From boutique to breakthrough: Inside Religa's game plan

Edgar Portelli, CEO of Religa, is revolutionising live casino gaming with a bold, boutique approach that prioritises innovation and integrity. In this cover story, he opens up about Religa's origins, regulatory evolution, and the tech-driven roadmap that's positioning the company as a trailblazer in the RegTech space.

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Religa didn't start with a roadmap. It began with a question: What if live casino gaming could be personal, premium, and built around trust? In an industry driven by volume and replication, the team behind Religa saw space for something smaller, smarter, and more meaningful.

Rather than trying to outscale the competition, they set out to outthink it. What emerged was a boutique vision anchored in customisation, compliance, and cutting-edge tech. From day one, the ambition wasn't just to build a platform, but to build one with soul, something that gave operators control, players excitement, and regulators peace of mind.

Of course, challenging convention came with resistance. The early days were filled with difficult conversations, technical pivots, and the occasional leap of faith. But with each obstacle, the vision sharpened, and so did the product.

Today, that vision continues to evolve. As Religa grows across Europe, adds new studios, and expands its team, it's doing so without losing its edge. This isn't scale for scale's sake; it's thoughtful growth rooted in values. And in an industry that often moves fast and forgets why, Religa is quietly proving that purpose still plays.

Let's rewind to the beginning—what was the spark that led to the creation of Religa, and what challenges did you face in those early days?

The spark that led to the creation of Religa—short for Real Live Games—was our passion for innovation and a vision to revolutionise the live casino industry. We recognised the opportunity to merge the thrill of land-based casinos with the convenience and reach of online gaming, and we were determined to make it happen. At the time, we saw a clear gap in the market for providers offering a boutique live casino experience. That's the gap we set out to fill—and still do today.

In the early days, the challenges were considerable. The live casino space was already competitive, so standing out meant introducing a fresh, innovative product and a boutique service model that prioritised quality and customisation. Navigating the complex world of regulatory compliance was another major hurdle. Entering regulated online gaming markets required significant investment in risk management and legal adherence. Still, our team's creativity and dedication made all the difference. We embraced every setback as a learning opportunity, refining our services as we went. Today, the company is a trusted B2B partner known for delivering high-quality and reliable live casino products.

Religa is branded as an all-in-one solution—can you walk us through what that means in practice and how it addresses pain points that existing platforms haven't solved?

At its core, the all-in-one solution brings together everything a live casino operator needs in one comprehensive and flexible platform. We offer a diverse range of live dealer games, from blackjack and roulette to baccarat, dragon tiger, and even custom game shows—all delivered seamlessly through a single interface. Our unified system eliminates the hassle of juggling third-party solutions, making integration straightforward and efficient.

Operators benefit from advanced studio management tools that allow them to configure private tables, run entirely dedicated studios, and manage games, staff, and schedules with ease. Behind the scenes, detailed reporting and analytics offer actionable insights into player behaviour, game performance, and revenue trends.

Unlike many platforms that limit customisation, ours allows operators to tailor their casino offering to reflect their brand identity and player preferences. The system is designed to scale as our partners grow, ensuring that increased traffic and player demand never compromise performance. This combination of adaptability, scalability and deep integration allows us to solve long-standing frustrations that many operators have with inflexible or outdated systems.

From a tech standpoint, what sets Religa apart in terms of innovation, scalability, or integration capabilities?

Our technical edge lies in the balance between flexibility and consistency. As a boutique live casino supplier, we've developed a highly adaptable platform that supports operator-specific branding and unique player experiences without compromising overall quality.

Our customisable features allow clients to fine-tune elements of the platform to suit their requirements, whether that's the interface design, game mechanics, or back-end reporting. For clients with more specific needs, we're able to develop custom modules that integrate smoothly into the core system, ensuring the final product remains cohesive and stable.

This thoughtful approach allows us to meet the demands of a wide variety of partners—whether they're launching with a single private table or operating an entire studio—while maintaining a unified experience across the board.

As the platform evolves, how do you balance customisation for different clients with maintaining a unified and consistent product experience?

As the business has matured, our approach to customisation has evolved too. While we remain committed to our boutique roots, we've refined how we deliver bespoke experiences without losing the cohesion of our core platform. The key lies in our quality assurance process. Every modification—whether a front-end feature or back-end tool—undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it aligns with our standards for security, performance, and reliability.

We also work closely with clients to understand their goals and brand identity from the outset, which helps us guide the customisation process effectively. This allows us to offer flexibility where it counts, without fragmenting the platform's integrity. Ultimately, our ability to deliver tailor-made solutions while preserving a unified user experience has been central to both our client satisfaction and market growth.

You're expanding the team significantly by Q4—what kind of talent are you looking for, and how does this scale-up tie into Religa's next chapter?

At our company, we've always believed that growth should be grounded in leadership by example and a culture of respect. You can't expect innovation without passion, and we want people who genuinely love what they do. That's the mindset we're carrying into our next phase of expansion.

This year, we're preparing to launch new studios in Malta and two other European locations. To support this growth, we'll be onboarding around 600 new team members in roles ranging from gaming floor operations and surveillance to quality assurance and technical development.

We're not just hiring for numbers—we're building a team that will carry our vision forward. We're investing in training, mentorship, and long-term career development, creating a workplace that's inclusive, dynamic, and collaborative. Our growth strategy is underpinned by innovation, partnership, and strict compliance, always with a focus on engaging, interactive player experiences.

Religa began with a strong foundation, but how has the vision shifted—if at all—as you've grown and adapted to new market demands?

Our vision remains rooted in delivering a world-class live casino experience, but how we approach that vision has evolved. As the market has shifted, so have player expectations and operator demands. This has driven us to expand our product scope, enhance our technology stack, and rethink our delivery models—all while staying true to our boutique ethos.

Innovation, adaptability, and client-centric thinking are now more critical than ever. While the fundamentals haven't changed, the way we execute our mission continues to evolve in response to market forces. Whether through new studios, smarter features, or tighter regulatory alignment, we're constantly refining how we deliver value—and we'll continue to do so as the industry advances.

Looking ahead, what role do you see Religa playing in shaping the future of RegTech or compliance-driven industries more broadly?

We are increasingly engaged in shaping the future of RegTech by embedding regulatory thinking into the foundation of our product. There's a growing need for more agile, collaborative relationships between operators and regulators—and we want to lead by example in that space.

We plan to work closely with regulatory authorities and industry associations to share best practices, contribute to evolving guidelines, and ensure our solutions not only meet but also anticipate compliance needs. By maintaining active dialogue with regulatory bodies, we can help shape frameworks that encourage both innovation and player protection.

This proactive engagement also helps position us as a trusted partner, not just for clients, but for the wider industry. In doing so, we aim to strengthen the RegTech ecosystem, foster standardisation, and support sustainable growth across compliance-driven sectors.

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