Tag: Interviews

Games designed to piggyback on popular entertainment themes have been proven to perform well in emerging online markets including the United States. With exclusive IP rights often very expensive, we look at the key factors involved in creating games that appeal to fans of well-loved films, TV shows and video games.

What are the main aspects to consider when designing a game that can tap into the buzz around an upcoming release in the world of entertainment?

At Yggdrasil, we released our first Vikings game a few years after the hit TV series Vikings first aired. It was mainly developed to tie in with the norse mythology and our Scandinavian heritage, however it cannot be denied that the game series’ popularity has been boosted by the large following of the TV show.

Vikings is of course a large part of Nordic history and has been portrayed numerous times in popular culture and therefore also makes a good theme for slot games. Our Vikings portfolio has been further enhanced with each new title we release. Just like a TV series or a film, we have developed characters that return in all of the games, and we create a storyline around them. This way, we build some familiarity which ensures players come back.

What types of content – genre of film or TV show, for example – are suitable for designing a game around, and are there any which are out of bounds?

Out of bounds is an interesting term. Over the years, there would have been a lot of taboo topics that we didn’t go near but that seems to have changed with the advent of more ‘challenging’ themes for slot games seen recently.

Back on topic, game shows have always been the obvious cross over between mainstream TV and gaming with Wheel of Fortune, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Deal or No Deal being prime examples of where players fundamentally understand the mechanics and are therefore comfortable or excited to play the slot because they have watched the shows.

Outside of that, the world is your oyster really and working with existing popular themes gives developers real scope to think outside the box and really be creative. Most themes can be turned into a game and if it works for film and TV, it’s likely to be also popular with slot players. Inspiration doesn’t have to come from just film and TV, with video games for example being another great source for ideas. Many popular video games have later been turned into films and TV, highlighting that it can go both ways. The trick is then to ensure the mechanics and features of the slot work well with the theme to create an exciting and entertaining experience.

Is it more important to consider creating this type of content with an eye on emerging markets, where typical online game genres might be less familiar?

I wouldn’t say so. Often, big hit shows, films or video games become a global phenomenon, meaning a casino product with a particular theme will appeal to a wide audience across numerous markets. When we develop our content, we always try to ensure it will attract as many player demographics as possible, and often themes from popular culture works really well.

What legal aspects need to be considered to avoid straying too close to an original IP?

We don’t try to imitate or copy existing franchises, we want to create our own take, inspired by a popular theme. We therefore work hard to develop our own characters and stories, as showcased in the Vikings series.

FunFair Games made its debut in 2020 to take advantage of the non-traditional games vertical including crash and multiplayer content. Since its inception, the company has experienced a great level of traction, and recently boosted its management team to help further scale the business and enhance its product pipeline. Carlo Cooke was appointed Commercial Director just over six months ago and speaks to European Gaming about his experience with the company and the challenges and opportunities with introducing new products in a crowded marketplace.

What are the biggest challenges in selling-in non-traditional content to operators?

Whilst there are undoubtedly top performing non-traditional games already in the market, the vertical is still very much in its infancy in contrast to slots. There is not even really an established vocabulary with some operators referring to the genre as crash or arcade, and others as non-traditional or even just games. This also means that there isn’t necessarily a natural home for the games in the casino lobby yet, and they are often positioned amongst slots. As we are somewhat targeting a different demographic to the slot player (although our content appeals to this audience as well), we believe that this causes some confusion.

Larger operators with their own technical infrastructure are able to substantiate a dedicated tab for non-traditional games, further supported by significantly larger acquisition/CRM budgets. In other words, they can afford to experiment. In contrast, smaller operators may be more limited in their capacity to position or market this emerging content.

The approach that we are taking is to share our learnings and to educate and inform both operators and players on a localised and market relevant level.

Are you finding that operators are slow/reluctant to accept new and different verticals?

Not at all! It’s quite the opposite in the sense that our content is genuinely something new and innovative, and for that reason, it is in high demand. Casino and content managers are always on the lookout for the next big thing, and multiplayer experiences, which help to create an authentic sense of community, are currently extremely sought-after. We find this really encouraging and it keeps the creative juices flowing in the FunFair Games workshop.

I also take the view that there is immense job satisfaction (both from a B2C and a B2B perspective) in being the first to market with an innovative product, or the first to experiment and get it right. This is why I believe this vertical is so appealing and exciting at the moment. Whilst slots are still the core for many operators, we’re definitely in the middle of a sea-change at the moment. I believe the foundation of the non-traditional vertical has been laid, and we’re finding that more operators have the appetite to test our content within their respective audiences, and across their target markets.

When speaking to operators, what are the biggest frustrations that you hope to solve for them when it comes to innovative new content?

We believe that Gen Z and Y simply do not engage with slots in the same way as previous generations. As this younger audience is continuously emerging in the iGaming space, it creates an opportunity for operators to provide a new experience, one which is akin to meeting the high expectations of that demographic. One of our core values is to fill this gap by creating more social (as opposed to solitary), and more active (player driven volatility) games, whilst keeping them simple and engaging. In addition to this, we’ll also be exploring new features and tools in the coming months ahead!

You have expanded into a few new markets in 2022, what’s next on the agenda?

It might be late in the year, but there is still a lot more to come from FunFair Games. It’s true that this year saw us increase our presence in key markets, such as the UK, Italy and Belgium to name a few. This momentum is still truly ongoing and we’ll aim to make the most of the last remaining weeks of the year from a distribution point of view, as well as celebrating the launch of new customers. There is currently a genuine buzz at the studio for our roadmap next year. We’ve recently hired a new Head of Game design and Math who is working hard with our CEO to produce some incredible games which will be available for our clients in the near future so watch this space!

The World Cup is held every four years and this edition of the most famous football tournament on the planet is unique given the venue and the fact it sits right in the middle of the domestic season.

With that in mind, how does this affect user engagement and betting patterns over the course of this prestigious competition? We spoke to BETEGY CEO, Alex Kornilov who gives his insights into how successful engagement with players could be.

With football already Europe’s most popular sport, what new ways of user engagement have you put together for the World Cup?

This football season brought many ways to explore user engagement into the industry. The World Cup in Qatar is the real test to show the best approaches to customers’ experience. At BETEGY, we knew that online betting would thrive during the tournament, and we have managed to deliver creative visuals with live data from all the matches, which can be used in various formats and presented on different platforms.

The World Cup is being hosted right in the middle of the domestic football season across Europe. Does this make the World Cup more or less popular from a betting perspective?

The World Cup has always been one of the most significant events in the betting industry –  and I see no reason for this iteration to be less popular than before. In addition, the tournament duration has been decreased to 28 days, meaning more matches squeezed into a shorter space of time. This is definitely going to help keep the audience’s excitement and engagement at their highest.

The only competitor for the attention of sports punters will be the upcoming holiday hustle when people will be getting all set for the festive season. However, I don’t see that as a big risk. With football fans watching the biggest football event of the year from the comfort of their own homes, it’s an excellent opportunity to attract a new audience to the betting market.

A Middle Eastern country is hosting the World Cup for the first time. How is this unique environment playing to BETEGY’s strengths, given the majority of fans are watching from home?

With more fans watching football from home, keeping them entertained with the most high-quality offering and products is very important. Players in the industry will compete for the fans’ attention and will do their best to build a scalable relationship with them beyond the World Cup. Live scores, statistics, and betting prices in various markets must be delivered to the users’ screens with no delay and with the best look and feel. This is one of the aspects BETEGY is the best at – and we have thoroughly prepared to help our clients solve the pain points related to it.

With Europe not due to host another World Cup until 2030 at the earliest, is it a positive for technology and engagement that the tournament is being held in nations where football popularity is on the rise? 

The next World Cup will take place in 16 different cities across North America. This tournament is probably the most important in the context of how “soccer” has been promoted in the United States recently. On one side, the USSF and the MLS clubs have been working a lot to promote soccer locally by bringing top-class players into the league. On the other hand, the US has rarely stuck to the traditional European perception of sport and football in particular. Sport in the US serves its goal – to entertain the audience. Strategists at NBA or NFL would do almost anything to keep fans engaged and ensure all the remote viewers are enjoying the show.

Also, this new, next-gen audience is highly discerning  – which pushes the market to deliver innovative solutions and ideas to engage, excite and entertain. For sports tech and entertainment companies, it’s a huge opportunity and a challenge at the same time to find a key to the hearts and minds of potential new football fans. Some best practices for the US market are already known, so bringing football to new horizons is a certain path to making this game even more beautiful.

How can companies capture this new wave of interest?

US sports fans are already used to high standards of the content delivered to them. Everyone who wants to surf this wave of delight should definitely focus on innovation and quality. I’ve noticed that people love to know what’s happening on the pitch and, at the same time, are always willing to guess what’s going to happen next. The rise of technology helps to understand the game better, it gives birth to new betting markets, but it also helps companies enhance the users’ involvement in the game.

With the US online betting market opening, many players from the industry are seeking an opportunity to test their best offering on new audiences. Since soccer is undoubtedly on the rise, a chance to attract American bettors became a significant pull factor for most industry members – and we’re very excited with what we’re doing at BETEGY.

It has been 20 years since a non-European country won the World Cup. Do you think a European nation will win this prestigious tournament this year given the first round of results?

The first round has shown that football has advanced at all levels, especially geographically. For example, some national teams from Asia have had tremendous results against supposedly much stronger rivals from South America and Europe. And it’s not only about the result – those teams’ performance and style of play are a delight to watch. At this stage, almost any underdog has the chance to proceed to the knockout stages and refute the odds.

In my opinion, some Latin American national teams have a high chance of winning the World Cup. Still, they’ll need to deliver their best performance against the highly-experienced European contenders. It will be fascinating to watch it all happening. And may the best team win!

Check out our latest interview focusing on retention with Araz Heydariyehzadeh CCO at Scout Gaming

Do operators need to go beyond loyalty schemes and bonuses when it comes to retention? Why?

Retention in the iGaming industry is incredibly difficult to get right. Based on what we know from intenrally and from market research, it is much harder to keep players engaged with online betting brands than it is with other products in other sectors.

The most common retention tool used by operators is of course bonuses and loyalty schemes, and they do work when deployed effectively, intelligently and as part of a well planned marketing strategy. There are some big players in the iGaming industry, like Skybet, who do this very well.

If it’s not done well these incentives are really only effective for as long as the bonus lasts – once the free spins have been used up, the player is no longer motivated to remain loyal to that specific brand and can jump to offers from another provider. Loyalty schemes do keep players engaged for longer, but with most being tough to progress through, they too can have their limitations. Despite this, operators still throw big money behind bonuses and loyalty schemes in order to stand out from their rivals and keep players coming back.

It is important to consider the bigger picture, and other – potentially more effective – ways of retaining players. This means looking at the player experience being offered and identifying ways of delivering even more value and entertainment. For online sportsbooks, this could be launching skill games such as fantasy sports for the first time to give players a reason to return to their book each day, week, or month throughout the season. Operators can also run marketing campaigns and promotions around these games to take retention to the next level.

How can fantasy/social/skill games be used to drive retention rates?

These games are hard to beat when it comes to retention. The very nature of fantasy sports requires players to return to the operators site regularly. In the case of daily fantasy sports, players return to change theoir teams, set captains or make substititions, this deepends their engagement with the operators brand. Our latest data shows that the average player logs in four times a week to make changes to their team. This in part helps to drive some incredible stats for our partners. According to the indexed numbers of users in the Scout Network, there are clear indicators that fantasy sports and especially season-long games boosts retention.

Here are some highlights…

• Churn after 12 months = 30% still active
• Churn after 24 months = 20% still active
• Churn on season-long fantasy tournament players = 50%+ still active in month nine
• Acquisition = +15% more players on a yearly basis after launching fantasy sports
• Time spent on site = fantasy players spend 20%+ more time than regular sportsbook players

Sportsbooks can expect between 10% and 30% of their player base to engage with fantasy sports products which in turn can significantly move the needle in terms of turnover and GGR.

What makes these games so effective when it comes to retention?

Playing season-long fantasy sports requires the player to log in each match day at the very least and usually over an eight-month period. That is certainly the case when tournaments are hooked up to large prize pots which is something we offer via the Scout Network. Fantasy really is a great retention tool by design, but it can also be used to drive cross-sell as, over time, fantasy players become trusting of and loyal to the operator’s brand. Indeed, we have measured a 45% increase in turnover and a 20+% increase in GGR on our partner’s sportsbook users that engaged with our fantasy products compared with those that did not.

How important is the skill element here? And what challenges does it present for operators?

According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, fantasy sports games reward skill rather than luck. This conclusion was reached after analysing thousands of win/loss records of fantasy players over several years. The indexed numbers in the Scout Network confirm this conclusion. Given the skill factor in fantasy sports games, players can train their skill set and apply their advanced knowledge of sports to improve their odds of winning. But similar to other skill games, this presents a challenge for operators.

To sustain a balanced game economy, measures have to be taken to ensure that all participants have a fair chance of winning and that even those who are new to the concept have an enjoyable experience. A game economy where only a small percentage of users have a chance of winning is unhealthy and ultimately drains that all-important liquidity from tournaments. That is why we carefully analyse games and ensure a healthy economy for all. This led us to make several changes to our popular Premier League Season game such as reducing multiple entries from single users, prohibiting certain tools used by high-volume players and softening rules around saving free transfers. This ensures that more casual users can come back to play the season game, thus improving retention rates even more.

How can these games be used in wider marketing activity to keep players coming back from more?

It is important to highlight that skill games are far more social and community-driven than sports betting and casino, and season-long fantasy games in particular add an additional dimension to the sport itself. This generates more fan and player excitement, and often throughout the entire season. Players can also improve their knowledge by embracing the community, chatting in the forums and researching insights and advice.

There is a growing content creator market directly involved with various forms of Fantasy sports which really taps in to the community feel for these types of games.

This is highly desirable from an operator perspective. Giving players a single ticket to a season-long fantasy sports tournament is not only cheaper than offering free bets or loyalty schemes, but the incentive lasts for the entire season. When this is combined with the social element of fantasy and how this helps to drive engagement further, it is clear to see just how powerful fantasy sports is when it comes to retention.

In terms of how to market fantasy sports, we have recorded cases where the addition of a targeted fantasy bonus such as a free entry ticket being added to a CRM email reactivation campaign has generated impressive returns. In one instance, the click-through rate was 25x the average and in another case, 2,000 inactive customers were reactivated within 24 hours of the email campaign being sent out.

What do you think of Twitch’s decision to ban casino sites from being streamed on its platform? 

Twitch’s decision to ban remote licensed online casino sites from being streamed from its platform has made waves right across the industry. But at Livespins, we have long expected this moment to come, and what is now certain is that gambling on mainstream media platforms is, and likely always will be, volatile. That is why it is important for the industry to control the space and provide a healthy, highly engaging and, most importantly, sustainable solution. The opportunity that sits at the intersection of gambling and streaming is far too big for us not to.

How has this situation come about? Has the writing been on the wall for a while?

The ban comes in the wake of a campaign to oust gambling from the platform after top-tier streamer ItsSlicker admitted to having a gambling problem. It’s fair to say some sort of ban was already in the works with recent events likely to have forced Twitch to act sooner rather than later. For us, the writing has been on the wall for some time now.

You just have to look at the surging popularity of slot streaming, the increased competition among streamers and the lengthens they have been going to grow and retain their following to see things would have to change. Many streamers were opting to play with increasingly large and unsustainable bet amounts as well as partaking in sometimes offensive studio behaviour to generate clips and moments that would gather attention online – behaviour that was also starting to gather the attention of industry insiders, watchdogs, and regulators.

More worryingly, to afford these large bet sizes and increased hours spent gambling, many streamers were becoming sponsored in one way or another and not disclosing this arrangement to their audiences. This meant they were essentially misleading their viewers to think that their gambling was being done with their own funds when the reality was very different. Add into the mix the recent ban on the use of gambling links and ads within Twitch streams and it was clear to us that the house of cards was about to come tumbling down.

What impact will the ban have on online casino brands, slot studios and of course slot streamers? 

It is going to take a little time for the true impact of the ban to be understood. Twitch has been a touch ambiguous when it comes to exactly who the ban applies to – online casino brands that hold a licence in the US, or from another reputable jurisdiction, can continue to use the platform while the ban appears to only apply to online casinos and not sportsbook, etc. Streamers that have built their brands on slot streaming will also be heavily impacted for obvious reasons. I think it’s fair to say Twitch will be off limits for most operators, slot studios and streamers for quite some time, if indefinitely.

Does this spell the end of the relationship between streaming and online gambling? 

Not at all. Livespins was founded on the insight that a significant player segment clearly loves the slots streaming concept and the opportunity to engage with a community of like-minded individuals, the authenticity of streamers over more rigid live dealers and the overall organic nature of the streaming entertainment experience. We wanted to retain all of those features but leave behind the unsustainable behaviour that we have seen on Twitch. Our platform does just that – it integrates directly into the online casino game lobby with our team of superstar streamers playing slots from our roster of approved studio partners.

How does Livespins allow casinos, studios, and streamers to leverage the tremendous popularity of slot streaming? 

We bring all three parties together in one powerful, responsible, compliant solution. For licenced operators, the Livespins stream takes place directly within their casino and allows them to generate revenues from the bet behinds that players can make via our unique system. For studios, they gain high levels of exposure among players but in an environment where said players can wager directly on the action happening in the game. We also pay studios to be on the platform, opening up an additional line of revenue. For streamers, we provide a platform for them to be able to do what they love while earning a living and the security that comes with being an employee and part of a big team.

But let’s not also forget viewers and players. Livespins allows them to not only watch the explosive action taking place across the reels, but also get involved in a direct way by betting behind each spin. This creates a group bet and a shared experience, but with each player able to select their own bet amount and number of spins. They can also interact with the streamer and each other throughout, as well as add reactions and emojis. This takes the foundation of what they could experience on Twitch and supercharges it.

How does it do this in a responsible way? 

Livespins brings the streaming entertainment we know to be so popular and puts it in the hands of the operator – those that are working diligently to create safe and sustainable play for their customers and who have the tools to do so. From the very beginning, we at Livespins have also worked relentlessly to deliver pure sustainable entertainment to players all over the globe. Our streamers are recruited by us, vetted and trained for months on content and responsible gambling. And, we ensure moderators 24/7 making sure we are building a healthy community.

What does the future have in store for slot streaming? 

Some might consider Twitch banning online casino from its platform as the end of slot streaming, but we see it as just the beginning. Livespins is the platform and product to allow operators, studios and streamers to unlock the massively untapped potential on the table here and to do it responsibly and compliantly. The appetite for slot streaming content is only going to increase, and we are here to help all stakeholders leverage this and provide socially-charged, highly entertaining experiences to their players.

What do you think of Twitch’s decision to ban casino sites from being streamed on its platform? 

Twitch’s decision to ban remote licensed online casino sites from being streamed from its platform has made waves right across the industry. But at Livespins, we have long expected this moment to come, and what is now certain is that gambling on mainstream media platforms is, and likely always will be, volatile. That is why it is important for the industry to control the space and provide a healthy, highly engaging and, most importantly, sustainable solution. The opportunity that sits at the intersection of gambling and streaming is far too big for us not to.

How has this situation come about? Has the writing been on the wall for a while?

The ban comes in the wake of a campaign to oust gambling from the platform after top-tier streamer ItsSlicker admitted to having a gambling problem. It’s fair to say some sort of ban was already in the works with recent events likely to have forced Twitch to act sooner rather than later. For us, the writing has been on the wall for some time now.

You just have to look at the surging popularity of slot streaming, the increased competition among streamers and the lengthens they have been going to grow and retain their following to see things would have to change. Many streamers were opting to play with increasingly large and unsustainable bet amounts as well as partaking in sometimes offensive studio behaviour to generate clips and moments that would gather attention online – behaviour that was also starting to gather the attention of industry insiders, watchdogs, and regulators.

More worryingly, to afford these large bet sizes and increased hours spent gambling, many streamers were becoming sponsored in one way or another and not disclosing this arrangement to their audiences. This meant they were essentially misleading their viewers to think that their gambling was being done with their own funds when the reality was very different. Add into the mix the recent ban on the use of gambling links and ads within Twitch streams and it was clear to us that the house of cards was about to come tumbling down.

What impact will the ban have on online casino brands, slot studios and of course slot streamers? 

It is going to take a little time for the true impact of the ban to be understood. Twitch has been a touch ambiguous when it comes to exactly who the ban applies to – online casino brands that hold a licence in the US, or from another reputable jurisdiction, can continue to use the platform while the ban appears to only apply to online casinos and not sportsbook, etc. Streamers that have built their brands on slot streaming will also be heavily impacted for obvious reasons. I think it’s fair to say Twitch will be off limits for most operators, slot studios and streamers for quite some time, if indefinitely.

Does this spell the end of the relationship between streaming and online gambling? 

Not at all. Livespins was founded on the insight that a significant player segment clearly loves the slots streaming concept and the opportunity to engage with a community of like-minded individuals, the authenticity of streamers over more rigid live dealers and the overall organic nature of the streaming entertainment experience. We wanted to retain all of those features but leave behind the unsustainable behaviour that we have seen on Twitch. Our platform does just that – it integrates directly into the online casino game lobby with our team of superstar streamers playing slots from our roster of approved studio partners.

How does Livespins allow casinos, studios, and streamers to leverage the tremendous popularity of slot streaming? 

We bring all three parties together in one powerful, responsible, compliant solution. For licenced operators, the Livespins stream takes place directly within their casino and allows them to generate revenues from the bet behinds that players can make via our unique system. For studios, they gain high levels of exposure among players but in an environment where said players can wager directly on the action happening in the game. We also pay studios to be on the platform, opening up an additional line of revenue. For streamers, we provide a platform for them to be able to do what they love while earning a living and the security that comes with being an employee and part of a big team.

But let’s not also forget viewers and players. Livespins allows them to not only watch the explosive action taking place across the reels, but also get involved in a direct way by betting behind each spin. This creates a group bet and a shared experience, but with each player able to select their own bet amount and number of spins. They can also interact with the streamer and each other throughout, as well as add reactions and emojis. This takes the foundation of what they could experience on Twitch and supercharges it.

How does it do this in a responsible way? 

Livespins brings the streaming entertainment we know to be so popular and puts it in the hands of the operator – those that are working diligently to create safe and sustainable play for their customers and who have the tools to do so. From the very beginning, we at Livespins have also worked relentlessly to deliver pure sustainable entertainment to players all over the globe. Our streamers are recruited by us, vetted and trained for months on content and responsible gambling. And, we ensure moderators 24/7 making sure we are building a healthy community.

What does the future have in store for slot streaming? 

Some might consider Twitch banning online casino from its platform as the end of slot streaming, but we see it as just the beginning. Livespins is the platform and product to allow operators, studios and streamers to unlock the massively untapped potential on the table here and to do it responsibly and compliantly. The appetite for slot streaming content is only going to increase, and we are here to help all stakeholders leverage this and provide socially-charged, highly entertaining experiences to their players.

• Congratulations on receiving the Queen’s Award for Innovation. Can you tell us more about the award and why you received it?

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are probably the top, and most prestigious, awards programme in the UK. There are several categories, in our case we won the Queen’s Award for Innovation.

We won the award due to our data aggregation platform, Scout®, and its contribution to fighting financial crime and helping organisations with regulatory compliance across both the public and private sector. Scout® has proven to deliver significant ROI for businesses across the gambling, insurance, banking, legal and public sector. In the gambling sector our clients include Entain Plc, Betway and Buzz Bingo.

• What does receiving such an award mean to Synalogik and the team behind the business?

Along our journey we have been extremely lucky to get the support of some large multinationals and high-profile investors; however, receiving the Queen’s Award for Innovation has galvanised and given confidence to our team in different, in some ways more important, ways. We have always been driven by the desire to help and serve the wider public interest; therefore, to receive an independent award of this high calibre gives us an unmatched sense of pride that we are delivering on our mission.

With the sad news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, it is with deep regret, but great pride that we realise we are now going to be the last company to ever receive HRH Queen Elizabeth’s Award for Innovation.

• What makes your Scout data aggregation platform so effective?

Scout® is unique in its capability to aggregate data from open, closed, third party and proprietary sources, allowing investigators and analysts to query data efficiently and at scale. Scout® performs data collection in a fraction of the time it takes for users to manually log in and out of multiple data sources and investigation tools, even when looking at thousands of investigation points. Countless testing indicates Scout® saves up to 85% of their time compared to manual investigations.

This ability to aggregate all these data sources means that it is capable of automating complex enhanced due diligence checks and fraud investigations something that had not been possible before. Scout®, through saving time, enables your team to investigate more cases, in greater detail, at a lower cost; however, it’s benefits go beyond just time-consumption. It also improves the effectiveness of investigations by eliminating the human error and inconsistency that occurs when trying to compile reports and find links across information available in different browser windows and formats.

Synalogik was created in 2018 by experts from law enforcement, intelligence, and legal backgrounds, who were frustrated by the amount of time it was taking to pull together information when performing investigations manually. We therefore designed Scout® to include tools that would fundamentally address each of the pain points we had with the investigation process.  Besides wanting to create a single intelligence environment with a unified interface, we added automated report generation in numerous formats, the ability to visualise links between entities, the ability to clash data and do bulk uploads, an open source intelligence tool, risk and search workflows as well as the ability to break down data sharing barriers between branches and sub-brands with the Synalogik Knowledgebase.

• It is now used by 25% of the gambling industry – how does it benefit operators and what upsides does it enable them to unlock?

Scout helps operators to enhance their EDD, AML, and RG processes by combining their third-party data with open-source information (including adverse media). This means that their analysts only need to log into one platform to perform all the required checks, which is then displayed in a downloadable report and in the workbench within Scout.

We have seen from existing customers that the time taken to perform an investigation has reduced by as much as 85%, which is then allowing their analysts to focus on other business-critical tasks.

• Just how important is it for operators to meet the highest possible standards when it comes to affordability, AML, etc?

It’s incredibly important. As we’ve seen recently the UKGC are handing more fines out than ever to operators for failures, particularly around AML and social responsibility. I think operators understand that they are part of an ecosystem where it benefits everyone to ensure that laundered money is kept out of their businesses and that players can play in a fun way that is sustainable for their future and the future of organisations.

• How can operators prepare for any tightening of regulations in markets such as the UK? How can your platform help with this?

Tightening regulations inevitably mean that operators need to get better at spotting possible signs of criminals trying to launder money and players hiding their true financial situation. It is crucial therefore to learn more about the possible sources of data available and the insights they can give into the challenges mentioned above.

Open-source intelligence is now a mandated and key source of information for operators. Synalogik has carried out extensive research around identifying and risk assessing vulnerable individuals. In one such case found on the surface an individual who appeared to have no apparent vulnerabilities, however, through investigating more OSINT data sources, we were able to find mentions of his gambling addiction on several forums. If we had only used a limited number of data sources, this would have been missed, creating the potential for harm to the player and the operator.

Our platform is the only one that takes a data agnostic approach to aggregation of data, meaning we work with our operator clients to integrate the data sources they need to complete their risk assessments and checks to the optimal thoroughness. Being able to automate search and risk assessments over all their data sources gives them the time and tools to investigate more cases, in more detail.

In addition, it helps to improve analyst decisions – manually cross referencing and collating data from multiple datasets in different browser windows can easily lead to human error. Scout® creates standardised, in-depth, and clear reports, leaving operators and their teams free to focus on decision making.

Scout® open-source intelligence tool enables operators to create highly targeted automated searches around keywords, proximity, timeframe, and document type, eliminating false positives, and getting them to the right information in seconds.

Nanocosmos, well experienced provider of the interactive live streaming solution nanoStream Cloud for iGaming and betting platform operators, was awarded once again by the Streaming Media European Innovation Awards 2022. What is the secret?

It is a great honor to be awarded two yours in a row. Since we entered the market of interactive live streaming, we have helped to shape it. Yet our biggest secret still lies in our customer approach. We work closely with our clients to deliver a service they can rely on. Our 100% stability and 24/7 operations are key differentiators for the gaming industry.

With the a new upgrade of nanoStream Cloud that we launched this year we built on the integrated approach, but added new features for successful interactive live streaming. Our live streaming platform and API spans over a wide range of areas such as Adaptive and secure streaming, ultra-low latency to enable real-time interaction, advanced analytics, live metadata support, stream protection, 100% stability and reliability at a global scale.

What makes your streaming solution work particularly well for iGaming and betting platforms?

When it comes to live casinos and sports betting it is all about a seamless user experience. One of the major advantages that we are very proud of is that our platform is very robust and stable with 100% uptime, for all networks on a global scale. In addition you have adaptive streaming and the integrated approach – it is not about just doing one thing well, but about bringing all components under one roof. This is to make sure everything from ingest to playout, from support to player and analytics works well and supports the profitability of iGaming and betting platforms. It serves end-to-end observability and helps companies to make decisions that will shape profitability, experience and efficiency. nanoStream Cloud is all about 24/7/365 quality of service and quality of experience for the entertainment services of our clients.

With the return of in-person shows – what were the major milestones of this year’s launches that were shared and what are they aiming at?

At ICE 2022 we launched the new version of our nanoStream Player to achieve and maintain sub-second latency, yet stability for even bad networks on all devices, anywhere in the world. This fall at SBC Barcelona we show enhanced adaptive streaming service not only by making it much easier for customers to manage their live transcoded streams. In combination with the new player, nanoStream Cloud is now positioned to cover both as part of the standard package: Interactive live streaming with the possibility to achieve sub-second latency, including live transcoding and adaptive playback.

In addition  nanoStream Cloud users can now ingest using the RTMP, SRT and WHIP protocols for WebRTC ingest for improving connectivity, especially for remote ingest locations and higher bitrates and customers can benefit from added misuse protection to secure their streamed content.

What innovation do you see ahead for the iGaming and betting industry? 

There is a lot of room for innovation to be picked up by live gaming and betting operators, based on live video to share with their player audiences. Trends like „fast betting“ on sports create new ideas by operators for new types of games. 

What core challenges do you help to solve for platform operators?

We have seen continuous growth in terms of the importance and the market of interactive live streaming. It is a great opportunity to engage anyone worldwide based on live video content. We at nanocosmos aim to empower our clients to deliver video-based games and bets to their viewers with a 360 degree angle, end-to-end.

https://info.nanocosmos.de/nanostreamcloud