Marco Materazzi Appointed Ambassador for Blokotech at SiGMA World Rome

The world of professional football and the modern iGaming industry are converging in Rome. Blokotech, a provider of software solutions for the gambling industry, has announced a high-profile addition to its marketing strategy. Marco Materazzi, the former Inter Milan defender and 2006 World Cup winner, has taken on the role of ambassador for the Bloko Padel Tour. This collaboration aims to leverage the growing popularity of padel tennis to showcase the Blokotech brand during the SiGMA World exhibition in Italy.

Materazzi is a household name in the sports world. He defined an era at Inter Milan, winning five Serie A titles and the Champions League. His performance in the 2006 World Cup final remains unforgettable, where he scored the equalizer against France and later converted a penalty in the shootout. Now, he brings that competitive spirit to the padel court. The Bloko Padel Tour is a global event format that has already stopped in cities like Buenos Aires, Malta, Miami, and Mexico City during the 2026 season. The Grand Finale in Rome marks the pinnacle of this year's season and aims to demonstrate how sports networking and technological innovation go hand in hand.

Numbers and facts

The tour's finale will take place on Wednesday, November 4, in Pavilion 9 of SiGMA World in Rome. One day later, on November 5, the Bloko Padel Tour Super Cup will follow, featuring the tour winners against the winners of a media tournament. Blokotech is not only using the event for entertainment but is also presenting its technological infrastructure at Stand 5035 in Hall 5. The company's ecosystem now includes more than 14,000 games from over 90 different providers. A centerpiece of the presentation is the BlokoPredict engine, a white-label system for prediction markets that allows operators to integrate such offerings without their own complex compliance infrastructure.

The football star is enthusiastic about his new role and draws parallels to his active time on the pitch:

„I’ve always believed the best things happen when passion meets competition. Padel has that same fire I found on the football pitch: intensity, teamwork, the will to win. As a passionate player myself, it’s a sport I have a real affinity with and I’m proud to be part of the Bloko Padel Tour in Rome.“ - Marco Materazzi, Ambassador for the Bloko Padel Tour

Background

Blokotech acts as a B2B service provider, supplying modular technologies for online casinos and sports betting operators. Salvatore Messina, Co-Founder and CEO of Blokotech, sees the appointment of Materazzi as a strategic milestone. According to Messina, padel has become an important tool for gathering people around the Blokotech brand. A World Cup winner like Materazzi takes this concept to a new level. The company is increasingly focusing on AI-powered tools for personalizing the player experience, which is currently considered one of the most important competitive factors in the industry.

Why it matters for German players

For German players active in casinos with a license from the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), this news primarily has indirect significance. Blokotech provides the technological basis on which many international platforms run. In Germany, the market is strictly regulated by the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021). While international providers like Blokotech advertise over 14,000 games, German-licensed casinos must have every single game tested and approved. Furthermore, strict limits apply in Germany: the maximum bet per spin on virtual slot machines is 1 euro, and there is a monthly cross-operator deposit limit of 1,000 euros, monitored via the LUGAS system.

Prominent ambassadors like Materazzi can only be used to a limited extent in Germany due to strict advertising guidelines, especially regarding direct appeals to vulnerable groups. However, the BlokoPredict engine presented by Blokotech could be interesting for German sports betting fans, provided the corresponding betting markets comply with German regulations on permissible types of bets.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

German casinos on the whitelist must ensure that their software partners meet the technical requirements of LUGAS and OASIS. When companies like Blokotech offer innovative AI tools for behavioral segmentation, these must primarily serve player protection in the German context rather than just increasing revenue. German operators are looking closely at which B2B solutions are stable enough to reflect the high German security standards. Materazzi's presence in Rome serves primary international branding, but the technology presented in the background could find its way into the German licensed market in an adapted form in the medium term.