Dee Maher's Vision for La Royale iGaming Investments in 2024: Embracing Blockchain, AI, and Cryptocurrencies

Dee Maher stepped into the role of CEO at La Royale Investments in November 2023, leading a dynamic holding company that encompasses a diverse ecosystem of innovative ventures in both online and offline gaming. Under her leadership, strategic mergers and acquisitions continuously propel the company to new heights, distinguishing it within the financial landscape of the gambling industry.

With her wealth of experience, Maher has assumed the pivotal task of expanding La Royale's gaming investment portfolio, leveraging the parent company's interests in fintech, real estate, digital marketing, and entertainment sectors. Having spent 15 years navigating legal intricacies and ensuring regulatory compliance for prominent iGaming entities like Genesis Global, Betclic, Vera&John, and Evolution Gaming, Maher brings a wealth of expertise to her new role.

Joan Beaufort, the visionary entrepreneur and founder of La Royale Investments, lauds Maher as the ideal leader for the company's journey ahead. As a successful female trailblazer in the industry, Maher recently sat down with iGamingFuture'seditor-in-chief, Andre, for an insightful interview. In this candid discussion, Maher shed light on the transformative changes anticipated with her tenure and outlined strategic investments aimed at propelling the holding towards unprecedented success and evolution.

How does La Royale Gaming Investments differentiate itself as the preferred partner for bookmakers and casinos seeking investment? What criteria are essential for making sound investments, and why is La Royale the partner of choice?

La Royale Gaming Investments distinguishes itself as the partner of choice by boasting a highly experienced team deeply entrenched in the industry. With a collective wealth of knowledge and extensive industry tenure, we offer unparalleled expertise to enhance the efficiency and success of gaming projects or betting companies.

When considering investments, we adopt two distinct approaches tailored to the needs of our partners. The first approach involves acting as a silent partner, providing additional funding without interference in strategy or product development. However, in instances where companies encounter obstacles or require guidance, we pivot to our second approach.

Under this strategy, we not only inject capital but also assume a management role, taking full responsibility for addressing challenges and steering the project towards success. This comprehensive approach encompasses legal compliance, marketing, and product development, ensuring a holistic solution to our partner's needs.

What are the primary criteria utilized by La Royale Gaming Investments when selecting companies for investment? Which criteria hold the highest priority?

La Royale Gaming Investments employs a holistic evaluation process when considering potential investments. We thoroughly assess each company, examining its organizational structure, track record, business strategy, and future plans to ascertain their long-term viability.

Our primary focus lies on identifying companies that align with our suite of gaming products and can be fully regulated or possess the potential for regulatory compliance. Additionally, we prioritize diversification, both in terms of product offerings and geographic jurisdiction.

While it's challenging to pinpoint a single criterion, we consider a myriad of factors to ensure a comprehensive assessment. We remain vigilant of emerging markets, particularly those undergoing regulatory changes, where companies may lack the expertise to navigate evolving legal landscapes.

Currently, we closely monitor the regulatory landscape in South America, anticipating opportunities arising from market openings. However, we maintain a vigilant stance across all regulated markets, continuously seeking opportunities for investment in both B2B and B2C sectors.

How does La Royale Gaming Investments nurture a culture of innovation within the companies it invests in, particularly amidst the rapidly evolving landscape of sports betting and casino gaming?

To foster innovation, we prioritize ensuring that the technology utilized by our invested companies is not only up-to-date but also fully scalable. We assess the flexibility of innovations to ensure they remain relevant and adaptable, avoiding dependency on applications that may become obsolete in the future. Our team possesses extensive expertise in evaluating the longevity and applicability of emerging technologies, mitigating the risk of investing in solutions that may quickly become outdated.

Moreover, we emphasize the seamless integration of new technology into our existing pipeline, prioritizing regular updates and effective management to prevent technology from becoming obsolete and costly to replace. Our technology and development team conducts thorough audits of potential technology investments, leveraging their expertise to provide comprehensive insights into the viability and long-term impact of such investments.

Looking ahead, what trends or events do you anticipate shaping La Royale Gaming Investments' strategy in the iGaming sector in the near future?

In 2024, we foresee several key trends shaping our strategy, with blockchain technology poised to play an increasingly significant role. The transparency and traceability offered by blockchain present valuable benefits for areas such as anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) compliance. As adoption of blockchain technology continues to grow, we anticipate its integration into various aspects of our operations to enhance security and efficiency.

Additionally, cloud technologies are becoming more prevalent, offering scalability and accessibility. We anticipate heightened interest in this space as companies seek plug-and-play solutions to streamline their operations. NFTs and cryptocurrencies are also gaining acceptance as viable means of online trading, presenting opportunities for innovation and investment in digital assets.

Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to take center stage in 2024, with numerous potential applications across the iGaming sector. However, it's essential to approach AI usage thoughtfully, leveraging it as a complementary tool to streamline operations effectively. Managing and monitoring AI usage is critical to ensuring accuracy and reliability, emphasizing the need for responsible deployment of AI technologies in our investment strategy.