When Negin Namazi moved to Málaga, Spain in 2025, she asked Catie Di Stefano a simple question: how do you meet other iGaming professionals on the Costa Del Sol?
Catie had worked on the coast since 2018 and her answer was honest. You don’t. You will never bump into an industry colleague in the supermarket, the way you do in Malta. The Spanish southern coast is too long, the offices are too spread out, and many people work from home. People who had been neighbours in Sliema became strangers in Spain.
“Let’s change that together,” Negin said. And so the iGaming Circle Costa Del Sol was born.
From a women’s group to a circle for everyone
iGaming Circle CDS started in 2026 as a community for women in the industry based on the coast, with our first event in June 2026. When the WhatsApp group grew to more than 90 women, all living on the coast and all working with online gambling, we realised there is a demand for an iGaming community here, and that many were just as isolated as we had been.
Since we work in a mostly male-dominated industry, we decided to open up to everyone. Men were first welcome at our July 2026 event, and from October 2026 the WhatsApp group is open to them too. So the group and the events are now open to all genders.
What we are, and what we are not
The goal with iGaming Circle CDS is not to build a huge professional network. Our motivation comes from building personal relationships between neighbours who share the same professional industry and place to live. We have families, hobbies and lives here, and we want to share them with people who also get excited about work and life on the Spanish coast.
Our events and meet-ups are mostly for those who rarely or never travel to conferences. Now you don’t need a flight to Malta or Barcelona to talk iGaming with someone else who understands RTP and odds.
