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Parimatch’s Head of Billing explores the future sound of payments

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Parimatch's Head of Billing explores the future sound of payments
Parimatch’s Head of Billing, Olga Golikova.
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In his keynote speech at this year’s World Gaming Executive Summit Parimatch’s CEO Sergey Portnov predicted payments will finally get the ‘attention they deserve’ at ICE London 2020 and with the growth of transaction technologies and advent of biometrics, Parimatch is poised for the payment push

“Payments are not about diversity, but rather about quality,” is the clear emphasis for Parimatch according to the company’s Head of Billing, Olga Golikova as the brand’s high-profile position in more than 10 countries continues to expand.

As a large-scale international platform and leading betting operator in the CIS region, the company’s focus on payment technology is more keen than ever following data analysis from the various markets in which the brand operates. Commenting on why payment experience is essential for the future of betting, Golikova explained: “Different payment methods are developing in different parts of the world. Where there is low penetration of plastic cards, mobile payments, e-wallets, prepaid cards are developing. And the logic is not that the operators are looking for a round of banks, but that the population simply does not have cards and a banking account. However, they do have mobile phones. For comparison, the turnover on cards in CIS region at Parimatch is 75%-80%, whereas in Africa mobile payments occupy this position. The issue is in the exclusive accessibility and user-friendly solutions for the end users.”

From AI & voice, to biometrics and Blockchain, the list of technologies disrupting the payments industry is growing rapidly, something which Parimatch is acutely aware of and investing in. As Head of Billing, Golikova determines that sometimes the shiny and flashy new of payment processes might not always be what they seem. “Technologies are developing at a frantic speed, and of course it influences the payment market,” she said. “Even 50 years ago, no one could have thought that everyone in the house would have a computer with Internet, and now we have payments with Face ID being tested. In the space of a few short years since contactless arose, you need neither your card nor your phone anymore. Payments using biometric sounds like a breakthrough. However, it is not that simple with biometry as it is still using highly confidential information and is regulated by many laws and rules.

“Technology, however, is just a wrapper for the old proven methods. Apple Pay and Google Pay are technical wrappers for plastic cards. There is still a bank behind them. Mobile payments based on customer mobile account. And this is another branch of technological development. Cryptocurrency is the third one. And so on. The one with the easiest payment flow is about to win!”

Parimatch works with over 100 global suppliers and is renowned for its international partnerships and recognisable brand ambassadors, including Mike Tyson and Conor McGregor, all of which form a crucial cog in how the company researches and drives new payment initiatives for itself and the sector as a whole. “If we talk about payment partners, then the exchange of experience is very important,” she stated. “What has long been implemented in one region may still only be developing in another. To share expertise is to help grow the market driving success for everyone. It’s a win-win situation!”

However, Golikova warns other commercial brands of the need to be careful when choosing partners, especially in terms of transaction technologies and solutions. “In payments, reputation is everything,” she advised. “The market is small, everyone knows each other. The second key component when choosing who to work with is fame. Coming to partners, especially large ones, with the initiative it is much easier to conduct a dialogue when I represent a world-class company with a recognisable brand and celebrity contracts like our new one Conor McGregor and UFC.”

Parimatch fosters a strong focus on responsible gambling and security, an approach which Golikova ensures is paramount for the brand’s payment systems whether it’s e-wallets, cryptocurrency or the next innovation. “It is an operator`s social responsibility to know our customer. This is very important not only for society, but also, for the operator. Customer verification is an important part of the fight against payment fraud. E-commerce and gaming are driving the online market and leading the way in payments going into 2020 and we hope to continue the trend of transactions being a top priority for the industry.”

When asked if she sees payment solutions being a differentiator for operators in new sports betting markets internationally Golikova concluded that to do this, Parimatch will need to become the size of Google or Amazon and “create its own wallet or something more innovative to spread it around the world!” As an industry where payments are finally getting the recognition they deserve, don’t rule it out!

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Maximising Your Cross-Market Appeal

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Maximising Your Cross-Market Appeal
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With Bitblox introducing an entirely new breed of crypto-based price prediction games to the iGaming industry, we talked to CEO, Brandt Page, to discover how combining elements of both chance and skill with lightning-fast betting rounds has helped improve their cross-market appeal.

 

When Bitblox was first established, our core concept was relatively simple; we didn’t just want to provide players with a new twist on an existing format like slots or casino games, but instead sought to create an entirely new vertical that combined elements of chance and elements of skill.

One of the main drivers behind this decision was the fact that we wanted our releases to appeal to as broad an audience as possible – and I think from the figures we’ve seen so far, we’ve already had some notable success on that front in terms of the players that are engaging with our games.

Funnily enough, I was recently talking to the Head of Marketing from one of the operators that we work with and they told me they were struggling to place our games optimally. Initially, they’d put them in with crash and instant win content, but they soon discovered a lot of their in-game traffic was coming from sports bettors. A move to the sports betting tab followed, but the exact same-thing happened with casino players, leading to the games eventually winding up on the front page.

As this was going on, our games were continuing to post solid numbers with the customers who bet on both sports and casino – and all of this engagement was coming without there being any additional promotion from us or the operator. So why was it that our games were performing so well across these different player segments? I believe there are a number of contributing factors.

First and foremost, having this hybrid model of games of chance and games of skill that I’ve already mentioned has placed us in a fairly unique position within the iGaming industry. On the one hand, the simple premise of our Bitcoin-based titles – coupled with their attractive designs and intuitive UI – makes them highly accessible to casino players who are just looking to have fun.

On the other, the fact that Bitblox games aren’t based on RNG and are instead pinned to the real-time movements of the Bitcoin market certainly resonates with a sports betting audience. As they have the ability to follow the charts and use this information to inform their decisions, they definitely feel they have more control over the outcome than if they were playing a traditional slot.

Another key aspect of our cross-market appeal is the fast-paced nature of all Bitblox releases. With casino players being accustomed to the quick wins and instant gratification of slots and crash games and sports bettors also showing a growing preference for in-play wagering, we’ve ensured each game round is resolved quickly and that there are multiple opportunities for betting.

When we first launched Up or Down?, which features one-minute betting rounds, we soon learned that even this timeframe is too long for some players. This resulted in us developing Up or Down? Turbo – a game which kept the same mechanics as its predecessor but reduced the betting window to 20 seconds – and this has gone on to become one of our most successful titles.

Keeping all this in mind, one of the things I’m most excited about is the upcoming release of our latest game, 3 in a Row, as I think this is a title that really ties everything I’ve talked about so far together. Designed to look like a slot machine, 3 in a Row challenges players to correctly predict how the Bitcoin price will move over three separate 20-second windows for even bigger payouts.

Intended to appeal to casual users and serious sports bettors alike, players can elect to either spin the reels for fun and select a random price sequence or use the bet builder feature to put together their own custom prediction. With the latter essentially functioning like an accumulator bet, players can select up to three possible combinations – i.e. Up/Up/Up, Up/Up/Down etc – and only one result needs to land for them to win, ensuring they stay engaged until the final seconds.

I believe that 3 in a Row can help build on the strong foundations we’ve laid down with casino and sports bettors and provide operators with another popular option that offers significant cross-market appeal. Based on what we’ve seen from previous Bitblox releases, the audience for titles that combine elements of chance and elements of skill is definitely out there – and I’m looking forward to our unique brand of crypto-based games being enjoyed by even more players in future.

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Gaming Corps to launch with lotteries in the USA via EQL games deal

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In-demand content provider extends reach into largest iGaming market in the world with its full suite of games made available via iLottery aggregation platform

Gaming Corps, a publicly-listed game studio based in Sweden renowned for creating industry-leading games, has made its debut in the US market through a breakthrough agreement with leading lottery provider, EQL Games.

The distribution agreement will see Gaming Corps’ full suite of games made available to EQL Games’ powerful iLottery Aggregation Platform, developed to provide lottery operators across America with direct access to a portfolio of proprietary and third-party games.

Following the integration, EQL Games’ lottery operator partners will be offered proven Slots, Table Games, Multiplier Games, Mine Games and Plinko Games, as well as titles under Gaming Corps’ innovative and trademarked Smash4Cash™ series.

The deal and integration come at a time of growing demand among online lottery operators in the US for non-traditional content, a format that Gaming Corps has excelled in, especially with its Smash4Cash™ games, which have been a hit with players in global markets.

EQL’s aggregation platform has been developed to allow online lottery operators to quickly and easily access content from multiple game studios simultaneously through one integration and one commercial agreement.

Its iLottery Aggregation platform simplifies the process of adding new games to an online lottery brand across regulated states. In addition to the third-party content provided via its aggregator platform, EQL Games has a portfolio of in-house titles.

This includes games produced under licence with Team USA which were rolled out by several state lotteries for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this year, with new titles being planned ahead of the Winter Games in Milan (2026) and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles (2028).

Juha KauppinenCEO of Gaming Corps, said: “The USA has always been somewhat of the holy grail for game developers like us, which has been further emphasised as markets in several states have become regulated. The potential in the American market is enormous, and the impact for us is a bit difficult to assess, but we have great hopes for the collaboration with EQL Games, which has an impressive platform towards U.S. lotteries.

“We believe it will have a significantly positive impact on our revenues. I would like to personally take the opportunity to thank EQL Games and Brad Cummings for the collaboration, and we are now working hard to complete the integration so that all our games will be offered to EQL’s customers via their platform.”

Brad CummingsCEO of EQL Games, added: “Including Gaming Corps as a supplier to the EQL Games iLottery Aggregator is an exciting step forward in our mission to offer unique, high-quality content to state lotteries. Gaming Corps’ expertise in iGaming, along with their unique game portfolio, fits perfectly with our vision of enhancing the lottery experience through dynamic and engaging content.”

 

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Industry News

Public Voting Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0

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The highly anticipated Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 has officially entered the public voting phase as submissions are closed.

More than 70 game providers have turned in over 160 submissions, including Tom Horn Gaming, Pragmatic Play and RubyPlay. Public voting involves enthusiasts casting their votes to pick the winner of the Game of Public Choice category.

The Public voting phase ends on December 1st 23:59 GMT+4.

Concurrent to public voting, the first phase of private voting also starts during which all participants who have submitted entries get the chance to vote for one favourite in each category. An international auditing company oversees this phase to eliminate duplicate votes and self-votes. This phase ends on November 19, 23:59 GMT+4.

The second phase of private voting will also take place with a jury of industry experts making their decisions based on the shortlist picked by participants during the first phase.

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