Interviews
Exclusive Q&A with Paul Witten, Product Director at SIS
Following a number of Eastern European operators introducing horse racing to their sportsbooks for the first time, we caught up with Paul Witten, Product Director at multi-channel supplier SIS, to find out why the sport is becoming a viable betting product for bookmakers in territories with relatively little racing heritage, and how the company is working closely with its operator partners to help attract new customers.
European Gaming (EG): Horse racing has not traditionally been a betting product within Eastern Europe, but weâre now seeing more operators in this territory expanding their offering in this space. Whatâs the reasoning behind this shift in strategy?
One of the key reasons why more operators in Eastern Europe are expanding their offering in this space is due to the way in which the overall product is now being presented to bettors. The availability of live horse racing events through SISâs 24/7 channels means that online and retail customers now have access to a betting opportunity every three minutes.
Our âWatch and Betâ betting model is proving to be valuable for operators, in helping to engage their customers with content which theyâre not necessarily accustomed to. This approach which allows bettors to view live sporting events without the requirement of first placing a bet, increases engagement levels, particularly as we know that bettors are more likely to wager on events that they can see. Commentary and on-screen graphics with betting prompts help to inform the bettor about exactly what is happening before, during and after a race, which also drives interest in betting.
As is the case with other areas of betting and gaming, weâre increasingly agreeing revenue share deals with operators, and these agreements carry many benefits for bookmakers who are looking to introduce a new product such as horse racing to their customer base. These types of deals reduce the risk involved, while also prompting suppliers to work more closely with operators at launch, to leverage their expertise which is invaluable to ensuring that the product is as profitable as possible.
European Gaming: Is there a big enough audience out there for horse racing in Eastern Europe?
Absolutely, there are millions of potential bettors out there in the marketplace. The key is knowing how to turn these prospective customers into active depositing users. To make horse racing a successful betting product for operators in this territory, educating the audience on how to bet on the sport is a key part of the marketing strategy.
Although the sport holds a limited heritage in this part of the world, providing bettors with access to free-to-view pictures of the events via the Watch and Bet model is a great way to get them engaged with the sport, as well as ensuring that there is adequate information on the product for bettors.
European Gaming: How can operators attract new customers with this type of content?
Bettors are more inclined to wager on events that they understand, so itâs worth considering pushing markets that arenât too complicated. Through our in-house trading team, SIS offers pricing derivative markets that provide a wide range of betting opportunities to suit all betting styles, and particularly popular amongst uninitiated bettors are casino-style âspin-and-winâ bets. These types of markets are perfect for operators within this territory, as it enables a newer audience less familiar with the sport to engage with the sport. Bettors can for example, bet on the odd-numbered horses against the even-numbered horses, similar to how roulette is played. Once bettors have experienced a few races they will be more comfortable with exploring the plethora of additional markets that are available.
European Gaming: How are suppliers such as yourselves looking to assist operators in this region when launching horse racing for the first time? Do you offer more than just streams of live racing?
Weâve grown our presence in this territory recently and one of the key factors in our success has been the way in which we work closely with our new operator partners. We strongly believe in a partnership approach and look to help our customers extract the maximum value from our products and services by providing by providing additional services to help operators establish their new horse racing offering.
We have created an operator marketing portal which contains point of sale material and âHow to bet guidesâ to help them educate their customers on racing, which has proved very beneficial for operators. Our bookmaker customers are able to create bespoke in-store posters and promotional offers.
In addition, our Financial Analytics team, through ongoing data analysis, provide valuable insights into whatâs performing well, as well as having access to the latest betting trends in other jurisdictions. This information allows us to provide recommendations to our operator partners to help shape their offering in a way that optimises the appeal to their customers.
European Gaming: SIS recently launched Competitive Gaming. Do you believe this new product is suited for the Eastern European market? Has there been any interest in this new format of esports from this region at all?
As weâre seeing with horse racing, we have no doubt that esports will appeal to bettors all over the world. Again, itâs a case of knowing how best to package this experience to make it relatable to existing sports bettors and become a profitable product for operators.
SIS Competitive Gaming is the worldâs only esports betting product that has been built specifically for sportsbooks. We have just agreed a deal with a major Eastern European operator and have had significant interest from a number of other operators in the region. One of the key reasons why the operator opted to take our offering is because of the easy-to-understand markets available. Head to head tournaments featuring skilled gamers cover a wide range of sports, which are sure to resonate with their existing customer base.
Africa
SmartSoftâs expertise and future vision for the African market
In recent years, the online gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in innovative and engaging titles that capture the interest of players worldwide. Among these, first ever flying crash game by SmartSoft – JetX emerged as a standout game, particularly gaining substantial traction in Africa. This article provides an in-depth examination of JetX, a popular online crash game, and explores the expertise behind its creation. By focusing on the gameâs features, the developer SmartSoft Gaming, and insights from an interview with the Vice President Commercial, we aim to highlight the factors contributing to JetXâs success and its impact on the gaming industry.
About SmartSoft Gaming
Founded in Georgia in 2015 by industry experts, SmartSoft set out to create a one-of-a-kind casino games provider that offers high-quality gaming experiences worldwide. By combining interactive features with captivating visuals, we blend gaming and gambling to deliver more engaging, entertaining, and superior experiences. Our mission is not just to attract players but to enhance their enjoyment.
To gain further insights into the development of JetX and the vision behind its creation, we spoke with the Vice President Commercial of SmartSoft.
Rusa Javakhishvili Vice President Commercial of SmartSoft shared insights and analytics from African countries, and outlined future plans. Rusa joined SmartSoft two years ago as Head of Finance and Strategic Projects. In early 2024, she transitioned to the commercial side as Head of Account Management, and is now Vice President of Commercials, overseeing several regions, including Africa.
What was the general concept and inspiration behind JetX?
In recent years, the online gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in innovative and engaging titles that capture the interest of players worldwide. Among these, JetX has emerged as a standout game, particularly gaining substantial traction in Africa. The main concept of the game is that it is easy to play, the player is involved in the decision as much as possible, it is fast and within the fast-paced world we think that it delivers exactly what players need for an enjoyable experience.
How does JetX differentiate itself from other crash games in the market?
At SmartSoft, we appreciate our relationships with partners, itâs very important to us. We constantly think and work to create a valuable product and maintain strong connections with them. SmartSoftâs portfolio includes a diverse range of online casino games, each designed to offer unique features and interactive gameplay but JetX is the literal gem!
JetX is an online crash game that combines simplicity with excitement, offering players an engaging betting experience. This dynamic gameplay requires both luck and strategy, appealing to a broad audience seeking quick, high-stakes action. JetX stands out due to its user-friendly interface, real-time gameplay, and mobile compatibility, making it accessible and enjoyable for players on the go. Its growing popularity in Africa can be attributed to its exciting gameplay mechanics and the potential for significant winnings.
What strategies did you employ to ensure JetX appeals to a diverse audience, particularly in Africa?
When we expanded into the African market, we knew itâs a big and diverse region, so itâs important to understand each country individually instead of seeing it as one market. With our partners’ help, weâre working hard to learn about each country’s marketing practices and what types of games people enjoy. Itâs a challenging task, but the African market is a top priority for us, and weâve allocated resources to quickly build our knowledge in this area.
How has JetX been received by African players compared to other regions? Are there any notable differences in player behavior or preferences?
The African market is one of the most interesting and significant for us, and we believe it has great potential. It is a highly dynamic and exciting market, where players are exposed to a wide variety of games. Their enthusiasm for diverse content gives us inspiration and motivation to create games specifically tailored to their unique preferences and needs. Moreover, they are quick to engage with new releases, eagerly embracing fresh content when it aligns with their tastes and expectations. Although Crash products were introduced only recently, they have quickly become a favorite among consumers. We expect this trend to continue growing.
How do you assess player feedback and incorporate it into ongoing game improvements?
This is a crucial aspect for us. Thatâs why, in collaboration with our partners, we consistently review key feedback on our games and strive to incorporate it as much as possible into new versions. We strive to bring enjoyment in everything we do â whether it’s in our work environment, or for the end users. Our goal is to delight both the customers and ourselves with our work. Therefore, we integrate gaming’s fun elements into gambling to maximize enjoyment. This approach fuels our drive to innovate and create playful experiences, redefining the gambling industry and making it more entertaining;
What future developments or updates can players expect for JetX?
Our product has undergone numerous changes since its inception, with many more improvements planned. These changes are aimed at delivering the best possible user experience for players while ensuring the product remains of the highest technical quality.
How has the success of JetX influenced SmartSoftâs approach to game development?
JetX, the first Crash game created in 2018, holds a special place as one of the companyâs most beloved titles. Its global popularity is evident, and we’re thrilled that players enjoy it. At SmartSoft, having a diversified portfolio is crucial, which is why we release new games every year. As pioneers in the Crash genre, we ensure that we continually expand our offerings. Our goal is to provide players with a wide range of high-quality games they can trust to deliver an enjoyable experience.
Interviews
Slot Saturation – Q&A w/ Qianqian Liu, Senior Art Director at Gaming Corps
What are the defining visual features of a Gaming Corps slot?
We pride ourselves on the diversity of the look of our slots, we have three distinct styles that are all used to target different demographics. Firstly, Classic, this is a style which usually is also described as retro and some people would even say dated, we prefer nostalgic! But there is a player base who get great enjoyment from slot games like this. The second is Modern, this is a style that is sleek, shiny and incredibly high-fidelity with assets that look polished and could be very much suited to being hung up in a modern art museum. Thirdly is Stylised, this is a style that is completely entirely dependent on the theme, maybe a comic book style or similar, but it emphasises artistic freedom which is important.
All three of these are what makes Gaming Corps a unique slots provider, catering games for all types of target markets.
Where do you look for inspiration when designing an online slot game?
Different inspirations appear for different themes, if it is classic then an old fruit machine down a pub could be the inspiration. If it is a modern slot, then we like to refer to some modern day mobile apps that are more casual to play. The beauty of stylised is that the inspiration can come from absolutely anywhere but usually it can be something that the artist is personally interested in, such as comic books or anime.
How does Gaming Corp manage to distinguish its titles from others on the market?
We focus on iterations and high quality standards, we will start from a basic concept and iterate and iterate until the asset is exactly what would be expected of the target audience. We get feedback from customers as well to help hone in on a particular style that we are aiming to create.
How do you manage to keep repetitive themes (Egypt, classic, Greece and so on) interesting?
For these, it is all about combining the innovative mechanics with a unique spin on a narrative that has been re-told before. Of course if you are to create an Egyptian theme you should still recognise it to be fundamentally Egyptian with its gods and its hieroglyphs. But is there a way to put the spin on the narrative that ties it to the mechanic that has not been done before. It is important to do market research to find common thread that you can capitalise on but also things to stay away from.
What impact does localisation have on game development from a visual perspective?
Localisation of Gaming Corps is super important to us, we sometimes want to create games that can be tailored for a particular market. Especially when working with casinos for bespoke content. For example, we created a game in 2023 called âRamen Puzzleâ which was launched with a casino partner in Japan. It was very important for us to nail the anime style that suited this market and it was a core part of the development cycle to research, develop and iterate on our designs to perfect the style.
Another recent launch this year was Samba Soccer, a crash product that was created with Brazil in mind. It had a stylisation that suited popular games in that market but also a theming that set the game in Rio de Janeiro. This visual combination allowed the game to be hyper localised to this market.
What future trends do you think are going to impact the look and design of online slot games?
More and more over the years, the target demographic has moved away from playing on desktop to playing on mobile, in particular on mobile portrait, so we will always feel as if designing with a mobile-first approach should be at the forefront of what we do at Gaming Corps. This I believe will continue to trend upwards. This has a big impact on the way that slot games look and feel, there is a small space with lots of elements fighting for room so it is important to be very clear with Product Owners on what are the most important elements of the slot game.
Interviews
Safety First: Slots Temple Q&A
For a company that has begun to blur the lines between affiliate and operator, social responsibility remains the ultimate watchword for Slots Temple, says CEO Fraser Linkleter. Â Â Â
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How important is social responsibility to the affiliate side of Slots Templeâs business?
We began life as an affiliate business that offered free demo games and slots tournaments (and we still do!). This allowed us to build a highly engaged base of players that genuinely loved playing slots. From day one, we always put social responsibility at the heart of everything we did.
We always believed that an entertainment-driven socially responsible gaming experience created a sticky player-base that trusted us and created better quality traffic for our partners.
Has tightened regulation of the gambling industry over the past few years impacted affiliatesâ responsibilities towards its users?
Definitely. Affiliates deliver an estimated 30% to 50% of acquisition to operators in the UK, and while the sector is not directly regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, these numbers demonstrate that the responsibility to protect players from harm should be shared.
Increased regulation over the past few years means that operators, rightly, must be more cautious about choosing their affiliate partners. Ultimately, as affiliates, we must accept the responsibilities we share as part of the gambling supply chain.
The reality is, while affiliates are not directly regulated, the standards to which operators are held by regulators are passed on to us through our partner contracts. Affiliates that do not comply with these standards will struggle in this climate because operators will only work with the partners they can trust to behave responsibly. So social responsibility has become not just an ethical consideration but a strategic business decision too.
In 2022 Slots Temple received a license from the UKGC which allowed you to offer paid tournaments and real-money slots. Has this changed the way you think about social responsibility?
Social responsibility was always a big part of our business model, and our UKGC license was a recognition of that. Of course, offering real money games means that we are held to the same high standards as all licensed operators.
That means KYC, deposit limits, timed reality checks, affordability checks, self-exclusion options, and so on. But for us, itâs about more than mere compliance. Our model has always been about being a safe destination for fun play and prizes. As I say, weâve fostered this community of slots fans who trust us and itâs important that we maintain that trust through the way we operate.
Ultimately, the license allowed us to offer our player-base more choice. First, that was free-to-play tournaments with cash prizes, and then low-stakes paid-for tournaments with bigger prizes, plus real-money slots.
So, your experiences as an affiliate have made you a more socially responsible operator?
Yes, because it has helped us understand what our players want. For example, we believe safer gambling is about smaller deposits. Where we offer cash play, itâs always small buy-ins and small bet sizes. There are tournaments for 1p, or you can play for free in UK tournaments, all with real cash prizes.
We also think itâs important to educate players about the games we have on site. For example, we clearly display the return-to-player (RTP) and volatility of the game customers are about to play before they are able to access the game.
Itâs about being on the side of the player â whether youâre an affiliate or an operator. Ultimately, we believe that an entertainment-driven, socially responsible gaming experience will foster a loyal, trusting player-base.
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