The Bespoke Strategic Counsel: An Interview with Inteliumlaw’s Elena Sadovskaya
Managing Partner Elena Sadovskaya of InteliumLaw contends that the period when iGaming companies could take advantage of legislative ‘gray areas’ is drawing to a close. According to her, stricter licensing and compliance will shape those who prosper. She claims that many governments are increasingly interested in business models formerly regarded as loopholes, including sweepstakes, social casinos, and loot-box techniques.
Elena Sadovskaya notes that a few states in the U.S. have already sent cease-and-desist directives aimed at sweepstakes models. Also in Europe, regulators are revisiting the line between gaming and gambling, with the UK Gambling Commission and Irish politicians stressing the dangers of hazy models. Operators must include legal structuring and risk management from day one as their services are no longer easily classified as “non-gambling.”
Jurisdictions and Licensing Trends Under Spotlight
Intelium Law’s Managing Partner, Elene Sadovskaya, contends that changes in licensing policies are changing the world’s iGaming scene. Although the change in Curacao’s legislative system has gotten notice, she points out that start-up countries like Nevis and Timor-Leste began the licensing discussions in 2025. Meanwhile, countries including Brazil, New Zealand, and the UAE want to establish or improve national licensing programs.
She argues that although cross-border reciprocity is uncommon, the choice of jurisdiction is crucial, but no single market can genuinely be called ‘operator-friendly.’ Rather, she argues that operators frequently discover flexibility in either mildly regulated jurisdictions or those whose licensing systems fit their business models.
Growing Markets: Growth, Opportunities and Risks
Driven by growing digital usage, larger populations, and mobile involvement, Elena highlights Asia-Pacific as the fastest-growing area for iGaming. Over the next ten years, she calculates that the area could grow to be twice as big. She also points to LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, Africa) as another region with rapid expansion due to legislative inertia in Brazil and increasing mobile adoption in African countries. The UAE, which recently created a federal gaming commission and is considering authorized casino resorts, especially attracts her, and she’s ready to negotiate a different regulatory frontier
Pitfalls in the Licensing Journey & Best Practices
Sadovskaya draws attention to a number of repeating errors drivers make when applying for permissions. One is picking an improper jurisdiction without regard to licensing charges, tax consequences, banking access, or long-term regulatory modifications. Selecting a license not well-suited to the operator’s actual business strategy or objectives is another.
Timing presents another obstacle; many companies start licensing too late, often once they are already in operation, she advises. Regulators frequently postpone approvals; therefore, operators must permit buffer periods. Early legal risk management, license and structure alignment to business objectives, and reasonable timelines are all advised by Sadovskaya to prevent blunders.
Managing operational demands with player protection
Stronger responsible gaming safeguards are needed in the changing legislative systems. Self-exclusion, deposit limitations, cooling-off periods, and automated KYC/age checks are among the tools most contemporary orders call for, according to Sadovskaya. She sees this as a path to legitimacy rather than burdening operators, embedding protection without degrading scalability. Regulators more and more expect operators to automate verification and carry out ongoing supervision, therefore guaranteeing that responsible gaming initiatives, not addictive gaming, are proactive rather than last-minute.
Crypto Integration: Benefits and Warnings
Sadovskaya underlines that including cryptocurrency payments in iGaming is not a loophole that removes operators from control. Gambling regulations still hold whether a site accepts fiat or Bitcoin. She also cautions that many legitimate crypto payment processors will not work with unlicensed operators. Operators have to integrate strong transaction monitoring, due diligence, and heightened AML and KYC processes since crypto transactions include more intrinsic risks, especially around money laundering. According to her, the secret is using crypto wallets within a well-designed legal and compliance context rather than as an exit hatch.
