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Exclusive interview with GAMING1: “Our online operations in Belgium have grown beyond all expectations”
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Belgian omni-channel expert GAMING1 has proven itself as a worthy partner during the pandemic, especially when it comes to transitioning operators’ offline operations to online. We sat down with Sylvain Boniver, COO and co-founder to talk through GAMING1’s market outlook for Europe over the coming months – this one’s not to be missed!
GAMING1’s services were certainly in demand during 2020 as land-based operators sought to establish their presence online – can you give us a quick snapshot of what that’s looked like?
The outbreak of Covid-19 has accelerated the transition online for most businesses, and that includes the gambling industry. For us, helping partners navigate the unprecedented circumstances caused by the pandemic was priority number one.
Lockdown restrictions forced land-based casinos to shut up shop, and even in countries where they’ve reopened, visitor numbers remain a long way off their pre-pandemic levels. The longer outlets wait to go digital, the greater the loss of their market share – it really is that simple.
Fortunately, our model is designed to help facilitate that shift, allowing players to continue using their favourite brand in an online format. We help retail and land-based partners digitise their operations – a service which, for many, is urgently necessitated by the current situation, and we’re here to deliver.
How has the last year changed the European landscape? Comparing to the way the market looked last January, how much would say has shifted in terms of growth and expectations?
The widespread closure of land-based establishments has underlined the imperative for operators to expand their digital activities. Our partners have enjoyed tremendous success when it comes to re-directing offline customers online, thereby curbing the financial impact of the pandemic.
Self-evidently, operators without an online outlet are struggling to succeed right now. Those who have a synergised land-based and digital offering, on the other hand, are much better equipped to weather the storm that is sweeping the global economy. For those in the former category, our company is ready and waiting to help deliver an omnichannel experience to their players.
Where has growth been particularly strong for GAMING1 on the continent? Where should our readers be looking at for potential expansion?
Our online operations in Belgium have grown beyond expectations. Of course, that can partially be attributed to the Covid-induced shift of all land-based activities to the online sphere. But it also reflects the sky-high quality of our digital products, and the operational efficiency of which we are so proud.
In addition, our status as a Portuguese market-leader remains undisputed, with valued local partners Estoril continuing to grow at an impressive rate. Our Iberian reach has also expanded in Spain, with 777.ES going from strength to strength by outperforming the competition – a pattern which we are confident will continue in the year to come.
Your home markets are very much across Belgium and France – do you see the current French approach to online gaming changing anytime soon?
There’s a world of difference between the two markets. Looking at regulation, in Belgium you must own a land-based casino to open a betting shop, and there is a €500 weekly deposit limit in place. Neither of those rules apply in the French market – and yet, France is still the more restrictive of the two.
French laws prohibit the existence of any private sector in the entire gambling industry, except for land-based casinos. Little wonder, then, that the country’s black market is the most significant in Europe. Regulation would not provide an overnight solution, such is the scale of the exposure of unregulated sites. It would, however, be a giant leap in the right direction – not just for France’s gambling industry, but for its players and economy too.
Looking to the year ahead, a lot’s been talked about in terms of engagement and retention, as well as acquisition of land-based players to the online world – what should operators be spending their money on to make that happen?
As a land-based operator, having the right partner by your side is paramount. That’s how to deliver a world-class digital product to players, and marketing your offering in the most effective way possible is paramount.
Beyond the cross-selling acquisition and retention tools that we’ve implemented, my strongest recommendation is to develop a 360o strategy that maximises the synergy between your different channels. Ensuring that staff genuinely buy into your vision is also critical – without them on board, even the best-planned projects won’t get very far.
Last but not least, can you give us a few insights for staying ahead this year? What’s going to be the GAMING1 approach for ensuring your partners can succeed?
We strengthened our senior management team over the course of 2020 with an impressive string of industry heavyweights. Our peerless 50-50 business model, in which we win or lose alongside our partners, continues to reap the rewards, and we’ve got an ambitious set of expansion plans in place. I’m very proud by our hard-earned reputation for excellence, and we’re all very excited for the decade ahead. This is especially the case for the growth of our existing operations in Europe and Colombia, as well as developing markets such as France and Holland. Safe to say, we’re in for another busy year!
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KingMidas Games and Notix.Games Forge Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Global Reach and Innovation in iGaming
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KingMidas Games, a leading iGaming provider, has announced a new strategic partnership with Notix.Games, a leading game aggregator and developer.
KingMidas Games is integrating its portfolio of creative and IP-driven titles into the Notix.Games platform, expanding its global presence and offering operators unique, engaging, and next-generation gaming experiences. This collaboration strengthens Notix.Games’ content portfolio and reinforces its commitment to delivering diverse, high-performing, and innovative content to its network of partners.
Sean Auret, Global Head at KingMidas Games, commented, “KingMidas Games is always focused on pushing the boundaries of creativity and player engagement. By joining forces with Notix.Games, we can bring our unique and IP-driven titles to a wider audience and deliver truly memorable gaming experiences. This partnership aligns with our mission to expand globally while ensuring operators and players access the very best in next-generation content.”
“At Notix.Games, we collaborate with partners who redefine gaming experiences through innovation and quality. KingMidas Games brings a unique creative approach and a strong commitment to delivering games that truly engage players worldwide,” said Ahikam Raviv, CCO at Notix.Games.
Together, KingMidas Games and Notix.Games are setting new standards in creativity and collaboration within the iGaming ecosystem. The partnership embodies a shared vision of empowering operators through innovation, compliance, and exceptional player engagement — driving the next phase of growth and evolution in the global iGaming industry.
The post KingMidas Games and Notix.Games Forge Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Global Reach and Innovation in iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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New developer promises to get player pulses racing with slots that blend creativity, features and data
There’s a new studio in town, and it’s a bold and bright one. Red Papaya is the flagship studio powered by Microgaming and blends creativity, features and data to craft edge-of-the-seat slot experiences that captivate players around the world.
The studio has been founded by an award-winning team with a proven track record in delivering top-performing, data-driven slots that have quickly risen to the top of the charts. When it comes to themes, features and markets, they’ve done it all.
Features will be an area of strong differentiation, with the studio incorporating formats such as Hold & Win, Cash Collect, Bonus Buy, Jackpot, Pot Link and Maxways into each of its titles.
The bar for production value will be set incredibly high, with cinematic visuals, superior sound design and compelling narratives, storylines and characters.
Red Papaya’s debut slot, Kong’s Jungle Tower, is set for launch in a matter of weeks, with players taken on an epic expedition where fortunes can be found hidden within a forgotten temple, hidden deep within the undergrowth.
New games will launch regularly with a strategic product roadmap aimed at meeting a wide range of player preferences. Red Papaya will also offer exclusive launch periods with custom branded game opportunities on the table, too.
Madelein Ozok, Head of Studio at Red Papaya, said: “We are so excited to finally break cover – Red Papaya has been built on many decades of industry experience, so we’re ready to hit the ground running. Of course, this would not be possible without the backing of Microgaming.
“Our product roadmap is incredibly strong with our first slot set to hit the market later this month. And make no mistake about it, our pipeline is packed with hits.
“Red Papaya is all about colourful disruption via cutting edge slots that combine creativity, features and data to deliver world-class experiences that hit the mark with players spin after spin. We are ready, but are you?
“In the meantime, make sure to learn more about Red Papaya on the newly-launched microgaming.io website”
The post Introducing Red Papaya – a studio powered by Microgaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
EveryMatrix has acquired UX specialist Goma Gaming to boost the Group’s front-end development firepower.
Specialising in delivering innovative front-end solutions for the betting industry, the Goma Gaming team bring 20 years consumer product design and digital UX experience.
The acquisition will instantly enhance EveryMatrix’s existing front-end capabilities with experience from both sports betting and casino projects that have included delivering bespoke solutions for tier-1 brands.
The Goma team will continue to operate as a standalone unit, side-by-side with the existing EveryMatrix front-end division.
Its capacity will be upscaled to provide additional bandwidth and capabilities to the Group’s sports and casino products with the objective of delivering superior customer experience and even more alternatives for EveryMatrix clients.
Goma Gaming’s UX player experience platform has delivered strong results for tier-1 operators, generating higher retention and longer engagement with an average 30% margin uplift, while adding enhanced functionality for next generation players.
Ebbe Groes, Group CEO & Co-founder EveryMatrix, said: “Our front-end development has made huge strides, creating bespoke sites and features for some of our largest customers such as Bet-at-home and the Hungarian Lottery.
“The addition of Goma means we will immediately have more front-end firepower to deploy and deliver to both existing and new sports and casino turnkey customers who require differentiation that moves the dial when it comes to higher retention, engagement, margin and revenues.”
“I’d like to welcome Andrew and his team and look forward to having them with us to further accelerate our rapid business growth.”
Andrew Brown, CEO, Goma Gaming, said: “We’ve made great progress developing Goma in the last five years, but joining the EveryMatrix Group now means we have greater resources to rapidly scale our capacity whenever it’s needed and to make an even bigger impact.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way and enabled us to get us to this stage. We can’t wait for the next phase of our journey as part of EveryMatrix.”
The post EveryMatrix acquires Goma Gaming to boost front-end development firepower appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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