Latest News
Q&A with Lana Meisak, VP, Business Development and Marketing, Gismart
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?Â
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.

Latest News
Pavilion Payments Acquires CasinoSoft
Â
Pavilion Payments, the leading omnichannel payment solutions provider in the gaming industry, has acquired CasinoSoft, a trusted leader in Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Title 31 compliance, automated tax form processing, jackpot handling and regulatory reporting software. Together, they are building a unified solution that simplifies and modernizes gaming operations.
“We have put 20 years of our heart and soul into building the CasinoSoft brand and are thrilled with the many ways this acquisition moves us to the next level. The success of our robust suite of AML/Title 31 and tax form products is evidenced by the longstanding partnerships we enjoy with our many satisfied customers throughout the industry,” said Matt Montano, Principal and Owner of CasinoSoft.
The new offering combines Pavilion Payments’ seamless player funding and payment ecosystem with CasinoSoft’s industry-leading compliance and automation software. The result is a powerful, vertically integrated platform that streamlines floor, cage and slot operations, making them faster, easier and more secure for casinos, route gaming as well as iGaming and sportsbook operators.
“CasinoSoft is the industry standard for AML/Title 31 compliance, automated tax forms, jackpot processing, and associated reporting services. With this acquisition, we plan to grow the broader Pavilion business with several new patents, innovative products, and transformative solutions that position us as the clear leader in fintech payments, cashless gaming, cage, and floor automation,” said Diallo Gordon, President of Pavilion Payments.
For more than two decades, CasinoSoft has helped casinos streamline Title 31, AML, tax forms and jackpot workflows, keeping operations audit-ready and freeing up staff to focus on the guest experience. By joining Pavilion Payments, CasinoSoft expands its ability to deliver end-to-end compliance and payment solutions within a single, connected system, reducing manual steps and increasing automation.
“At Pavilion Payments, we pride ourselves on offering our partners and customers a vibrant and diverse portfolio of products and services. The addition of CasinoSoft’s products to our lineup furthers our delivery on that goal. We’re delighted to add CasinoSoft to our team and look forward to delighting our customers with them,” said Dan Connors, CEO of Pavilion Payments.
The post Pavilion Payments Acquires CasinoSoft appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
TigonBet Enters Kenya’s Betting Market
Â
TigonBet, a digital sportsbook and casino platform, has officially entered the Kenyan Betting Market.
With gamified features, swipe-to-bet tech and lucrative tournaments, this new platform is putting the fun back in betting, offering speed, interactivity and mobile usability.
TigonBet is backed by a bold brand identity the “Tigon,” a hybrid of lion and tiger. The platform is aiming to blend entertainment with strategic play, catering to both sports bettors and casino enthusiasts.
At the core of TigonBet’s user experience is a Tinder-style swipe feature that allows punters to scroll through match options and betting markets quickly. Built for mobile-first users, the interface reduces friction and aims to make browsing and betting more intuitive.
TigonBet also introduces a tournament system where players can compete in live leaderboards. Whether betting on sports or spinning in the casino, users can climb rankings and win prizes from airtime and smartphones to consoles and TVs. The system is performance-based, meaning consistency is rewarded over high spending.
The post TigonBet Enters Kenya’s Betting Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Conjure Up Magical Wins in BGaming’s Cat’s Soup
Â
Rapidly expanding content provider casts a spell on players with charming new slot Cat’s Soup
Popular iGaming content provider BGaming is stirring up some magic on the reels with the release of its enchanting new slot, Cat’s Soup.
Players are invited into the lair of a playful feline wizard as he brews up a storm across the reels. This captivating 3Ă—3 slot combines classic gameplay with a charming alchemy theme, brought to life by cartoonish graphics and a whimsical soundtrack.
Conjure up magical multipliers and spellbinding Bonus sequences in this simple but incredibly effective slice of slot action. The game’s colourful design and accessible gameplay make it perfect for short, fun sessions, while its magical theme is bound to evoke a sense of nostalgia among millennial players.
In a unique twist, Cat’s Soup keeps the gameplay fresh by using a recipe system that shifts up the patterns required to trigger the bonus round every ten spins. The slot also features a Buy Bonus option for those who want to unleash the magic straight away.
Nikita Zavadsky, Custom Games Product Owner at BGaming, said: “Magic, potions, and cats are popular themes, so we thought, why not combine all three? Cat’s Soup may look like a simple 3×3 slot, but it has plenty of tricks up its sleeves. We are particularly proud of the recipe feature, which does an excellent job of shaking up the gameplay.
Our goal with Cat’s Soup was to create an easy-going slot that was perfect for short-playing sessions and that delivered a healthy dose of nostalgia, and we believe we have achieved that.”
The post Conjure Up Magical Wins in BGaming’s Cat’s Soup appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News3 months ago
Week 17/2025 slot games releases
-
Latest News3 months ago
Fortuna Partners with 2025 UEFA Under-21 EURO
-
Latest News2 months ago
ELA Games Receives Key Nomination at EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards
-
Latest News3 months ago
Bojoko.com Surpasses €100 Million in All-Time Deposits Milestone
-
Latest News3 months ago
LeoVegas Group to Open a New Office in Leeds
-
Latest News2 months ago
LEGENDS by Fire & Ice: July 1st at The BOX Soho
-
Latest News1 month ago
New Resort & Casino Selects IvedaAI for Intelligent Video Surveillance Ahead of Grand Opening
-
Latest News2 months ago
S8UL acquires North America’s leading Mobile Legends: Bang Bang roster ahead of Esports World Cup 2025
You must be logged in to post a comment Login