Get ready for the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024 by HIPTHER! The #hipthers are thrilled to introduce and put the spotlight on the companies and people who help us make the magic happen: our conference sponsors. Get to know them and join us in Tallinn, on 4-5 June to meet them in person!

Lasha Kupatadze, Chief Product Officer at Atlaslive, will be a Speaker at the Summit, offering valuable insights at the Panel about “Future-Proofing Digital Engagement: Mastering Gamification, Mobile Innovation, and Regulatory Compliance in the AI Era”.

Hello Lasha, thank you for taking the time for this interview. We are excited to get to know you and introduce you to our readers! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself, your professional journey, and your role at Atlaslive so far?

I’ve been in iGaming for nearly a decade and love it! Working with like-minded people to generate ideas and build products that customers love.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked in different roles at both B2C and B2B companies, focusing on building engaging and fun customer experiences.

As the Chief Product Officer at Atlaslive, I get to lead our efforts in making our products the best they can be. My job involves guiding our product development while applying the latest technologies, like AI and blockchain, to make our platform even better. Since I joined Atlaslive, my focus has been on making sure our products not only meet but surpass what our partners and players expect. We’ve put a lot of effort into making personalized, fun experiences that draw players in and keep them coming back for more.

In short, my career has been all about adopting new technologies, developing enjoyable and engaging products, and leading teams to create top-notch iGaming experiences.

As the Chief Product Officer at Atlaslive, you play a crucial role in shaping the company’s product landscape. Can you share with us how Atlaslive’s mission of discovering how far iGaming tech can evolve influences your approach to product development?

Our goal is to see how far we can go with technology in iGaming, and this ambition is a huge part of how we build our products. We’re really into using the latest tech to make gaming fun, personalized, and safe for everyone.

We use big data to analyze a huge amount of information, understand and track different patterns in how people play and what they prefer. This helps us deeply examine our users’ behaviors, allowing us to customize our flexible platform to fit exactly what they like and even predict what they’ll want to do next. This approach makes things a lot easier for our partners. They can spend less time and effort trying to figure things out because we provide all the insights and tools they need to make smart decisions quickly.

Our approach is tech-oriented and centered on the player, and  boosts not only engagement but also guarantees that everything is secure and perfectly adjusted to the end-user preferences.

I consider personalization paramount – and we usually focus on creating an experience that feels personal and keeps players coming back for more. I think that this user-focused mindset, combined with our love for tech, ensures that every step we take in product development not only meets the industry’s needs but often goes beyond, setting new standards for what iGaming can be.

The Atlaslive platform offers versatile delivery solutions, including Sportsbook API integration, White Label, and Turnkey. How do these different solutions cater to the varying needs of iGaming operators, and what advantages do they offer in terms of time to market and customization?

At Atlaslive, we understand that the needs of iGaming operators vary greatly depending on their business goals, market approach, and technical expertise. That’s why we offer a range of flexible delivery solutions. All options are designed to meet specific requirements, providing key benefits in terms of quick market entry, starting from two days only, and the ability to adjust services to a specific brand or market demand.

Our Sportsbook API integration is perfect for tech-savvy operators who have their platforms but want to enhance them with our top-notch sportsbook features. This solution allows for high customization and rapid deployment, enabling operators to quickly adapt and scale their offerings. On the other hand, our White Label and Turnkey solutions are ideal for those looking to launch their operations quickly without the heavy lifting of developing the technology from scratch. These options offer the fastest route to market with a high degree of brand customization, allowing operators to maintain their unique brand identity while using our robust platform.

When Atlaslive offers its three solutions, we ensure care for all parties involved in this integration process, guaranteeing smooth implementation and an exceptional gaming experience for end-users. Quality and innovation are steadfast allies for Atlaslive, helping our partners to be satisfied and stay successful in the market.

One of Atlaslive’s core values is creating live connections between business ambitions and opportunities. How does the Atlaslive Platform facilitate these connections, and what impact does it have on the overall iGaming experience for operators and players?

Yes, at Atlaslive, we’re really focused on connecting business goals with opportunities. Our platform uses smart data analysis to give operators the insights they need to understand what players want. This means we can help them tune their offerings to fit player preferences, which makes the gaming experience much more personal and exciting for everyone.

We also make sure our system works smoothly with other tech tools out there, which keeps things running seamlessly for operators and enjoyable for players. Overall, our “creating live connections” approach helps provide a lively and engaging environment where businesses can grow and players are more engaged with the offerings they choose.

With your extensive experience in the iGaming industry, including leadership roles focused on product development, how do you ensure that Atlaslive remains at the forefront of innovation while meeting the evolving needs of the industry and its partners?

While working in the iGaming industry, I’ve learned that staying ahead isn’t just about catching the latest trends, it’s about creating them. At Atlaslive, we keep our finger on the pulse of technology and user expectations. My approach is direct: listen, innovate, and adapt. First, we listen. We’re in constant dialogue with our partners to understand their challenges and preferences. This feedback is very important — it drives our product development. At the same time, we conduct market research and trend analysis to stay informed about the latest in technology, player preferences, and regulatory changes. In such a way, we can anticipate shifts in the market and adapt our products accordingly.

Then, we innovate by infusing our platform with the latest technologies — whether it’s AI to enhance personalization or blockchain for security. Finally, we adapt quickly. The iGaming world moves fast, and flexibility is our superpower. We’re always ready to tweak our offerings to better serve our clients and stay relevant in the market.

Atlaslive recently underwent a rebranding process. Could you discuss the connection between this rebranding and the strategic vision of the company, particularly in terms of enhancing the iGaming experience and staying ahead in a competitive market?

The rebrand to Atlaslive is a future-proof of the company’s vision to stay dynamic in terms of technologies and boost the user experience at the same time while giving our partners even more freedom during different sports events and adjusting the necessary settings timely and effectively.

The recent rebranding of Atlaslive shows our direct ties to our vision and a fresh start in staying true to our core values. With this rebranding, we’re emphasizing our focus on being a tech-forward company that always prioritizes our partners. Atlaslive – the tech behind the game.

At the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit, you will be joining the discussion about the strategic integration of gamification to boost player retention and loyalty in the iGaming sector. In a nutshell, what is your perspective on the matter, and how does gamification align with Atlaslive’s vision?

Well, what is gamification? To keep it simple, it’s about making the journey from point A to point B fun for the user. That’s what gamification is all about, in a nutshell.

I prefer using both quantitative and qualitative data to understand our customers and build user experiences based on this knowledge.

One of my first experiences with gamification was one of the world’s largest producers of soft drinks campaign where each bottle cap had a letter. If you collected all the letters to spell ‘happiness,’ you could exchange them for various prizes. I remember the excitement I felt before opening each bottle. I bought many of them just to see what letter I’d get. That’s a perfect real-life example of gamification.

We create similar experiences for iGaming users at Atlaslive. For instance, they might open a mystery box without knowing what’s inside. We use gamification techniques that evoke excitement and fun, drawing on our understanding of what users enjoy.

To put it simply, we understand our end-users and strive to create products and services that bring smiles to their faces. We monitor the effectiveness of our gamification tools through direct customer feedback and analytical data. Some of our projects that employ these techniques have seen a significant 30% increase in engagement and conversion rates.

By focusing on personalized and interactive experiences, we create a dynamic and engaging environment that keeps players returning, ensuring long-term success for both our platform and our partners.

Thank you for this insightful interview, Lasha! We look forward to meeting you in Tallinn, and hearing your valuable insights on Mastering Gamification, Mobile Innovation, and Regulatory Compliance in the AI Era!

Join us in Tallinn to connect with Lasha and the Team of Atlaslive – the dynamic iGaming platform focusing on “THE TECH BEHIND THE GAME”

Get your Tickets to the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit Now!

Betby, a leading provider of sportsbook solutions, has announced a long-term partnership with the Winnerz brand. The partnership entails the provision of Betby’s cutting-edge sportsbook solution and its proprietary esports feed solution to the Estonian online casino brand.

The inclusion of the Betby Games esports feed solution comes on the heels of Betby Games receiving approval earlier this year from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), which allows the sports betting supplier to provide its esports odds feed comprising of pre-match and live odds, round-the-clock content coverage, statistics hub, and resulting, either as part of the Betby Sportsbook solution or as a separate esports data feed to all operators holding an MGA license and other licensed operators in jurisdictions which accept MGA license.

Players on Winnerz’s casino platform now have access to an enriched sportsbook content portfolio featuring over 210,000 monthly events covering as many as 125 sports. The Betby Games esports feed solution will further boost the content offering with a broader and more engaging esports content, including 11 Betby Games e-simulator titles. This includes Betby Games’ renowned customized leagues, enabling operators to offer customizable esoccer football tournaments which are fully tailored to any brand’s identity.

Chris Nikolopoulos, Betby’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “I am very pleased to have agreed a broad collaboration with the Winnerz brand, as together we seek to grow the brand’s local marketshare. By continuing to deliver our extremely strong esport vertical to noteworthy brands, we stay true to our growth strategy, and bring incredible betting experiences to the operator’s customers.”

Kevin Liivamägi, Winnerz’s Head of Sportsbook, said: “I’m thrilled to provide our players with a premium sportsbook solution featuring one of the most extensive content portfolios in the industry. Their extensive range of content is truly impressive, and we’re confident that Betby’s comprehensive sportsbook solution and products are in line with our mission to provide our players with a fully immersive and well-rounded betting experience.”

It is common to think that gaming culture and its best experiences are only associated with computers and consoles. However, the gaming environment has changed significantly over the past few years. Once considered quite niche, mobile devices have now become the dominant force in gaming. Games on smartphones now account for more than half (according to Statista, 51%) of the global gaming market revenue.

According to one of Lithuania’s most famous gaming community members and the country’s most popular streamer, Karolis Jankauskas (“LTU Republic”), whose broadcasts are followed by more than 130,000 followers on the “Twitch” channel, we are living in a time of transformation.

User engagement and the number of game downloads illustrate that gaming culture is rapidly migrating to phones. Do you think it is starting to catch up with traditional gaming among true enthusiasts?

In the Baltics, events for games with mobile devices are just beginning to be organized, but the number of interested participants and their level of engagement is rapidly growing. Observing this activity, we can assume that gaming culture on phones can not only match but in some cases even surpass the traditional one.

We used to have many various popular consoles and other devices — from “GameBoy” to “PSP.” Now, the experiences they created are also available on phones. Does gaming on a smartphone match the quality of gaming on consoles? How is the gaming community reacting to these technological changes?

Comparing mobile games and gaming on consoles or computers is quite difficult. I would say it’s like comparing a car to a motorcycle. Both move, but one offers more entertainment, excitement, and emotional experiences, while the other offers more practicality.

A similar situation exists with gaming devices. You could say that smartphones have worse graphics or a more superficial gameplay experience, but their simplicity and pace open up a completely different gaming experience. Additionally, they are accessible anywhere and anytime. You don’t have to play only at home.

Currently, true gamers who play on consoles or computers don’t yet consider themselves in the same category as mobile device players. However, I think this attitude will change over time.

At the end of May, you invite your community to meet at the “Brawl Stars” mobile game tournament “Gaming tournament by Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.” Is it true that this is a gaming phenomenon? It is already estimated that “Brawl Stars”

downloads have exceeded 500 million. What is the secret of its popularity? How does this mobile game already have its own e-sports team today?

“Brawl Stars” stands out with its brilliantly designed combination. The game is extremely simple, and its concept is very straightforward. Defeat your opponent, and you will be the best. And the matches are super fast. You can play 3-5 matches in 5 minutes and charge your dopamine for the whole day. This is probably the main secret of the game’s success. Plus, there are various game accessories and special events that are very engaging.

Additionally, these are the reasons why this mobile game has its own e-sports team. It is competitive and easily understandable to a wide audience.

What will make the upcoming tournament of this game different from others?

For the gaming community, this “Gaming tournament by Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra” is relevant because it gives us an impression of how many people are engaged in gaming with smart devices. “Brawl Stars” players have a unique opportunity to test themselves against the best players. Participants are also motivated by the impressive prize—a “Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra”.

In the qualifications and selections, players will play in teams of two, and in the finals, the teams will be changed—the players who make it will be assigned one of the Lithuania’s famous content creators participating in the event. This should add a lot of intrigue and excitement, as it will show how well the best players can communicate with content creators who may not be as good in the game as they are.

More and more gaming-oriented phones are being introduced to the market. For example, the new “Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra”. How do they help the culture of gaming on phones grow? Can a phone even influence game results?

Just like athletes or racers need the best equipment or gear, a powerful phone gives a player an advantage. The fewer technical issues you have in the game, the faster you can progress.

Meet the most famous gamers

All gaming enthusiasts and professionals will have the opportunity to experience the best gaming moments on May 24-26 in Vilnius at the largest popular culture event in the Baltic States, “Comic Con Baltics powered by Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.”

The “Gaming tournament by Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra” will take place at the impressive “Galaxy AI” booth. Here, visitors will also meet K. Jankauskas (“LTU Republic”), Simas Anužis (“Svarbeuse dariti”), Edvisss, and other famous players in the Baltics. There will be an opportunity to get up close with the most advanced “Samsung” smart devices, discover new opportunities that innovative “Galaxy AI” artificial intelligence features open up for gaming.

At the beginning of this year, “Samsung” was the first to offer its users a smartphone with artificial intelligence features. These change many ways of using and controlling the phone, as well as the habits users have adopted until now. At the event, you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with and try out AI features such as “Search by highlighting,” “Photo editing,” “Notes assistance,” “Live translation,” “Chat assistance,” and others.