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Exclusive interview with Lars Kollind, Business Development Manager at Playson

Published

7 years ago

May 31, 2019

Exclusive interview with Lars Kollind, Business Development Manager at Playson Reading Time: 5 minutes

European Gaming caught up with Lars Kollind who is spearheading the brands strategic plans to continue expanding its operational portfolio worldwide, both vertically and horizontally.

You joined Playson in January this year. How is your experience so far?

Kollind: Hello and thank you for the opportunity to share my experience at Playson.

When I joined the company, I expected a young provider, still figuring things out, however in the few months I’ve been here I have been pleasantly surprised to understand the company is well-established, with clear goals and direction, and with a great culture focused on quality of workplace experience. Playson games are popular among operators and players alike due to their high-quality graphics and animation, supported by a robust and reliable technical set-up that ensures seamless a experience.

On a more personal level, I am greatly enjoying the atmosphere in the company. Values such as collaboration, teamwork, peer support and responsible autonomy are at the core of company culture, which is why we work as a closely-knit pack. At the same time, this allows me the freedom to be myself and motivates me to give my best in my role.

Playson has signed some major clients recently, such as Leo Vegas, ComeOn, and Hero Gaming. Tell us more about the new deals and strategic aspects behind each deal.

Kollind: It’s no secret that we are proud of these recent partnerships and they have given us added impetus to re-evaluate our operations. The company has operated for a long time as a small-to-medium-scale, dynamic studio, with laser focus on quality of product and support. Recent deals with tier one operators and other suppliers have provided us with the context to understand that our position in the market is changing. We are moving with confidence towards the core of European iGaming, increasing our regulated market footprint and our ambitions.

What was your specific role role in these deals?

Kollind: It is common practice in the company to appreciate the team-effort even across every acjhievement, no matter how large or small. It’s true, actually, that even top performers reach out to a large number of professionals from other departments in order to secure a deal. These particular deals were coordinated by our Sales Manager and my involvement only started after the deals were signed.

How do the new deals auger for Playson’s future? What are the new deals in the pipeline?

Kollind: The most important message sent by these deals is that Playson is a mature, stable and reliable provider that is here to stay – and grow. Our engines are revved up and we don’t expect to slow down our expansion process any time soon. We have some significant announcements to make in the coming months so watch this space!

Are there any plans to expand Playson’s footprints to the USA and Asia? Big things are happening or about to happen in the USA and Japan in the gaming sector.

Kollind: For the time being Playson is focusing on its core markets and only contemplating non-European territories from afar. We expect markets such as the US and Asia to take decisive steps towards regulation and developing the necessary framework for harbouring safe, compliant and responsible gaming, bit this will take time. This year we are committed to expanding our presence exclusively on regulated European markets, but next year it’s not out of the question that we may consider other regulating and/or regulated jurisdictions as well.

Playson has already published more than 70 omnichannel games? Are you going to launch any new games soon, like the Blackjack suite in HTML5? Would love to hear more details.

Kollind: Our HTML 5 Blackjack game is already live and performing well. We are committed to releasing two to three new games every month with new and exciting themes and highly engaging features and functionality that players love and keep coming back to time and again.

Playson has published some much sought-after games in its history. How does the planning go before developing and publishing the games? Could you also tell us more about some of the most successful games in Playson’s portfolio?

Kollind: Our game development process is extensive and we take a meticulous approach to themes and details within each product ensuring our products meet the right compliance standards, are customized to the market we are looking to target and the player segment we are catering for.

We always look at the history of what is popular with certain player demographics, however we also innovate as much and as often as possible with new features such as “daily” jackpot implementations.

Our classic titles such as Legend of Cleopatra are still a major success for us. Players love this 100-bet line game that can pay out huge wins across the pyramid-type reels.

Playson’s offices are spread across four countries: Malta, Ukraine, UK and Greece. How do you manage to maintain a coherent work culture? Any special human resources policies?

Kollind: We may be spread across several global locations, but we embrace a connected working culture and we’re constantly in touch with each office. This has proven to be a huge success for us internally with increased productivity, plus it’s also great to have our employees spread out so we can meet our clients as often as possible based on the geography of staff. Each location is designed to appeal to local talent, and we have carefully planned this within the hiring process.

You are participating in CEEGC 2019 at Budapest on 24-25 September. What do you think is special about CEEGC? Why this event is important to your company?

Kollind: This is the fourth Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference and Awards (CEEGC & CEEG). With several countries within the region opening and regulating this market is becoming increasingly important and we’re very much looking forward to meeting new and existing clients in September.

Our General Counsel, Andrei Andronic, is taking part in a compliance panel at the event in Budapest and it will be great learn and network with our peers on issues such as compliance and investment opportunities in the regulated Central and Eastern European jurisdictions including Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia, and the Emerging CEE jurisdictions, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland.

We really value having a presence at events such as this, particularly in exciting, emerging territories.

You have had about 15 years of experience in the gaming industry. How do you look back at your career?

Kollind: I’m very proud of my personal achievements but my focus is very much about building on the reputation Playson has built during that time and the significant plans and announcements we have for the coming months and years. We have some seriously exciting developments to discuss soon that I can’t wait to share.

Finally, do you think artificial intelligence is going to change the industry? What are Playson’s plans to tackle the opportunities and challenges that emerging disruptive technologies pose in the gaming sector?

Kollind: AI is clearly the buzzword of the moment, but I don’t see many companies making many inroads here. We use advanced AI technology to both improve our internal processes and our 70+ omni-channel slot games. It is helping us design better performing and more targeted localized content and this will only grow in value over time.

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Exclusive interview with Lars Kollind, Business Development Manager at Playson

Related Topics:gambling industry in Europe

George Miller

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Latest News

From ‘Mummyverse’ to Crash Games: Belatra Reviews a Landmark 2025

Published

7 hours ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: Belatra has been a steady hand in the slots world for a long time, but 2025 marked a distinct shift in strategy. By entering the Crash vertical with Goose Boom Bang and winning big at SiGMA Africa, the studio is clearly pivoting to capture the high-growth, high-frequency players in emerging markets. They are no longer just a “classic slots” developer; they are diversifying the portfolio to ensure relevance in regions like LatAm and Africa.

The Full Story

Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has issued a strategic review of its 2025 operations, celebrating a 12-month period defined by entry into new game verticals, significant franchise expansion, and high-profile industry recognition.

The year was characterized by a dual strategy: deepening engagement in established markets while aggressively expanding its content portfolio to suit local preferences in emerging territories.

Portfolio Evolution: Crash and Battles 2025 saw Belatra move beyond its traditional slot roots. The company made its debut in the high-demand Crash game vertical with the launch of Goose Boom Bang, a title designed to tap into the fast-paced gameplay preference of younger demographics.

Additionally, the studio introduced a fresh game concept with the launch of Battles, a new format unveiled for the first time in 2025, with further development planned for 2026.

The ‘Mummyverse’ Expands For fans of classic slots, the highlight of the year was the aggressive expansion of the Mummyverse. Belatra nearly doubled the size of this franchise over the year, making it the most extensive game universe in their entire catalog.

The developer also focused on B2B localization, releasing a number of exclusive bespoke games created specifically for selected operator partners to meet specific local market tastes.

Awards and Recognition The company’s strategic shifts were validated by industry accolades. Belatra secured over 30 nominations throughout the year, with standout wins including:

Best Slot Provider (awarded by BitStarz).
Most Played Game of 2025 for Make It Gold at the SiGMA Africa Awards.
Player’s Pick Award.

Management Commentary Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, commented on the studio’s momentum:

“This year has truly defined who we are as a studio – ambitious, creative and focused on building long-term partnerships. We’ve expanded our universes, launched new ones and entered exciting new markets that will all help us carry this momentum into the New Year.”

The post From ‘Mummyverse’ to Crash Games: Belatra Reviews a Landmark 2025 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Latest News

‘Chaos and Soul’: Ebaka Games Plots Global Expansion After Viral Launch

Published

7 hours ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: The “Instant Game” vertical (Crash, Plinko, Mines) is becoming crowded, but Ebaka Games is cutting through the noise with a distinct brand personality. By securing BMM Testlabs certification so quickly after launch, they are signaling to Tier 1 operators that despite their “chaotic” marketing vibe, the math underneath is solid and compliant. The backing of industry veteran Dmitry Belianin also adds immediate commercial credibility to the startup.

The Full Story

Ebaka Games, the fledgling studio that promises to bring “chaos and soul” to the iGaming sector, has outlined an aggressive growth strategy for 2026 following a landmark launch period in late 2025.

The studio, which officially debuted in November, reports that its initial rollout reached more than five million people worldwide. The launch saw its portfolio go live with the operator Menace, serving as the initial testbed for its mechanics and “Ebaka modes.”

The Product: Instant Games with Personality Ebaka is bypassing traditional slots to focus on the high-growth vertical of fast-paced, instant-win games. Their initial lineup includes:

Plinko
Mines
Tower
Limbo
Crash

Differentiation is achieved through unique mascots and signature gameplay tweaks designed to offer high win potential and distinct visual identities, moving away from the generic interfaces often found in this genre.

Regulatory Milestone Crucially for its 2026 roadmap, Ebaka Games has confirmed it has secured certification from BMM Testlabs. This accreditation validates the fairness and integrity of its RNG (Random Number Generator) and game engines, removing a major barrier to entry for regulated markets. With this certification in hand, the studio plans to launch with a number of “major brands” in the coming year.

Management Commentary Vitalii Zalievskyi, CEO of Ebaka Games, commented on the studio’s unorthodox approach:

“It’s only been a few weeks since we first introduced Ebaka Games to the world. The feedback has been breathtaking, and it vindicates the decision for us to take a different path to the rest of the industry. You don’t need huge marketing budgets to grab people’s attention if you are building something truly innovative.”

Industry Backing The studio describes itself as being “created by players for players” but boasts significant industry firepower in its corner. The team includes Dmitry Belianin, a well-known figure in the sector who is the co-founder of Blask and Menace, as well as Managing Partner at Already Media.

The post ‘Chaos and Soul’: Ebaka Games Plots Global Expansion After Viral Launch appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Latest News

Racing Meets Nightlife: SBK Backs ARC’s New ‘Friday Night Live’ Series

Published

7 hours ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: British racing has a well-documented demographic problem; its core audience is aging. “Friday Night Live” is a direct attempt to fix this by blending high-stakes racing with the “experience economy” (DJs, nightlife vibes) that appeals to Gen Z and Millennials. Bringing SBK on board—a mobile-first, app-only sportsbook—is a perfect demographic fit, while the Racing Post adds the necessary credibility to ensure the actual racing product remains the focus.

The Full Story

Arena Racing Company (ARC) has unveiled the strategic commercial lineup for its upcoming Friday Night Live series, confirming SBK as the Exclusive Betting Partner and The Racing Post as the Official Media Partner.

Set to launch in January 2026, Friday Night Live is a new initiative created in collaboration with youth-focused events company INVADES. The series is designed to overhaul the traditional race day experience, featuring fast-paced fixtures under floodlights, DJ sets, and significant entertainment elements sandwiched between races.

The Commercial Deal

SBK: As the exclusive betting partner, the Smarkets-owned sportsbook will take naming rights and on-course branding for all 35 races. Crucially, these races will be broadcast live on mainstream television via ITV Racing as well as Sky Sports Research.
The Racing Post: As the Official Media Partner, the publication will provide content, coverage, and promotion across its digital platforms, aiming to bridge the gap between established racing purists and the new audience ARC hopes to attract.

A High-Stakes Experiment The series is not just a marketing exercise; it carries serious sporting weight. Each of the five scheduled nights will feature over £200,000 in prize money. The fixtures will rotate across three of ARC’s all-weather tracks: Wolverhampton, Newcastle, and Southwell.

Management Commentary David Leyden Dunbar, Group Director of Commercial Strategy at ARC, was clear about the target audience:

“We have been very clear that one of the aims of Friday Night Live is to engage the next generation of racing fans… Both [partners] have shown real enthusiasm to work with us… as well as using the platform that these fixtures will offer them to also engage with more established racing and sports fans.”

Adam Baylis, Marketing Director at SBK, added:

“Friday Night Live [is] a fresh and engaging concept that brings a new energy to British racing. SBK has always been built around sport… our focus is on enhancing the live race day experience in a fun, social and responsible way.”

The 2026 Schedule The series kicks off immediately in the new year: