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Big Betty Partners: Strategic Takeaways from the YOSA SiGMA Rome Stream

During SiGMA Central Europe 2025 in Rome, the YOSA team hosted a live stream directly from the expo floor.

YOSA is a YouTube channel known for sharp, practical discussions about arbitrage, traffic, and the business behind moneymaking — a place where operators, coders, and media buyers learn from real cases.

Big Betty Partners joined the stream as market leaders, bringing a clear, strategic perspective on the trends shaping iGaming performance in 2025.

Marketing Time: Valeri on Data, Trust, and Playing Big with Brand Media

In the Marketing Time segment, Valeri, Head of Brand & Marketing at Big Betty Partners, joined Dima from Combo Cards, Alyona from Pocket Partners, and Yulia from Stars Partners to discuss what authentic leadership in marketing looks like.

Her core message: trust plus numbers beat opinions every single time.

Valeri emphasized that if you hold a role that influences marketing decisions, it's essential that both the CEO and the Founder trust your expertise. And for that trust to exist by default, you must consistently rely on data.

Your founder, your team, or even you personally may have plenty of interesting and promising ideas — and you can test them as hypotheses. But it's crucial to operate based on metrics: clear goals, expected outcomes, and previous performance data.

After all, in our case, marketers are not the target audience. The real audience is partners and players, and every "big idea" must be validated for them — not for your own ego.

She also highlighted how Big Betty's marketing team works in lockstep with a highly creative CEO, scaling bold concepts from events, merch, and activations without losing focus on performance.

Creativity can go "over the top", but only if it's tracked: campaigns, PR, brand visibility, and even parties are evaluated over quarters through reach, touchpoint, and ROI.

In other words: have fun, but keep the math tight.

You can explore more about trust and metrics in the Marketing Time section.

Timeline on the YOSA stream:

Affiliate Time: Bogdan on Booth Strategy, Budget Models & the New Rules of Partner Growth

On the Affiliate Time segment, Bogdan — Head of Affiliates at Big Betty Partners — joined representatives from Forbs, WinOffers, and Depous to break down how affiliate expectations are shifting in 2025.

1. Booth vs. "walking the floor"

Bogdan highlighted that large expos like SiGMA Rome reward those who combine visibility with mobility.

"A booth proves you're serious. Walking the floor proves you're hungry. Real growth comes from doing both," he noted.

While a branded stand increases trust and helps targeted partners find you, many high-value deals still emerge from spontaneous hallway conversations.

2. Dinners vs. parties: different tools, different outcomes

The panel agreed:

• Dinners → strengthen relationships with existing partners, allow deeper conversations.
• Parties → light networking, warm intros, recognition, and future leads. For Big Betty Partners, both formats fuel loyalty and long-term collaboration.

3. The market shift: from CPA caps to budget-driven deals

A key trend discussed was the industry's move toward budget-based models, especially for teams focused on high-quality slot traffic.

According to Bogdan, "CPA caps limit quality. Budget deals unlock it — but only when both sides commit to transparency and KPIs."

Affiliates gain freedom to test stronger approaches, while advertisers benefit from better LTV and more predictable scale. Still, participants stressed the importance of risk control, clear expectations, and step-by-step trust building.

4. What matters now? Smart matchmaking.

Everything comes down to understanding pains, resources, and timing.

"One meeting can launch cooperation — but only if you show how exactly you solve the partner's problem," Bogdan added.

You can dive deeper into this topic in the video below, where the discussion unfolds in full detail.

Timeline on the YOSA stream:

SiGMA DONE: Nika on Scale, Stand Strategy, and Conference Fatigue

In the SiGMA DONE recap, Nika from Big Betty Partners joined agency and community leaders to unpack what SiGMA Central Europe 2025 in Rome really felt like from the inside. Her first point was simple: scale changes the game. Rome impressed with multiple halls, dense traffic, and a bigger footprint than Malta, but also exposed weak spots in logistics — long transfers, expensive taxis, and little time to rest or eat between meetings.

For Big Betty Partners, the stand was a strategic hub rather than just decor. Branded activities like the Gold Bar Challenge didn't just entertain — they literally pulled in teams they'd been trying to reach for months.

"Sometimes the SEO you've chased in email for half a year walks up to your stand to play a game," Nika noted. "That's why smart on-stand activities matter."

Goals were clear and split by seniority: juniors hunted for new contacts, seniors focused on existing partners, renegotiated deals, and planned the following quarters.

Post-event, the team evaluates whether they boosted volumes with current partners and opened enough meaningful new threads.

Another key insight: side events are hitting saturation. Parties still work as a smaller networking funnel, but people increasingly come there to switch off rather than pitch.

"A conference day is a 20-hour shift," Nika said. "If you don't control your schedule and the number of expos you attend, burnout will do it for you."

You can dive deeper into these insights in the video below, where the complete breakdown of the SiGMA experience is revealed.

Timeline on the YOSA stream:

Stand Podcast: Valeri on Turning a Booth into a Masterpiece Experience

On the Stand segment, Valeri from Big Betty Partners broke down a simple truth: a booth is no longer decor — it's a strategic experience. Big Betty arrived at SiGMA with a whole creative concept, the Masterpiece Collection, built on the idea that partnerships are crafted, not improvised.

"Every collaboration is a masterpiece you build together," Valeri emphasized.

The collection included merch inspired by Van Gogh's Sunflowers, the Mona Lisa, David, and even "golden ratio" tees. The booth became a cultural micro-museum: if you didn't make it to Rome's galleries, you could still get art — at Big Betty.

The real magnet, however, was the Gold Bar Challenge with a 7-kg gold bar locked in a transparent box.

"At Big Betty, the only thing you can pull out is gold," Valeri joked.

One visitor set a 7-second record — crowds screamed, filmed, and lined up to try again — zero injuries, maximum dopamine.

Another highlight: the live slot with actors, styled like a "Game of Thrones" scene. Actors interacted with guests, turning the booth into a moving performance instead of a static stand. This wasn't a photo spot — it was brand storytelling through immersion.

Big Betty also showcased its marketing portfolio of 7 brands and a strong retention engine that powers partner value. But the underlying message stayed the same:

"A booth isn't about pretty visuals. It's a place where relationships start."

Through art, gameplay, actors, and high-energy engagement, Big Betty transformed their SiGMA presence into something partners remembered not for the merch — but for the feeling of wanting to work together.

Learn more about this approach in the video below, which explores the topic in greater depth.

Timeline on the YOSA stream:

Merch Podcast: Valeri on Why Good Merch Is Strategy, Not Swag

On the Merch Test segment, Valeri from Big Betty Partners joined Pocket Partners, SEM Partners, and ComPay to break down one of SiGMA's unspoken competitions: whose merch actually delivers value — not landfill. The format was playful: every item was unboxed blind and judged "by touch", but the conversation revealed how brands now use merch as a positioning tool.

The segment opened with premium lifestyle kits — wine sets, textile bags, wearable pieces — showcasing that the market is shifting from disposable giveaways to utility-first items partners will use daily.

"If your merch doesn't live beyond the conference, it's not merch — it's waste," Valeri noted.

Big Betty's items stood out immediately because of the Masterpiece Collection: minimalist black pieces with subtle gold-ratio detailing, a curated aesthetic rather than a loud logo drop. Their laptop sleeves, eyewear cases, convertible cosmetic bags, and velvet-texture shirts were designed to feel fashion-grade, not "promo".

As the panel joked their way through guessing games (from plush mascots to skincare kits to velvet jackets), the underlying insight became clear: merch is now a brand handshake. It signals taste, investment, understanding of partner needs, and long-term presence on the market.

"We want partners to wear Big Betty pieces because they look good — not because they feel obligated," Valeri added.

The episode closed with a set of takeaways:

• utility beats quantity
• fashion-level design reinforces trust
• thoughtful materials and packaging outlive any conference
• and mascots, if done right, still win hearts

You can learn more about the merch in the Merch Podcast section.

Timeline on the YOSA stream:

Before You Go — Here Are the Takeaways

The episode covered a lot, but a few points stand out clearly:

• Quality partnerships start with transparency, not hype.
• Market leaders win by combining strong product thinking with real-world expertise.
• Innovative teams always look beyond the stream — analysing tools, risks, and long-term strategy.
• Merch, events, and brand presence matter only when they reinforce value, not replace it.

Want More? Let's Continue the Conversation

If the stream left you wanting extra insights — we've got plenty. Reach out to us, and we'll walk you through the details we couldn't fully unpack on air: deeper analytics, behind-the-scenes decisions, and expert commentary straight from our team.

Become our partner — we're ready to share even more information.