Shifting Perceptions Rewriting the Odds at 1xBet At 1xBet’s booth in Rome, Barcelona legend Luis García greeted visitors while Omega
watches were given away. Akon headlined a flashy opening-night gala. Yet beneath the entertainment lay a more serious current. Away from the hustle and bustle, 1xBet’s
Strategic Advisor Simon Westbury speaks openly to G3 Media about cultural alignment, regulatory confusion and the perception challenges facing major global operators.
Articulating the role he has stepped into at a company navigating intense scrutiny and rapid expansion, Simon explains that his Strategic Advisor position blends strategic oversight, cultural alignment, brand rehabilitation and regulatory diplomacy.
Shifting from CEO-level execution to strategic advisory has meant adopting a different rhythm, he explains. It is less about immediate deliverables and more about guiding a multinational organisation’s long-term cultural and regulatory direction.
“Having worked across different cultural environments, I know these things take time, but I’m very happy," says Simon. "Te mindset at 1xBet is similar to mine. I get up, work, eat, sleep, repeat, so it has been a perfect fit. Te cultural work we’re focusing on is largely external, particularly around building international player safety indexes.”
Te Western Europe edition of 1xBet’s International Player Safety Index provides one of the most detailed snapshots to date of regulatory fragmentation across nine key markets.
Te findings illustrate the challenges operators face in applying consistent standards: 60 per cent of companies surveyed scored their primary jurisdiction seven out of ten for player protection effectiveness, but 43 per cent said regulation is unclear and a further 26 per cent were uncertain about how rules should be interpreted.
Westbury summarises the dilemma bluntly.
“UK operators don’t want to engage with the UKGC because they fear looking foolish. Swedish operators are waiting to see how enforcement plays out. Spain is introducing its own algorithm next year. Portuguese regulation doesn’t allow intervention when a problem gambler is identified. I’m not asking for pan-European
110 regulation, but there is a story to tell.”
Te Index paints that story vividly. Regulators operate at widely different levels of specificity, from the UK’s objective-based model to Spain’s rigid spending-threshold rules and Germany’s hard €1,000 monthly deposit cap. Operators attempting to maintain consistent standards across borders often find the task impossible. Even where the will exists, the framework does not.
RECONNECTING WITH THE INDUSTRY
With an extensive global footprint — more than 35 licences, recent expansion into Guatemala, and new deals across Latin America — 1xBet has encountered the inevitable challenges of rapid expansion. Westbury is unflinching in acknowledging them.
“1xBet has often been written about in ways that missed the mark, and part of my role is to show the industry what we’re doing. Tere is a story here and someone needs to tell it. I’m fortunate that 1xBet chose me.”
Te strategic advisory role, therefore, is not limited to boardroom analysis. It requires narrative reframing, engagement with sceptical media and an unusual degree of personal accountability.
“I’ve done a huge amount of media work. My friends even joke about how much I’ve done. Trough this process I’ve learned that everyone in the industry wants to work with us. We’re a successful global brand and we make money. A challenge is that part of the press is sceptical and won’t engage. I want them to engage and understand our story. No question is off limits.”
Tis commitment to transparency stands in contrast with some of the industry’s largest operators. As Westbury puts it with characteristic
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