The harsh rules of motorsports has helped shape Aleksandr Kosogov’s leadership style as CEO of Gamzix, he told CasinoBeats, as it taught him to take risks and to overcome any obstacles he might face. 

He believes that his sense of drive and determination is key to capitalising on the opportunities available within the gaming space.

CasinoBeats: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! Can you give us a brief introduction to yourself – how did you become involved in the gambling sector?

AK: I started my career in gaming eight years ago when I took up a position of Brand Manager at National Lottery Company. After the first year I realized that I want to work in this field as it is well-suited for my strengths, qualifications and interests. iGaming attracts many specialists, because it is fast-paced, innovative and unpredictable. This industry is rife with investment, growth, innovation and opportunities.

CasinoBeats: How have your previous roles helped shape your leadership style as CEO of Gamzix?

AK: Being an ambitious specialist, I was always looking to fast-track my career in igaming. My pursuit, commitment and potential were rewarded over years of experience. The field of online gambling was an excellent place to learn essential and transferable skills in everything, so I was prepared to delve into an international and rapidly changing gaming culture and to establish my own company – Gamzix.

It’s also important to note that my hobby helps a lot in the development of the company – I have been involved in motorsport for the last six years. Furthermore, I am a two-time champion! Harsh rules of motorsport taught me to take risks and go until the end, regardless of any obstacles.

CasinoBeats: How does Gamzix ensure that it remains ahead of the curve with technology and game development?

AK: Except for a wide range of in-game features and API free rounds and jackpot, I’d like to mention Gamzix’s workshop. This is our constructor for creating games on the backend,  which allows a manager without programmer education to create a game – it provides higher efficiency and speeds up all processes.

We are also making a new front-end engine by using the cutting edge technologies. This engine will allow you to create the most complex and coolest games according to the latest trends.

CasinoBeats: And how does this help you reach new demographics of slot players? 

AK: Being a young company with a team of young professionals, we’re always trying to be on the wave. Gamzix is reaching new demographics of players by creating up-to-date games with the latest technologies, mind-blowing graphics, immersive engine and high payouts. 

I’m sure that Gamzix’s portfolio of 27 various themed slots attracts players of different interests and ages. Moreover, our team is doing its best to enter new markets and involve gamblers all over the world.

CasinoBeats: Gamzix recently launched its Rich Granny title. What would you say are the stand-out features of this slot?  

AK: One of the stand-out features of this slot is Granny herself! It’s not often that you see grannies in online slots, now we have one by Gamzix in the main role. That’s why Rich Granny is original, extraordinary and fresh!

The Bonus Game, when players land three Scatters, is known as the Robbery Bonus Game and includes three free respins. These respins consist of special icons that provide different rewards. There’s also an additional horizontal reel at the bottom which can give extra spins or increase the current win.

The slot is filled with 10 fixed lines, 8 common Symbols and 3 Bonus Games: classic, with one or two extra rows.

Rich Granny incorporates a high volatility level and a maximum win potential of up to x40,000 the bet. The game attracts a lot and keeps players on edge. 

CasinoBeats: Finally, can you give us a sneak peak into some of the company’s plans for 2022? Are there any new titles in the pipeline?

AK: Gamzix team has expanded from 15 to 40 employees over the last year. So we have huge plans and results to achieve – we’re planning to participate in several great igaming exhibitions with our branded stand, and release 15 more games by the end of the year. 

The roadmap will have both classic and mini-games, crash games with innovative features and slots with new mechanics. This year we’re also planning to obtain MGA and local European markets licenses. I’m sure you will hear from Gamzix more than once, stay tuned!

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In a roundtable with CasinoBeats, we quizzed some of the industry’s newest C-Suite appointees to discuss some of the biggest changes taking place within the igaming sector and their strategies for becoming leading names in 2023.

CasinoBeats: How has igaming evolved since you started in your role? 

Daniel Heywood, Co-Founder and CEO of NuxGame: The enduring change has, without question, been the rise of crypto in igaming. The number of operators who either offer crypto or specialise in it is growing all the time, with big brands like stake.com and Rollbit leading the charge. 

This is making all the other operators sit up and ensuring suppliers like NuxGame offer and continue developing new solutions for crypto, like our multi-balance wallet and Web3 crypto wallet integration.

Alex Kornilov, CEO of BETEGY: When I started  back in 2012, affiliate marketing was king – so that was the essential part of discussion. Back then, social media was just an idea – a bit like the blind man feeling the elephant. It was exciting to be part of it all and it was labelled as a golden era of growth so as such, the only way was up! 

The image of the industry since I started a decade ago has also changed for the better. Ten years ago, it was seen as possibly an industry lacking a bit of morality. Let’s take ICE back in 2012 for example – full of sports cars and scantily clad women. 

A decade on, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that we’re a tech industry now – a Monte Carlo shoot off and I am very happy about the change as we’re closer to Silicon Valley than ever before. 

Since the huge changes that have swept this industry, no-one’s impressed with your Rolex anymore or looking to have a glass of whiskey, it’s all about business and that’s only a good thing. 

CasinoBeats: What have been the learnings/highlights you have accumulated since joining?

Ewa Kazmierska, CEO of BF Games: There are no easy years to take on the role of CEO of an ambitious company like BF Games, but the intense geopolitical challenges of 2022 made for steep learning curves. We successfully entered several new European markets in recent months, including Bulgaria and Switzerland, and more is yet to come.

We’ve been developing a less traditional slot offering that appeals to a broad demographic of players. Hitting this balance between classic and innovative slot features has been the most valuable lesson from 2022. This has placed us in good stead to stand out from the crowd and compete comfortably with young and dynamic studios.

Our agility across our entire approach to business, from product development to project management and our decision-making process has also been a significant factor in making this a reality. This has informed our swift reactions to changing priorities and our ability to make the most out of brainstorming opportunities.   

It’s been a year of challenges but one that has proven the value of never giving up, no matter what difficulties are presented. Being consistent and stubborn was the key to 2022 and it will serve us well in the future too.  

Simon Hammon, CEO of Relax Gaming: There’s always a lot to learn when at the helm of a fast-growing company in an increasingly competitive industry. Much of Relax’s growth in recent years has been driven by the casino area, in which I have been heavily involved. 

So while this shift has required some adjustment, my fundamental mindset and approach that have guided development at Relax remain unchanged – it’s more a matter of scaling up those factors up to suit our new opportunities and taking the broader company and employee base into consideration.

Sergei Belikov, CEO of Mobinc: It’s always exciting to discover more about the new technology that has the potential drive a business forward. For instance, we’ve recently started to use artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics to enhance our products. 

While this is nothing new, seeing all of this first-hand has been a fantastic learning curve for me. It’s also allowed me to see how these tools can limit challenges, for example, our expertise into real-time data analysis has allowed us to stay on top of challenges around compliance – improving our player protection by enabling us to evaluate and predict risk levels with ease.  

CasinoBeats: How will what you have learned in this position inform your approach to 2023? 

Ewa Kazmierska, CEO of BF Games: We managed to navigate all the struggles of the last few years because of the passion and dedication of our employees. We have an enthusiastic team committed to making games as original and engaging as possible.

I will certainly carry over the trust I have in their abilities to drive our business forward. I will continue to be the bridge that facilitates this success by listening, evaluating and acting effectively. This means being prepared for battles though – I highly endorse having arguments and backing up your judgments, but always being fair. 

All the while, I encourage my team to always have goals – short-term, mid-term and long-term. Enjoy the feeling when these goals are met or exceeded, but always be hungry to achieve more. This will enable us to build our reputation as a modern, reliable and credible studio. In the meantime, we are excited to expand into new and lucrative markets such as those emerging in North America. It’s going to be a big year for igaming and BF games – I can sense it. 

Sergei Belikov, CEO of Mobinc: The industry’s relationship with technology is fascinating. It’s been incredibly enjoyable to identify and utilise such innovations to position Mobinc as a force to be reckoned with in the industry. In the next 12 months, we’re going to see huge strides with technology continuing to advance. 

We look forward to taking what we’ve learned about artificial intelligence and its potential to revolutionise the way we use data. This promises to elevate our ability to detect fraud, prevent abuse and optimise campaign costs. This will allow us to decrease churn rates, improve retention and allow us to exceed the expectations of customers in 2023. 

Simon Hammon, CEO of Relax Gaming:  The success of any good company boils down to its employees, who must be driven, focused, and happy. Ensuring this throughout 2023 and beyond is a priority for me while we navigate this volatile market. 

If recent years have taught me anything, it’s to embrace regulatory change and that flexibility in decision-making is essential. Continuous and aggressive regulatory change is a reality that we need to contend with, especially as expanding our footprint into global regulated spaces remains a key focus for us this year. 

While facing these shifts can be a challenge, we believe that quality is king and that engaging, innovative games will always stand out in a crowded market. These lessons served us well throughout our record-breaking 2022 and I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned into 2023.

CasinoBeats: Given that growth, where would you like to see the industry steer in 2023? 

Daniel Heywood, Co-Founder and CEO, NuxGame: It’s not so much where I’d like to see the industry go, as where I can see it heading at rapid speed: ever-quicker adoption of crypto. 

Traditional payments will lose their grip on the market, players will have much easier access to operators across borders which are no longer there, and operator revenues will climb accordingly. If you’re not on the rocket ship, you need to ask yourself why.

Alex Kornilov, CEO of BETEGY: Efficiency is the main buzzword within all of this and what we are trying to achieve. We’re a tech industry, so it’s all about hard wired KPIs. Everything needs to be measurable value-based spend such as display ads, programmatic ads, AI-driven CRM, you name it – that’s what it’s all about in the year ahead and it fills me with excitement to see the industry taking this course.

The US is specifically a case in question, where customer acquisition is so competitive – look at DraftKings and FanDuel in terms of sportsbooks and where they are heading. They have a real dominance across the Atlantic and I expect that to continue to be the case heading into 2023.

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Replacing Maijala, who held the position since November 2019, Hammon’s responsibilities will include continuing to build the firm’s presence as a B2B supplier. 

“I’m truly honoured to take on the position of Chief Executive Officer at Relax Gaming,” Hammon stated. “As a company, we’ve continued to grow from strength to strength over the last few years and we represent a world class offering across all verticals.

“Of course, a company is only as strong as the people who embody its mission, and I’m blessed to have a team who are so passionate about what they do and want to see Relax taken to the next level.

“Relax has grown in terms of people but also in terms of market power and brand. This is something I’m keen to continue and help drive. Relax has a bright future filled with global expansion, exciting new product offerings and a positive working culture. I look forward to continuing on this journey with you.”

Hammon moves into his CEO role after serving 10-years within the company’s executive management teams, with five years as Relax’s Chief Product Officer.

Commenting on Hammon’s appointment, Patrik Österåker, Chairman of the Board, noted: “We’re absolutely delighted to announce Simon Hammon as Relax Gaming’s newest Chief Executive Officer. Relax is continuing steadfast on its journey to claim an ever-larger footprint in the gambling industry, and we believe Simon with his experience, knowledge and vision is the perfect person to lead the team in the coming years.

“Simultaneously, we’d like to take the opportunity to extend our gratitude to our outgoing CEO Tommi Maijala, who has been instrumental in guiding the company through arguably the most pivotal years of our history. 

“Simon will be able to continue building boldly, supported by the confidence that a rock-solid foundation provides.”

Maijala will remain with Relax Gaming until the end of 2022 to aid Hammon in his transition from Chief Product Officer to CEO.

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As part of her new role, Kazmierska, who spoke to CasinoBeats at the end of May on her new position, will supervise BF Games’ development studio, along with the supplier’s Player Account Management platform. 

“I am honoured to take the role of CEO at BF Games, a supplier that has a fantastic product offering and a well-established presence in key markets across Europe,” stated Kazmierska. 

“We are just getting started and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we aim to further grow our slots portfolio and establish ourselves as a leading global supplier to the online gambling industry.”

Kazmierska has years of industry experience with stints at Twin and ORing Limited, and most recently held the role of Chief Operations Officer at operator LV Bet.

Moreover, the company stated that the new appointment will aid the supplier in propelling its global reach, as well as enhancing its suite of products, as it aims to enter several new markets over the next 12 months. 

“Ewa has great experience and know-how of the industry and holds a great track-record of growing businesses, making her a perfect fit to take BF Games to the next level,” noted Kazmierska’s predecessor, Szpoton.

“We are entering an exciting phase as a company and with Ewa at the helm of our dedicated team, the sky’s the limit for BF Games.”

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Including a sharper red tone to illustrate its “more aggressive aspirations” to provide entertainment and “satisfaction” with its content, the new logo is said to be inspired by “the strong desire from players to hit the play button” across Playson’s games offering.

“As we continue to build from a hugely successful period of international growth, we wanted to secure the company’s long-term future and so we updated several processes within the business,” remarked Alex Ivshin, CEO of Playson. “Such a move will ensure we are in the strongest position possible to bring more exciting gaming products to the marketplace.

“This refreshed identity is a reflection of the new Playson image, demonstrating who we are and what the future holds for the company. As we head into ICE London 2022, we are looking forward to sharing more details about our ambitious plans with delegates.”

Lauding the refreshed identity as “a pivotal moment in Playson’s history” following a series of “internal improvements” within the company, the development also follows the firm’s commercial growth across key regulated European igaming markets.

This includes several process updates in line with its global growth strategy including a new product development approach set to influence its future product roadmap.

Furthermore, the company has highlighted the timing of its rebrand, acknowleging the challenging period it comes at for its people based in Ukraine, with the firm supporting either relocation to safer parts of the nation or moving to a different country. 

Ivshin added: “This has been a very difficult time for many of our people in Ukraine. We are incredibly proud of their ability to remain optimistic, resilient and dedicated to producing quality products during the toughest of circumstances. 

“We continue to be a tight-knitted team full of extraordinary individuals, determined to progress with a large-scale project that has been under development for several months.”

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Accepted by the board, Bekier’s decision comes after issues raised in a public hearing in connection with the review of The Star Sydney, which remains ongoing and undertaken by Adam Bell SC.

Bekier allegedly informed the board that, as Managing Director and CEO, he is “accountable for the effectiveness and adequacy of the company’s processes, policies, people and culture”.

In a statement from Star Entertainment, the company stated: “Bekier said the right thing to do was for him to take responsibility. 

“Mr Bekier will step down from the board immediately, and will work with the board to transition his executive responsibilities in an orderly manner.”

The company also noted that Bekier’s final departure date is yet to be determined and that The Star will make a further announcement “once arrangements have been finalised”.

Bekier’s decision to step down follows on from alleged allegations in October last year that it engaged in a series of improper practices, in which the company responded by stating it would “take the appropriate steps to address all allegations”.

Media reports in the country have suggested that the company, which runs casinos in Sydney and Brisbane as well as on the Gold Coast, enabled suspected money laundering, organised crime, large-scale fraud and foreign interference through its venues.

An investigation by the Sydney Morning Herald, Age, and 60 Minutes alleges that, between 2014 and 2021, Star cultivated high-roller gamblers associated with criminal or foreign-influence operations.

The news follows on from last month’s announcement from The Star Entertainment Group that revealed the company will pay AU$13m to current and former salaried staff members, after it identified an underpayment following a six-year wave review. 

Confirming the process to fully reimburse all impacted team members has got underway, the casino operator noted that individuals were found to not be ‘better off overall’ as their annual salary was not sufficient to compensate for the equivalent award entitlement, such as overtime and penalty rates. 

The Star, which has informed the Fair Work Ombudsman and the United Workers Union, adds that its workforce was paid approximately AU$3.3bn across the same six-year period.

At the time of the announcement, the outgoing CEO, Bekier, stated: “We apologise to any team member impacted by the payment shortfall and we are committed to doing the right thing by acting transparently. Our priority is to address this issue and to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

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Recently announced as the company’s CEO at “a crucial moment for the studio”, True Lab hailed “his deep range of expertise in the igaming market” upon his announcement, with the firm expecting to evolve into a big player in the market and strengthen its position across the coming years. 

Speaking to CasinoBeats, Samardziski explained what enticed him to take up the CEO position, how his previous roles shaped him to handle the period that lies ahead and his key goals for True Lab moving forward under his leadership. 

Samardziski noted that, when observing the company’s catalogue of slot titles, he expressed his faith in True Lab’s quality of titles, both present and in the pipeline. 

He commented: “When I look at our game quality, when I look at both statistical representations, at the theme, concept art processes and so on, I have so much faith.

“I’ve doubled the production requirements for next year. So more titles, we have done that very strategically, in terms of breaking down things based on different game styles, different player demographics. 

“We started by structuring players and player behaviour analysis and applying game concepts to players. And introducing a reformatting of the production line to the existing theme and expanding on things. 

“So honestly, the key goal isn’t even about revenue straightaway, which is weird for a CEO to say, but it is about delivering the right product to the market. It is about understanding the market. And it is about developing a business relationship that is nested in understanding the operators and their gripes, grievances and challenges throughout their operation, applying that knowledge to us then I mean, revenue will come.”

Revealing how the opportunity with True Lab came to be, Samardziski reflected back to his first interaction with the company and how everything led towards the position he finds himself in. 

“I’ve been on the C-Level for a while, usually on the operation side,” he explained. “I sold my business back in 2018. So it took a while to decide whether I want to take on another leadership role. And sort of take a more I would say micromanaging approach to business rather than sort of pull back from the investment perspective.

“In the last couple of years, after exiting the day to day operations. I’ve consulted some businesses, some very large scale companies… This is how I came across True Lab. 

“Actually, at the time, one of the shareholders had approached me about some consultancy for their operations. And during the conversation, I mean, I’ve consulted really big businesses and usually I feel like I know what to contribute, and what to say and who to educate.

“And these are companies that have been around for a while, and they had a structure and then these couple of shareholders come out and say, ‘Hey, we are from blockchain, initially, industry, we really want to get in the game. We want to create something great, something worthwhile’. 

“I didn’t take them that seriously. Honestly, they were like, you know, there’s so many small businesses that come out and then we really want to make something big. 

“But the guys in a span of a year, year and a half, had built a platform, fully fledged operation platform, which is really good. Now, after three platforms in my life, two of them got sold for a lot of money. So I know what it takes to build a platform. It’s not easy, especially not in like a year and some change. 

“They’ve done that and built an operation that had a couple of operating assets against the startup costs of a games studio. So back then a couple of years ago because I said, ‘guys, there’s not much I can consulate on, you’re already ahead of most companies I’ve seen. 

“I felt like I would be stealing money if I came in and told you do this, do that. I’m not sure if I could do it, too. So you know, just get on with your journey and good luck.’ 

“We kept in touch and and for me, it was a few years after the sale, I had already settled into my sort of retirement and got the itch to get back into the game. I knew I didn’t want to do operations, and serendipity, man, it was really the right time. 

“One of the shareholders reached out like, ‘Hey, are you still available?’ I said, ‘actually, I’m considering getting back in the game’. The guys have done phenomenally well since then. And they were still as impressive as they were back then and I kind of felt if I’m going to take a shot working and leading a business is going to be with the team that I already believed in from the very beginning.”

Within the video, Samardziski went on to highlight his ambitions for the company, how True Lab will develop titles moving forward, and how it will enhance its responsible gaming commitments. 

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Launched earlier this year across a range of regulated markets, Maxima DataVault makes it ‘easier than ever’ for operators to send raw XML or JSON data, which is then adapted into the format required by the regulator to store gambling transactions.

“We have spoken to many operators in Spain who were not happy with their current data and reporting solution. They were either struggling with in-house platforms which had become time-consuming to maintain, or were using costly third-party solutions which didn’t meet their precise needs,” commented Antonio Zanghi, CEO of Maxima Compliance.

“Now Maxima DataVault is certified in Spain, we can offer a seamless and affordable Safe product to operators in the market, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their business secure in the knowledge that their data reporting is in safe hands.”

Supported by an in-house team of developers and technical analysts, the product serves as a certified solution that can be adopted in all markets that require a Safe.

Furthermore, Maxima Datavault optimises the cross-jurisdictional analysis of the data required by all regulators, as well as the encryption and compression methodologies requested, delivering a powerful system at a competitive price point.

The system significantly reduces the number of incorrect messages sent and provides greater visibility and better tools to track not only the data sent by the operator, but also that which is sent by every individual B2B supplier. 

Additionally, the product comes with the support of a team of technical and regulatory compliance analysts at Maxima Compliance, which can facilitate entry into regulated markets – from the initial licence acquisition process, through to managing the certification process with an existing laboratory, to the ongoing handling of day-to-day compliance duties. 

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With this new development, the company is expected to evolve into a big player in the market and strengthen its position across the coming years. 

“Igor is a valuable addition to the team, due to his exceptional leadership skills and deep understanding of the field. We wish him many successes in his new role and look forward to working side by side to see True Lab reaching new heights,” commented Konstantin Katsev, True Lab’s co-founder.

As a veteran of the online gambling industry, Samardziski’s experience spans almost two decades, including ownership and development of the igaming affiliate network and senior strategic roles in multiple tier one companies in the casino operations sphere. 

In 2011, he became a co-founder of Max Entertainment, followed by a launch of a network of productive casino operations and white label brands, including SlottyVegas.com among others. 

During the development of these operations, Samardziski conceptualised, developed and delivered to market three player account management platforms, achieving multiple M&A’s as a result of those releases. 

Furthermore, during the same period, he founded Totally Gaming Academy’s “most successful series of global education seminars”. 

Samardziski’s Online Gaming Masterclass training sessions have been delivered to C-Level and senior management colleagues, along with valuable industry contributors such as Novomatic, Greentube, Betsson, NetEnt, Casino Austria, Napoleon Games, and other companies in the field from across the globe, such as Solverde Group, Swiss Casino, Meridien, Mozzart.

Within the past three years, he has held board member status for a range of gaming companies, and also worked in an executive advisory capacity for various players in the industry, before embarking on a more hands-on role in his latest TrueLab Games Studios project.

Elaborating on his new role, Samardziski said, “I’ve been following True Lab Games for some time now and find their content exceptionally engaging. I came to understand how efficient their delivery is, and I am convinced that they will be a significant player in the years to come, coupled with strong leadership and guidance.”

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The studio has entered the new market with the support of its distribution partner, SG Digital, releasing titles Blown Away and Dragon Palace.

Dragon Palace has already gathered an array of land-based fans in the South American country following a launch on Inspired alongside Lost Temple. 

Peter Causley, CEO and co-founder of Lightning Box, explained how the online roll-out served as proof that the supplier’s products appeal to a universal audience. He explained: “Colombia’s slots players have been enjoying two of our games in bricks and mortar venues for some time now, so we’re excited to be able to offer them games on their personal devices too.

“Dragon Palace was a natural one to take live after its early successes and we hope Blown Away goes down well too. We also hope that Colombia is the first of many countries to welcome Lightning Box’s games in Latin America as the area continues to regulate.”

Earlier this year, Lightning Box made its debut in the Norwegian market after agreeing to supply its games to Norsk Tipping – a Hamar-based company that offers a range of lottery, sports betting, slots and instant games.

Lightning Box praised the partnership, saying that it “presented them with some interesting opportunities”. Causley expressed his pleasure to be entering the new market, acknowledging compliance with its strict limits on maximum stakes and wins. 

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