New cloud data center combines modular edge architecture, global connectivity and regulatory compliance for operators and suppliers
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting‑edge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, has officially opened its new data center facility at Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, New York.
Developed specifically to meet the technical, operational and regulatory requirements of New York’s online sports betting market, the purpose-built facility provides a secure and compliant environment for licensed operators and approved B2B suppliers serving one of the most significant regulated wagering jurisdictions in North America. Designed as a specialist edge data center, it reflects Continent 8’s approach of delivering industry-specific infrastructure close to the regulated markets it serves, rather than relying on large-scale hyperscale deployments.
Built using Continent 8’s modular design approach, the facility launches with approximately 500kW of capacity and 24 racks, with the ability to expand to 48 racks as customer demand grows. The site is supported by resilient power, cooling, connectivity and security systems and is fully managed by Continent 8.
The New York site extends the company’s unbeatable North American footprint and provides customers with direct access to the company’s private global network, which spans more than 100 locations across five continents, including 30+ US states.
New York is the largest regulated online sports betting market in the United States, generating more than $26 billion in wagers during 2025 alone. The facility has been developed to support the operators and suppliers serving this market, including leading brands such as FanDuel, delivering the infrastructure, connectivity and services required both for today’s operations and tomorrow’s technology requirements.
As operators increasingly explore AI-enabled applications across areas such as customer experience, operations and security, the edge deployment forms part of Continent 8’s broader strategy to support innovation within regulated environments.
Michael Tobin, Founder and Chairman at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “The future of infrastructure for our industry isn’t about building ever-larger facilities. It’s about delivering the right infrastructure in the right locations to support highly regulated markets.”
“New York is a perfect example of that approach. This facility has been developed specifically for the needs of regulated online sports betting operators and suppliers, providing the foundation they need to participate and innovate within the market.”
“We believe edge infrastructure will play an increasingly important role in the future of online sports betting, and we’re proud to be continuing that journey with this opening.”
Mike Small, Chief Executive Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “Operators and suppliers increasingly need more than hosting infrastructure. They need a partner that can support connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity and emerging technologies through a single integrated platform.”
“This facility combines local market presence with access to Continent 8’s global network and managed services capabilities, helping customers deploy, scale and innovate with confidence.”
“As demand continues to grow, we’re looking forward to supporting both existing customers and new entrants as they expand their presence in the market.”
The new deployment reinforces Continent 8’s strategy of delivering market-specific infrastructure that helps operators and suppliers scale with confidence.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge managed technology solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, today announced its expansion into Africa with the launch of a new data centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The deployment extends Continent 8’s full portfolio of managed technology, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions into the region, supported by its purpose-built private global network and world-class digital infrastructure.
Live in Q4 2026, the Johannesburg facility marks Continent 8’s first deployment on the African continent and will enable operators, platform providers and content suppliers to deliver faster, more consistent digital experiences to South African players while remaining seamlessly connected with their wider international operations and partners.
As one of the world’s highest-volume regulated betting markets, South Africa demands infrastructure capable of supporting substantial transaction volumes with low latency and high resilience. Located close to market and directly connected to Continent 8’s private global backbone, the new facility will enable customers to leverage the same highly resilient infrastructure used across more than 100 connected locations worldwide. Operators and partners entering or expanding within South Africa will benefit from seamless access, low latency connectivity via a network that ranks among the top 20 most connected globally.
Mike Small, CEO at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “Expanding into Africa is a significant milestone for Continent 8 and a natural next step in our global growth strategy. South Africa is one of the most important, regulated betting markets in the world, and establishing a presence in Johannesburg allows us to bring the full strength of the Continent 8 platform closer to customers operating in the region. Beyond local infrastructure, customers will gain access to our private global network, cybersecurity expertise, cloud ecosystem and one of the most connected networks in the world, enabling them to innovate, scale and operate with confidence across multiple jurisdictions.”
The Johannesburg data centre will provide Tier III infrastructure within an ISO 27001-certified environment and deliver Continent 8’s full portfolio of managed technology services, including colocation, managed infrastructure, cloud connectivity, content delivery, DDoS protection and managed cybersecurity. Customers will also gain access to Continent 8’s private global network, and benefit from direct connectivity to leading hyperscale cloud providers including AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
Andrew Mudge, Head of EMEA Sales at Continent 8 Technologies, added: “Our customers increasingly operate across multiple regulated markets, and they want technology partners that can support that complexity without compromising on performance or reliability. Establishing a presence in Johannesburg allows us to bring our experience and infrastructure proposition directly into the South African market, while giving customers a partner they can scale with as their businesses grow. Just as importantly, they gain immediate access to the connectivity, cloud, security and managed services capabilities that underpin Continent 8’s global platform, helping them accelerate growth both within the region and internationally.“
The launch further strengthens Continent 8’s presence across regulated iGaming markets worldwide and reinforces its commitment to delivering secure, resilient and high-performance infrastructure wherever its customers operate.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of managed IT, cloud, cybersecurity and connectivity solutions for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, has marked 20 years of operations in the Isle of Man by welcoming His Excellency Sir John Lorimer, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, to its Douglas facility.
During the visit His Excellency met members of the local team and learned more about the company’s journey from a specialist infrastructure provider into a global technology partner serving customers across the world.
The visit formed part of Continent 8’s celebrations of 20 years in the Isle of Man, where the company established operations in 2006 with the launch of a data centre in Douglas. Since then, the business has expanded significantly, growing alongside the evolution of the global iGaming industry while maintaining a long-standing presence on the Island.
Founded in 1998, Continent 8 today delivers network, connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity and AI-powered solutions to customers worldwide. The company employs more than 300 professionals globally and operates a private network spanning over 100 connected locations across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Justin Cosnett, Chief Product Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “The Isle of Man has been an important part of Continent 8’s journey for the past 20 years, and it’s a place that has become very special to me personally. Having just relocated to the Island, I’ve experienced first-hand the strong sense of community, the quality of life and the supportive environment that make it such a great place to live and work. Those same qualities have helped businesses like ours attract talent, innovate and grow.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re proud of the contribution our Isle of Man team has made to the success of Continent 8 and grateful for the support we’ve received over the years. It was a pleasure to welcome His Excellency to our Douglas facility and share more about our history, our people and our ambitions for the future.”
His Excellency Sir John Lorimer, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, said: “It is a pleasure to visit Continent 8 Technologies and meet the team as the company celebrates 20 years in the Isle of Man. Over the past two decades, Continent 8 has grown from its Island base into an internationally recognised technology business, demonstrating the talent, ambition and innovation that are helping to shape the Isle of Man’s economy. Companies such as Continent 8 help strengthen the Island’s reputation as a place where ambitious, internationally focused businesses can establish, grow and thrive. I congratulate everyone involved on this significant milestone and wish them every success in the years ahead.”
Over the past two decades, Continent 8 Technologies has supported many of the industry’s leading operators and suppliers, including bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Kambi, Playtech and Sportingtech, helping them launch, scale and operate in regulated markets around the world.
Looking ahead, the company remains focused on investing in the technologies, talent and capabilities that will support the next generation of digital businesses and the continued evolution of regulated iGaming.
Expanded collaboration enables Continent 8 to bring new multitenant cloud and AI-ready capabilities to customers worldwide.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting‑edge managed technology solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, today announced the extension of its partnership with Nutanix, a hybrid cloud leader and AI innovator.
The expanded partnership builds on a collaboration between the two companies and reflects a commitment to delivering enterprise-grade cloud solutions for highly regulated industries. Going beyond a traditional vendor relationship, Continent 8 and Nutanix work closely together to develop and refine cloud technologies that address the performance, security and compliance requirements of regulated operators worldwide.
A key example of this collaboration is Continent 8’s selection as an early access partner to help shape Nutanix Service Provider Central (SP Central), its new multitenant cloud platform, first announced in April 2026.
Continent 8 will be among one of the first service providers worldwide to deploy a service leveraging SP Central commercially, combining Nutanix’s multitenant capabilities with Continent 8’s proven operational governance model. This approach is designed to maintain strict control and oversight across individual customer environments, a critical requirement for iGaming operators operating under complex regulatory frameworks.
The partnership extension also supports Continent 8’s continued investment in cloud expertise, engineering excellence and customer success. Through its global team of certified cloud specialists and AI-enabled Global Capability Centers (in India, Philippines and Bulgaria), Continent 8 supports large-scale cloud migrations and infrastructure modernization programs, helping customers simplify operations, optimize costs, reduce complexity and navigate evolving regulatory requirements.
Mike Small, Chief Executive Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “Today’s announcement reflects the strength of our relationship with Nutanix and our shared vision for the future of enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure and services.”
“Together, we have built a partnership founded on innovation, trust and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by highly regulated industries. Extending our partnership reinforces our commitment to helping iGaming customers modernize with confidence, simplify operations, optimize costs and prepare for the next generation of digital services, cloud-native applications and AI-driven innovation.”
Edward O’Connor, Chief Technology Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, added: “Our relationship with Nutanix is much deeper than a traditional vendor relationship. For several years, our engineering and product teams have worked side-by-side to help shape solutions that address real-world service provider and customer requirements.”
“Through this collaboration, Continent 8 is delivering cloud services that combine enterprise-grade security, operational simplicity and the flexibility customers need to scale globally, accelerate innovation and respond to evolving business demands. Being one of the Nutanix Elevate Service Provider partners worldwide to deploy the new multitenant solution demonstrates the strength of our partnership and our commitment to bringing innovative cloud capabilities to customers first.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Continent 8 to bring enterprise cloud services powered by Nutanix to highly regulated industries. Our collaboration with Continent 8 is a prime example of how we are empowering service providers to build and scale cloud services. By leveraging the Nutanix Cloud Platform and SP Central and their multitenant capabilities, Continent 8 is equipped to deliver the operational simplicity, security, and performance that their customers demand and need,” commented Sachin Chheda, Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Nutanix.
The partnership has already delivered measurable results for customers across the global iGaming and online sports betting sector. Organizations such as Sportingtech have benefited from Continent 8’s cloud modernisation capabilities, where Continent 8 led a VMware-to-Nutanix migration that avoided a significant projected rise in virtualization costs while preserving the security, performance, and compliance posture required in regulated markets.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, announces the launch of Loyalty+, a new cybersecurity rewards programme exclusive to its customer base.
Loyalty+ introduces a structured framework that rewards Continent 8 customer loyalty while enabling iGaming operators, suppliers and content providers to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. By turning engagement into tangible security value, the programme supports sustainable improved resilience not just at an individual level, but across the wider industry.
Loyalty+ rewards Continent 8 customers with 5% back on their existing spend – turning investment in the likes of cloud, co-location, AWS and managed services into cybersecurity credits for services such as penetration testing, phishing simulation, MSOC and MDR burst spend.
The launch comes at a time of rapidly escalating cyber risk across both enterprise and iGaming environments. Cyber incidents affecting the iGaming sector have surged by 400% between 2023 and 2025, while third-party vulnerabilities now account for 60% of data breaches. With the growing value of sensitive data – such as KYC and financial information – and downtime reaching at up to $6,000 per minute for operators, organisations are under increasing pressure to take a more proactive approach to cybersecurity. This is further compounded by tightening regulatory expectations, with iGaming operators required to meet strict and often differing compliance requirements across multiple regulated markets.
Against this backdrop, Loyalty+ aims to encourage a shift away from reactive security investment, adopting a more proactive and structured approach to cybersecurity.
“Modern iGaming platforms are becoming increasingly complex, with multiple third-party components, distributed environments, and growing performance demands, each introducing new potential points of risk,” said Anthony Abou-Jaoude, Chief Transformation Officer at Continent 8 Technologies.
“Security can no longer be treated as a bolt-on. With Loyalty+, we want to make cybersecurity adoption front of mind, supporting greater protection across the industry while rewarding the loyalty of our customers.”
Additional information is available at www.continent8.com/loyalty – terms and conditions apply.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, today announced the appointment of Mike Small as Chief Executive Officer, effective 15 July 2026. Founder Michael Tobin will transition to the role of Chairman following 28 years as CEO.
Small brings more than 25 years of global technology leadership experience. Prior to joining Continent 8, he served as President of Akkodis North America and US Country President of The Adecco Group, where he led large-scale technology, engineering, managed services, and workforce solutions businesses. He played a key role in advancing the organisation’s AI strategy, championing the use of artificial intelligence to help customers accelerate innovation, improve operational performance, and prepare for the future of work.
Previously, he served as CEO – Americas for Sitel Group and held senior leadership positions with IBM, Hewlett Packard, Capgemini, and VXI & SYMBIO Global Solutions.
Over the past year, Small has served as a Strategic Board Advisor to Continent 8, working closely with the executive leadership team. Based in Miami, he will lead Continent 8’s next phase of growth, focused on expanding the company’s global presence, strengthening customer partnerships, and advancing its portfolio of infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, and AI-enabled technology solutions.
Michael Tobin, Founder and Chairman of Continent 8 Technologies, said: “After 28 remarkable years leading Continent 8, I am incredibly proud of what our team has built and achieved. This transition has been thoughtfully planned, and I have complete confidence in Mike’s ability to lead the company into its next chapter. His experience in scaling global technology businesses and his deep understanding of our customers and strategy, makes him the ideal leader to build on the strong foundation we have created.”
Tobin will work closely with Small and the Continent 8 executive team to ensure a seamless leadership transition while focusing on governance, long-term strategy, and key stakeholder relationships in his role as Chairman.
Mike Small, Chief Executive Officer of Continent 8 Technologies, added: “Continent 8 has built an exceptional reputation for delivering mission-critical technology solutions to customers operating in highly regulated and latency-sensitive environments. Having worked closely with the company over the 12 months, I have seen first-hand the strength of the business, the talent of our people, and the opportunities ahead. I look forward to working with our team to deepen customer partnerships, accelerate innovation, and continue delivering the secure, resilient, and high-performance solutions our customers depend on.”
Since its founding in 1998, Continent 8 has grown into one of the iGaming industry’s most trusted technology providers, operating a global network of more than 100 connected data centres across four continents and over 30 US states. The company delivers mission-critical infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, connectivity, and managed services that support many of the world’s leading iGaming operators and platform providers.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting‑edge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, announces the launch of its comprehensive suite of AI-driven solutions. The portfolio is designed to help organisations harness the full potential of artificial intelligence across their operations and infrastructure, securely and in line with regulatory environments.
The intelligence8 portfolio combines advanced infrastructure, intelligent automation, and managed services to enable operators and suppliers to deploy, scale, and optimise AI workloads with confidence. The suite currently includes four core offerings: AI-Ready Infrastructure, Managed AI Services, AI Ops, and Voice AI.
Cris Kuehl, Chief Data, Information and AI Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, comments: “As AI adoption accelerates across industries, organisations face increasing challenges around performance, scalability, security, and operational complexity. Continent 8 addresses these challenges by delivering an integrated, enterprise-grade platform that simplifies AI deployment and management. With intelligence8, we are empowering our customers to move from AI ambition to real-world execution – while maintaining the strict standards required in regulated iGaming markets.”
The launch reinforces Continent 8’s commitment to delivering next-generation technology solutions that help customers stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The suite is fully aligned with Continent 8’s global network of connected locations, offering customers secure, low-latency access to AI services in regulated iGaming jurisdictions globally and latency-sensitive environments worldwide.
Continent 8 will showcase the intelligence8 suite at SBC Summit Americas 2026, 9-11 June in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visit Booth 808 for a live demo or book a meeting in advance at: https://lp.continent8.com/sbc-summit-americas-2026
Enabling operators to scale across regulated markets with consistent, distributed data infrastructure across AWS Outposts, hybrid cloud, and Kubernetes environments
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of managed IT solutions for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, today announced the launch of its fully managed CockroachDB service. The offering expands Continent 8’s portfolio across AWS Outposts, hybrid cloud, and Kubernetes environments including AWS EKS – enabling operators and suppliers to deploy distributed, highly resilient data infrastructure.
The iGaming industry is entering a new phase defined by rapid scale, real-time player interactions, and increasingly complex regulatory requirements. Operators must support high-throughput transactional workloads across regulated markets while adhering to strict data sovereignty and compliance mandates – from the U.S. in each individual regulated state to country-specific regulations worldwide. At the same time, traditional monolithic databases are being pushed beyond their limits, struggling to scale dynamically and operate consistently across modern, distributed environments.
CockroachDB’s cloud-agnostic and PostgreSQL-compatible distributed architecture directly addresses these challenges by enabling strongly consistent transactions across regions and hybrid deployments. This allows operators to operate across markets while maintaining strict control over where data resides and how it is managed. Combined with Continent 8’s global footprint – spanning more than 100 locations across the globe in regulated jurisdictions – the service provides a foundation for deploying infrastructure closer to players without compromising compliance or performance.
“Continent 8 has always focused on delivering infrastructure that meets the unique demands of the iGaming industry – where performance, compliance, and uptime are non-negotiable,” said David Brace, Chief Alliance & Partnership Officer, AWS, at Continent 8 Technologies. “As our customers grow across regulated markets, the database becomes a critical component. Our managed CockroachDB service provides the consistency, resilience, and deployment flexibility required to support that growth.”
As operators scale into new markets and adopt hybrid deployment models spanning on-premises, cloud, and edge environments, the need for integrated, multi-region infrastructure continues to grow. By incorporating CockroachDB into its portfolio of hosting, cloud, connectivity, and cybersecurity solutions, Continent 8 delivers a unified platform designed to simplify operations while supporting massive scale in regulated environments.
“Partnerships like this are critical as operators move toward more integrated, ecosystem-driven infrastructure models,” said Allen Terleto, VP Global Partners and Ecosystem at Cockroach Labs. “By combining Continent 8’s managed services and AWS expertise with CockroachDB’s distributed SQL capabilities, we’re enabling customers to build and operate modern applications across hybrid environments with greater flexibility and control. It also strengthens the broader ISV ecosystem supporting iGaming, making it easier to bring new services to market on a data platform that can scale with the evolving demands of the industry.”
For more information on CockroachDB and Continent 8 please visit: https://www.cockroachlabs.com/partners/locator
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cuttingedge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, announces the appointment of Cris Kuehl as its Chief Data, Information and AI Officer.
Cris brings more than 20 years of experience in enterprise AI, analytics, and data strategy, making him a powerful addition to Continent 8’s leadership team. He joins the company with an extensive background in senior leadership roles, including serving as Vice President of Artificial Intelligence & Data Science at Akkodis and Global Head, VP, CX Analytics & AI at Foundever.
Cris has built a career helping highly regulated organisations adopt secure, scalable and practical AI capabilities, and his leadership will accelerate Continent 8’s mission to deliver intelligencedriven, futureproof infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions.
In his new role, Cris will lead the company’s global data, AI, and information strategy – driving innovation across analytics, automation, cybersecurity resilience, and customercentric intelligence. His remit includes shaping Continent 8’s AIenabled product evolution, championing responsible AI practices, and strengthening data governance frameworks aligned with the needs of the iGaming, tribal, and enterprise sectors.
“Cris’ deep expertise across data, AI, and regulated environments is an exceptional match for our organisation’s direction,” said Michael Tobin, CEO and Founder of Continent 8 Technologies. “As the industry rapidly shifts toward intelligencedriven infrastructure, his leadership will ensure we continue to provide secure, highperformance solutions that deliver measurable value to our customers.”
“I’m thrilled to join Continent 8, a leader in its field, at such a pivotal moment,” said Cris Kuehl. “AI is transforming how organisations operate, collaborate, and protect their data. Continent 8 is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation for the global iGaming and online sports betting sector. I’m excited to help drive the next chapter of innovation.”
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, has entered into a strategic partnership with New Dawn Risk, a specialist Lloyd’s broker.
This collaboration brings together Continent 8’s cybersecurity services with New Dawn Risk’s insurance expertise to offer iGaming businesses a coordinated approach to risk management. Operators benefit from both enhanced security protection and reduced insurance premiums, with underwriters offering discounts based on the security maturity and controls in place.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in how we support our clients,” said Elizabeth Grima, Senior Executive Manager, New Dawn Risk. “By combining Continent 8’s trusted cybersecurity services with our tailored insurance solutions, we are offering iGaming companies a truly end-to-end risk management package. It goes beyond traditional broking – it’s about delivering resilience, continuity, and peace of mind in a sector where cyber threats and regulatory pressures are constantly evolving.”
The new offering will initially launch in the UK and Europe, with plans to expand globally. It combines specialist cybersecurity services with tailored insurance to make protection more accessible to iGaming companies. Services include Managed SOC & MDR, Cyber Threat Intelligence Exchange, DDoS protection, Web Application and API Protection (WAAP), and Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA) for end users. Businesses adopting the package will benefit from discounted premiums, which increases their access to cost effective coverage.
“We are excited to partner with New Dawn Risk,” said Patrick Gardner, Chief Security Officer at Continent 8 Technologies. “This collaboration brings together two specialists in their fields to offer a compelling mix of advanced cybersecurity controls and tailored insurance solutions for the iGaming industry. Strong cyber defences not only protect operators and suppliers but also demonstrate sound risk management – an increasingly important factor when it comes to reducing insurance premiums. As the go-to cybersecurity provider to the industry, we’ve been delivering multi-layered protection solutions to high-risk gaming businesses for years, and this partnership builds on that proven foundation.”