Tag: Interviews

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With younger generations of players now the target audience for operators and suppliers we are seeing an increase in non-traditional content hitting the market, including multiplayer and crash games. European Gaming spoke to a number of providers on the importance of innovating and evolving the casino offering to better suit player preferences.

Nikolay Illiustrov, Head of Games at Playson (NI)
Thomas Smallwood, Marketing Manager at ESA Gaming (TS)
Ivan Kravchuk, Chief Executive Officer at Evoplay (IK)
Arcangelo Lonoce, Head of Business Development at Habanero (AL)

 

What makes non-traditional content exciting in a market space where ‘slots are king’ and does this new genre make way for more innovation in iGaming?

NI: We believe that the fact that many younger customers arriving in online casinos are doing so without any prior knowledge of slots, be them online or land based. Whilst this is a challenge, it is also an opportunity for innovation.

Younger generations have grown up not just with different cultural influences but different forms of entertainment, such as mobile games and entertainment apps. Online slots are often a new experience, and it is not clear to them how games like this function. A game’s maths, features and even basic functionality are often alien to them.

To win them over and create longer playing sessions, developers need to provide context that is familiar to this audience. For example, we see lots of attempts to create “mobile-style” slots that relate to mobile games such as Scatter slots or Cluster Pays slots.

TS: I think it is natural that most operators want to appeal to a broader base with the content they offer. We all “consume” content on our mobiles differently than we did a few years ago, so from an acquisition perspective, as well as cross-selling from one vertical to another, non-traditional content gives more opportunities to engage with a different audience and retain those whose tastes are changing.

Non-traditional content gives more opportunity to innovate, but we certainly feel that this innovation is driven by what we see happening within certain demographics or sectors, rather than innovation for innovation’s sake. So, with purpose, non-traditional games like our sports-themed Goal Mine and Basketball Mine which have exciting goal or free-throw rounds, can genuinely attract new players. The same is true of our crash-style games, the format of which allows us to think outside of egaming norms.

IK: Evoplay has established itself as a leader in delivering innovation to the online casino space in many forms. With an aim of reforming the iGaming industry, we lead the way with unparalleled slots and instant games, featuring pioneering concepts that have never been seen on the market before.

Our flagship title, Star Guardians has become the perfect solution for millennial gamers, who now comprise 23% of the wider population. This generation has grown up surrounded by video games and new technologies, and naturally are in search of iGaming experiences that mimic the same excitement as modern products, while providing gambling elements to the play.

Another great example is our recently launched crash game, Goblin Run, with a runner mechanic and competitive spirit making the most of the industry’s obsession with crash-style experiences in recent months. We took a classic framework and introduced aspects of gamification, adding skins, ranks, and chat functions to enhance the social aspect and competitiveness of the experience. These titles alone demonstrate just how far we have come in terms of forcing our way into non-traditional content, and where we are heading on this impressive trajectory.

AL: Looking at the evidence, you can see that non-traditional content has been quite successful in our marketplace. Just look at crash games for example – they appeal to sports punters a lot more than slots do and have seen a meteoric rise this past year, simply due to the fact that they present a fresh idea of interaction and function at a fast pace, with multiple results being delivered in a limited amount of time. This makes them very appealing to players who might not like to spin reels and wait for wins.

I think most of the industry has come to the consensus that we need more non-traditional content, as currently it’s appealing to certain types of players. With that being said, we know that not all non-traditional content has proven successful with slot players. So, whether or not non-traditional content can be used to cross-sell slots, operators would be wise to target segmented demographics – such as those from different verticals.

 

What are the challenges when creating non-traditional content to ensure it appeals to the target audience?

NI: First and foremost, game design needs a lot of consideration. You need to rip up the rule book and consider options that will appeal to those who are not familiar with classic slots. This takes time, effort and investment and there is no guarantee that you will get it right every time, so it requires patience too. Given that niche solutions can be difficult to scale, you have to accept that there is a strong element of risk involved.

Lastly, and more importantly, you have to consider regulations. When entering a market with new mechanics you can’t be confident from day one about compliance, or how long the new game type will take to obtain all necessary licenses. There are very few overnight successes.

TS: Our lightweight mobile games do appeal to a large audience, therefore perhaps the biggest challenge is a lack of belief in non-traditional content. For example, although we can see in the figures the extent to which our EasySwipe™ games generate new revenue – and even help to increase turnover on sports – it requires the vision on the side of the operator to embrace this.

The flip side is that early adopters will also be able to learn more from the non-traditional content we, and other providers, develop. This intelligence will feed into bespoke content and of course greater power in acquiring a new generation of customers.

IK: If we’re talking about our 3D games, the main complexity lies in the implementation of various innovations in a cross-technology environment. To pull this off, it requires a thorough and fundamental development of every single component of a product. We often meet the challenge of implementing a concept’s design in the backend, while the adaption of our games to mobile platforms also requires a high level of attention to detail, especially in terms of the user interface and experience.

Thanks to our game engine Spinential, we can easily modify our products depending on market peculiarities and regulatory requirements. In addition to this, the engine allows us to add gamification elements to our titles, such as Bonus Buy and Jackpot features, making them even more attractive to audiences and operators.

AL: I can only speak for the non-traditional content we create ourselves, for example the content we produce wouldn’t necessarily appeal to those that want the crash games experience. But they will be presented in a different way from our traditional products. Take our Orbs of Atlantis title for example, the video slot doesn’t feature reels but is a game based on physics – where up to 80 different symbols fall and crash against each other, with adjacent symbols creating wins. This shows you can provide a mathematical model which is quite slot-based but deliver it in a way which appears to be different to slots.  It’s important to cater to different demographics that might be more interested in a slightly different experience to the one you find in slots. As far as we are concerned, we ensure that our production follows a strong mathematical model that you generally find in slots.

Creating content that’s less traditional will naturally come with some challenges depending on who you’re targeting. If you want to attract those that like quick results, virtuals or live sports then you must ensure that your non-traditional content speaks to them on a cultural level. It all depends on your demographics and what you have in mind when you created the product. At Habanero, the non-traditional content we create is primarily aimed at slot players, as we have a strong understanding of the experience they’re after.

 

How do you expect this genre to develop in the near future with player preferences forever evolving?

NI: This genre has already shown promise when it comes to development and meeting player preferences with the advent of crash and multiplayer games. The former cater for players who feel quite comfortable betting but demand a quick and simple format.

Meanwhile, multiplayer games represent a great opportunity of attracting emerging demographics, bringing a social element into games creates an illusion of playing together with millions of other players. This feeling of being part of a community and share a gambling experience has great potential.

Tournaments could be also an example of a multiplayer approach, but not traditional tournament mechanics with a leaderboard and single winner. Instead, they provide a competition between teams where players can communicate with each other and create a more social and engaging experience.

TS: We will continue to produce our sports-themed Mine series, with Tennis Mine being released later in the year and new crash-style games to follow. At the same time, we will look to learn from the end user to see how we can do things better. Our ethos is about being simple, fast and mobile, so providing we do not waver from this we are happy to continue evolving the content we produce.

From a wider viewpoint we are discussing with operators how we can tailor our games to suit their specific markets, so there will be more bespoke content in the future, and bespoke in this sense will mean more than just adding a logo. We feel a degree of localisation is a potential game-changer for non-traditional content.

IK: I am confident that non-traditional content will continue developing and involve more providers as they become inspired by the positive experiences of other industry representatives. While there will always be demand for traditional slot content, the demand for ground-breaking products will only increase as the industry grows, giving developers a huge scope to deliver creativity and innovation.

The main obstacle for other providers is the risk associated with emerging technologies that are still new to them. We have seen this with the HTML5 revolution, and we are seeing it now with innovations like the metaverse. Having spent several years experimenting with solutions and developing our leading game engine, we already know what to expect and how to make the most of this innovation, while others need to start afresh.

AL: It’s hard to say, but the evidence shows that these games are here to stay because they tap into the culture and psychology of key demographics. It won’t take anything away from traditional content, but you can see everyone experimenting with designs that communicate fresh themes and experiences to an audience, whilst working out of a mathematical model that the audience is more familiar with.

Some companies have proven to be very successful and have grown very quickly in this space; this doesn’t seem to be a fad and appears to be something that taps into player culture. If you look at the way the market is evolving, then you will notice that there’s a type of restlessness from stakeholders to deliver different experiences to players.

Look at fishing games in Asia: they have proven tremendously successful in that region but they’re something which might not work elsewhere for a number of reasons. With non-traditional content you always have to consider player experiences which happen outside the realm of gambling and seamlessly combine this with suitable mathematical model – you’ll always need to maintain that gambling core that appeal to the demographics you are speaking to.

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Can you tell us more about your new role as Director of Sales at Flows?
I’m excited to have the chance to help Flows achieve greater expansion by leading all the sales within the company.

How will you leverage your experience to drive growth at Flows?
I’ve worked in Sales for the last eight years of my career, largely in start-up companies that are now well recognized and established in our industry. I plan to replicate that success by building solid fundamentals to help the company grow stronger and stronger. Flows will become a key player in the industry, and we expect to build a big customer base, so I need to ensure that we have the proper structure and processes in place to achieve this goal.

What key challenges will you face in the role and how will you overcome them?
Being a Sales professional with a software development background gives me a great advantage when selling cutting-edge technological solutions like Flows. My main challenge will be to help the market understand Flows’ potential, and I’m thinking about a couple of different ways to achieve that.

One of them will probably be an extension of our video content strategy, releasing additional tutorials and educational content. Visiting key expos and showcasing our product will be crucial as well.

Where do you see the biggest opportunity for Flows within the industry?
The first time I saw the product, I was amazed by its potential. Flows is a product that can make every industry stakeholder’s life more productive and can create previously unimaginable opportunities. From Tier 1 operators to newcomers, and from slots producers to sportsbook suppliers, there are plenty of different use-cases that can be applied across the industry.

Is the industry doing enough to innovate compared to other sectors? How does Flows help with this?
One of the things I like about our industry is the constant search for innovation. Innovation is challenging, but it is the fuel every sector needs to move forward and evolve. Flows is one of the companies that will lead this evolution, allowing companies to evolve and change faster.

What can we expect from Flows over the next six months?
I have personally set a very high bar for Flows in the coming months. My plan is clear, and more PRs with new partnerships will follow soon.

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In March Relax Gaming, the igaming aggregator and supplier of unique content unveiled their latest innovation, its Dream Drop Jackpots product, a five-tiered progressive jackpot designed to revolutionise slot gameplay, offering players the biggest must-hit jackpot to date.

European Gaming caught up with the company’s CCO Nadiya Attard on how the product is faring in the European market.

 

Snake Arena and Temple Tumble 2 are two incredibly exciting games. Can you tell us a bit more about why you chose these games to introduce Dream Drop?

The thought process behind the Dream Drop mechanic took more than a year of planning and careful analysis, so when it came to applying it to a slot game, we approached it with the same dexterity. Temple Tumble 2 and Snake Arena are both blockbuster titles as a result of their unique mechanics, beautiful graphics and, fantastic long-term results. These elements make both games ideal for introducing a new functionality like Dream Drop to our audience as it provides a comfortable mix of familiarity and originality. Just one month since the launch of our debut title, Temple Tumble 2 Dream Drop, and it’s clear that the game choice has resonated with players.

 

What can you tell us about future titles that Dream Drop will be added to?

The first stage of launching the functionality sees us using familiar titles to expose our players to new material, encouraging them to experiment with the mechanic – something imperative to this early phase of the product’s lifecycle. Following this, we’ve got a roadmap packed with brand new hot titles to add to the Dream Drop space. Once the mechanic has earned the trust and esteem of our audiences they should expect to see some even more exciting games paired with Dream Drop.

 

In which markets has Dream Drop seen particular uptake?

Dream Drop has worked tremendously well across all our key markets including Scandinavia and the UK but has also had Major winners as far away as Peru – where for as little as €2, someone won the jackpot! The initial uptake has been fantastic, and we are looking forward to expanding its reach. As a studio, we’re well-known for having ambition and not being afraid to think outside the box, we wanted to use this reputation to make a bold statement, both to slot enthusiasts and the rest of the industry.

It became clear almost immediately that we didn’t want to develop another classic legacy-type jackpot that was already commonplace in these markets, however we were also quite aware that innovating in such a crowded space would be a challenge, but we’re confident we’ve pulled it off.

 

Are there plans to customise this to the North American market?

Given our strong foothold in Europe, we are excited about offering as much of the Relax portfolio, including our showcase products, in the emerging and rapidly growing North American markets. With regards to the Dream Drop functionality, launching in the region will rely heavily on the ability to have countries or states share in liquidity aspects. Analysis and surveying of the landscape are currently underway and we’re eager to see how we can bring such a fantastic offering to a broader player-base.

 

Before the launch, Relax indicated that these jackpots would drop more frequently than those in other traditional jackpot slots. Has this been the case so far?

Absolutely! In just seven weeks we have had over 280,000 winners and 11 major winners. With our jackpot heating up every other week, and operator feedback flooding in, it seems to be shaping up to be one of the best-performing global jackpots in the industry today.

 

The five-tiered progressive jackpot is inspired. Can you tell us about the thinking behind this and how players are reacting to it?

As with most of our productions, the inspiration is derived from listening to our operators’ feedback on their perception of the market and what their players are looking for. Aiming to innovate from the start, we began by looking at the traditional jackpots currently occupying the space, most of which are open-ended meaning that they can go months without dropping. We brought something entirely different to the table with our must-win functionality. We believe in finding the sweet spot between mounting excitement in our players and awarding gratification, with fairness given top priority; Dream Drop aims to do just that with its frequent jackpot drops.

 

What’s the ultimate long-term goal for Relax Gaming’s Dream Drop Jackpot?

Our goal is to be the number one jackpot provider in the industry for all the right reasons, such as fairness, exciting gameplay, innovation, exceeding operators’ targets, and ultimately reinvigorating the jackpot sector.

As with every product vertical we explore, we aim to bring something fresh to the table, remaining rooted in differentiation and never backing down from a challenge. At Relax, we only launch products that we truly believe in and continually build upon successes. In the case of Dream Drop, we’re already working on promotional tools and campaigns that are set to roll out shortly and give it an additional boost.

 

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Give us a quick overview of your entrance into the games industry and what made you decide to join it?

Before entering the gaming space, Gismart had earned a name as a top music entertainment app developer for an array of popular gamified music products such as Beat Maker Go, Piano Crush and many others. Looking for ways to grow and diversify our company portfolio, in 2019, we decided to add another business vertical and established an internal studio called Flime by Gismart. We dived deep into the development and publishing of mobile lightweight games, focusing on trendy hyper-casual genres and instant games for social platforms. The hyper-casual market was on the rise, not that saturated yet, so we saw it as a good opportunity to utilize our expertise in hypothesis testing which is crucial for this genre. Besides, we appreciated the simplicity of its mechanics and relevantly quick production so we had more room for trial and error. Within two years, we released a couple of dozen games for mobile and social platforms with many of them reaching the top gaming charts (ex. Cool Goal!, Body Race, Foil Turning 3D, etc.) and generating over 450 million downloads overall. Working in the hyper-casual market,  the team built effective processes in a very short time, as well as tested a large number of hypotheses. In 2021 we made our next step moving towards the casual genre and decided to explore puzzle games. It is a busy and challenging market with some strong competition. However, we have had success with our first game Cross Logic and are now actively working on new titles. We consider puzzle games to be a better investment in the long run. We also recently established a new business related to blockchain gaming projects and NFTs.

What does your role as VP of Business Development and Marketing at Gismart entail?

I focus on sourcing, negotiating and executing strategic partnerships across Gismart business verticals mainly related to product branding and marketing. I also build and develop long term and quality relationships and lead communications at Gismart. My role includes mobile product marketing and monetization, app distribution partner management (Apple App Store, Google Play, Facebook Instant Games, Snap Gaming, TikTok Gaming), product branding, PR and HR branding. Some of my proudest milestones include nurturing flagship partnerships between Gismart and household name entertainment brands such as UMPG, Sony/ATV and Warner Chappell, as well as the collaboration between The Chainsmokers and Gismart’s hit Beat Maker Go music app.

Women remain largely underrepresented in the global games industry. How does Gismart approach this, and what advice would you give to women who want to work in the industry?

It is an issue especially if we talk about senior ranks of companies. I am glad that this subject is constantly raised in the media as it helps the change to happen faster. I believe there are two things to fight – stereotypes and company practices. However,  speaking of the Gismart gender ratio it is very balanced. The ratio between males and females is 1:1.

Gismart is perhaps best known as a publisher of mobile games. What’s the recipe for a hit mobile game in 2022? 

I can’t give a recipe but I can say how we approach building high-potential products at Gismart. We have an expert R&D team to explore global trends and conduct in-depth marketing research. Understanding the niche to find a gap for something fresh and exciting for users is an important task.  After making sure that the game concept is relevant, we move on to creating a basic game prototype and perform a market test to understand the metrics. There are three key factors that most likely indicate that a game has a high potential – low CPI, high LTV and product scalability. The data-driven approach is what we stand by. Gismart has several analytical tools for in-depth market research, quick idea tests, and advanced product analytics that help us make a final decision.

How did Apple’s changes to marketing on iOS in 2021 affect Gismart?

Similarly to the rest of the market, we have been affected by the changes related to IDFA. This has significantly affected the traffic buying on iOS, and it has certainly become more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. It also made it harder and more expensive to run product tests on Facebook. On the positive side, these changes forced us to delve into other purchasing channels, and change and improve approaches to testing new product ideas. We also definitely go for more technological experiments on the marketing side related to user acquisition through web traffic.

Many of your games are available on social media sites such as Snap and Facebook. Why do social networking apps want gaming content in general?

Social platforms have an undeniably huge audience and games are a new form of communication. We saw an opportunity for growth in this business and some of our team members who are now leading Flime by Gismart had the experience of building one of the first games for Facebook. Today we have over ten social platform games available on Facebook and Snapchat. Color Galaxy on Snap Games became one of the most successful games on the platform quickly after its launch and after two years still holding its position.

In general, social platforms see games as one of the instruments to entertain and retain the audience, increasing the time they spend on the platform. Besides retention, having quality games provides the platform with other benefits, such as improved user experience, new forms of communication and interaction between users, and, of course, additional monetization for social platforms.

Gismart also makes and publishes wider entertainment apps such as music and wellness. Why did the company decide to diversify its focus from mobile games?

We started with entertainment music apps. Alex, one of the company founders’ is a self-taught guitar player and the first Gismart app was a guitar app.  After the successful launch of the first product, our portfolio of music entertainment apps has grown to over 15 different apps over time. Then came our expansion to games. Wellness, as well as the pet care vertical with flagship product Woofz, was established about a year ago. Both businesses are relatively new but already established their name on the market and have a substantial number of users. All of the verticals operate as independent businesses and Gismart provides them with consulting and mentorship, all kinds of resources and tools and infrastructure. So in a way, today Gismart operates as some sort of business incubator with some of the verticals having already outgrown the startup stage.

Last question – what can we expect to see from Gismart and from yourself during the remainder of 2022?

Gismart has very exciting and challenging plans across all verticals. Speaking of casual games, we’ll continue expanding our portfolio of HTML5 games on Facebook Instant and Snap Games. We also plan to introduce our mini-games on new major social platforms. Also, we plan to soft-launch our new blockchain project.

Speaking of apps, we will continue to upgrade and develop our products in music entertainment. We are working on expanding our music partners’ circle to bring more unique, fresh music to the table. As for wellness and pet care verticals – the focus is on product and working on features to enrich the user experience and facilitate product growth. We hope to see a few new products earning their spot on the top chart.

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Thanks for taking the time to chat, Joe. Can you tell us more about the concept of Gift & Go?

Gift & Go is an innovative gifting technology that leverages the power of Amazon Prime to help online casinos quickly, cost-effectively and easily acquire and retain players at scale. It allows player reward managers to access millions of products and a global distribution network to create fully customisable incentive and loyalty campaigns in minutes, but with no stock, no storage and no shipping to worry about. This gives casinos and most importantly, players, the freedom to choose the perfect gift each time, every time.

 

What are the main benefits that it allows operators to unlock, especially when it comes to acquisition and retention? 

Operators know that in order to attract new players, they must stand out from their rivals and offer something different. Because competition is so fierce, casinos must have incentives and rewards that deliver true value to players and that cannot be matched by the competition. Gift & Go gives operators the platform they need to do this and to really stand out.

Instead of players being offered the same rewards available at other brands, Gift & Go allows operators to ditch these traditional incentives and instead let players select from literally millions of different reward options. This is because our platform harnesses the power of Amazon Prime to give players the freedom to choose for themselves and not from two or three or a small selection of products. We provide real, infinite choice.

They can also instantly customise rewards by size, type, colour, etc with immediate delivery using Amazon’s global distribution network. And it is this unrivalled choice that keeps players playing. Gift & Go supercharges retention because players can see the huge range of rewards available and they want to make multiple selections. Of course, this means they have to keep playing if they are to earn those all-important loyalty points they need to access more products.

 

Operators are looking at different ways of spicing up their loyalty and rewards schemes with many turning to gamification. What does Gift & Go offer in this regard?

Gamification has become an almost critical aspect of any player reward and incentive experience, and this is something that we have built into Gift & Go from day one. Our platform gives operators a selection of options for every player acquisition and retention campaign they run. This includes everything from sweepstakes and give-aways to fully integrated loyalty programs with multiple tier levels.

We also have a number of Win/Lose gamification themes including Spin to Win, raffles and scratch cards. They’re all highly effective ways for casinos to provide top quality, highly personalised reward experience to their players, while still limiting the number of winners. This gives operators the chance to open up their acquisition and retentions campaigns to a much larger range of demographics, boosting the number of players they win and keep.

We are also working directly with some of our customers to leverage the power of our custom API integrations to create highly bespoke gamification features that allow them to take engagement to the next level and build fan bases unrivalled in their size and loyalty to their brands.

 

How does Gift & Go align with current gifting trends within the sector that we are seeing across Europe?

Regulations are tightening in markets across Europe, and this is impacting the way that operators reward loyalty and especially when it comes to VIP players. Take the UK as an example; operators are changing the terms of their VIP programmes and shifting budgets. We are now seeing more gifting options at the very highest VIP levels for players who are unaffected and less spend at the lower levels where budgets have been cut.

In Europe, we have many hyper-localised clients who prefer to have a selection of localised gifts for each of the markets they target. We offer Prime shipping in 18 countries inside Europe which our clients are taking advantage of. This includes markets such as Italy, France, Belgium and Spain where we can offer millions of products via Amazon. Over the past 12 months, the most popular gifting products have been consumer electronics, technology and smart home items.

 

What can we expect from Gift & Go throughout the rest of the year and beyond?

We are going to continue to focus on improving our user interface so that we can deliver the absolute best experience to our customers. We were recently granted Amazon’s highly sought-after P1 Preferred Partner status, making us the only gifting technology provider on their platform. We have also just released a new, truly dynamic product selection experience that integrates seamlessly with core Amazon systems. In addition, we have some truly exciting developments in the pipeline with a number of clients that will see them roll out highly bespoke gaming experiences to their players via our custom API integrations.

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At the beginning of 2022, 3 Oaks Gaming became the newest entrant to the iGaming industry and is intent on making an immediate impact. The business model is clear – working alongside up and coming game studios to bring their content into regulated markets worldwide, as well as providing operators with intriguing concepts that enhance their offering.

European Gaming caught up with Sebastian Damian, Managing Director of 3 Oaks Gaming, to understand more about the iGaming distributor’s strategic plans and how it intends to cut through the noise within a crowded marketplace.

 

What does 3 Oaks Gaming bring to the industry that will allow it to stand out?

3 Oaks Gaming aims to become a vital piece of the value chain that brings benefits to both independent studios and casino operators. We’ll be distributing exciting content produced by emerging developers into regulated markets worldwide. Crucially, most of these games will have been previously unavailable in regulated jurisdictions, so we’re facilitating the right for this content to be accessible to a wider audience.

Our business model will also provide operators with an opportunity to add fresh entertainment and further diversify their online offering, both with interesting games and supporting promotional tools that deliver robust engagement rates. We truly believe our distribution model will bring huge value to operators and game studios.

 

Which key regulated markets is 3 Oaks Gaming targeting and why?

Firstly, obtaining an Isle of Man licence was an important starting point for us, with the iGaming hub holding a track record of enabling business growth for our industry. Over the coming months, we will actively acquire licences to supply our content and services across numerous regulated markets that are rapid growly. In the short term, Sweden, Colombia, Romania, Malta and Georgia will be the initial regions we target and are confident that our products can make an immediate difference for operators in need of exciting content.

Also in the pipeline, we plan on gaining licences within Italy, Bulgaria and many others, which we feel will allow us to build real momentum and elevate the business to new heights. Of course, the US and Latin America are experiencing major growth with several territories embracing regulation, and both will be long-term targets for 3 Oaks Gaming.

 

With plenty of markets embracing regulation, how quickly can you expect to expand and support operators across multiple jurisdictions?

We are hugely ambitious and believe 3 Oaks Gaming can expand quickly, especially as we know that demand for new content is extremely high. So many independent studios in our industry are bringing intriguing features and concepts to market. Our role is to deliver those to regulated markets, providing a helping hand to these studios so more players can experience them.

There has already been plenty of interest in our products in regulated markets, and it is something we’re looking to capitalise on. As with every new business, much of the hard work is around building brand awareness and educating the industry on what 3 Oaks Gaming has to offer. As part of this, we are undertaking increased marketing initiatives and sponsoring the GAT Expo in March is just one of example of what we have in store for 2022. Industry events will serve as an important source to generate new business leads and we will be travelling the globe to help spread the world of our new offering.

 

What can we expect in the near future from 3 Oaks Gaming?

Hopefully, lots of exciting developments and commercial agreements that will illustrate our ambitions to make a real impact. We are close to securing licences in numerous iGaming markets, such as Malta, Bulgaria, Italy and Romania, which is already gaining interest from multiple operators and studios who can understand that we mean business.

Alongside our expansion into new markets, building our content offering is a huge priority for us. We have assembled an impressive games offering already, but are eager to introduce more varied content that meets the demands of multiple player preferences.

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Q: Is the online gambling industry lagging behind others when it comes to UX?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

Although we are seeing substantial improvement, the simple answer is yes, when you compare the industry to other digital industries and their giants like Netflix, Spotify, Amazon – it is clear that these companies invest heavily in differentiating themselves from others in their field, offering customers with the most user-friendly and effective browsing experience. As an industry, our focus has heavily been on the content we release, innovation and adapting to constant change, which can distract our focus on user experience optimisation. It is understandably quite a challenge given that the industry has grown at such a fast pace and we’re often faced with regulatory changes, even impacting the way we can promote games on site, which means that every market has different UX requirements.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the very foundations of businesses from different industries, forcing them to adapt to changing times at a much faster pace. More and more businesses realized the importance of building their online presence as the world retreated indoors. We can say that the gambling industry is somewhat more conservative hence lagging behind tech, travel or big data, yet there are certain markets (like EU) which are focusing a lot of attention on UI/UX.

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

We are operating in an online industry, estimated to be worth more than $50bn which says to me we are doing something right. The industry is incredibly competitive and in order to acquire and retain players, UX has to be a priority for anyone hoping to drive a successful business and experience substantial growth.

Competition also drives innovation and our industry is renowned for pioneering technology that provides the best UX available. This not only applies to the moment players arrive at the lobby but also the choice of games, easy navigation, player personalisation, but also to more compliant requirements that are in place to ensure player protection. UX is everything and I believe the gambling industry truly thinks about the end to end player journey and what that UX looks like.

There will always be some incredible examples outside of gambling that surprise and impress us, and this is great, because it’s also important to be regularly inspired and learn how we can adapt new technologies to enhance our own industry.

 

Q: Casino game lobbies have not drastically changed in many years – why is this?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

The focus through the years has very much been around providing players with the best content and engagement before and whilst playing the games. This includes tailored content targeted at specific players based on their preferences, intriguing offers and engaging gamification experiences such as tournaments and missions, often offering massive prize pools. This was always the most effective way in attracting players to browse games, however as markets regulate and marketing becomes more limited, optimisation of your shop window becomes integral in allowing players to find content which they enjoy.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

This is again a matter of the markets we are looking at. The more technically evolved countries have also brought in a better UX and are constantly updating their online gambling offering. We can easily tell the difference between operators active in Africa versus Europe. So lesser tech progress attracts conservativeness.

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

At a glance, I can understand how one might think that lobbies have largely stayed the same in terms of format, however there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. Casinos have gone from offering players hundreds of games to thousands of games across multiple verticals. Today, players are provided with all the tools to navigate the lobby, with filtering systems, game categories, etc and operators are now finding ways of using the information they glean from player behaviour to  come up with new and interesting ways to present games that the player would enjoy most.

 

Q: What technologies/solutions are available to help deliver a more personalised experience?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

We are definitely not short of data in our industry, which is the key ingredient to developing a personalized gaming experience. We spend hours on hours every day drilling down on deep dive analysis, with the end goal to deliver the most dedicated user journey. There are also third party companies specializing in content analysis and building personalized frameworks. Apart from this, with the tremendous volume of games on display and influx of new content being released on a daily basis, having a smooth content management system is essential. I would say there should be a balance of a refined game recommendation engine, with the touch of human experience as the ideal approach to achieve this experience, since our industry is constantly evolving, with new game types constantly being innovated by game studios – we need to ensure we are always on top of the current trends.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

There are several tools that have been widely used in the past years to shape the UI/UX and they will keep on having an important role. Yet it’s only natural that designers and developers alike will look into the emerging UX technologies like Voice UI (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana), touchless gesture control, AI, VR and others. The industry will need to adapt as the trends show us the users being more and more connected to emerging technology.

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

Going back to the previous question about UX, personalisation plays a large part in this. If a client doesn’t feel like they feel valued or that they belong, then they’re not going to want to stick around. An operator can provide the most immersive and thrilling content, but without ensuring personalisation is a priority within their UX ambitions, then it will not be money well spent.

There are a number of technologies available and many of which are easily integrated into iGaming platforms. These can range from extremely advanced solutions using many data points that will subsequently start learning player preferences by recommending games they are likely to enjoy or more simple solutions that allows you to present a range of games to be presented to a group of players qualifying into some set criteria’s.

The implementation of AI has also played a huge factor when it comes to personalisation and has been a hugely valuable tool in driving overall engagement throughout the player journey leading to increased wagering activity and ultimately maximising the lifetime value of each customer.

 

Q: Why is delivering a personalised experience so important for the player?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

Picture yourself as a person who is opening an online casino page for their first time, all you are presented with is a bunch of game thumbnails, perhaps some important information about the game, as well as the option to filter through the various game offerings and studios. As an average player, this massive selection can be quite overwhelming and often the player will choose a game related to an offer, or one of the first games they see on the page. If one of the first games you enter is an extremely volatile game for instance, as an average player you could deplete your balance instantly and get the opinion that you cannot win. We are building some brilliant content in this industry and there is absolutely something for any type of player, how you guide a player to making their choice of game is key to their perception of playing online.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

Focusing on customers and testing different options is key in determining the most relevant and effective UX for online gambling. Various types of screen resolutions and browsers need to be supported to ensure an equally easy and enjoyable experience for the players. Moreover, operators need to make sure they consider every step users might take to find a game, access help, search and any reasons why they might want to abandon the site/app. The quicker users get to their goal, the more frequently they are likely to return to the same operator.

 

Q: What opportunities does it present the operator?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

The obvious opportunity is of course a far greater customer engagement and retention. By delivering a personalized experience from a UX point of view, every time a player logs in to their account, they are not seeing a static page, but ideally a fully customized experience. Retention is key in any industry, it is cheaper to retain players than acquire, I believe that the user experience, especially looking ahead, is going to be key in judging site stickiness and brand loyalty. Players are spoilt for choice nowadays, with new brands always being launched, the user journey is more important than ever.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

Personalization is at the heart of a comprehensive customer experience. The benefits of good UI/UX are measurable and research shows us the importance of proper personalization:

• the ROI is likely to increase 5 to 8 times and sales by 10%
• personalized calls to action convert 200% better
• 90% of users are likely to be willing to share their behavioral data if the operator can make their experience faster and easier

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

Investing in personalisation is a necessary approach by most operators because without it, it will dramatically reduce the lifetime value of that player. Therefore, the opportunities are all around ensuring the retention of players. I think that Game Recommendation Engines in all their various forms are maturing, and there is a lot of focus and investment going into that. CRM personalisation has also come on leaps and bounds, enabling operators to offer an end to end level of personalisation.  This is particularly valuable when we engage with our players via Customer Support and/or Payments. The chat bots are great at taking care of many FAQs, and this undoubtedly expediates many requests on behalf of our players.

However, there will always be situations where players will need a real human interaction to solve a problem. Therefore, I think we have a great opportunity to improve how we respond to these types of enquiry; such as, why do I have to explain my problem to a customer representative and why have they not got the technology and tools to see what my problem is before I start talking to them? The stuck game rounds, spins that didn’t pay out correctly or bonuses that didn’t trigger or release is the type of information buried deep in 3rd party systems and can be accessed if you are guided where to look. I think we can make significant improvements in that area and empower 1st line support more to give help more promptly, rather than start collecting the information from the user to start up the investigation. Furthermore, as an industry we still need to continue to invest into empowerment of our 1st line. This is one of the few chances we get to communicate directly with our players, and you do not get a better opportunity to change a bad experience into a positive one. I am still amazed when I gamble around casinos and need help and still get hit with the same response that I got 10 years ago: “we need to escalate to the relevant department” answers, we need to minimise this to the absolute necessary level.

 

Q:  How do you see casino game lobbies and the way content is pushed to players changing?

Betsson – Janick Bonnici – Gaming Content Optimisation Manager

I imagine that lobbies will come more alive with more customization on the user-end. The average shelf-life of a new game is becoming shorter and shorter, given the volume of content coming through, as a result the decay curve of a new game release is also much quicker. Everyone wants that front-page exposure, therefore judging that a game sticks from the beginning is vital. This should tie in with games becoming more feature-rich, which guarantees that they’ll be pushed through in more categories and filtering, thus granting them more exposure. We should aim to move away from static looking lobbies and bring online casino pages to life, really bringing forward the exciting experience and thrill which you experience in-game, before you even open the game.

Gamingtec – Andrei Beu – Commercial Director

Online casino operators generate huge volumes of data on a daily basis, and within this data there are plenty of indicators as to player preferences in each market. Identifying and monitoring trends in each market enables the operators to determine which games/providers they should promote, also allowing them to create bespoke content.

There is a series of factors to consider if you want to really engage with your players as an operator and the change will likely be based on behavioral data as well as emerging tech allowing the operators to provide a unique UI/UX.

Press Enter – Hampus Eriksson – Chief Product Officer

Our industry is constantly innovating and it won’t be long before it’s introducing a much more advanced way of serving the games and marketing information that players want to receive. I also think that for the more casual and recreational player, there might be a slower uptake in any significant changes to the game lobby but who knows – watch this space!

 

Reading Time: 9 minutes

 

In recent years, mobile-first gaming has rapidly risen as smartphone companies continuously enhance their products, making it easier for players to access games whilst on the go. This technological development has brought forward an industry shift, that has seen iGaming companies redirect their focus towards mobile-first content.

With more and more companies embracing the increase in mobile gaming, we explored the success of this new generation offering and what the future holds.

 

According to you, what brought forward the increase in mobile-first gaming?

Arcangelo Lonoce – Head of Business Development at Habanero:

The watershed moment came a number of years ago when smartphones finally managed to deliver a properly premium gaming experience. Indeed, phones have improved exponentially to the point where you could argue that mobile technology is as good as if not better than desktop.

This has been made possible by the improvements in ‘light betting’, by which I mean data, allowing players to enjoy parallel matches etc. When you can reach that point, laptop gaming becomes obsolete as you can flick through just as seamlessly as on desktop. Just of course like the wider world, when it comes to relaxing on the couch, mobile will always be your primary channel over a laptop – whether that’s shopping, gaming or Instagram.

Of course, with HTML5 becoming ubiquitous and flash disappearing has accelerated the mobile-gaming trend. You can look at emerging markets or countries that never went through the ‘laptop era’, as given the leap in tech developments in the last decade, it means that smartphones are simply more affordable and accessible to players than MacBooks ever will be. Latin America is a great example of this.

Vladimir Malakchi, CCO at Evoplay:

The accelerated growth and penetration of global smartphone usage across every corner of the world is the key driver behind the impressive rise we have seen in smartphone gaming. Data from 2021 reveals that over 6 billion people use mobile phones worldwide, and this number continues to grow, with the 5G standard being one of the catalysts. Emerging markets are catching up fast too – with the majority of regions now greatly investing in the development of mobile technology.

In addition to this, according to our research, three-quarters of gamblers prefer to play on mobile, doing so every 4.2 days on average. Other sources show that in 2020, 50% of the online gambling revenue came from mobile, which isn’t surprising as 75% of traffic belongs to mobile. The numbers clearly don’t lie, and the high demand for mobile gaming is a call to action for suppliers to accept this trend.

Thomas Smallwood, Head of Marketing at ESA Gaming, comments:

A mix of technology and convenience is the short answer. Mobiles now provide a simpler and faster way for players to enjoy their favourite games. It’s fair to say that the trend towards mobile has also probably been accelerated during the pandemic as the move from retail to online has quickened.

Madis Raus – Head of OneTouch:

Obviously, the widespread use of smartphones and availability internet has had a positive effect on mobile-first gaming. These days people use mobile devices to perform certain tasks, their far easier to use and more accessible than laptops and desktops. Additionally, mobile devices allow people to do things whenever and wherever they want, whether they’re commuting or simply passing time.

By making the mobile-gaming experience seamless and engaging at the same time, players will continue using mobile devices for entertainment. This is something which will naturally increase over time, as mobile devices continue advancing and being capable to perform at higher standards.

 

Are there any verticals that perform better on smartphones? And how can developers improve those verticals that don’t work as efficiently?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

As an expert on slots and table games – I would say table games are inherently easier to develop and render when performing on smartphones compared to slots, but if we look at numbers, slots are dominant, with a market share of around 85% or so, which shows that the player demand this vertical more than any other.

However, looking at table games, there’s a lot to be said about performance. They have excellent stable rates of acquisition and retention – so there is less motivation to tweak a formula that is clearly working. They also have higher average bets, greater lifetime value and from a mathematical and user interface viewpoint, I would certainly rank them up there as one of the best performers.

Given market demand though, we can assume slots will always retain the lion’s share. So how does one improve the vertical? Stories, subject matter and narrative are key, as is the UI, although we mustn’t forget, it all starts with the maths – you need to get that right first, and then you can start talking other improvements.

Vladimir Malakchi:

Actually, all verticals and mechanics perform well on smartphones. However, while creating a product for hand-held devices, there are key principles to follow: easy-to-understand UX, simplicity of a game, uncomplicated graphics, and adaptation to vertical view.

One thing is for sure – it makes no sense for suppliers to choose a specific type of game to develop for smartphones. The fundamental point is to accept that the mobile-first approach is a basic demand for players.

Thomas Smallwood:

I think sports betting is a natural vertical for mobile. With the ability to play high-quality live streams on mobile devices, in-play betting is no longer just for retail or desktop and the fact that bets can be placed anytime, anywhere is a major factor.

The limit in phone storage also means that casino can be trickier on mobile, especially in apps where users often need to download the games they want to play exactly because of this limitation.

These are two factors behind ESA Gaming’s development of ultra-lightweight games for sportsbooks. The EasySwipe suite of games is accessed through a widget we have designed and developed which enables players to seamlessly move between games and sports bets rather than being re-directed to another part of the site or a cumbersome casino page. The sports betting experience is unhindered and conversion to casino games happens at lower cost.

Madis Raus:

Mobile device usage differs slightly from desktop usage, this means that mobile users have different expectations. Since people use mobiles to pass time or when they’re in between things, the attention span of the mobile user is often shorter, these are things to consider when providing content to them.

In my opinion it’s the matter of the speed of games rather than specific verticals, fast games tend to perform better, as the player doesn’t need to wait too long, which is a bonus especially when they’re looking to kill some time.

To improve further, developers need to consider the peculiarities of mobile device usage and think about ways of implementing content that doesn’t depend on usage patterns, making the products more appealing and engaging to players.

 

What are the difficulties of adopting games to function on smartphones?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

Habanero as a company operates with a mobile-first approach, therefore, we don’t find any real challenge when it comes to rendering games on mobile since our products are designed with smartphones in mind. After all, we disposed of Flash in 2015 and since then we have always developed our games using HTML5.

Vladimir Malakchi:

Adapting a visual component to all models of smartphones, including early versions, isn’t an easy task but is possible thanks to cutting-edge technologies. They allow us to create visually stunning products compatible with most smartphones. The optimisation of UX, UI, resolution and graphics for all platforms is the main priority, as we want to ensure that our players get high-quality content on any device.

Another challenge, which we have also overcome, is the amount of data used by games. Our proprietary game engine Spinential, developed in-house has been a real gamechanger for us, accelerating the loading speed and optimising the storage capacity. This solution has been designed with a purely mobile-first approach in mind, and we’ve really reaped the benefits.

Thomas Smallwood:

The obvious thing is the greatly reduced screen space and the practicality of a hand-held device. Because of this, we have chosen to develop ‘mobile-first games’ and move away from adapting desktop content. This means every aspect of the game is thought out with the mobile user in mind, ideally with the ability to do everything just with a thumb. Of course, the challenge is to make everything on the screen accessible, so it is a constant evolution as the user demands more features.

Madis Raus:

Different game types have different elements, for slots it may be the screen ratio, for example how to make symbols as big as possible and still keep the popular grids. Alternatively for Live games, you need to consider the screen size, ensuring that the player can see what is happening in the stream and whether the cards shown are in sync with what’s being reported etc.

As mentioned above, when adapting games, it’s important to consider the peculiarities of mobile device usage, developers must think about ways they can make games as fast and seamless as possible but at the same time still engaging on a smaller screen.

 

How fundamental is it for operators and developers to adopt a mobile-first strategy?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

It’s extremely important, otherwise you’re missing out on 80% of the market! There were some suppliers that were very late to the HTML5 adoption, which made it incredibly frustrating for operators – plenty of which I saw first-hand back when I was at BetVictor during the 2010s. To put things into perspective today, you simply cannot launch a game as without considering a mobile-first approach, since you’re forgoing an absolutely huge amount of revenue.

Moreover, mobile gaming allows people to play remotely, therefore players don’t need to depend on a desktop or laptop to participate in their hobby. With mobiles advancing and 5G becoming the norm, we’re now looking at a whole new world of possibilities to enhance mobile-first even more, the ramifications of which will be huge, especially when it comes to content and loading speeds.

Vladimir Malakchi: 

Keeping in mind the number of global smartphone users, prioritising mobile devices when creating gaming products is a must. Moreover, it is expected that in a couple of years, this number will grow to seven billion. Currently, the US, China and India lead the list of countries with the highest rate of mobile penetration. However, as the latest data shows, the potential of emerging markets in regard to mobile usage shouldn’t be underestimated. This is a direct sign for suppliers to throw all efforts on products focused on mobile gamblers. The mobile-first approach isn’t just a trend, it is a philosophy, which is getting more and more supporters. There is no better time to embrace mobile-gaming than now.

Thomas Smallwood:

You could argue it is a percentages game. When desktop provided the higher user count it made sense to develop content for desktop. With the advancements in mobile technology, the increased numbers using mobile and the loyalty associated with apps I think a ‘mobile-first’ strategy is key in the growth of any gaming brand.

Madis Raus: 

This is very essential, especially when it comes to companies surviving in this extremely volatile industry. Just by looking at how much traffic is already generated from mobile channels, you can see how strong the area is, and there’s nothing that indicates a potential decrease in mobile device usage.

If companies wish to attract modern players, it is really essential to adopt a mobile-first strategy, as modern players will look for a seamless mobile experience, if it isn’t available on your brand then they will simply look elsewhere.

 

With smartphones continuing to evolve, what does the future hold for mobile-first gaming?

Arcangelo Lonoce:

I would expect mobile-first gaming to be the only way forward – it’s the old debate on how much entertainment is a part of iGaming. Whilst entertaining is a key aspect, you must also keep the experience flawless. Certain things haven’t worked out, 3D gaming for example, as we’ve learnt that people don’t really gamble to get lost into the symbology of the slot – but rather the thrill of the win, which is the entertainment.

So, in my view, mobile gaming will gain an even larger market share than it has now, it could soon become by far the only way of enjoying this experience. Additionally, with new demographics coming online, the future holds lots of opportunities for interaction of everything from social to multiplayer, shared in any possible way. Cross-sell opportunities are also endless, with push notifications and the like, as players can carry their game anywhere they go – whether that’s being entertained at home, when out and about or during the commute.

Vladimir Malakchi: 

I am sure that we will see an industry-wide adaptation of gaming content to mobile platforms in the very near future. Once the value of mobile gambling is fully understood, the industry will immediately aim to transform existing and future products.

I believe the iGaming world will continue to develop in this direction as an exponential pace, focusing on innovative technical solutions, mechanics, features and visuals optimised for various mobile platforms, models and markets. The key is to find the balance between the quality of gaming products and their adaptation to mobile – and getting this right is where developers need to be investing their energy.

Thomas Smallwood:

Smartphones will continue to develop but I would place more focus on the changing user demands. New game types, more regional content as well as promotion and gamification features are already driving us to change the titles we design and develop.

We will soon launch new in-game promotional tools for operators as well as new style of games, including bespoke games.

Madis Raus: 

I believe that the introduction of 5G will bring a ton of opportunity to the table, as the introduction of 5G will bring forward a range of improvements to speed and accessibility. This may also give developers a bit more freedom when they think about creating games for mobile phones.

With smartphones being so advanced these days, the size of the game doesn’t matter as much as it once did, the quality is now the utmost important factor when it comes to designing new mobile-games. This is the same with live content, with the technological improvements, it’s now easier to provide good quality streams, so now developers need to focus on other elements that will make their game stand out from the competition.