SiGMA Magazine issue 35 profiles Giuseppe Marino, President of the Italian-Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and an AML and financial crime specialist, showing how a structured Italy–Cyprus corridor is turning complementary advantages into sustainable growth for iGaming and related services following this month’s SiGMA Central Europe.

Set within a broader bilateral trade mandate rather than a siloed programme, the corridor is framed as a practical route to European and international markets where aligned regulation, skilled talent and Mediterranean reach lower friction for scale-ups and incumbents alike. The Chamber’s institutional partnership with SiGMA is structured for measurable outcomes through targeted networking, exclusive briefings, and priority access tied to quarterly assessments and post-event follow-ups that translate momentum into deals.​

Sustainable corridor strategy

The Chamber defines iGaming as a high-potential corridor where Italy and Cyprus align policy, compliance, and market access through specialised working groups focused on business development, best practice, and strategic partnerships supported by market intelligence and member guidance. “Our approach leverages both jurisdictions’ complementary strengths in fostering sustainable sector growth,” says Marino, positioning the corridor as a platform rather than a promise to ensure durability and scale. 

He emphasises that disciplined cross-border collaboration converts geography into commercial advantage through structured engagement, not episodic outreach, while maintaining a multi-industry scope and long-term business health. The Rome event’s energy is channelled into year-round deal flow via monthly virtual sessions, digital matchmaking, and workshops that link payments, compliance technology, and specialist advisory services to transactional routes to market.​

Compliance edge

Boards, Marino argues, should exceed minimum checks through end-to-end onboarding, ongoing monitoring, and enhanced assessments aligned with the EU’s AML Single Rulebook and the evolving supervisory architecture, including consistent PEP screening and independent reporting. He highlights gaps in source of funds verification and real-time analytics and advocates advanced platforms capable of flagging unusual patterns within EU reporting standards while preserving operational efficiency. “The objective is developing proactive frameworks that anticipate European regulatory evolution while maintaining operational efficiency,” he notes, calling for alignment on ownership transparency, high-risk due diligence, harmonised monitoring, and sanctions screening coordinated with PSD2 and eIDAS to smooth cross-border onboarding. Risk-based methodologies should mirror digital payments with predictable review periods, reinforced by regular third-party audits, so that technology-driven detection builds regulatory confidence and commercial resilience in both markets.​

By design

Responsible gaming, in Marino’s view, must be woven into operations from product to payments through behavioural analytics, session and spend monitoring, and segmented interventions that protect vulnerable users without degrading standard experiences. “Responsible gaming requires integration into core business operations rather than overlay approaches,” he says, adding that marketing should focus on entertainment value while embedding safeguards and user-initiated controls, with success measured across revenue and protection indicators. As data led oversight intensifies across the corridor, adjacent beneficiaries include monitoring and user protection solution providers, with relationship management and enhanced assessments reducing risk and converting connections into durable commercial ties. This disciplined architecture turns introductions into transactions and supports operators and suppliers with clear, repeatable returns on involvement.​

Capital and standards

Durable capital is signalled through institutional applications, dual jurisdiction M&A strategies, and headquarters establishment underpinned by mentorship, excellence certifications, and access to capital through professional networks anchored in Italy and Cyprus. Looking two years ahead, Marino prioritises harmonised, enhanced standards across both markets and a joint excellence certification that exceeds Single Rulebook minimums in step with Europe’s strengthening AML architecture. “Excellence is not about meeting minimum standards; it’s about setting the standard others aspire to meet,” he adds, articulating a policy-led pathway to confidence, scale, and predictability for cross-border teams. Success metrics focus on increased cross-border applications, documented partnerships, and conversion rates that persist beyond initial introductions, supported by mentorship links between seasoned operators and emerging firms.​

Next steps

Rooted in institutional discipline, the Italy–Cyprus iGaming corridor balances compliance, market intelligence, and responsible growth, converting event energy into sustained deal flow with measurable outcomes for operators, suppliers, and solution providers. Building on SiGMA Central Europe and Marino’s roadmap, the Chamber–SiGMA partnership offers a resilient route to market for teams aligning product, payments and protection by design across two aligned jurisdictions.

Source

#iGaming #AMLCompliance #CrossBorderBusiness #SiGMA #EURegulation