the company’s results show what can happen when innovation is treated as part of the business, not an optional slogan.
If MEGA is any indication, Soft2Bet isn’t slowing down. The 10 percent window is where the breakthroughs happen and Yoel seems determined to keep the company operating inside it.
