At SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon, we interviewed Sergey Glamazda, CEO of True Labs, about the game provider's evolution, its approach to creating casino games and the lessons he brought from betting and esports. Sergey also discussed player behavior, AI-assisted analytics, the studio's most successful titles and its plans for 2027.
For Sergey and his team, the Lisbon event was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new clients and partners. He described the experience as fruitful and positive for the whole team.
Before joining True Labs, Sergey worked at betting operator PARI and esports organization Virtus.pro. Both experiences have influenced how he approaches the casino games business, although in different ways.
Working for a betting operator gave him direct experience with the B2C side of gaming, particularly customer acquisition, CRM and the process of bringing customers onto a platform. He learned how operators communicate with players and what it takes to keep those relationships active.
At Virtus.pro, where he worked around professional Counter-Strike and Dota players, the focus was on fan engagement. This helped him understand younger audiences, including Gen Z and crypto-native players, who are familiar with gamification and expect more interactive entertainment.
Sergey believes that these audiences need something more interesting than a traditional three-reel slot with familiar symbols. The challenge for game studios is to develop experiences that connect with changing player expectations.
One of the biggest differences between esports and the B2B casino industry was the rhythm of the business. In esports, excitement is concentrated around live matches and arenas full of fans. As a game provider, True Labs has games being played around the clock, even when the team is asleep.
One of the first things that impressed Sergey when he joined True Labs was the quality of its people and the sophistication of its analytics. He explained that even some larger companies do not fully understand their customers' journeys or how to measure whether a game is performing well.
For True Labs, this means looking beyond the initial launch of a title. The team studies how players interact with games and examines retention indicators, including whether players return after one day or seven days.
Sergey sees this analytical capability as a competitive advantage for True Labs, which he describes as a medium-sized provider. By understanding player behavior in detail, the studio can make better decisions about which games to create and how to improve existing products.
The interview also explored the company's recent rebranding. Sergey explained that the change reflects a much broader transformation rather than a simple change of name or logo.
According to Sergey, the business has existed for around nine years and has operated as a game studio for approximately six years. Its activities have expanded considerably since the early days.
Today, True Labs develops classic casino games, modern instant games and crash games. It also operates its own remote gaming server (RGS) and has an AI department focused on data analytics.
The new identity is intended to communicate this wider set of capabilities to partners. Sergey also described how the company's logo is incorporated into its games, representing the idea of moving players between different worlds, settings and narratives.
The marketing team has been working to communicate what the transformation means, making the rebranding part of a wider effort to explain the studio's identity and direction.
When asked about the product roadmap, Sergey said one of his most difficult decisions was choosing the right direction for the business. Rather than expanding into every possible activity, the team decided to concentrate on becoming better at its core business.
This includes developing new games and narratives, improving existing titles and introducing ways to encourage players to return. Sergey mentioned a promotional lobby project designed to support player retention.
He also emphasized that a B2B game provider should do more than deliver games. True Labs wants to help its operator partners understand how to present and promote those games effectively.
That support can include advising on game selection, the layout of promotional lobbies, game positioning and the differences between crypto and fiat player audiences. These services are part of the company's roadmap alongside game development itself.
Sergey also expects several major, high-production-value releases and new settings in 2027, designed to interest both players and business partners.
Sergey identified the first player experience as one of the most important factors in a game's success. In his view, players should encounter something engaging early in a session rather than waiting through a long sequence of uneventful spins.
He discussed how RTP, hit frequency and game pacing influence that experience. His point was not simply about the size of potential wins, but about how the opening moments of a game feel to the person playing it.
Another major factor is the quality and originality of the creative work. Sergey believes players can notice the difference between a generic slot and a carefully produced game with distinctive animation and design.
“We don't want to do mediocre games.”
He stressed the importance of experienced artists and animators putting real effort into their work. His goal is for players to feel that a game was created thoughtfully by people for other people.
We also shared that CasinoLove's presenters, who play hundreds of games, appreciate titles where the creativity and development effort are easy to recognize.
When we asked Sergey to name his favorite games, he distinguished between his personal preferences and the titles that have performed especially well for the company.
His personal choice was Undead Farm, which he said was exclusive to Stake at the time of the interview. Sergey praised its animation and relaxed playing experience. He described it as the kind of game where someone can play 200 spins without becoming bored or feeling rushed.
From a business perspective, Sergey highlighted Dr. Rock & The Riff Reactor, particularly the first edition. He described it as a signature title that helped establish the True Labs name and attracted attention from other companies in the industry.
The game became an important part of the studio's identity and helped introduce its work to a wider B2B audience.
AI was another major topic of the conversation. Sergey sees its greatest value in advanced analytics and predicting player behavior, rather than automatically generating games that imitate existing successful titles.
For example, AI can help the team identify adjustments that could improve future games and better match player preferences. This supports the company's data-driven approach to development.
However, he is skeptical of relying on a single prompt to recreate popular games. He referred to comments from the leadership of Take-Two Interactive, the company behind Rockstar Games, to illustrate why human creativity and the people responsible for a game's development matter.
For Sergey, AI should help developers make better-informed decisions, while the game's creative identity, animation and original ideas should remain the work of people.
Looking beyond SBC Summit, Sergey shared several titles and themes that players can expect from True Labs.
School of Magic was planned for release in December 2026. Sergey recommended it to people who enjoy magical fantasy settings, including fans of Harry Potter and medieval themes.
Another upcoming title mentioned was El Santos, featuring an unconventional take on Santa Claus rather than the familiar traditional portrayal.
For 2027, Sergey teased a new Counter-Strike-themed slot. Given his background in professional esports, this is a particularly interesting direction for the studio and an example of the less conventional themes it wants to explore.
Sergey said the company has ambitious plans for the remainder of 2026 and for 2027, but intends to move forward step by step while staying close to its partners, players and team.
For someone who has never tried a True Labs game, Sergey's recommendation was Royal Rage.
He praised the game's graphics and mechanics, and described it as approachable for players who do not want to commit a large budget from the beginning. He also spoke positively about the developer behind the title, who had invested considerable personal effort into creating it.
Royal Rage was his personal starting recommendation, while Undead Farm and Dr. Rock & The Riff Reactor represented two other sides of the studio's portfolio.
To close the interview, we asked Sergey to summarize what being True Labs means to him. His answer focused not on a product or technology, but on the values he wants to see in the business.
“For us, it's just about being true to yourself, to your partners, to your team, being a genuine person.”
He named honesty and transparency as the qualities he values most. These principles, together with the company's focus on player analytics, human creativity and operator relationships, help explain the direction Sergey wants True Labs to take.