19 minute read
Casino
by SBC Global
should provide the same experience on mobile devices, because this is where most time is spent.
“Another major topic for understanding desktop vs mobile is use cases. Most people have both devices and use them for different things. For the entertainment industry, numbers vary: if we look at social media, almost all traffic is from mobile devices.
“For video content like YouTube
or streaming services, desktop remains in a better position. Igaming is part of the entertainment industry, but use cases can vary as well. For example, there might be a case when someone is playing on the go from a smartphone, or someone wants to enjoy a more immersive slot or live roulette experience from a desktop device. Either way, desktop is not going anywhere, but mobile has already shifted as a primary platform.”
Picking up on the same point, Fredrik Johansson, commercial director of Fantasma Games, asserted a longheld belief of reaching the point where we currently find ourselves, citing that 75% of play on the Stockholm-based studio’s titles comes via the mobile channel.
“This has grown significantly over the past few years – when we first launched, around 50% of play was from mobile but now it is approaching 80%,” he stated. “We expect this to flatten out at some stage as there will always be a percentage of players that enjoy playing from desktop.
“Due to our mobile-first approach, each of our games is developed with mobile and in particular portrait play as the number one priority. As part of this, games are also developed so that they can be played with one hand and in particular the player’s thumb.
“Developing for portrait mode and one-handed play on mobile is a tough task, but once this has been achieved it is then relatively easy to re-develop the game for desktop play as there is so much more screen real estate to work with.
“So we still see desktop as being important as there will always be desktop players, but for us it is all about designing and developing slots that go beyond gambling and deliver the best possible experience on mobile.”
With mobile firmly established as the undoubted front runner, what further implications does that hold for the developmental process? Is landscape optimised over portrait? How much of a factor is one-handed play? And is any emphasis at all placed on desktop?
In response to these questions, Johansson pointed towards the central focus on portrait and one-handed games, with Fantasma previously having to convince Microgaming that
WHEN WE ARE SURE THAT EVERYTHING FEELS AND LOOKS GOOD ON MOBILE, WE CONTINUE TO DESKTOP EITHER WAY, DESKTOP IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE, BUT MOBILE HAS ALREADY SHIFTED AS A PRIMARY PLATFORM
“portrait play was the way forwards” when faced with a landscape development request upon starting to work with the group.
“We were able to convince them, and it has proved to be the right thing to do. We obviously knew this as we had embraced this philosophy from day one having looked to other industries such as video and mobile games and saw they were all creating titles in portrait mode,” he continued.
“We actually believe that portrait mode provides plenty of opportunities to innovate and create highly engaging slots that go beyond gambling. For example, in Flower Fortunes we created a 9x9 reel game matrix that players can climb as they level up through the game.
“Again, this game was designed with one-handed play in mind. But why is this so important? Because it allows players to enjoy our games no matter where they are or what they are doing. They can play while walking down the street, sitting on the tube or relaxing at home.
“This gives them much broader appeal and increases the time players can spend enjoying the hugely entertaining experience they have to offer.”
For Buckia, optimising games for one-handed use should be a priority when coming up with new titles - however the creation of an easy to use interface should be at the forefront of every games’ development.
Buckia concluded: “As well as providing thrilling entertainment, studios have one more important mission when it comes to mobile phone optimisation - to provide an easy to use interface and experience. Mobile-first approach means optimising the game for one-handed use as well so people are comfortable playing long sessions.
“Smartphones are different from the desktop in usability, you only need to move the mouse a little to click anywhere on the desktop, but on smartphones you use your fingers,
actually just one finger: a thumb.
“Phones are getting bigger and screens wider. If some buttons are located in the top corner of the screen, you have to reach the thumb all the way over there, or use another hand. Yes, this sounds like a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but in reality these small nuances can be very annoying for the player.
“Although almost every slot provider has a landscape mode implemented in slot games, people prefer to play in portrait mode. Ask yourself, how do you take pictures from your phone, on portrait or landscape orientation? Most people shoot in portrait mode, this just feels more intuitive.
“At the end of the day people play games to relax and entertain and bad UX can ruin this altogether.” •
WHY PARIPLAY COULDN’T IGNORE THE ‘UNTAPPED POTENTIAL’ OF THE US MARKET
ANDREW MACLEAN - PARIPLAY’S DIRECTOR OF SALES -
explained that the growing potential of the US market is an opportunity which simply could not be ignored
Three years on since the US first opened up to legalised betting, and a number of European suppliers have been seeking to gain a foothold in the post-PASPA market. Pariplay has been no exception, having already made its entry into New Jersey.
For Maclean, the US market has ‘always had great potential’, noting that Pariplay plans to draw upon its wealth of experience in European markets to gauge a deeper understanding of nuances in player preferences across different states.
SBC: Pariplay entered the US market with Rush Street Interactive earlier this year and your games are now live in New Jersey, what has the experience been as a European supplier making inroads into the US market?
AM: Making our US debut was an exciting milestone for us and the first few months have been a learning curve. We have a fantastic partner in Rush Street Interactive, an operator which has been very successful in the market with its PlaySugarHouse brand.
This has given us an excellent platform to introduce our games to US players. Our content has been performing exceptionally well but we are still learning about the specific player demographics and preferences to get a better understanding of the local audience.
Being a European supplier in the emerging US market means we are new to the local peculiarities, but by working closely with our operator partners we can optimise and improve our offering to better appeal to players. On the other hand, our extensive experience in numerous European markets gives us a unique advantage because we understand the different nuances of player preferences in different regions.
SBC: Your new deal with GAN will see you enter Michigan and Pennsylvania and strengthen your position in New Jersey; what is your plan for further expansion?
AM: After being live in New Jersey for a few months, we were excited to announce this expansion into new markets together with GAN and we look forward to introducing our content in more states.
The US market presents a massive opportunity for us and we have great plans to explore new states as they open up. We continue to follow developments closely in emerging states such as New York, Florida and California. The deal with GAN is important and highlights the demand for our content in the US.
Other markets outside of the US that we are currently prioritising with exciting new partnerships include Greece and the Netherlands and we are also strengthening our position in the Colombian market with several customer launches planned for Q2, so watch this space!
SBC: Why do you believe the time is right for Pariplay to be making moves into the US?
AM: The US online market is finally taking shape and the closure of land-based venues over the last 12 months as a result of the pandemic has prompted state regulators to consider, or fast-track, regulation. The US market has always had great potential with local and European operators and suppliers long awaiting the legalisation of online gambling.
We have been preparing for a market entry for some time and followed the development in New Jersey where there has been robust growth since 2018 before making our debut. With many more states on the verge of legalising online gaming, there is no doubt that the US market is the place for us to focus our attention in the years to come.
SBC: What kind of content has been the most popular among the US audience and does it differ much to the typical European player?
AM: From the player data we have collected so far, we have found that the games that are the most popular in European markets are also the top performing titles in the US. Our strategy is therefore to push the same content we develop for European markets in the US.
Our proprietary games portfolio contains over 120 titles and offers a diverse mixture of more classic fruit-slots and titles with innovative features and mechanics. The content is suitable for beginners, as well as advanced players, and land-based connoisseurs will find games that they are familiar with to introduce them to the online experience.
SBC: Will you be creating localised content for the US market going forward?
AM: Yes, we have developed targeted content for these markets, such as American Roulette that was recently launched, and we will continue focusing on the localised content. At Pariplay, we are fully data driven. Every game we launch is researched
thoroughly via our data and business intelligence system to understand how it performs and what we can learn to improve our offering in the future.
We also tailor our content to the specific markets that we operate in and use data to better understand which games, features, mechanics and themes local players prefer. Every operator also has specific preferences and needs - we collaborate closely with our clients to develop our game concepts and features.
Some of the key needs expressed by our partners and operators are not just about the games, but the need for back-end tools that allow them to create a competitive offering for their players. We will therefore analyse each state that we enter and work closely with our partners to ensure our content is tailored for the specific needs and desires.
SBC: As well as your proprietary content you offer an aggregation platform, Fusion, and a studio partnering program, Ignite, how will that content fit into Pariplay’s US strategy?
WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE EUROPEAN MARKETS WHERE WE OPERATE, BUT THE US CANNOT BE IGNORED
AM: Our long-term plan is to enable our full games portfolio to US operators, including aggregated content on our Fusion and Ignite platforms. The Fusion platform features thousands of games from the industry’s leading developers and a suite of back-office conversion and retention tools that enhance player value.
Our Ignite program offers independent game providers a flexible turnkey framework to create and deploy content globally through our Fusion aggregation platform. We already have several studios signed up which now develop exclusive content for us which we plan to offer in the US markets as well. This adds another layer to our offering as we can offer content that is not available through other channels.
SBC: How important do you see the US market becoming for Pariplay in the future as more and more states are considering legalising online gaming?
AM: The US will be a key market for Pariplay over the coming years. There is so much untapped potential across the nation and opportunities will continue to develop as regulation is rolled out. We expect this will gradually happen as states realise the potential that the industry brings in terms of generating tax revenue. We will, of course, continue to also focus on the European markets where we operate and have a strong foothold, but the US cannot be ignored. •
Relax Gaming Book of 99
Basic Info: Similar to other ‘Book of’ titles, the players will aim to land book symbols to trigger the game’s feature modes. The symbol itself is a Wild, which replaces the pay symbol to complete payline wins, and also works as a Scatter. If the player lands three or more on the grid, it awards 10 Free Spins. Before the round commences, one of the pay symbols is randomly chosen to become the special Expanding Symbol. On each spin, special symbols expand to cover all of the positions on the reel after any regular wins have been paid, yet players will aim to get full-screen wins to be awarded the biggest prize. Free Spins can be retriggered when three or more book symbols land within the bonus round.
Reels: 5x3 Paylines: 10 RTP: 99% Volatility: High
Key Features:
Wild, Free Spins, Wild Collection Daniel Jonsson, Head of Games at Relax Gaming, said: “When we set out to build Book of 99 we wanted to create the best ´Book of´ game out there, one truly made for players. “With 99% RTP we could add a quick collection feature so that players trigger Free Spins more frequently, making the game flow rapidly and responsive. Graphically, the game came together very well with an Odyssey theme and a feeling of adventure, mystery and excitement. “Overall, I think we really succeeded and I believe Book of 99 is a game that players will return to and which will grow over time. It’s fantastic to see it make Slot of the Week during its launch period and we’re really excited to see all the positive reviews coming through on the game.”
Stakelogic Ultra Joker
Basic Info: Within the game, the Ultra Joker is a Wild symbol that can appear on all positions across all three reels and substitutes for all other symbols to build up some truly epic win combinations. This is taken to the next level with the Joker Multiplier pot that starts x1 and increases by one with every losing spin – a standard win then resets the pot. The multiplier is then applied to a win combination that includes the Ultra Joker – up to a maximum multiplier of x100 – with a max win potential of €480,000. Ultra Joker also includes a Win Repeater bonus which is triggered when the reels fill with the same symbol.
Reels: 5x3 Paylines: 5 RTP: 95.86% Volatility: High Key Features: Wild, Joker Multiplier and Win Repeater Salvatore Campione, Head of Greenlogic at Stakelogic, noted: “Ultra Joker is a great addition to our classic slot portfolio thanks to its strong design and highly entertaining gameplay. “You can feel the big win anticipation build with every spin, and thanks to the wilds and multipliers, big wins are very much on the cards with this slot. “It was a pleasure to work with Hurricane Games which consists of a highly talented team of designers and developers who came together to build and launch a truly great slot.”
Big Time Gaming Wild Flower
Basic Info: Features within Wild Flower include reactions, two Free Spin games and BTG’s Mega Free Spins feature. If the player lands three or more regular Scatter symbols, it will trigger one of two Free Spins modes – Multiplier Ladder Free Spins and Sticky Wild Free Spins. If the Multiplier Ladder option is selected, the player starts with 12 Free Spins. Each reaction win during this mode will move the player along a multiplier ladder by one. If the player lands a minimum of three Scatter symbols, up to 20 Free Spins can be retriggered, depending on the number of Scatters. Alternatively, the Sticky Wild mode starts with seven Free Spins. Before the round starts, one royal symbol is randomly selected to be the Sticky Wild. If the symbol lands on reels one to five, it turns Wild and is locked into position for the duration of the round.
Reels: 6x4 Paylines: 4,096 RTP: 96.52% Volatility: High Key Features: Free Spins, Mega Free Spins, Multiplier Ladder, Sticky Wild, Mega Scatter, My Heart Beats Fast mode and The Most Beautiful Thing feature Nik Robinson, CEO, Big Time Gaming, said: “The industry’s reaction to Wild Flower has been incredible and we are really happy that this cult slot has been crowned Slot of the Week. “The player is at the heart of everything we create and I think that is evident when we get such positive reviews from both affiliates and the players that love Big Time Gaming’s games. We can’t wait to unveil more awesome content in the next few weeks.”
Scientific Games Perfect Potions Megaways
Basic Info: Offering a ‘unique twist’ on the Megaways mechanic, Perfect Potions Megaways includes the addition of magical potions that sit above the reels and moves down through each cascading win. On each spin, between one and five potions, either red or blue, will randomly appear above reels two to six. During every spin, after the winning combinations are removed, each potion will drop down to the lowest available position on its reel. If the position reaches the bottom row of the reels, it will drop into the cauldron underneath and trigger an appropriate modifier. When a blue potion is triggered, the corresponding reel expands to double its original height and the new symbols then fill the reels. Alternatively, when a red potion is triggered, all symbols on the corresponding reels become Wild.
Reels: 6 Paylines: 96,040 to 700,000 RTP: 96% Volatility: N/A Key Features: Expanding Reels, Expanding Wilds and Multiplier Wilds in Free Spins Rob Procter, Content Specialist Director, Digital at Scientific Games, shared: “Megaways remains as popular as ever with players, but we’ve pushed the boundaries with our latest magical creation to ensure it stands out from the crowd and offers players a brand new experience. “With the potions dropping through the reels and modifying both the base gameplay and Free Spins, Perfect Potions Megaways is a truly unique way of enjoying the industry’s highly sought-after mechanic. We’re particularly proud of developing such a complex game, which visually looks stunning.”
BGaming Mechanical Clover
Basic Info: Throughout the title, Wild symbols substitute for any symbol in a line to complete a winning combination. In addition, the Wild can drop on the central reel only, with the Wild also triggering the Respin Bonus. Once triggered, 27 paylines become available with the feature providing one to six respins, increasing multiplier with every new respin. Symbols that complete winning combinations during the bonus stay on the reels until the end of the Free Spins series. Finally, incorporated into the title is a Risk Game which can be activated on any win.
Reels: 3x3 Paylines: 27 (within the Free Spins mode) RTP: 96.8% Key Features: Wild, Respin Bonus, Free Spins and Risk Game Yulia Aliakseeva, Game Producer for BGaming, remarked: “The BGaming team is delighted to know that Mechanical Clover acclaimed the slot of the week! It is a big pleasure to be acknowledged. “We strived to carefully consider every detail of the game and we hope that players loved the extraordinary steampunk style. At the same time, Mechanical Clover is full of wellthought-out features to win more and more!”
Synot Games Book of Secrets 6
Basic Info: The latest slot title from Synot Games guides players through the mysteries of Egypt’s folklore, digging through long-abandoned tombs where riches await. During the game, landing three or more Wild symbols anywhere on the reels will award 10 Free Spins to the player. At the start of the Free Spins mode, a symbol – except the Wild – is chosen to act as the Special symbol. After the regular payout of wins, Special symbols may expand and pay independent of their position on the payline. The expansion is only triggered if enough symbols for a win are present. Furthermore, if an additional three or more Wild symbols land on the reels during the Free Spins round, an additional 10 spins with the same Special symbol are awarded.
Reels: 5x3 Paylines: 10 RTP: 94.01% Key Features: Wild, Special symbol, Free Spins and Gamble Feature Matej Sopoci, Product Manager at Synot Games, commented: “We are really excited and proud that Book of Secrets 6 was picked as Slot of the week. As the big brother of Book of Secrets, players can expect more adrenaline and much higher wins. “We wish all the players the best of luck and may they find the biggest secrets and the highest wins.”
BET365 PARTNERS: CATENA MEDIA AND BETTER COLLECTIVE REACT TO THE RELAUNCH OF THE BET365 AFFILIATE PROGRAMME
COMPANIES WHO FAIL
TO EVOLVE will see their customer base slimming, said Catena Media’s Gloria Cereda in response to the roll out of bet365 Partners - a shiny new affiliate programme for the most successful online sports betting operator
Josh Pizzie, Head of Commercial at Better Collective
Over the years, bet365 has been fully committed to enhancing its relationship with marketing partners by providing industry leading products, insights and tailored support. As a result, bet365 relaunched its affiliate programme this month to bet365 Partners.
SBC Leaders decided to catch up with two of bet365’s key partners to get their reaction to the programme’s new look. Gloria Cereda, Catena Media’s Director of Commercial, was joined by Josh Pizzie, Head of Commercial at Better Collective.
Cereda reserved special praise for the new media gallery, which will allow affiliates to get ‘more impact’ from their marketing messaging, while Pizzie told us that the live stats feature was the most anticipated upgrade for Better Collective.
Pizzie added that all operators should be focusing on the speed and granularity of data, with Cereda agreeing that the sharing of such data - as well as the openness
