We sat down with Valentin Obretenov, Director of Business Development at Pateplay, and Cristian Sapovici, Head of Gaming at Favbet Romania, to discuss the renewed partnership between the companies.

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Let’s start with the big picture: what made this partnership between Pateplay and Favbet Romania a natural fit?

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Valentin Obretenov:

For us at Pateplay, Romania is becoming an increasingly important market. Strategic partnerships of this kind are essential for strengthening our presence. Favbet Romania is a fastgrowing operator with significant potential. We’ve been working together for some time, but we found a clear opportunity to elevate our joint performance and act on it.

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Cristian, from your perspective, what made this partnership a natural fit?  

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Cristian Sapovici:

From our perspective, the partnership with Pateplay has been solid from the very beginning. Now we are further defining it through new projects, including “Play Pateplay,” which reflects a shared understanding of the importance of visibility in today’s market. At the same time, Pateplay’s content aligns very well with the preferences of Romanian players, giving us a strong   foundation to build on.  

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How do Pateplay games enhance your current product offering?  

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Cristian Sapovici:  

First, through the games themselves: clean mechanics and themes that resonate locally. Players choose what suits them, and Pateplay content passes that test. But the real advantage is how easy it is to promote.  

Through the co-branded “Play Pateplay” initiative, we’re able to provide Pateplay with greater visibility and clearer promotion, both through placement in dedicated sections within the Favbet platform and through advertisement campaigns. Trust is built through repetition, not just the first click.  

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Have you noticed performance changes since strengthening the partnership?  

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Valentin Obretenov:  

Yes. Cristian and I met in Bucharest just over a month ago to identify ways to improve performance, and we found a clear opportunity to take the partnership further. Since then, we’ve already seen a turnover increase of over 25%. And we believe this is just the beginning.  

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What are the next steps to build on this momentum?

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Valentin Obretenov:  

We have an extensive portfolio of over 110 games, 77 of which are already certified for the Romanian market. Many of our latest 40 titles are among the top performers, and we believe they will strengthen our positioning and brand visibility not only within Favbet but across the entire Romanian market.  

We are particularly focused on the new Pate Link series, which we are excited to launch locally. It includes the popular hold-and-win mechanic and a jackpot feature that triggers, on average, once every 80 spins.  

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Cristian, how do you see the next steps?  

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Cristian Sapovici:  

There’s no need to reinvent anything—the model works, so we scale it. More co-branded promotions, tighter integration into our campaign calendar, and alignment with tournaments and seasonal campaigns.  

The key is rhythm: players need to encounter Pateplay content consistently at the right moments, not just in a short promotional burst. That’s how you move from awareness to preference.  

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What does success look like for this partnership in 6–12 months?  

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Valentin Obretenov:  

We’ve set an ambitious goal: to triple the average turnover by the end of the year, and we strongly believe it’s achievable. In addition, Pateplay is set to enter the land-based segment in Romania in the coming months, and a strong online presence within Favbet will generate real value for both sides.  

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Cristian, how do you define success?  

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Cristian Sapovici:  

Success is when a Favbet player opens the lobby and goes straight into a game, without needing a banner to guide them. That means real brand presence within our ecosystem.  

There’s also something interesting: once players become familiar with certain titles on Favbet,   some of them start looking for them on other platforms as well. This spillover effect is the moment when visibility is no longer just a marketing KPI but becomes real brand value. We want Pateplay to compete for a top position among providers in Romania, and organic recognition is the path to getting there.  

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Pateplay in Romania  

Romania has long been a key target market for Pateplay. Now we are taking this commitment to the next level by opening a local office staffed by experienced professionals who bring deep market understanding.

In addition, we are preparing to enter the land-based segment in the near future, further strengthening our presence and positioning as a leading provider in Romania.  

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How does this partnership improve the experience for Favbet players in Romania?  

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Cristian Sapovici:  

Put yourself in the player’s shoes. You open a lobby with hundreds of games—it can be overwhelming. Our co-branded approach reduces that noise. Players see highlighted content that they also recognize from outside the platform, where we promote it as well, it feels accessible, and they start playing within seconds without endlessly scrolling through the lobby.  

And the more often they see it, the more confidence they gain in the experience. Less friction, faster engagement, better sessions.  

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What differentiates Pateplay content from other providers in the Romanian market?  

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Cristian Sapovici:  

From my perspective, what differentiates Pateplay is how their content responds to this type of structured promotion. When supported by consistent visibility through Favbet campaigns and cobranded advertising initiatives, the games gain recognition quickly—something clearly reflected in the numbers.  

This allows us to build real recognition around specific titles, rather than just generating a shortterm spike over a week. And in Romania, where most active players have accounts on 3–4 platforms, this recognition carries over. If someone plays a Pateplay game on Favbet and then sees it elsewhere, they already recognize it.  

That’s the kind of competitive advantage both sides benefit from.