Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago

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🎙️ NEXT.io Spotlight | PressEnter's Lahcene Merzoug on iGaming Banking, the CEO Hot Seat & Building Without Burning Out

Recorded at NEXT Summit Valletta, Lahcene Merzoug — Chairman & CEO of PressEnter — joins us fresh off hosting his now-famous CEO Hot Seat panel to talk about a new chapter: joining the Advisory Board of Xace, the banking provider built specifically for the iGaming industry.

With 16 years in the business and a portfolio spanning operators, affiliates, and media, Lahcene brings a rare client-first perspective to why iGaming banking is still broken — and what it looks like when it actually works.

⏰ Timestamps:
00:14 - Welcoming Lahcene Merzoug
01:07 - Why Xace stands out in a crowded payments space
02:35 - Joining the Xace Advisory Board
03:35 - The biggest issues in iGaming payments right now
04:17 - PressEnter & Lahcene's broader operator perspective
05:09 - Six years of the CEO Hot Seat panel
07:28 - How honest answers build personal brand for CEOs
09:20 - Work-life balance: is it real for founders?

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✩ Website: next.io

Learn more about
PressEnter: pressentergroup.com
Learn more about Xace: xace.io