What is Relax Vantage®, and why should operators and suppliers be excited about this new platform?

Relax Vantage® is a brand-new portal for all Relax Gaming’s customers, it comes after we took a deep dive into user requirements and found that we were in a position to offer smoother, non-stop access to our aggregation ecosystem. This game changing portal will cover all aspects of our business partnerships from integration support, analytics to performance reports.

For operators it will also offer a new way to access and discover our personalised library of aggregated content, tailored to each individual market. For suppliers it will offer them a new way of putting their content in front of Relax Gaming’s ever-growing network of operators around the world.

How does Relax Vantage® differ from what the studio offered operators and suppliers prior to its release?

We’ve automated the vast majority of the BAU processes which has in turn enabled the platform to be much faster and more efficient in terms of scalability. The goal of Relax Vantage® is to act as an all-in-one portal to support the business needs of every supplier and operator partner.

Our long-term aim is to also bring a level of transparency, automation and self-service on a level we’ve never been able to offer before, which we know will be a hugely attractive proposition to both current and future customers.

How has content aggregation changed over the last few years and what has does Relax Vantage® done to address those changes?

There has been an explosion of new content providers in recent years. Through Relax Gaming’s multiple integration models, Silver Bullet, Powered by Game Server and Powered by Plat-2-Plat, we are able to cater to the individual needs of many suppliers.

On one end we have our distribution Plat-2-Plat program that allows suppliers to leverage our aggregation platform to reach operators, and on the other we have our comprehensive support package, Sliver Bullet. The Silver Bullet program offers support for everything, including game concept consulting, development, certification and commercial representation.

The explosion in content makes it incredibly difficult for operators to keep track of the latest games, but we believe in choice! Our advanced filtering tools allow users to select titles based on markets, features and so much more, making the experience straight-forward and most importantly enjoyable.

Is ensuring content aggregation is functional and easy to manage key to acquiring and retaining customers?

Being agile and able to move quickly as the industry throws up new challenges is vital. In this day and age, the industry is subject to a lot of challenges, new regulations and jurisdictional requirements. We suffer information overload and constant context switching.

We aim to give our customers all the transparency and tools they need to fully manage their content. I’m confident that the level of service we provide and the level of flexibility our platform offers makes Relax Gaming a very attractive proposition for any supplier or operator out there.

What are your long-term hopes and ambitions for Relax Vantage®? 

We have an exciting roadmap that we believe will further enhance operator and supplier experiences. The industry we are working in is constantly evolving, we see Relax Vantage® as a product that will need to constantly innovate to meet the demands of the industry.

This is an exciting challenge for us at Relax. We listen closely to the customer’s feedback and plan to be able to easily react to the needs in terms how to work with an aggregator. Ultimately, we want Relax Vantage® to become an all-in-one solution to serve all the business and operational needs of our supplier and operator partners from any location and provide 24/7 support.

Participants:

Tereza Melicharkova, Head of Marketing at Swintt

Araminta Hannah, Director at Comparasino

Allan Stone, Chief Executive Officer at Intelitics

In your opinion, what technology has had the greatest impact on iGaming in 2024? 

Tereza Melicharkova: I think from a game design perspective the increased focus on mobile technology has definitely had the biggest impact. We know these days a huge proportion of play comes from mobile devices, so we’re seeing more games being developed with this in mind. In practical terms, this means creating titles that are optimised for use on a vertical display and include more features that incorporate touch-screen functionality or otherwise enhance the mobile experience. From a marketing perspective, the biggest change has been an increased collaboration with streamers as this provides a more direct route for studios like Swintt to get closer to the players themselves.

Araminta Hannah: Anything that allows for deeper personalisation. It’s great to see some online casino brands now rolling the sort of personalisation that players have enjoyed at other entertainment options for quite some time. I’m talking about things like personalised bonus offers and game recommendations based on the player’s previous behaviour. It’s something that Comparasino has looked to leverage too by developing a proprietary recommendation engine for players, which matches players with brands that – based on their preferences – we believe they will enjoy.

Allan Stone: There is a growing opportunity for operators to create a core betting experience around micro betting, player props and same game parlays. Historically, most operators use those products as something of an ‘add on’ to drive engagement and acquisition. But by embracing these products, you can cater much more to the newer generation of bettor who prefers quicker content and technology-led experiences. It’s not like these technologies didn’t exist, but I do think that this has been a big thing for operators in 2024.

As mobile gaming continues to grow, what innovations are necessary to enhance mobile user experiences and ensure seamless integration across multiple devices?

Tereza Melicharkova: The main challenge to keep in mind is that there are a huge number of mobile devices on the market and that makes it very difficult for studios to deliver games that are compatible with the various screen resolutions. With this in mind, you need to have technology that can scale easily and automatically to reduce your workload and developers also need to picture how end users will ultimately experience their product. This latter point is something we’re very aware of through our acquisition of Elysium Studios – and you can see the end results in games like Law of Gilgamesh, which incorporate swipe functionality to provide a more engaging mobile experience.

Araminta Hannah: Mobile is all about streamlining the UX. Mobile players expect ease and speed, so it’s vital for operators, suppliers and even affiliates to remove friction and deliver a seamless experience. We always think of innovation as being game-changing and revolutionary, but it can be something as simple as deploying open banking to facilitate instant mobile deposits and withdrawals, or in our case, notifying players when a new online casino launches rather than then having to spend time scrolling through Google search results.

Allan Stone: Brands need to understand that they need to be building a product that’s cross-platform. We’ve always viewed gambling as being a core desktop product, and then introduced tablet or mobile at a later point. But if you can understand how to build products in a cross-platform way from the get-go, then you will enhance that mobile experience.  Personalisation is also key. There is no such thing as a ‘too rich’ user experience that is available on mobile – operators need to stop taking a cookie cutter approach and, instead, tailor experiences to individual players.

How can the iGaming industry stay ahead of regulatory changes and ensure compliance while still fostering innovation and growth?

Tereza Melicharkova: The #1 thing is ensuring that there’s an open dialogue between regulators, game developers and operators. Although there are more and more regulated markets opening up each year, at the moment they don’t really communicate together, and I personally think it would be a big help if there was one platform where updates could be shared to help compliance teams stay ahead of the game. We’re not quite there as an industry yet but having something like a global compliance conference would also be a great idea as it would provide that forum for discussion while also ensuring that people don’t have to travel as much to learn the ins and outs of individual markets.

Araminta Hannah: By understanding the rules in place and then pushing boundaries within them. Innovation shouldn’t be curtailed by regulation. Instead, operators, suppliers and affiliates should see it as the foundation from which they can develop new experiences, enhance existing customer journeys and continue to execute whatever it is they do to the highest standard. Innovation can just be about finding a new way of doing something better than it has been done before and, in my experience, regulation very rarely prohibits this.

Allan Stone: Many brands use responsible gambling and compliance as a crutch to justify not innovating. But the more intelligent operators can be in terms of where they place their ads, the less they will be viewed as being problem gambling adjacent. From a compliance perspective, the measures in place are designed to protect the player. Instead of viewing those requirements as an annoyance, the operators who embraced them have used it to their advantage and created ‘pattern interrupts’ which helps foster a more positive user sentiment, which means less regulatory oversight.

Platform migration has emerged as a critical strategy for operators looking to scale their operations, enter new markets, or address technical shortcomings. In an interview with European Gaming, Vitali Matsukevich, Chief Operational Officer at SOFTSWISS, delves into the intricacies of the migration process, the challenges operators face, and how SOFTSWISS has positioned itself as a leader in ensuring seamless transitions.

What drives operators to consider migrating from one platform to another? Could you explain the key issues they aim to resolve and why migration becomes necessary?

Vitali Matsukevich: The most popular reason is that the current platform no longer meets technical requirements, especially in terms of scalability and reliability. Operators often face issues like handling user loads they are currently experiencing or planning for. This often forces operators to seek a more stable and technically advanced solution to support their business growth. For example, in LatAm, we know of cases where operators face significant challenges due to downtime or unreliable operations. In some cases, this situation becomes unmanageable, and operators realise they need to migrate to a platform like ours, which offers 99.9% uptime and a seamless user experience.

Another reason for migration is the desire to expand to new geographies. For instance, if the current platform is not certified in a particular country, the operator may consider migrating to a platform that already has the necessary certification. While launching a new project on a different platform is an option, it can lead to operational challenges, such as managing two different projects on different platforms, which is not always convenient. In such cases, if the new market is attractive enough, it may be simpler to migrate to a platform that is already certified, obtain the necessary licence, and continue developing the project.

The third reason is dissatisfaction with the current software provider. This could be due to poor communication with business account managers, slow response times, lack of support, or the provider’s failure to implement client feedback. In the case of SOFTSWISS, we not only offer better service – as confirmed by various studies – but prioritise collaborative partnerships. Our partners highly appreciate our flexibility, openness to their suggestions, and commitment to developing the business together.

Moreover, operators who choose platforms used by major industry players benefit from being part of a community and gain access to features requested by those larger brands. For example, when large operators asked for specific product updates, we later rolled them out to all clients, which received positive feedback. We also have a well-structured workflow for managing client requests, where we gather all ideas, suggestions, and comments from our partners, and our product team evaluates which of them will have the most impact.

What specific technical and operational advantages does the SOFTSWISS platform offer to operators who decide to migrate?

Vitali Matsukevich: I would highlight two key advantages: the high technical performance of our platform and the well-established interaction with our partners. Because our partners don’t experience technical difficulties, they can scale their projects without worrying about the technical aspects of their business. Our recent migration case, where we transitioned over a million players to our casino platform and sportsbook within five hours, further confirmed the high technical level of our solution and well-defined migration process. 

A unique feature of migration is that after reopening a project post-update, there’s often a surge in user activity, with more people visiting the platform than usual. This contrasts with the gradual user growth seen when launching a new project, where users join the platform over time.

After migration, a large number of users might access the platform simultaneously. To prepare for this, we conducted numerous stress tests before the launch and executed the migration flawlessly. The number of issue reports was even lower than we expected.

What are the main challenges operators may face during migration, and how does SOFTSWISS help minimise these risks?

Vitali Matsukevich: The main challenge is the inevitable player churn. Before the transition, operators conduct extensive information campaigns about technical changes and migration to a new platform, but not all users take the necessary actions to transfer their accounts. On our side, we assist in communication, share experiences from previous migrations, and make the process as easy as possible for users. 

Another challenge is that users might notice differences between the two platforms. For example, even if both platforms offer the same types of bonuses, they might be implemented differently or might have other slight differences. In this case, we strive to visually adapt the new platform to resemble the previous software. We also transfer all possible and significant information about players’ gaming preferences, for example. 

Overall, this is a complex process. We need to assess which aspects of the previous user experience should be transferred to the new platform. Sometimes, it may also be decided to enhance certain features. 

Another important challenge is maintaining SEO rankings so that the project continues to receive stable traffic from this channel. Our experienced specialists help transfer all necessary information, adapt pages, and take other actions to ensure that search engines either don’t notice the difference or even improve the project’s search ranking.

What steps are taken to minimise player churn and ensure their loyalty after migrating to the new platform?

Vitali Matsukevich: An individual strategy is developed for each project and specific user groups. This can include additional email campaigns offering players bonuses or other unique personalised offers during the transition period. This approach helps retain users and makes the migration process as attractive and seamless as possible for them.

What metrics do you use to evaluate the migration success, and how do you measure its impact on the operator’s business?

Vitali Matsukevich: The key metrics we use to evaluate the migration success include the speed, downtime, player retention rate (how many users successfully transitioned to the new platform), and the load on customer support. These metrics allow us to objectively assess how smoothly the migration went and identify any areas that may need improvement in future migrations.

What are SOFTSWISS’ plans for further developing and improving the migration process?

Vitali Matsukevich: After each migration, we refine our current workflow, adding new elements based on the experience gained. We are also actively working on obtaining additional certifications, as we are currently doing in Brazil so that our partners can quickly and seamlessly launch their projects as soon as they have the necessary licence.

How does operator feedback play a role in improving the migration process, and how does SOFTSWISS incorporate their suggestions and feedback?

Vitali Matsukevich: We actively gather feedback from our partners and conduct retrospective discussions within our team. During these meetings, we analyse the metrics and identify any delays or issues. It’s important to note that each migration is a unique project, and while the core steps remain the same, the workflow is always adapted to the specific case. This approach allows us to continuously improve our migration process and ensure successful collaboration with our partners.

Can you provide examples of successful migrations where your approach led to significant improvements for the operator?

Vitali Matsukevich: Yes, one of the most compelling examples of a successful migration is when we transitioned over a million players from a competitor’s platform to the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform and the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook in just five hours. This migration was a significant achievement, showcasing our platform’s technical robustness and our team’s ability to manage complex, large-scale transitions with minimal downtime.

During this process, we meticulously planned and executed the migration to ensure that player accounts, balances, and gaming histories were seamlessly transferred without any data loss.