Nikolas'Monti-Potsolakis'CEO and founder of Black Lantern has over 15-years of experience in SEO delivering international strategies, market entry playbooks, content authority building, and LLM visibility helping brands to expand safely, profitably, and sustainably across multiple jurisdictions. 'Ahead of his presentation at iGB Affiliate - which has grown 20% year-on-year - he provides his insight on the key trends impacting the industry, the emerging markets and jurisdictions to look out for and argues why a growing exhibition is a strong signal of industry confidence reflecting investment, optimism, and momentum..'

Without giving too much away, what are the core themes of your presentation at iGB Affiliate Barcelona?'

The core message is that search visibility is no longer synonymous with rankings. We are moving from a click-driven SEO model to an answer-driven discovery model, where AI systems increasingly decide who gets surfaced, quoted, or summarised, often without a click ever taking place.'The presentation focuses on how affiliates and operators must transition from optimising pages for traditional SERPs to engineering authority, trust, and clarity at the entity level, so that AI search systems recognise them as reliable sources of truth.'Key themes include the shift from keyword rankings to AI-generated answers and citations, why brand entities outperform anonymous content in AI search environments, how structured content, intent alignment, and topical depth influence AI visibility'and what 'being the answer' actually means in practical, operational terms.'Ultimately, the talk is about reframing SEO as a visibility, credibility, and influence discipline, not just a traffic acquisition channel, in an AI-first search landscape.'

What do you want attendees to take away from your presentation?'

The key highlight is a clear, practical shift in mindset: moving from traditional SEO thinking to AIEO'AI Engine Optimisation, where the goal is no longer just to rank, but to be recognised as the source AI systems trust and reference.'Attendees will gain clarity on how iGaming search is evolving in 2026, particularly as AI-driven SERPs, zero-click experiences, and alternative discovery platforms reshape traffic patterns. The session connects market realities, such as regional maturity in UAE, APAC, and emerging jurisdictions, with executional frameworks that actually scale.'Key takeaways include how AI search systems evaluate authority, entities, and trust in regulated markets, what 'hyper-local' really means in practice, beyond translation, covering payments, trust signals, and local influence, how to build technical SEO foundations that support rapid multi-market expansion without compliance risk, why visibility now extends far beyond Google, and how platforms like TikTok, Reddit, Telegram, Twitch, and app stores fit into modern discovery. I will also outline a realistic, white-hat growth framework that works in highly competitive environments'and a structured 90-day rollout model for entering or scaling new markets efficiently.'Ultimately, I want attendees to leave with strategic confidence, understanding where search is heading, what actually moves the needle in AI-driven environments, and how to position their brand to win visibility, credibility, and market share long-term, not just chase short-term rankings.'

In your opinion, what are the most salient trends currently impacting the industry?'

Several trends are reshaping iGaming right now. In no particular order they are increased regulatory scrutiny influencing visibility and rankings, search engines prioritising trusted entities over anonymous sites, AI-driven SERPs reducing clicks and rewarding authoritative sources, diversification of discovery beyond Google - video, communities, platforms ' and faster saturation of newly regulated markets.'Brands that adapt operationally, not just tactically, will be the ones that win.'

In terms of jurisdictions and emerging markets, where are the big wins?'

The biggest wins tend to come immediately after regulation, not years later. Early movers benefit'from cleaner SERPs, weaker incumbent authority, and the ability to define trust signals before markets become saturated.'

Parts of LATAM continue to offer strong upside as regulation matures, while selected African markets remain attractive due to mobile-first adoption and relatively undeveloped local authority. Regulated expansion in North America also presents meaningful opportunities, particularly for brands that can align compliance, localisation, and technical execution quickly.'

Southeast Asia is especially compelling from a long-term perspective. While regulatory frameworks vary widely, markets such as the Philippines, Thailand-adjacent ecosystems, and parts of Vietnam and Indonesia show strong demand, mobile dominance, and growing acceptance of digital payments. The key here is precision, hyper-local execution, platform-first discovery, and deep understanding of cultural and payment behaviours.'

The Middle East, particularly the UAE, stands out as a strategic market to watch. Even in tightly regulated environments, search behaviour, brand interest, and high-value users create opportunities for compliant, authority-driven positioning. Brands that invest early in entity trust, regional relevance, and long-term presence, rather than short-term traffic plays, are best positioned to benefit as frameworks continue to evolve.'

The real opportunity lies in identifying markets where competition is still immature, local authority is underdeveloped, and search landscapes have not yet consolidated, and then executing quickly, compliantly, and with a long-term view.'

How does iGB Affiliate contribute to the health and well-being of the sector: is it just about business?'

It goes far beyond deal-making. Events like ICE and iGB Affiliate help professionalise the industry by creating shared standards, facilitating'transparent discussion around regulation, and encouraging long-term thinking.'They provide a forum where affiliates, operators, and service providers can align on best practices, ethics, and sustainability, something the sector genuinely needs as it matures.'It's not only about business, but forming a community with the only goal to improve the industry and make it better for everyone.'

As a January show, do you think iGB Affiliate sets the tone for the remainder of 2026?'

Absolutely. January events shape strategic priorities. They influence where budgets go, which partnerships form, and how confident businesses feel about the year ahead.'Also, what content is posted out there as iGB sets the precedence with unique and first heard content which no one has ever seen before.'iGB Affiliate has the scale and credibility to act as a bellwether for sentiment, innovation, and growth across the industry.'

The 2026 edition will be 20% bigger than 2025: how important is it to have a healthy and growing exhibition?'

A growing exhibition is a strong signal of industry confidence. It reflects investment, optimism, and momentum which is particularly important in a sector navigating increasing regulation and scrutiny.'For speakers and participants alike, it means better conversations, higher-quality partnerships, and a more mature ecosystem overall. Growth undertaken properly is a sign of long-term health, not short-term hype.'