Pontus Lindwall and I connect over video-call. Months ago we may well have met in person on one of his high-energy visits to Malta (these took place quarterly pre-COVID-19, almost without fail) but on this occasion online is as good as it gets for our chat.

He is in the stylish Betsson boardroom in Sweden while I am working from home in Malta, and our exchange is a clear example of the new reality for business that needs to get done. “Video calls have grown on me,” he smiles, wrapped up in a scarf that further highlights we are in very different parts of the world.

“I have to admit I was surprised by how quickly and efficiently we made the move into working from home. If you’d told me months ago that we were going to have to shift to a completely online operation from one day to the next, I would have wondered how well that would work, simply because it wasn’t on the cards.

“But it was seamless for us and I am very proud of what our teams have been able to achieve. There’s definitely still a critical place for in-person meetings – especially for innovation and discussion – but many things can get done out of the office and even make us more productive.

“I see a hybrid model working well into the future.” But before we take a deep dive into more of Pontus’ predictions for what’s to come, I am curious to know about his incredible journey at the helm of a true iGaming stalwart. “I fell into the sector by coincidence,” he tells me.

“My father was one of the founders of the Swedish gambling pioneers Cherry, but I was adamant I wouldn’t be following in his footsteps. That said, when the internet boom began in the 1990s and I veered into a tech career following my education in science and engineering, I could see the potential for online gaming and things developed organically from there.”

Among his early milestones, Pontus started Net Entertainment with two other investors, and that was later acquired by Cherry.

Still, in the 1990s, his team went on to meet a start-up company by the name of Betsson and they acquired that, choosing to keep the name and rebrand the online side of their business to match. It was a series of transactions that led to the set-up most of us know today – but it wasn’t always the obvious path.

“Back then most people were very sceptical about the idea of online gaming and it was hard to gain traction in the space because there was so much concern about potential security issues. But when it did start to develop it never stopped, and I have been hands-on every step of the way ever since.”

Still, that doesn’t mean Pontus is enamoured by every aspect of the industry. “It’s a love-hate relationship,” he says with a wry smile.

“I adore technology and love what the sector has done for consumers; it’s given them so much freedom to play. But on the flip side, it’s frustrating to see how differently this industry is treated to any other and sometimes regulations change at the drop of a hat. It can be challenging but there’s also inspiration to be found in struggles of that sort. It certainly keeps us moving forward.”

And move forward it has. Today Betsson employs upwards of 1,800 people in different parts of the world, making it one of the largest companies in the sector. I am curious about the leadership style that Pontus finds more effective for such a substantial operation.

“For me it’s about being very actively involved in the business,” he says. “I am pretty hands-on, and it helps that I have been in the sector so long because I know it so well.”

“As a result, I lead by example. I am involved in many of the decisions that get taken and I actually have opinions about our products and where we should take them. I’m not that guy who tells people what to do; I also get the work done myself.

“I’m very present. Of course, I don’t have meetings with the whole team daily but I am in regular contact with them and often communicate to the entire organisation at a time on video” to “the entire organisation on video. I put a very high value on our team and view every single employee in the same way.

Betsson is a big machine with many pieces, and every one of them is critical to our success.” That success will no doubt continue to be built on Betsson’s ability to keep adapting to the future – a factor that Pontus believes comes down to the implementation of technology and a dedication to excellent customer experiences.

“The tech sector is moving ahead now just as quickly as it did 10 or 20 years ago,” he says. “When we were getting started in the 1990s, we were already looking into the possibility of gaming from a mobile device. Even though the functionality didn’t exist back then we knew it was coming and, today, it’s the source of the majority of our revenue.

“Similarly, the opportunities today are endless, and they will continue to be endless as the product and infrastructure develop. We haven’t reached the pinnacle of gaming technology yet; far from it. I believe we will continue to see big changes in the way we interact with games, and things will get simpler and simpler for the users to enjoy with more intuitive technology.

“Facial recognition will also play a part, and I suspect there will come a time when you won’t even need a keyboard or screen, perhaps because you’ll just talk to the device in question. It’s exciting.”

And it’s this bubble of excitement and enthusiasm that is no doubt going to help Pontus keep leading Betsson into the period to come – and it’s a future that is likely to look more and more international. The company already has a base in various jurisdictions but it has now set its sights firmly on the United States and other areas.

“Yes, the more we spread our wings, the more demands are going to be placed on us from a regulatory perspective but, as a large company, we have the machine in place to make things work,” he says.

“It won’t be easy and I admit we can’t take on too many markets in one go, but there’s no denying our global ambitions.

“Similarly, the opportunities today are endless, and they will continue to be endless as the product and infrastructure develop. We haven’t reached the pinnacle of gaming technology yet; far from it. I believe we will continue to see big changes in the way we interact with games, and things will get simpler and simpler for the users to enjoy with more intuitive technology.

“Facial recognition will also play a part, and I suspect there will come a time when you won’t even need a keyboard or screen, perhaps because you’ll just talk to the device in question. It’s exciting.”

And it’s this bubble of excitement and enthusiasm that is no doubt going to help Pontus keep leading Betsson into the period As for things closer to home, Pontus maintains that Malta will remain a very important location for the group as it continues to grow.

“We like Malta a lot and have a strong organisation on the island; it’s our operational hub. Yes, we will have local operations in the markets we move into, but our main operation will still be controlled and run in Malta.”

Talking briefly about the future in general, it’s clear things look bright for the CEO and his team. 2020 has been a learning experience with some record results, and the company is fired up. “It hasn’t been an easy period but we have risen to the occasion and shown that Betsson is strong.

We took every opportunity that we could from this crisis and will continue to do so by implementing our planned expansions and investments. We’re in a good position and we will keep moving ahead towards a bright future,” he concludes.

This interview was first carried in the November edition of iGaming Capital