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Developing slots with player safety in mind

Published

3 years ago

October 18, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Light & Wonder’s VP Game Development Rob Procter describes how the slot development process is influenced by progress in safer gambling policy and best practice

Keeping players safe is of paramount importance for every stakeholder in the gaming business.

It is a factor that is at the forefront of regulatory and advertising codes in markets around the world, with European Safer Gambling Week serving to bring the issues at play under an especially sharp focus. At Light & Wonder, it is our firm belief that the creation of safe, sustainable playing environments is a necessity if our industry is to continue to flourish worldwide.

We see online gaming as a firm part of the overall entertainment ecosystem. Within this environment, players must be made to feel comfortable enough to play responsibly, having enjoyed an experience that they feel has given them value for their money.

Player safety is about far more than simply being compliant and doing the bare minimum to stick to a set of regulations. It is our belief at Light & Wonder that player safety should be hard-wired into our overall entire content strategy. Within our creative teams, we are always cognisant of the new features and mechanics that we are putting into games and the ways in which they will interact with the player to enhance entertainment levels while also keeping them safe from potential harms.

Landscape

In recent years, the landscape has changed markedly in terms of widespread awareness of the need to protect players. If you look at the example of the UK, buying directly into a bonus feature was prohibited by the Gambling Commission of Great Britain a few years ago, which necessitated a change in approach for game suppliers. We have been focusing strongly on providing compelling experiences within slots to all levels of players across all regulated markets, without them having to stake to high levels, or play for longer in order to access certain features. We don’t want players to feel that a certain level of investment in a slot is a necessity and that numerous spins must be undertaken before a certain level of potential is reached within a game. It is about approaching game design with an ethical, fair mindset, and this comes to the fore when deciding on the distribution of RTP and the way a slot’s mechanics interact with the base game.

Our desire is that we provide players at all stake levels with a positive experience and to show that any top-ranking bonus is attainable by any type of player. Attractive features can no longer only be on offer to the player who is prepared to spend more time and money on their stake – on any given game.

Across all channels

Restrictions in land-based gaming are different in nature compared to the online world, while also varying across different markets. Throughout the process of designing an omni-channel game, we ensure that our content behaves in the same way as our native digital titles with regard to enhancing the game experience, without putting the player in harm’s way.

At Light & Wonder, my colleagues in the land-based creative teams have the same perception of safer gambling as we do in iGaming. We are able to take mutually beneficial learnings as business units, looking at how the land-based teams have incorporated RTP splits and features and mechanics changes, and utilizing those within the online sphere.

Pitfalls

Naturally, operators have a strong imperative to uphold their social responsibility commitments, and to remain as compliant as possible to the regulators. As we see it, though, suppliers certainly have their own part to play in providing operators with content that has player safety already built-in, through entertaining features that can be accessed at all staking levels. Furthermore, we make sure we’re always present in industry working groups, pushing forward the development of best practice in responsible game design – this work is incredibly important to us, and something we’d encourage broader engagement with from others.

In most mature markets, regulation appears to have one direction of travel, towards greater restrictions. Yet in creating new solutions that can cater for evolving guidelines, there lies an opportunity for clever content creators to produce games with original and compelling math models and mechanics. Players can play safely and be entertained but it is up to all stakeholders in our industry to ensure to play their part to ensure that this is the case.

Latest News

Week 38/2025 slot games releases

Published

3 days ago

September 19, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming

“Fruitferno 40” went live, a new 5×4 slot from Hölle Games. It comes just a few weeks after the Dragon’s Diamonds launch, a cluster-style title with an equally hot theme! Following up to that 6×5 scatter-pays smasher, the Hölle team have taken a short detour to drop a 40-payline sequel to Fruitferno 20, for all those slot purists out there.

GAMOMAT is raising the stakes again with the release of its horror-themed Dead Legion. Set on a war-torn battlefield that’s shrouded in mist, Dead Legion unfolds within a macabre world where the dead legions have risen. An epic, dark live orchestral soundtrack intensifies the atmosphere across the 5×3 reels.

Reflex Gaming is heading deep into ancient ruins with the launch of The Cursed Idol of Montezuma Treasure Hunt, a visually stunning, Aztec-themed slot that introduces the company’s exclusive Treasure Hunt game mechanic. This 6×4, 20-payline title combines mystery, tension and progressive gameplay in a setting inspired by the legends of Montezuma.

Precision meets power in Crown Supreme Hold & Win from ICONIC21, the in-demand iGaming content provider. To take the throne, players must navigate a compact 3×3 grid and the regal Hold & Win mechanic in a slotting experience that pulses with anticipation and big win potential.

Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has launched Net Gains Dream Drop, a high-energy sequel where players can reel in massive rewards beneath the waves. Packed with coastal chaos and big catch potential, Net Gains Dream Drop offers 4,096 ways to win, three types of Mystery Symbols, Coin Collection mechanics, stacked Wilds, and more.

SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, proudly announces the launch of 20 Armadillos, a thrilling new slot adventure set deep in a jungle where fortunes roll wild. 20 Armadillos is a 5-reel, 4-row slot with 20 lines, medium-high volatility and RTP options of 94.16% and 96.96%. With a maximum multiplier of 30,000x and a responsive, mobile-first design, the game blends rich visuals with high win potential.

Amusnet has released its latest video slot, Roman Coins – a game that captures the magnificence of the Roman Empire and brings it to life on the reels. It is Amusnet’s first-ever 3-pot video slot. With a 5-reel layout and 25 fixed paylines, Roman Coins strikes a perfect balance between classic slot structure and innovative mechanics.

Play’n GO throws the switch on Lab of Madness It’s a Wild!, a gothic comic-inspired slot that surges with strange science and surprise. Players join the unconventional Dr Frankenstein as she attempts to jolt her patchwork Monster to life in a lab where every pull of the lever sparks new possibilities.

Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, ups the ante in its latest Irish folklore release, Golden Penny x1000, with a rare 6×5 reelset, x20,000 max win and a bountiful Free Spins Bonus. In an enchanted twist to base play, the colourful game field comes alive with collapsing symbols. Eight matching symbols form a winning combination, with the total of the symbols forming the win value.

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has launched Lunar Wilds, an atmospheric slot that combines mystical forest visuals with powerful features and big win potential. Set beneath a silver moon, the game transports players deep into an enchanted wilderness, where packs of wolves roam under the night sky.

The God of the Sea unleashes lavish gameplay in Blueprint Gaming’s latest offering, Rise of Atlantis Legacy, with the highly anticipated title introducing a new Gates of Atlantis bonus game, boosting the chance of significant cascading returns. Boasting the ability to appear on any of the six reels, Rising Multipliers offer enriched payouts if featured in a winning combination, which are added at the end of a successful cascade.

Stakelogic is setting sail into uncharted waters with its latest slot release, Kraken’s Catch, a feature-packed, high-volatility slot where monstrous multipliers and a mysterious sea creature lie beneath the surface. This 5×3 slot with 15 win lines invites players on a nautical adventure where every spin can uncover treasures from the deep.

The post Week 38/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

KSA Issues New Duty of Care Guidance for Gaming Arcades and Casinos

Published

3 days ago

September 19, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued new guidance for gaming arcades and casinos to improve the implementation of their duty of care. The KSA previously visited gaming arcades across the country. These visits revealed that while most arcades are paying attention to their duty of care, implementation could be improved in some areas. The guidance the KSA is now sharing with license holders contains practical tools and explanations, but no new rules.

Duty of care of arcades

With the implementation of the Gambling Act (Wet Koa), the duty of care for gaming arcades has been further expanded. This means they are obligated to prevent and mitigate gambling addiction as much as possible. Since then, gaming arcades have taken steps to comply with this requirement. However, in practice, the stated good intentions and the relevant policy are not always sufficiently aligned. The KSA has discussed this with various parties within the sector. Based on the input from these discussions, the new guidance has been developed.

Guidance

The guidance for arcades includes resources that providers can use to properly fulfill their duty of care and better inform their employees. The guide provides explanations and examples of what arcades must do and what the KSA expects of them. It also includes an overview of frequently asked questions. In addition to the guidance, a poster and an animation have been developed to raise awareness among arcade employees about the duty of care.

Along with the duty of care guidance, arcades also received a Guideline for Identity and Cruks Verification. The KSA regularly receives questions from the sector about the Cruks exclusion register. This guideline addresses the operation of Cruks and the most common questions and problems.

KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen said: “Certain key factors of the duty of care are easier to monitor for online providers than in brick-and-mortar casinos. In our conversations with arcade owners, we’ve noticed that they want to do more with the duty of care, but sometimes still struggle with its proper implementation. With this new guidance, supplemented with informational materials for employees, we’re giving them new tools to do so. In this way, we’re working together to ensure that players are optimally protected even at brick-and-mortar providers.”

The post KSA Issues New Duty of Care Guidance for Gaming Arcades and Casinos appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

QuinnBet Expand Ospreys Partnership

Published

3 days ago

September 19, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Ospreys announced that official betting partner, QuinnBet, had expanded their partnership with the Ospreys. The partnership will see QuinnBet take a place on the Ospreys shorts of all three of the team’s kits this season.

The new, multi-year partnership will see the QuinnBet logo take a prominent placement on the back of all three playing shorts.

With the Ospreys competing in front of multi-continental audiences in both the BKT URC and EPCR Challenge Cup this season, QuinnBet’s brand is set to reap the benefits.

Launched in 2017, QuinnBet, regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, and in Ireland by The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, has firmly established themselves in the iGaming industry by providing a socially responsible service. With an emphasis on giving more back through unique promotions and excellent customer care, QuinnBet has become a trusted name in the industry.

Head of Commercial for the Ospreys, Richard Lancaster, said: “We’re delighted that QuinnBet have decided to expand their partnership with the Ospreys. We have already built a successful relationship, and we’re looking forward to building on that even further in the coming seasons.

“Working with QuinnBet has already been hugely beneficial for us in education around Safer Gambling awareness, and we’re already planning on how to improve on this even further as we look ahead to the future.”

Niall McPartland, Head of Commercial and Sponsorship at QuinnBet, added: “We are delighted to enter this significant three-year partnership with Ospreys Rugby.

“The partnership builds on our inaugural 24/25 season sponsorship of The Ospreys, and the extension until 2028 demonstrates the success of the partnership to date and the huge regard we have for the club.

“Ospreys are one of the dominant forces in Welsh rugby, producing numerous players who have gone on to represent Wales and The Lions internationally. We are therefore privileged that our association with the club, will showcase QuinnBet at the highest level to Rugby supporters across the UK, Ireland and internationally.

“We commit to utilising the partnership to promote our brand in conjunction with Safer Gambling, which is integral to our business and which Ospreys Rugby is fully supportive of. We would like to wish everyone at the club the very best for the season ahead.”

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