The Execution Gap: Why Great iGaming Teams Still Underperform and Why Acceler8 Lab Exists

Acceler8 Lab is GR8 Tech’s execution-first education space inside Champions Club (booth 1C50) at ICE Barcelona 2026.

The Execution Gap: Why Great iGaming Teams Still Underperform and Why Acceler8 Lab Exists

Most operators underperform because they can’t deploy the technology they have quickly, coherently, and repeatably. The tools are everywhere: modern platforms, automation, segmentation, AI, bonus engines, omnichannel CRM, but access isn’t the differentiator anymore. The operators who are ahead are the ones who translate capability into consistent performance under pressure, iterate without friction, and turn “we could” into “we did.”

The Three Traps That Keep Good Operators Stuck

• Feature-chasing. Too many teams optimize by accumulation: add a feature, bolt on a mechanic, copy a competitor, expand the roadmap. It feels like progress because it creates activity. But champions win differently: they build decision systems that dictate what to launch, what to test, what to stop, and what to scale. Without that structure, product becomes reactive, complexity grows, and performance gets harder to predict and repeat.
• Surface-level personalization. Personalization often becomes focused on volume: more segments, more triggers, more messages, more offers—busy dashboards that look sophisticated. What’s missing is progression logic. Players become loyal when the experience moves with purpose: recognition hits at the right moment, the next step feels earned, and the journey has pacing that builds trust.
• Slow iteration. Even strong operators get stuck when execution drags: frontend changes trapped behind dev cycles, CRM experiments queued behind process, risk adjustments taking too long to ship. The best insights go stale while teams wait for handoffs, approvals, and sprint windows. 

Acceler8 Lab: Built to Close the Execution Gap

Acceler8 Lab is GR8 Tech’s execution-first education space inside Champions Club (booth 1C50) at ICE Barcelona 2026. Across three days with four short, high-impact sessions daily, the Lab focuses on the moments where execution most often falls apart: sportsbook performance and control, revenue strategy, CRM and journey design, player psychology, AI in betting, tech selection and launch, esports strategy, and crypto payments.

Sessions are delivered by GR8 Tech experts in collaboration with Gaming Operations Academy, combining platform expertise with operator-grade training methods. The format is short and precise, focusing on actionability and providing operators with frameworks they can apply directly to their teams, without turning “good ideas” into six-month internal projects.

The speaker lineup blends GR8 Tech leadership with experienced industry trainers:

• Sergey Ghazaryan (CRO, GR8 Tech), who works with operators across growth stages on commercial strategy and scaling, will discuss the mindset shifts behind high-growth revenue performance.
• Vladyslav Andrusenko (Head of Sportsbook Product, GR8 Tech), responsible for defining and delivering next-gen sportsbook capabilities for operators, will cover the 2026 sportsbook “must-haves” that create market separation.
• Kateryna Shevchenko (Head of CRM Product, GR8 Tech), knowledgeable in retention mechanics, recognition, and scalable CRM performance, will discuss designing player journeys that foster loyalty from the first bet to VIP status.
• Scott Rowan (Founder, Bet Data Consultants), sportsbook strategist with 15+ years’ experience blending data-driven optimisation with behavioural science and cognitive bias, will present on sportsbook decision-making, reward timing, and engagement performance.
• Itsik Akiva (Founder, Headway Consulting), an iGaming expert with 20+ years’ experience across regulated and emerging markets and deep expertise in social and sweepstakes, will discuss selecting, implementing, and launching new gaming technologies.
• Rohini Sardana (Founder & CEO of WiseWager Consultancy), a 20-year veteran in sports, esports, media, and tech innovation, will lead the esports session.
• Verónica Guerrero (Marketing Manager, ElenPAY), a marketing leader specializing in crypto, blockchain, and Web3, will deliver the updated crypto session, grounded in real operator payment needs and market adoption trends.

If your team has the capability but results aren’t compounding, the gap is execution. Acceler8 Lab is the training ground: short sessions that turn strategy into repeatable, on-the-floor performance you can apply immediately.

Registration is now open and you can already check the full schedule. Capacity is limited to keep sessions focused and interactive. If you’re a C-level leader, VP Product, Head of Sportsbook/Trading, CRM Director, or senior product owner accountable for performance, Acceler8 Lab is built for you.