Why Fragmented Compliance is Killing Long-Term Growth

Lee Hills, CEO

The cost of getting compliance wrong by treating it as an afterthought is climbing fast. Perhaps afterthought is a little strong, but it’s fair to say compliance is sometimes brought into strategic discussions only after the commercial decision has already been made.

Across almost all meaningful strategic decisions, compliance is a critical factor. One cannot determine the commercial viability of a new market or product without first ensuring compliance has independently and objectively reported on the risks, assessed capacities, and understood the impact on the overall compliance programme. This is before even considering the nuances of operational sensitivities and whether systems can meet potentially conflicting responsible gambling requirements.

There are countless stories of operators entering new markets only to pay later through fines, forced exits, or the sheer expense of retrofitting proper frameworks after the fact. Fragmented compliance strategies also drain operational bandwidth. Instead of scaling seamlessly, businesses become bogged down juggling multiple advisors, duplicating audits, and scrambling to meet evolving local demands.

The industry is maturing. Against today’s regulatory backdrop, reactive compliance is far more expensive in time, capital, and reputation than investing in a robust, well-structured approach from the outset. This means frameworks tailored to each jurisdiction, stress-tested to adapt as local laws evolve.

The future of iGaming will be shaped less by who can launch first and more by who can build a platform or model that is truly sustainable.

Operators can no longer afford to treat compliance as a hurdle to clear once. It must be woven into the very fabric of the business. Frameworks that satisfied local requirements three years ago no longer suffice. Meanwhile, responsible gambling measures are moving from regulatory recommendations to hard obligations, and the public and investors are paying close attention.

We are also seeing a shift from investors and shareholders, who are increasingly risk-averse and asking sharper questions. How resilient is your structure? Are you licensing in jurisdictions that will still support your banking and M&A ambitions five years from now? What would a regulator or acquirer uncover in a deep-dive compliance audit?

This is where the real difference emerges. The most successful operators are those who build compliance into their long-term commercial models, selecting jurisdictions strategically and ensuring licensing, banking, technology, and operational controls all work together seamlessly across multiple markets.

At SolutionsHub, we see daily how this forward-thinking approach pays off. Operators with robust, multi-jurisdiction frameworks are better insulated from regulatory shocks. They are also more attractive to serious investors and partners looking for stability and scale.

As the market continues to mature, sustainable growth will not come from chasing the next licence at the lowest cost. It will come from building operations that regulators trust, shareholders believe in, and customers can rely on.