An Interview With Dinos Stranomitis, COO of Altenar

_{We had the pleasure of catching up with Dinos Stranomitis, COO of Altenar, during Next.io in Valletta, Malta. (Image: Alan Evans)}

Dinos has been a partner and co-founder of Altenar since 2014, overseeing the company’s growth into a leading sports betting software provider. Now residing in Malta with his wife and two children, Dinos was born in Greece in 1969. 

He studied engineering in Athens and also trained as a naval architect and marine engineer in Newcastle. After spending two years in the navy and four years working as an engineer, Dinos transitioned into the betting industry, taking on managerial roles in trading and operations across various online casino companies. 

With his extensive industry experience, he now shares his insights as a regular speaker at numerous iGaming exhibitions worldwide.

From Naval Architecture to iGaming

We began by asking Dinos to share his journey from childhood in Greece to becoming a prominent figure in the industry.

Dinos reflected, “Well, as a child, I was constantly trying to make something different.

“I remember that my main focus was: let’s study, let’s get educated first, so you can do something unique in your life. That was, let’s say, the first 20 years of my life. I went to university; I became an engineer.”

“Although I’m from Greece, I left my country. I’ve never regretted it, even though Greece is a beautiful place. I’ve been living in Malta for 18 years, but I’ve also spent a lot of time in the Far East.

“I’ve travelled around the globe. I like it; I keep striving to do better things in my life.”

We all have moments of reflection or regret. When asked if he had any regrets or things he would do differently, Dinos replied: “No regrets. This is something I love—I’ve done it, and I am happy with it.

“My profession is engineering. I left engineering behind when I was 33 years old—that’s my hobby now. I don’t expect to get a pension from it. I feel that I’ll be very happy just to keep going, keep pushing forward. I’m 56 now. Tomorrow morning, I’d be very happy to start a new project.”

“Break Your Chains”: Advice for the Next Generation

We then asked Dinos what advice he would give to young men and women in Greece reading this interview today. His response was straightforward: “Break your chains, guys. Break your chains.”

Dinos elaborated, “Don’t think politically. Think socially. Think about making a difference for yourself. Do what you like. Give up what you don’t like. That’s it.

“Talent doesn’t determine everything in life; what matters is your mindset. Respect people. Respect society.

“No matter what business you pursue, you must respect others’ freedom. I see discussions about regulation, non-regulation, and the future.

“Who are the winners? Who are the losers? As you know, much of this started from the grey area. Now we’re all playing the game.”

What’s Next for the Gambling Industry?

Looking ahead, we asked Dinos how he sees the industry evolving.

He responded, “It’s the cleverest people. I was a naval architect. When I went to inspect ships in the shipyard, I stood next to representatives from Lloyd’s Register. I wasn’t allowed to speak unless they approved. 

Transitioning from a highly regulated industry to gambling, which was largely unregulated at the time, may appear to be the conclusion of the game. But perhaps it’s just the beginning of a new one.

“Eventually, we’ll have a comprehensive 3,000-page rulebook, with all the regulations already thought out. We’ll just need to obey these rules strictly. That’s when the industry will make real money, but everyone will need to adhere to the same standards.”