South Africa has been a strong market for BetGames, but there are many more opportunities across the African continent to explore. That was according to the company’s Africa Sales Director James Everett, who takes a dive into the untapped potential within the African casino market.

Speaking to CasinoBeats, Everett talks us through the reasons why online casino may surpass sports betting in the next two years before explaining how ‘unprecedented’ levels of tech adoption is fuelling new levels of growth.

CasinoBeats: Talk us through the evolution of online casino in Africa – as a regional expert, how have you seen the vertical evolve over the last decade? 

JE: In many ways for Africa, online casino is still a relatively new concept, this is primarily down to the rate at which the concept is being accepted and approved by regulators. Additionally, the development of infrastructure around web and mobile is further contributing to the delayed evolution of online casinos and gambling. 

However, according to Forbes – Africa is the fastest growing continent in the world, which we have noticed, especially in terms of the wider technological development. Africa is full of success stories and unlocked potential, something which we were able to anticipate before most in the iGaming industry, given our regional expertise.

Looking at the last 3-5 years, more and more game providers have entered the African market; taking advantage of the maturing infrastructure and increasingly educated population. Currently, mobile betting continues to be the biggest medium for players, with many operators focusing on mobile-first gaming providers, thus the online casino industry has rapidly adapted to produce games that are conducive to the demand. 

CB: Which regulated jurisdictions take the crown for the most traffic and popularity? Is South Africa the most dominant market? 

JE: I would say yes, South Africa maintains its dominance by still being the biggest in terms of gambling turnover. It’s no surprise that our growth throughout the region has been one of our major success stories. 

Although Nigeria is not far behind, it is second to only South Africa in terms of gambling turnover and is the biggest as far as traffic is concerned. Meanwhile, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia can be labelled as emerging jurisdictions, experiencing some growth in recent times. 

As we’ve launched with all major operators in South Africa, we’re actively looking at the aforementioned countries, as we feel they hold great and similar opportunities to South Africa, with the future certainly looking bright.

CB: Given the prevalence of more traditional SMS-based betting for sportsbook, how much of an issue has connectivity and mobile infrastructure been in online casino’s development? Is desktop the primary channel and how quickly are we seeing a shift to mobile?

JE: Over the past few years, the development of mobile infrastructure has been quite rapid, therefore, mobile betting is performing significantly better than desktop betting. This can be seen in the contrasting betting numbers that both platforms are producing. 

I believe it is largely indicative that the adoption of modern smartphones and their capability in being able to run games, has resulted in platform and game providers thinking differently about their goals and ambitions. After adapting to this ever-increasing demand, the ‘mobile lite’ concept in Africa has allowed the online casino and sports betting industry to grow at an extremely rapid rate, as it in effect offers a less-data heavy proposition, thus widening the appeal to players with less advanced technology on their hands.

CB: How much do player preferences differ from Europe? Are there any verticals that have proven particularly popular with African players?

JE: In Africa, the focus is still firmly on sports betting, as online casino is still a relatively new concept. However, the demand for online casino is rapidly increasing as mobile infrastructure becomes cheaper and more accessible on the continent, which holds the potential for exponential growth as adoption continues to widen.

Another fast-growing vertical appears to be virtual games, we all knew that virtuals would become a player favourite back in 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak and live betting needed a substitution. 

Two years on, the majority of African markets are still experiencing an upsurge in popularity, which contrasts greatly with is still supporting this vertical and it’s continuing to contrast other geographical markets where the majority of virtuals’ engagement was simply as a ‘filler’ during the gaps created by the pandemic. 

CB: Looking at the potential acquisition and retention of players, how much do online casino providers depend on cross-selling over from sportsbook? Can online casino ever be an acquisition tool in its own right?

JE: Online casino has quickly caught up with sports betting, therefore I wouldn’t necessarily say that providers need to cross-sell with sportsbooks for online casino to succeed, it holds plenty of its own appeal, and indeed a channel of acquisition in its own right. In many ways, online casino may even surpass sports betting within the next two years, as the concept passes approval with more regulators. 

There is no doubt that online casino has a significant amount of potential and is a great opportunity for operators to acquire and retain players. Moreover, with land-based casinos being well supported across the continent, there’s good reason to believe that the demand for online casino products will continue increasing given this familiarity. In many ways this makes sense, as players will be able to enjoy gaming in the comfort of their own home or perhaps on the go – with the mobile infrastructure in Africa continually advancing and enabling this preferred channel of entertainment.

CB: From your perspective, which markets hold the most potential for growth in the next decade? 

JE: South Africa has been a fantastic market for us; however, I can’t stress enough how Africa as a whole offers several growth opportunities – and I’m very confident in its potential. After all, it’s a huge continent that is full of eager players, who want to experience great iGaming products such as ours.

In my eyes, the markets that hold the most potential are Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Congo, Zambia and Uganda. These are nine countries that would be great starting points for others looking to venture onto the continent.  

Of course, it’s important to note that whilst Africa’s technology and infrastructure is still slightly behind other more developed regions, this can change fast. The rate of tech adoption we’re seeing is unprecedented, and since the continent is quickly growing and developing in this area, it means that entering the region is a fantastic opportunity for brands looking to take advantage of one of the fastest-growing regions globally.

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One of the first to take the step in the igaming industry, BetGames embarked on its trial of the much-vaunted working format in September 2024. CEO Andreas Koerberl and Head of HR Lina Pasiskevice share their thoughts on the success of the experiment, and offer their insight into how it has impacted the day-to-day operation.

CasinoBeats: What key trends push more companies, especially in igaming, to explore this model?

Andreas Koerberl: We consider ourselves somewhat of an underdog in a hyper-competitive environment, and since the COVID-19 pandemic our workforce has become global. A four-day workweek is an interesting experiment for us to become more attractive as an employer, by providing an invaluable incentive to our people.

Igaming still has a stigma, and just throwing more cash at people isn’t sustainable in the long run. The market for senior staff is still hot and developing areas like AI receive much of the available attention and investment, hence we as an igaming industry need to innovate in the field of HR first.

CB: What productivity trends have emerged since BetGames adopted the four-day workweek? How do you measure success in terms of both business outcomes and overall employee performance?

AK: We reached the halfway point of the pilot at the end of September, and we have measured over 30 KPIs across employee satisfaction and belonging, productivity (accounting for 14 on its own), mental health and motivation, partner satisfaction, employee retention and employer branding attractiveness. 

It is still early days, and we must consider that July and August, two out of three months, were the peak vacation season. The big news is that, so far, we haven’t recorded a decline in most productivity KPIs – some teams thrive, some struggle and overall performance seems to have maintained itself at the levels we experienced before the trial. However, Q4 is always the busiest period of the year, so this will be the ultimate measure.

What we have seen is an improvement in cross-team alignment based on the qualitative KPIs (measured through interviews) we track – something that comes intuitively with having people back in the office.

CB: What lessons have you learned so far, and what advice would you give based on BetGames’ experience with the pilot?

AK: The beauty of social science is that the correct answer always is ‘it depends!’ Every company needs to acknowledge its position in the market – we are an underdog, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it forces you to reinvent yourself periodically. 

The office-based four-day workweek may not work for every igaming organisation, but the advice I would give is simple: understand what makes a positive difference for your people. In our example, I briefed the leadership team on three major aspects: 

1. Fair compensation – meaning a competitive salary that we benchmark frequently with agencies.
2. Meaningful benefits – which in our case is a top-notch private health insurance for everyone and the four-day workweek. 
3. Don’t tell them how to do their job!

In my 18 years working in the software business, I’ve never met a mid-level or senior person who stuck with a company because of great parties and free pizza. Of course, we celebrate and offer other benefits when commercial performance allows for it, but these are add-ons and won’t prevent attrition if numbers one and two are missing. 

Long story short, make sure whatever you do is meaningful to your people. You don’t need 20 benefits. Do less, but make sure it’s done properly.

CB: What steps has the HR team taken to ensure smooth transitions and maintain a positive work environment during this pilot?

Lina Pasiskevice: We actively involved our employees from the very beginning to ensure a smooth transition into the four-day workweek pilot. We collected input regarding office reshaping, workspace equipment, and office maintenance to create a comfortable and productive environment. Relaxation zones were also implemented to support employees during longer workdays. 

Additionally, we introduced perks such as gym memberships, team-building budgets, an employee recognition programme, and a play zone in the office, which all contribute to fostering a positive work-life balance. To address potential challenges like stress or scheduling conflicts, we continuously track employee satisfaction through surveys and promptly act on any feedback to ensure a smooth process.

CB: Have there been any specific feedback or trends from employees that stand out?

LP – It’s still early in the pilot project to draw definitive conclusions, as the start coincided with the summer vacation period when many employees were out of the office. So far, we haven’t observed any major shifts in team morale or well-being, from the feedback we’ve received. 

However, from what we’ve heard so far, employees are enjoying the additional free day, using it to pursue personal hobbies, recharge, or take advantage of longer weekends for getaways. The feedback has been constructive, and we anticipate a clearer picture as more employees return from vacation and settle into the new routine.

CB: Has the feedback from employees led to any changes or improvements in how the four-day week is structured?

LP – At this stage of the pilot, one of the key insights is the importance of regularly engaging employees and addressing their needs in real time. By sending out bi-monthly surveys, we have been able to stay in tune with employee satisfaction and quickly adapt where needed. 

Although we haven’t made significant structural changes yet due to the timing of the project, we expect to gain more valuable insights as the second half of the project progresses, allowing us to make further refinements if necessary based on our analysis.

The post BetGames: assessing the viability of a four-day work within igaming appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The deal will see BetGames’ table games brought to players in the Dutch market via the Circus.nl online casino market, signalling the studio’s first foray into the nation. 

Andreas Koeberl, CEO at BetGames, commented: “We’re extremely happy to make our debut in the Netherlands – one of Europe’s most lucrative markets – with a major name in the country. The partnership maintains our drive to provide our unique brand of entertainment that bridges the gap between recreational bettors and casino with a diverse collection of intuitive takes on the most popular casino games.

“Deals like this support our mission to be the go-to gateway between sports and games. We’re looking forward to seeing our content drive revenue on Circus.nl.”

As a result of the collaboration, Circus.nl players will gain access to BetGames titles such as 6+ Poker, Bet on Poker, and Live Roulette.

Denis Wittebrood, Casino Operations Manager at Circus.nl, added: “BetGames’ innovative take on classic poker games brings a unique opportunity for Dutch poker players to go up against the house, rather than against other poker players.

“What I love most is that every hand has visible odds and shows the likelihood of winning. Players can play the odds or trust their gut and enjoy every single hand dealt. Bringing BetGames’ live offering to the Dutch market reinforces our leading position in content for slots, live casino and now also online poker.”

While this move sees BetGames enter the Netherlands for the first time, the online casino developer recently swelled its position in Poland by collaborating with STS Group.

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We spoke to BetGames Chief Product and Business Development Officer Ian Catchick and Eeze Chief Commercial Officer Graeme Powrie to get their thoughts on the future of live dealer games, and how advancements in technology could affect the importance of finding a balance between classic gameplay and innovative new features.

When creating a successful table game, how important is it to balance retaining the elements and feel of classic games while introducing enough fresh features to make them unique? 

Ian Catchick: You need a balance of both, and this is typically the way we build any established table game. Everybody loves to see innovative new features, and it is important to balance these with the game that people know, trust and understand. When we design a table game, we always respect the game’s heritage and add features that we believe benefit the player. 

Additionally, taking the player on a gradual evolution instead of wholesale changes in one go is often the best way to onboard and retain them by keeping things simple and easy to understand, ensuring they don’t feel alienated by complex new mechanics.

Graeme Powrie: In short, it is incredibly important, because customers appreciate familiarity with products that they already know. If you have to spend time educating players, it is more likely they will pivot to a game they understand, rather than waste their valuable time learning complex mechanics. 

That is why wheel games are still so popular. They offer incredibly straightforward mechanics that players can understand without the need for audio or a written explanation. They get a feel for the entire game within a few spins.

How can evolved versions of classic favourites boost cross-selling opportunities to bring in new players and additional revenue?

Ian Catchick: Different player risk categories need to be catered for, so making the call to action and USP clear and understandable provides the space to target these specific player segments. For example, the low-risk player looking for regular returns will not get excited by features that create more volatility in the game, and vice versa. 

When a classic game is enhanced, it’s essential to know who this game will target to ensure clear communication as to how this addresses the player’s needs. Players should also be allowed to try and engage with the new product, with a focus on simplicity, ease of play and providing a fresh experience to empower them to decide for themselves. 

Furthermore, when building games at BetGames, we are always identifying ways in which products can be closely associated with sports bettor play journeys and behaviours. We have developed several titles with this demographic in mind to help us bridge the gap between sports and casino, onboarding them to our products. This means that we can cater to and address the needs of not only current casino players but also recreational sports bettors wanting an easy play experience as they discover casino games.

Graeme Powrie: With the exception of probably roulette, where multipliers have added huge interest in attracting players from a new demographic, variations of classics aren’t as attractive for cross-selling. We have found that gameshows are probably the most engaging way of attracting slots players into the live casino sphere, with a similar RTP, and bonus rounds which really drive engagement and anticipation – unlike the steady grind of a blackjack session. 

What makes the live casino genre unique is its social nature, and people naturally like to play with other people, so the community aspect is important. Even little details, such as live dealers historically being perceived as trusted more than RNG by many players, are key to understanding when developing a product that reaches new demographics, where they can all celebrate the wins together.

There is also a sense of occasion with the gameshow format. Each experience is different which adds to the excitement for players, particularly when those bonus rounds hit, the anticipation is key.

What table game trends have proven popular in previous years and what are your predictions for future trends? 

Ian Catchick: There has been a move towards quicker gameplay with bigger prizes, and to some extent, a greater emphasis on risk-reward gameplay. Community elements such as chat functions are also important trends. Even if players don’t regularly engage in chats, they often like to watch other players chat as part of their entertainment experience.  

Overall, games are getting faster as players’ time becomes more precious, and finding a simple way to bet, play and win for short sessions is a notable change in player behaviour. Also, finding new content ideas for players to trial allows them to get a unique experience that will either convert them to the new game, see them remain with the old one, or share and grow their play revenues across different variants.

Graeme Powrie: The only certainty I can give is the wheel will maintain its popularity and longevity. Gameshows are expensive to develop, but customers will quickly tell you if they’re bored of your product or love it. Everyone knows the wheel, which provides a perfect building block to then be creative in the bonus rounds around what is a familiar and recognised bonus delivery mechanic. 

An area that the industry is yet to address is creating snackable content for live casino players, such as a game which provides short play sessions while waiting for a bus or train. That fast, digestible, quick-win gameplay hasn’t really been developed yet, and it’s an area where we can be inventive as providers.

What does the future of table games look like from your perspective? Will vintage games always attract players or could the emergence of AI and virtual reality lead to an entirely new style of gameplay?

Ian Catchick: Vintage games will continue to remain important to players, and the significance of these games should not be underestimated. AI and VR will become increasingly important in personalising the player experience, identifying more effective ways to entertain and engage players. New technology will also drive quicker and more cost-effective game development and launches, allowing more content to be tested in the market.  

Having the opportunity to personalise products with these tools will enable players to enjoy a completely customised gaming experience that is unique and compelling to them. The data that these tools can collect will also inevitably help drive greater and more enriching innovation in the future, in turn allowing providers to create a much larger portfolio of table game content that caters to the needs of both casino and sports bettors.

Graeme Powrie: There will always be a space for the traditional games as they are so well known and loved, but the future for operators is having something to offer their customers that is exclusive and bespoke, allowing them to stand out from their competitors. 

Using AI and cutting-edge video technology, operators should be able to customise everything they want. This can even include showing different versions of the same game to different segments of players. 

The future in this space should focus on giving operators as much creativity as possible within a framework. If we hand them the ability to spin out different versions of the base game through new tools, then it opens up lots more opportunities. This is a similar model to slots, where base games can be tweaked to create entire new genres, while also enabling rapid speed to market and a built-in level of familiarity.

The post Roundtable: unlocking the secrets of future live dealer success appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The prolonged deal will see BetGames continue to offer its range of proprietary online casino content on STS’ Polish platform until 2026. This includes the supplier’s bespoke STS Polish Poker game, produced exclusively for the operator’s offering in its founding market. 

Andreas Koeberl, CEO at BetGames, stated: “We are delighted to continue the brilliant partnership with STS. As we already look back on five successful years as exclusive partners, we are more than happy to boost it to the next level in the coming years. STS’ approach to excellence and quality is a success warranty.”

Other products within BetGames’ online casino content offering include table games such as War of Bets, Bet on Baccarat, Bet on Poker and 6+ Poker, which, according to the operator, account for a “significant proportion of STS player activity”. 

Łukasz Świerk, COO at STS, added: “BetGames products have been proving themselves ever since we launched them. Players continue to return to them thanks to the innovation and intuitive play styles they offer. 

“We’re thrilled that we can continue to bring our players games like the absolutely unique Polish Poker that they love.”

Another game that may also be included in the Polish agreement is Live Roulette. BetGames launched the new title earlier this year, expecting the 24/7 broadcasted live casino game to support operators with “a valuable asset in achieving their conversion goals”. 

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This new offering leverages the familiar appeal of traditional roulette as the firm looks to bolster player engagement through round-the-clock availability, making this casino product appeal to sports bettors.

It’s an offering that also seeks to support operators to convert and retain players by ensuring they can always engage with the game.

Ian Catchick, CPO at BetGames, commented: “Our goal is to support our operators in player conversion. Live Roulette’s 24/7 availability and customisation capabilities transform traditional gameplay into a powerful tool for the conversion of sports bettors to recreational casino players, enhancing user interaction and satisfaction.

“The rollout of Live Roulette demonstrates our commitment to enhancing operator success through products designed for high engagement and cross-selling, rather than focusing solely on innovation, reinforcing our position in both established and emerging markets. This approach ensures that we continue to meet the needs of our operators by providing effective gaming solutions that drive new player acquisition.

“With its focus on customisation and continuous availability, Live Roulette is set to become a crucial element in digital gaming portfolios, offering operators a valuable asset in achieving their conversion goals.”

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Table games have been a long standing staple of any casino offering for quite some time, however, one common theme witnessed across recent years has seen numerous studios crave a desire to develop differentiated products in a bid to transition casual bettors into regular players, and ultimately improve operators’ ROI.

One recent example of this was recently unveiled by BetGames, which stressed a mission of expanding its worldwide presence, as well as stamping its authority in emerging markets, through bespoke titles that are accompanied by customisable elements to add a more personal feel.

Following this, company CPO Ian Catchick spoke to CasinoBeats regarding the group’s latest introduction, what could potentially follow, the importance of uniquely crafted games and much more.

CasinoBeats: Classic and bespoke RNG versions of roulette are the latest games to debut in BetGames’ content roadmap can you tell us some more about what players can expect? What do your versions bring to the casino classic?

Ian Catchick: The games are built for an enjoyable player experience with a simple, easy-to-understand interface that features high-quality graphics and comprehensive statistics that help players plan their strategies.

We’ve also localised the language selection options so players can choose from one of five different languages on offer as well as whichever dealer they prefer. While being RNG-based, it plays exactly like a live dealer product and benefits from a new round every 40 seconds. 

The realism continues with a dealer change every half hour, just like you see in a traditional casino and along with the personalisation scope, presents a flexible and realistic roulette experience available 24/7 that suits a wide range of markets. 

CB: Later in the year, you will be launching a true, live casino version of roulette. While this is a move closer to your roots of being a live entertainment provider, it’s also a slight step sideways into traditional products unlike the unique slants on classics that BetGames is famous for. What has prompted this move?

IC: We’re building on the RNG version of roulette, developing some other versions including bespoke projects for specific clients and also delivering some live varieties during the year. 

It’s partly a response to industry trends but also in response to player and operator feedback, giving us a fantastic mix of product options. Using the classic roulette release as a base, we’ll also be introducing new iterations slightly later in 2024 which will offer something different.

We’re proud of the high-quality graphics, ease of play and general game standards that we have in our live portfolio and enjoy a high level of trust from our loyal customer base that plays and engages with the BetGames brand.

This allows us to offer something with both the standard, classic game, but also some new innovative versions, which we’re confident will return strong results thanks to the designed performance characteristics.

We’ve got plenty of scope and the usual BetGames knack for innovation. While we’re not going to mess with the basic winning formula of what is a market-leading game in classic roulette, we will be evolving the line further and adding to it with variations on the player favourite.

CB: BetGames is becoming renowned for its provision of bespoke products, with two versions of roulette already having been developed for tier-one partners. Is the ability to offer this service a standard part of your new product development now?

IC: Yes, it is. These two partners are examples of where you can take advantage of branding and also localise the product to match their players’ needs. So, in both instances, the presenters and their clothing, the languages and the overall feel are all completely localised along with the design of the studio. This provides unique propositions for their players, just as we did with Skyward which launched a few months ago. 

We’re building all of our new games with an option to have localised and tailored solutions, and this is available for partners alongside the standard network games, so it offers something fresh in terms of differentiation. These products are completely bespoke to their players and suit their business needs. This will play a key part in our product development going forward.

CB: BetGames’ product portfolio is widening at an increasing rate. Is this a reflection of player trends, market-led, a mixture of both or neither?

IC: With every game launch, we evaluate market trends and needs. We engage with partners to get a feel from the ground and we’re always looking at different player trends and insight from a range of sources.

We’ve accelerated the speed at which we launch new content to the market, partly driven by our desire to stay relevant and inimitable but also to provide players with what we’re looking for – fast, unique, high-quality games – which is something we hear really clearly from players. 

Armed with that insight, we’ve created a range of different verticals to include game shows, crash games, casino titles, RNG and sports products, which perfectly complement our classic BetGames offer. With this kind of choice in our product offering, we’ve got a range of content that suits the ever-widening player preferences across global markets, so everyone can enjoy the content that’s most relevant to them. 

Of course, this is keeping us incredibly busy but gathering those learnings drives what we want to do and shapes our product roadmap. Adding in our signature BetGames sparkle provides us with a unique content library alongside some of the more popular, familiar games that operators and players demand.

CB: Can we expect more casino classics in the future? What does your development roadmap look like for the remainder of 2024?

IC: We’re launching several new games this year. While classic casino games are on the road map, we’ve got plans for new content to be introduced in our sport, RNG and game show verticals. Strengthening these and our entire portfolio, we’re planning to introduce several new customer development tools too.

Our goal is to further enhance the kind of the player experience and aid retention, while continuing to optimise our UIs, following what we did successfully with our wheel and dice games earlier in the year.

The refresh has allowed us to give players a choice as to what type of view they want to play with so they can have the sports view which gives a high range and volume of betting markets, or the casino view, which is where you can find a more populous selection of bets available, making play a more efficient, faster experience.

All these initiatives are set to significantly refine and elevate the player journey and, at the same time help our partners to increase lifetime value, reduce the cost per acquisition and balance cost. This sits very much with our vision of making BetGames the go-to gateway between sports betting and casino.

The post Ian Catchick: localised & tailored solutions central to BetGames’ strategy appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Looking to better position its content in several regulated markets, BetGames entire content catalogue will become available to Superbet, with plans to launch the studio’s titles in Brazil and Serbia primarily. 

“We are really excited to supply Superbet with our full platform offering,” Andreas Koeberl, CEO at BetGames. 

“Partnering with another major name in the global space offers great opportunities for us at BetGames, and it coincides with an exciting time for us following the launch of Skyward and the branded games we have provided in a bid to expand our international footprint. We can’t wait to start with Serbia and Brazil.”

Headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, Superbet has built up a presence in several European markets, while having also branched out into Latin America. 

Through this collaboration, players of Superbet’s various online casino platforms across the globe will be able to play BetGames titles such as the supplier’s recent debut crash game – Skyward. 

Nick Yu, Head of Content & Live Casino at Superbet, added: “BetGames has developed a reputation for its growing, unique catalogue of games. We’re looking forward to exploring its huge potential in the industry as we look to continue delivering similarly unique experiences for our customers.

“There are plenty of mutual benefits for both companies in this deal, and we’re confident the move will only help to strengthen our current success following record-breaking years.”

Superbet recently enhanced the content offered via its Brazillian online casino platform after gaining slot releases from NOVOMATIC’s digital division, Greentube.

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Despite the grey winter skies that often overbear the British Isles, there is some light breaking through as the igaming industry prepare for ICE London, the world’s biggest gambling industry trade show.

This is the last year that ICE will take place in London before settling in for a stint in sunny Spain for Barcelona 2025, and for leading provider BetGames, there is the chance to sign off in style.

Ian Catchick, Chief Product and Business Development Officer at BetGames, discusses the company’s plans for ICE, as well as an impressive product showcase and a busy year ahead.

CasinoBeats: ICE London 2024 offers an unrivalled opportunity to present your developments to the industry – what would you highlight to attendees visiting BetGames at the show?  

Ian Catchick: Throughout the last year we’ve been extremely busy working on various aspects of our product offering, and as a result, we can’t wait to showcase everything at ICE. 

In addition to our classic portfolio of easy-to-follow games, we will present a wider range of curated content and verticals. Everything from RNG and sports-themed games, branded and exclusive content opportunities for partners, to our traditional game show verticals, bringing together an extensive library of content that caters for different player types. We also proudly present our new crash game Skyward, as well as a new classic roulette game.  

Alongside the new instalments of content, we are set present our new user interface, which gives bettors two different ways to play our games. There is the option to use a sports-style bet slip which offers the widest range of markets and betting opportunities in a very familiar format for sports bettors. Alternatively, our new Casino View makes it easier to place more common bets far quicker, using chips to play in a traditional casino environment. 

This dual approach enhances the overall player experience by providing a seamless gateway between sports experiences and casino gaming.

We’ve also focused a great deal of effort on developing the BetGames proposition. Identity is key as we want to ensure we are the go-to gateway between sports and games. This is supported by metrics like low CPAs and strong LTVs, which back this up for recreational players. 

CB: Casino View is a new intuitive interface for your Wheel of Fortune products – will this follow similar efforts to make casino products more appealing to sports betters?

IC: The main message of Casino View is that it prioritises a sleek gaming experience for players. We give customers choice which is important. The expert bettor could prefer a sports view, but for someone that wants a more recreational, fast and intuitive experience they can use Casino View or toggle between the two. 

Initially, Casino View will be offered on our Wheel product, which has already gone live and seen some interesting results already. Naturally, we are then progressing with the next game – the popular Dice Duel – and from the start of February, four of our games will integrate Casino View, with the intention to roll out to the rest of our games in the near future.

We deploy, we launch, we optimise, and then look to move on and tackle the next challenge. That’s the model and we have shown great detail and care in crafting the Casino View. This demonstrates our commitment to providing casino players with that quick, slick, seamless gaming experience that we’ve become renowned for. 

We looked at market insights and assessed the suitable needs, and after speaking to key partners, combined with our own inhouse knowledge, there was extensive evaluation and review of the player journey which influenced our approach to building a product built on accessibility. 

CB: BetGames has a version of the casino classic Roulette in the works – how have you approached such a classic casino staple to ensure there is something new there for players?

IC: BetGames has always been renowned for taking concepts and putting its unique stamp on them. Roulette is a commodity game, and we can’t really change much, but that’s fine as players already love it and as most people know, it has a proven track record of success. Players are loyal to it, so why fix something that isn’t broken?

What we have done is focused our efforts on the presenter experience, making it as compelling as possible. The intention is to mirror the experience players would get in a land-based casino. 

We offer the game in five languages, not only reinforcing the need for accessibility but providing a localised product, making a global game localised. This gives the opportunity for partners and operators to create branded versions of the game to give its own bespoke look and feel.

It makes serving a global classic as a local product far easier, helping it become successful in different markets. Reducing the language barrier also improves the experience of our partners in Latin America while making a product that is engaging, entertaining and simple to understand, while being relevant for locals. 

CB: Your game library continues to grow – how are you identifying new offerings for partners? Is it led by demand from operators or more from BetGames’ heritage as creators?

IC: Our approach to identifying new offerings is a combination of in-house innovation, close collaboration with partners and a relentless evaluation and understanding of market trends. This has a massive influence on how we develop our roadmaps as when we’re building a new game, we have the flexibility to meet the ever-growing needs of the market. 

This approach is perhaps unique, but we consult with a number of our partners throughout the game build process to ensure we build something that has a higher probability of success, demonstrated through some of our recent local launches, which have seen exceptional performance data and seem to be working well. 

CB: With Brazil finally opening up what opportunities does this offer BetGames? Will the potential of the huge market influence future product development?

IC: We can’t wait to see some of the development in Brazil, and we firmly believe that not only do we have the right content to support the market, but we’ve also got some products that offer something different to the customer base there. 

We focused our player experience for Brazil on providing that seamless gateway between sports and games – methodology seen throughout all our territories. Taking the example of games like Skyward, we’ve gone on to produce its own unique, personalised and branded game for some of our partners in Brazil, alongside our Roulette, where languages cater for a Latin American, Portuguese speaking player base. 

Introducing innovative products like Twain Sport T-Kick and T-Basket 24/7, our high-intensity football and basketball-themed games, are some of the ways we plan to capitalise on the potential of such a vast market, by acting as a perfect bridge between sports and gaming.

Our development roadmap includes further enhancements to our gaming portfolio and bonus tools, ensuring we stay ahead in delivering an appealing and tailored gaming experience for the Brazilian audience. We can’t wait to play our part as we think there is a lot we can offer. 

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In conversation with CasinoBeats, Ian Catchick, Chief Product and Business Development Officer, discusses his thoughts on the crash games scene, as well as the nuances that will separate Skyward from the rest of the competition going forward.   

CasinoBeats: BetGames recently launched its first-ever crash game with Skyward. Why has now been the right time for BetGames to make its crash game debut to add to its portfolio?

Ian Catchick: Skyward is our first crash game and with it, we focused on understanding the market and providing the right overall portfolio mix to meet the needs of our customers. While we’ve certainly been extremely busy over the last few weeks, it’s not been a short process.

Throughout the last couple of years, we’ve launched several new titles as a way of overhauling our entire product offering to get to the point we are now.

That mix of innovation in areas like our game shows and Twain Sports has allowed us to introduce a lot more in terms of dealing with and providing high-frequency world class content that’s appealing to our player base.

We launched a brand-new category with our instant games and Skyward as a crash game fits nicely in terms of concept to provide a very good overlap with the rest of the titles already on display. 

Ultimately, we wanted to watch the market, understand the likes and dislikes of players and then once we had a chance to evaluate what’s going on in the world of crash, we could build a game that is fresh and appealing, incorporating a modern set of graphics and most importantly, is reliable.

Making a game that is stable and highly responsive means players can rely on it, especially when we’ve seen this is an area that has attracted a level of dissatisfaction from some.

Skyward overlaps with our newly created instant vertical which we’ve worked hard on over the last year, and that aligns with the trends of our existing player portfolio.

It’s not just a game that can be positioned in our live casino lobby, but one that can work in other parts of the site, making it a cost-effective acquisition tool for partners, while helping to convert and bridge that gap between sports and gaming for our players that enjoy high-frequency, entertaining gameplay.

CB: What sets Skyward apart from other crash games and why should European players choose this over many other competing products in the market?

IC: There are a lot of different things to consider when looking at what sets Skyward apart as we focused on a range of different areas, but there are probably three big ones to consider. 

It might come across as boring but as well as offering all the features you’d expect of a high-quality crash game, we’ve paid particular attention to stability and reliability. The game itself is high-frequency, and addressing some initial instability we found in some games allowed us to understand how we could build the solution to be responsive, reliable and engaging.

On top of optimising the game’s performance, there was a lot of time spent on the graphics. We have some solid market-leading displays for our network game, but we also look at ways in which we can make it relevant to players in various jurisdictions and offer bespoke game animation.

We can create games with bespoke backgrounds – not just a little bit of branding – but a really localised background and a concept that will appeal to players in a particular area for those brands.

Our responsiveness also goes a long way in setting us apart. We believe Skyward is one of the fastest crash games in the market, and when you combine its reliability with great graphics and that it caters to the needs of operators looking for branded games, you get something that your players love. It’s been an encouraging start so far, going off our data.  

CB: The popularity of the crash game is well documented, what do you believe are the key factors contributing to the appeal of the genre? And is it indicative of wider trends?

IC: Several factors contribute to having a real crack at a successful crash game. Some things that spring to mind are simplicity, reliability, frequency and creating something quite compelling when it comes to player experience.  Of course, the chance to win big is also a key factor to the game concept.

Our attempt focuses on making this game simple to play, easy to understand, reliable and fast. This means we need to adapt to the needs of players who are looking for shorter periods to be able to engage. Our player data shows they enjoy those short, sharp bursts of gaming entertainment, which seems to be a trend that’s particularly prominent with recreational players. 

It’s also the latter demographic that isn’t always as well rewarded as they should be, so incorporating a bonus scheme that addressed that issue was at the forefront. These players aren’t necessarily bonus abusers, but are those who just want to have a great time and make a few riskier bets once in a while – perhaps not in terms of large stakes but bravery in terms of Skyward gameplay and how high they’re willing to let the plane fly.

For me, it’s about providing something that allows time-poor consumers, a chance to have a fun, engaging experience with something very simple, easy to understand and something they can access easily due to its responsiveness, whilst providing opportunities to create lifestyle changing wins. 

CB: Is there a plan in place for you to keep players engaged with Skyward in the long term?

IC: We’ve got a great game here with Skyward. We expect that momentum will build as we have an exciting road map developing. I think throughout the last two years we’ve transformed BetGames’ position as a business and a big part of that is assembling a road map with a few nice surprises to come to keep the game fresh and relevant. 

We’re focusing not only on look and feel but also some of the back-end customer development tools and player tools too.

Skyward fits perfectly into the sort of place where we look at our player base, in particular recreational sports customers, and how we can convert them to become gaming players too. You can play for short bursts of time, and we can suit their demands and changing needs, as part of the wider and growing BetGames portfolio. 

We’re always watching, learning, reviewing player behaviour and so we’ve a very clear roadmap ahead. It’s got plenty of exciting options, not only crash games, we’ve launched lots of live games and instant games and there are a few more interesting areas in the portfolio that we’re going to be developing next year, but we’re also leaving that all-important time for analysis and research that allows us to adapt and change within our road map.

CB: Do you see your status as a supplier to tier-one partners as a major factor in acquiring and retaining players?

IC: As mentioned, we’ve got a wide portfolio of games that all suit different needs and different ranges of player types. This means we’ve got so much top-tier content now that serves global operators in that category.

We know that there isn’t just a one-size-fits-all approach typically to games, so we have time to analyse and react so we can adapt and move quickly. Trends constantly change but I think with our range of games and with the number of options that appeal to different player types, with the ability to position our games in different places, we’ve got a great opportunity here. 

We have games that suit the needs of recreational players and we’re seeing that come through from our tier-one operators and partners whose players are enjoying the games and the data itself has certainly looked interesting after the first few days of Skyward’s launch.

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