Fantasma Games

Stockholm based game studio Fantasma Games has signed up the co-founder of Quickspin Mats Westerlund as partner and senior adviser.

Lauded as boasting a solid track record of producing successful slots such as Starburst (NetEnt), Jack Hammer (NetEnt) and Big Bad Wolf (Quickspin), Fredrik Johansson, CEO and founder of Fantasma, expressed delight at the appointment.

“I couldn’t be happier right now. My friends at Fantasma made me love the idea of working with games again,” stated Westerlund.

“They are a group of passionate people with great management and culture. This is an excellent way for me to have fun as an adviser, and also produce a game or two with an exceptional team. I can’t wait to get started.”

Quanta

Blockchain lottery operator Quanta has announced the appointment of Ioannis Papachristou as the SVP and managing director of the company’s Isle of Man branch.

Experienced in managing operations and projects, Papachristou is lauded as a “dynamic and motivated professional” with a proven record of managing projects from concept to completion.

“Ioannis is able to respond quickly to changes that occur on a daily basis in fast moving industries.“ said Harmen Brenninkmeijer, Quanta’s CEO. “As a member of senior management, the managing director is also expected to promote expansion and innovation within the industry.“

Raketech

Raketech has continued to strengthen its senior leadership team after naming Oscar Karlsten as the company’s new chief operating officer.

He joins Raketech from the role of chief information officer and chief product officer of Catena Media, where he was responsible for the group’s product vision and roadmap towards scalable growth. Prior to working at Catena Media, Karlsten was the CEO at Avantime Group, having also worked at Toca Boca and Google.

Karlsten joined the company earlier this month and will take responsibility for Raketech’s central operations, product development and investments, as well as focusing on the group’s creative content, SEO and UX.

Oskar Mühlbach, CEO at Raketech, commented: ”Oscar’s extensive experience within the digital marketing industry brings many valuable insights and expertise to Raketech.

“With him onboard, we have now secured the last piece of the management puzzle and I am very much looking forward to seeing him accelerate our transformation from affiliation to the igaming performance marketing partner.”

Kalamba Games

Casino games developer Kalamba Games has appointed Piotr Simon as product owner as the company looks to deepen and expand its product offering and remote gaming server.

Praised as coming with “substantial industry” experience gained from his time at Game Desire and Yggdrasil, Simon will spearhead the company’s product development with the firm set to fully roll-out its own RGS and promotional tools later this year.

“As we move into another year of unprecedented growth, we are naturally looking to further strengthen the team with top talent and we’re really pleased to have Piotr on board to help build even more great products,” noted Alex Cohen, COO at Kalamba Games.

“Piotr has deep experience of developing great promotional tools and this will be invaluable to Kalamba as we enter a new stage of growth over the coming months.”

The post Part 28 | On the move: Recruitment round-up appeared first on CasinoBeats.

A recommended public offer to acquire all shares in Fantasma Games was submitted by EveryMatrix on 18 September. The total cash consideration of the deal is SEK 209.8m (€18.5m), SEK 59 in cash per share (€5.21) listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Sweden. 

The bid was conditional and needed at least 90% of shareholders agreeing for it to go through. With the expiration of the acceptance period on 10 October, EveryMatrix has announced that the condition has now been met, with 95.2% of Fantasma Games shareholders having agreed, allowing for the transaction to go ahead.

Ebbe Groes, Group CEO and Co-Founder of EveryMatrix, stated: “We’re delighted to announce that this acquisition will proceed. It is another M&A deal fully funded from our own cash flow and made possible due to our rapid organic growth. We see big synergies and opportunities.

“Fantasma’s games are recognised by the world’s largest operators and their players as among the very best both from a performance and an experience perspective. Its games production output is seriously impressive, as is their management and staff who have created a business that consistently generates remarkable financial results.

“I’d like to thank the EveryMatrix team that have worked so hard to make this possible as well as Fredrik and his team with whom we believe we can do even greater things as a combined force.”

With more than 29,000 games from over 350 third-party studios and its own brand Armadillo Studios, EveryMatrix’s SlotMatrix platform will grow even further with the addition of Fantasma Games.

The igaming company supplies titles across 50 countries to over 250 operators such as Paddy Power, Betsson, LeoVegas, DraftKings and BetMGM. 

EveryMatrix added that Fantasma Games’ market distribution will help to improve its presence in regions such as North America.

Fredrik Johansson, CEO and Founder of Fantasma Games, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the fantastic journey we have undertaken so far with Fantasma Games. Now, as we approach the next major phase in our growth, I’m confident that EveryMatrix is the perfect partner to help us realise our long-term vision.

“We not only share a common passion for innovation, but also a deep understanding of what it takes to create gaming experiences that truly engage and entertain players in a unique way. EveryMatrix has a strong technical platform and extensive experience in fostering successful collaborations within the gaming industry, which makes us feel confident that together we can take our game development to new heights.

“Through this partnership, we see tremendous potential, not only to enhance the quality of our existing games, but also to develop new and groundbreaking game concepts that can set future standards. We look forward to building a long-term and successful collaboration where we can jointly continue to drive development forward and create added value for both players and our partners.”

The post EveryMatrix acquisition of Fantasma Games gains shareholder approval appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The group announced a  recommended public offer to acquire all shares in Fantasma Games AB for SEK 59 (€5.21) in cash per share with a total cash consideration of SEK 209.8m(€18.5m).

EveryMatrix has underlined it will issue a further update upon completion of the deal, however confirmed that in excess of 50% of the Fantasma Games shareholders have signed binding agreements to sell their shares. 

In order for the bid to be completed, it is conditional on at least 90% of shareholders accepting the offer.

Furthermore, it can boost the output of the firm’s aggregator, SlotMatrix, which has continued to grow with the development of its own in-house games development within Armadillo Studios.

The potential acquisition will seek to tap into the evolution of Fantasma Games, which has undergone strong development and recorded EBITDA of €395k for Q2, a profit margin of 36%. 

It builds on the continued ambitions of EveryMatrix to break records in terms of consecutive years of growth. 

In the second quarter of 2024, the group recorded a record high in quarterly net revenue and profit margin.

Acquisition has played a key role in the company’s plans for growth at the end of last year it made the deal to sign FSB Technology to bolster OddsMatrix, “generating immediate additional revenues, cross-company synergies and establish a presence in the UK, Ireland and Africa where FSB has developed a strong market share”.

Commenting following the company’s latest financial update, CEO Ebbe Groes stated: “It’s difficult to know what to say when our results just keep getting better and better. 

“What is evident is that it’s been our best ever period of sustained growth and that the EveryMatrix effect is benefiting not just the business, but also crucially our customers, ensuring they continue to break their own records month after month.”

The post EveryMatrix eyes lucrative Fantasma Games acquisition  appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Taking place on a 6×5 reel board, Pirate Multi Coins offers wins by way of eight or more identical symbols landing anywhere across the reels. While the slot has medium volatility and an RTP of 96.08 per cent, players can win up to x10,000 their stake. 

Fredrik Johansson, Founder and CEO of Fantasma Games, stated: “In our first venture into the quintessential pirate slot theme, Pirate Multi Coins brings a host of great features to all types of players.

“With multiple ways to trigger our various features as well as a medium level of volatility, we hope that it really appeals to every type of slots’ fan looking to find some buried treasure.”

This slot uses cascading wins, meaning that symbols in a winning combination will disappear after providing their payouts, making way for new symbols to drop in from the top of the board. 

Wins are formed when eight or more identical symbols land on the same spin, with payouts being awarded for up to 12 symbols. 

Bonus treasure map scatters can drop into play, triggering 15 free spins when four land on the same spin. 

Gold coins are also available, displaying either multiplied bet amount prizes or multiplier values. Landing five or more coins on the same spin will trigger the ‘multi coins’ bonus game mode. 

When the ‘multi coins’ feature is activated, between four and eight coin symbols will drop into play and all the coins’ values will be awarded to the player. Any multipliers that have appeared will apply themselves to the total value of the collected coins. 

If one or more coin symbols land during the base game, they will be collected in a treasure chest above the reel set which has the ability to randomly activate the ‘multi coins’ game mode. 

The ‘multi coins’ game mode and the treasure chest feature cannot be activated during the free spins. 

If readers would like to set sail on the hunt for pirate booty with Fantasma Games, they can click here to access the official demo page for Pirate Multi Coins. 

The post Fantasma Games sends players on a pirate treasure hunt to clinch SOTW appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Deadly 5 – Push Gaming

Hunt down viscous outlaws in the latest release from Push Gaming. Deadly 5 is a 5×4, 20-payline slot that introduces players to some of America’s most wanted gun-slinging criminals.

James Marshall, CEO at Push Gaming, explained: “The wild west has a proven mass media appeal and adding our Push Gaming style to this popular theme has produced a title that is engaging, innovative and will be popular among both new and existing Push Gaming enthusiasts.

“The ability to have multiple wild reels present within the bonus game can deliver huge win potential and these are awarded in an inventive mechanic requiring wanted posters to align with character symbols. I’m excited to see the reception Deadly 5 will receive from players.”

During the base game, if the player lands three or more safe symbols anywhere on the reels, the Sheriff’s Bonus feature is triggered. Three scatters awards the player with 10 free spins and x3 instant win while five offers 20 free spins and x50 instant win. 

In addition, the title includes a Sheriff wild symbol, which is a full reel sticky wild. This will substitute for all paying symbols. Upon entering the Sheriff’s Bonus feature, the Sheriff wild will be on reel five. 

Alongside the aforementioned, during the Sheriff’s Bonus, the four high paying symbols act as expanding wild symbols that substitute for all paying symbols. 

Above the reels is a wanted poster for each of the four high paying symbols. By landing the symbol that matches the wanted poster, the expanding symbol will be triggered. Once expanded, the symbol will turn into a wild and cover the whole reel for its respective wanted poster. 

Laughing Buddha – Habanero

Enter a world full of peace, tranquillity and golden icons in Laughing Buddha, Habanero’s latest slot title which incorporates 5×3 reels with 28-paylines and a maximum win of up to x2,001 the player’s stake.

Toni Karapetrov, Head of Corporate Communications at Habanero, commented: “Moving away from the intergalactic action of our last release, we’ve developed a more wholesome title that we expect to go down a treat with our players.

“With a peaceful soundtrack that complements the tranquil nature of the title, Laughing Buddha is expected to bolster player engagement with its stunning animations, easy-to-understand features and noteworthy payouts.”

There is a pink sphere wild symbol that will substitute for all symbols other than the golden vase scatter. These wilds can often appear with a multiplier of either x2 or x3 that it will attribute to any winning combinations it appears with. 

Wilds can also offer a payout between x1.8 and x35.7 the player’s stake, depending on the amount of wilds that land together on a paying combination.

Additionally, a golden vase scatter is included. These symbols can only land on reels one, three or five, and will trigger a free spins feature if three land on the reels at once. Three golden vases will also offer a payout of x1 the player’s bet. 

With the free spins feature, eight spins are initially awarded to the player. The golden vases that drop to trigger the free spins will randomly turn into one of the paying symbols, low or high. 

Once they have turned into a symbol, this symbol will expand to cover entire reels and increase the win potential. It will not cover wilds or scatter if they are on the reel it expands over. 

The Walking Dead 2 – Playtech

Fans of AMC’s staple series will be glad to see Rick Grimes return onto the reels with Playtech’s sequel title The Walking Dead 2. Daryll, Michonne and Negan can drop onto the 5×3 reel set which has 25-paylines and plenty of bonus features.

Any spin resulting in a winning combination triggers the split reel feature. This shifts all reels from either reel one, two or three.

During the base game, if the player lands three or more scatter symbols it will trigger the free spins mode. Once activated, the player will receive either 10, 15 and 25 walking wild free spins. If an additional two symbols land, the game will retrigger. 

Each spin that results in a win will trigger a respin with a wild walker displayed on any of the reels. With each spin, the wild walker moves one position to the left. This continues until it leaves the grid. 

The game also includes a feature select screen that consists of five walker heads hanging from a tree. These offer walking wild free spins, multiplier free games, super stacked and coin modes. 

In the multiplier mode, each spin resulting in a win triggers the split reel feature. If a wild walker lands on any of the reels, it will appear with a x2, x3 or x5 multiplier. 

Alternatively, during the super stacked mode, before the round commences, a symbol is chosen randomly to appear super stacked on the reels throughout the feature. This symbol can not be the scatter. 

In the coin bonus game, when triggered with four or five scatters, the game is played with a x3 or a x5 win multiplier, respectively. This feature is played on a 5×5 grid with a walker in the middle acting as a divider.

In this feature, a special reel set consisting of blank spaces, bronze, silver or gold coin, bonus, x2 and x3 multiplier symbols is used.

Forest Fortune – Hacksaw Gaming

Forage for mushrooms, blueberries, butterflies and more in Forest Fortune, the latest blockbusting slot title from Hacksaw Gaming set in a prolific woodland scene with 5×5 reels.

Symbols come in the form of many foragable items such as blackberries, strawberries, ladybugs and beetles. Wild leaves are available in the base game, spreading to different areas of the rels once they have landed in. 

These wilds will spread the same number of positions as there are wild symbols on the reels. Leaves will always spread towards the left side of the reels.

Free spins scatters are included, depicted as a butterfly. Landing three or more of these on the reels at once will trigger the free spins feature.

With the free spins mode, three spins are initially awarded to the player. Only the free spins bonus symbols can drop into play during this game, with each symbol that lands resetting the number of spins to three.

Various bonus symbols are available during this feature, with multiplier butterflies, scatter bumblebees, collector tornadoes and blocker leaves.

Each reel has a select progress bar above it. Every time a butterfly or bumblebee lands it will affect the current reel total above its column. At the end of the free spins feature, the payout will be multiplied by the total sum of the numbers above each reel added together.

Bumblebees will max out the progress bar, increasing the chances of winning the maximum payout in the game. Blue butterfly symbols can increase the multiplier value by anywhere between +1 and +100, whereas green butterflies can multiply these progress bar values between x2 and x50.

Finally, Tornado symbols affect all symbols that have landed on the reels in that spin so that their values are added to all five reels’ progress bars.

Animal Carnival – Fantasma Games

Roll up, roll up to the Animal Carnival, where sparkling wilds give hints to where they will land in Fantasma’s latest release with 6×5 reels and 10-paylines.

Tianzhi Zhou, Product owner and Game Mathematician at Fantasma Games, stated: “Animal Carnival promises players a show like no other with wilds, respins, multipliers and free spins. As the star performers take centre stage, players can watch in amazement as the bonuses trigger and the potentially big wins land.

“This is another incredible slot from the Fantasma team, combining striking visuals with thrilling gameplay to ensure that players keep coming back to the Animal Carnival time and time again.”

Animal Carnival has cascading wins, which means winning symbols will disappear after applying their payout, making way for new symbols and increasing the win potential of an already successful spin.

Above the reels, a red curtain will reveal special symbols that will drop onto the reels after a cascading win. Wild stars positions are revealed, but will not activate the sparkle wild feature unless they have dropped onto the reels before any cascading wins.  

If a star wild drops onto the reels with a standard spin, the sparkle wild feature will be activated. This causes the star to turn between one and four other symbols on the reels to turn into wilds, with only regular symbols being replaced by wilds. 

Additionally, one or more cannon symbols appearing on the reels will activate the cannon respin feature. This causes the cannon symbol to disappear along with three to six other symbols, paving the way for a potential cascading win. Only regular symbols can be removed with this feature. 

Landing three or more circus tent scatters will trigger the free spins feature. Initially, 10 spins are awarded to the player, with a win meter implementing a progressive multiplier.

With every three wins, the multiplier value is increased by one. At the end of the free spins, the winning payout is increased by the free spins win multiplier. Landing additional circus tents will award one extra free spin each time.

The post Push Gaming, Habanero, Playtech, Hacksaw Gaming and Fantasma Games: on the spin appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The games studio is aiming for an “equally successful” second half of the year, after a Q2 that witnessed the company acquire Wiener Studios and go live in multiple US states. 

With net sales seeing a 396 per cent year-on-year uptick to SEK 7.5m (£610,582) from SEK 1.5m, Fantasma reports that as the quarter came to a close, gaming revenue sat at SEK 6.3m (£513,153), a 314 per cent increase from SEK 1.5m.

These figures have allowed Fantasma to see EBITDA of SEK 1.1m, a significant increase on Q1’s loss of SEK 1m, bringing the studio into profitability for the second quarter while simultaneously taking the first half of the year’s figure to SEK 600,000.

Last year’s acquisition of Wiener Games is also said to have significantly contributed to the Q2 results, with the subsidiary accounting for SEK 2.1m (£171,079) of Q2 turnover.

“What a quarter it has been” stated Fredrik Johansson, CEO of Fantasma Games.

“We have driven growth across all KPIs which is a testament to the popularity and performance of our games in regulated markets around the world.

“This growth has come from continuing to deliver slots that take the experience to the next level, but also through entering new markets and signing exclusivity agreements with power players in our core jurisdictions.

“This is a fantastic start to a year that has great potential, and I and the rest of the team look forward to an equally successful six months ahead.”

It has been a busy quarter for the studio as they delved into the US market with casino operator BetMGM. This deal saw the firm’s slot titles Bounty Showdown and Wins of Nautilus Megaways become available to players in West Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania. 

Furthermore, Fantasma strengthened its position in the UK, releasing exclusive titles such as Cloud Corsairs across Flutter Entertainment’s tier one platforms which include Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Betfair.

The post Fantasma lauds ‘fantastic’ Q2 figures boasting 396% net sales increase appeared first on CasinoBeats.

In the latest of our igaming innovation series, a topic which will be discussed at this year’s SBC Summit Barcelona 2022 on the iGaming Innovation track, we asked the question if the sector is currently ‘stuck in a rut’ or if we’re on the verge of the next generation within igaming. 

Humans are creatures of comfort. Do you believe that the igaming sector is currently stuck in a rut when it comes to innovation or are we on the cusp of the ‘next generation’ technologies?

Jo Purvis, Blueprint Gaming: It really depends on how you define innovation. For some, there’s a belief that innovation must come in the form of a ground-breaking new way of experiencing a product. For instance, we often hear about virtual reality and how it can change the way in which we experience digital casino content. 

However, the vast majority of players will still prefer to spin their favourite slots the normal way rather than wear a headset, at least for the time being.

Instead, we are seeing innovation in other areas of gaming, such as the development of unique mechanics and engaging promotional tools. For us, that level of innovation can be far more impactful.

Joey Hurtado, Wizard Games: There is a bit of both. I believe most businesses in our industry want to be leading change and innovation but the path to what is the next great innovation isn’t that clear. 

We are getting better at understanding what end users want to see and think the learnings from this will help drive the next step. Compliance, regulation and the general ‘social acceptance’ of gambling do ensure that it is a relatively small window for innovation, but if approached properly huge opportunities exist.

Fredrik Johansson, Fantasma Games: I do not believe that the sector is stuck in a rut, quite the opposite in fact. This industry is still very much in its infancy and studios are only just getting started with the mechanics, features and experiences they can and ultimately will offer to players. 

That being said, it could be argued that playing online casino and in particular slots is a solitary pass-time. I believe that players are seeking more social experiences and that is something studios and operators are going to have to offer. 

This is why streaming has become so big in such a short space of time. It allows players to enjoy the thrill of online casino and slots but in a highly interactive and social environment. As such, the next generation of technologies and games will be about delivering social interaction within the game itself. 

Shalva Bukia, Spribe: I don’t necessarily think that igaming is behind the curve when it comes to innovation. It’s just a very subtle process.

If you measure in five year terms, then you can see a lot of innovation and change within the industry. Yes, right now slot games are a bit behind in this regard, but I see growth in this area: for example, streaming of slot games is becoming increasingly popular. There is already a promising startup that is betting on this social aspect. 

Another area of innovation is crypto. Sure, metaverse is a trendy term right now and everyone is trying to use it everywhere. But, behind this buzzword there are promising developments. For example; VR casinos are going to be a reality sooner or later. 

David Mann, Swintt: I think the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” can be applied here. The fundamentals of an online slot game can only be taken so far and even though a small number of studios are trying to re-invent the reel (literally, in some instances) they really don’t know if these concepts will achieve the success they are hoping for. 

You just have to look back at over the last few years and how 3D slots and VR casinos were lauded as the next big thing but didn’t really gain traction with players. Right now, there is a lot of talk about the metaverse and how it could revolutionise the gaming and gambling sectors. It could do, but I think for now the most progress will be made by rolling out incremental improvements to slot games as we know them.

Simon Hammon, Relax Gaming: There is so much content on the market now, so yes, in some ways I think you can perceive this as being a rut, however, in that content we are seeing the emergence of new suppliers bringing different things to the table, which wouldn’t happen without innovation. 

Whilst we may not necessarily be on the next generation of technology, as this requires mass adoption of new tech by the playing community, we might be on the cusp of the “next generation” of suppliers becoming player favourites. 

Relatively unknown suppliers just a few years ago are now leading the charge and gaining significant market share ground, Relax Gaming being one of them – and we’re incredibly proud of our status within the industry.

Lahcene Merzoug, PressEnter: I do not think the sector is stuck in a rut, but I do believe that innovation has been hampered by the rapid roll-out of regulations in markets around the world and the need for operators to quickly become compliant if they want to enter or remain active in these jurisdictions. 

Not only that, but each market has its own rules and quirks so to meet all these different requirements, operators have had to divert a lot of resources to compliance. But I think we are now at a point where the fundamentals for compliance are in place so operators such as PressEnter Group – and game studios and third-party providers – will be able to refocus on innovation and delivering new player experiences. 

Phil Lam, Betsson Group: I still think there is a lot of opportunity for innovation in the igaming sector, but compliance and responsible gambling must always take precedence for any mechanics we build and then offer to players. This forms part of our wider commitment to player protection and safe gaming, particularly as established markets start to regulate.

However, outside of Web2, when we look at Web3 and current developments in the crypto space, I believe that is where we will see the greatest progress and the most exciting innovations over the coming years.

We are already seeing the impact and popularity of digital assets in games such as Roblox and Fortnite among Gen Z players and this is something that such players will inherently grow up with and be accustomed to in future years. This in turn will create close synergies and the easier adoption of this new technology.

It kind of reminds me of the dot com boom where the possibilities and new concepts that can be created are endless, which of course is extremely exciting. Many companies at the forefront of this innovation wave will fade away, but the ones that remain as the industry leaders could go on to become the next big tech company.

While the opportunities for technical innovation in this space are extremely strong, like any new industry in its infancy there will be a real lack of regulation and responsible gambling factors incorporated on a player level, which would worry me slightly in terms of protecting players and ensuring any gameplay that incorporates gambling is done so responsibly, particularly as such products potentially scale-up.

Andrew Braithwaite, Blue Guru Games: I think to suggest that the sector might be stuck in a rut is a bit of an overstretch. If that was the case, engagement numbers would be dropping significantly with players seeking entertainment elsewhere. 

New mechanics are important and sometimes, as with Megaways, these new styles became an accepted part of the mainstream. But in real terms, slots have changed very little over the decades and there’s a healthy element of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ to consider, too.

This presents something of a balance for developers to strike. We have a need to keep trying new mechanics in the hope that they stick and also make games modern and broadly appealing, but this has to be done without affecting the accessibility and simplicity that many players want. Intelligent evolution is equally as important as revolutionary innovation.

The post Technical innovation in igaming ‘extremely strong’ but in its ‘infancy’ appeared first on CasinoBeats.

However, the importance of the word should not be underestimated as it continues to raise the bar and move the industry forward – whether it is obvious to the naked eye or not. 

In this new roundtable series, we’ll hear from industry experts on all things innovation, with the first article focusing on where the most innovation is currently coming from.

Within the gaming sector, where do you see the most innovation? Alternatively, which areas do you believe are behind the curve when it comes to innovative technologies, and why might this be the case?

Jo Purvis, Blueprint Gaming: When you look at how the slots sector has evolved, the true innovation that disrupts the sector is ultimately driven by the mechanics and how they change the gameplay. 

We’ve gone from the classic style slot of three paylines, all the way through to over a million ways of winning during one single spin. That’s largely been thanks to Megaways and how the mechanic shifted the mindset as to how paylines can alter with every spin. 

Innovation can also come in the form of new bonus rounds and modifiers. Blueprint Gaming was ahead of the curve when we first introduced online games packed with multiple features for players to experience. We continue to build on this and explore new ways to evolve the core essence of a slot. 

Joey Hurtado, Wizard Games: Innovation is coming in all shapes and sizes across the sector. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of movement in the live casino sector, with game show-style content becoming more creative and pushing its appeal to more non-traditional live dealer players. Slots have continued to push on with more iterations of traditional mechanics as well as new and imaginative plays on ways games. 

Innovation has to serve a purpose and improve the player experience. Innovation for innovation’s sake is often counterproductive, and it’s important to understand what the players want and what they are doing. 

For that reason, I believe some of the moves we’ve seen towards VR and AR solutions haven’t always delivered as they force the player to give all their attention to the games they’re playing. This removes their ability to multitask whilst playing, perhaps watching TV or other leisure activities that they combine with gaming.

I think gamifying the player experience is something the industry is behind on. There have been attempts from operators, studios and dedicated third parties to improve this but adoption hasn’t been great. There is still a lot of scope to improve here and we can expect to see some interesting innovations in the near future.

Fredrik Johansson, Fantasma Games: I believe that we have seen a lot of innovation within the slots space and especially with the introduction of new mechanics from various studios. This is evidenced by the number of trademarked mechanics that are now in the market. 

Megaways is the one that changed the game and that often comes to mind first, but there are loads more including Infinity Reels, XNudge and our very own Titanways, of course.

We have also seen great progress in terms of game design and the emergence of narrative-driven slots that deliver a more engaging and entertaining player experience. When this is combined with innovative mechanics and never seen before features, the result is games that deliver so much more value than a traditional 5×3 reel slot and that appeal to a much broader audience.

Shalva Bukia, Spribe: I think igaming is getting back to basics of casino play: socialisation. If we look at traditional casinos, especially in the early years, it was a place where people met and had fun together. 

Roulette, card games are social by definition. Slot games are a bit different: it’s about singular entertainment, it’s the player enjoying different worlds and imaginations of slot games. 

With the introduction of fast internet speeds live casino games became instantly popular and it was back to the basics – the joy of social play. In this regard, in my opinion, the biggest innovation was game shows by Evolution. Its popularity shows that people prefer social entertainment and interaction. We see the same in our products, Aviator’s live bets and chat are key features of the game.

David Mann, Swintt: The gaming sector is ultra-competitive and everyone is trying to find the next breakthrough innovation, mechanic, feature, etc. But finding true innovation is difficult – it is resource-heavy, expensive and ultimately there is no guarantee of success. 

I would say the shift to mobile has resulted in tremendous progress with operators and studios forced to fine-tune the player experience to ensure that it is just as engaging and entertaining as when playing from desktop. 

When you look at some of the latest games and especially live dealer content (including SwinttLive) to hit the market, it’s clear just how far we have come in a short space of time. 

The desire to be at the cutting-edge is pushing a lot of developers to try new things and this ultimately will lead to some hitting on the next revolutionary mechanic. I’d say the greatest room for this exists within how players play and by adding additional layers of entertainment that take the experience beyond the RNG base level. 

I also think we lag behind other entertainment options when it comes to how we serve content to consumers. When you look at the levels of personalisation offered by Netflix and compare it with your average online casino lobby, we still have a long way to go.

Simon Hammon, Relax Gaming: As a casino-focused product-veteran, naturally my attention is more focused in this area of the gaming sector. In the wake of increased competition within the landscape, there are certainly more interesting, innovative and diverse mechanics being brought to market – especially by younger and newer suppliers. 

To stand out in this crowded market, you need to innovate and provide something new to capture players’ attention and ensure retention. 

Jackpots are a key area that has been relatively under-served and with that comes a lack of innovation. Relax Gaming’s Dream Drop Jackpots has been launched with a mission to break the mould here and provide fresh thinking in the marketplace. 

There are several reasons why, on the whole, innovation and technology might not be perceived to be low in areas and this is likely down to market dominance of a few without need or desire to change. With the advent of high competition levels, fresh thinking is bringing in needed updates and change.

Indeed, the approach to regulated markets and the custom integration challenges required is another major area to solve, and although it is not visible to the player, it has not evolved with the times and its importance cannot be understated.  

In line with that, our Relax Apex system launched last year aims to remove a lot of these nuances and headaches, which means it can work perfectly in tandem with our newly launched Dream Drop.

Lahcene Merzoug, PressEnter Group: I think the industry often considers innovation to be a breakthrough mechanic or feature, or perhaps an entirely new gamification model or bonus system that changes the game. But innovation is often the result of progressive iteration and in that regard, there is plenty of room to keep pushing the boundaries. 

From the operator perspective, there is scope to do more to improve the player journey and that is where we focus a great deal of our attention and resources.  

An area of particular interest is payments, and PressEnter Group will continue to fine-tune deposit and withdrawal flows and augment the technologies and services that support them. We are taking the same approach to KYC to firstly ensure a smooth and seamless process for our players but to also ensure that we are verifying players accurately. 

These are not necessarily headline-grabbing updates, but ultimately, they are what leads to the superior player experience we have built our reputation on. 

Phil Lamb, Betsson Group: I believe we have seen quite a lot of innovation when it comes to applying various gamification features to online casinos over the years. When many online casinos offer the same games from the same game suppliers, it’s a good way to be able to stand out from the crowd and create more exciting and engaging player journeys.

However, applying such innovative gamification features has become more and more challenging for operators in recent years, and can also bring with it some inherent risk. For example, you could invest a lot of development resources and time creating amazing gamification journeys, and then overnight some new regulation comes in and suddenly a lot of the features that have been created are no longer compliant or able to operate under these new regulatory conditions. This can be a massive hindrance and risk from a commercial perspective.

This is certainly the case when operating in multiple markets, with some of these established markets now reaching a state of maturity and then seeing more and more local regulations being applied, which must always be adhered to. 

Likewise, the focus on responsible gambling and player protection is understandably as strong as it has ever been and with more responsibility in these areas sitting with operators.

As much as it is good to try to constantly stay ahead of the curve in terms of innovative technologies, there also needs to be a good balance that considers and respects local regulatory compliance requirements but that still leads to higher user engagement and, most importantly, in a responsible way.

The post Innovation ‘has to serve a purpose’ otherwise it is ‘counterproductive’ appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Founder and current Chief Commercial Officer of game developer Fantasma Games, Fredrik Johansson, has returned to the role of CEO.

Through the backing of the company’s largest shareholders, Johansson returns to the role with support and belief that he is the best person to guide the game developer forward.

The firm is targeting ‘significant growth’ in the following months, particularly into new markets, whilst signing partnerships with more operators and overseeing the game and production line. 

Within his role, Johansson is responsible for day-to-day running of Fantasma Games operations by leading the senior management team. Johansson is expected to map out the overall direction of the company, building new strategies that fall in line with the company’s ethos of ‘creating slots beyond gambling’. 

He commented: “I am thrilled to return to the role of CEO of Fantasma Games and to have the support and trust of our largest shareholders when it comes to taking the studio into its next chapter. 

“We have already achieved a great deal in a short space of time, and having just reported a record first quarter we have tremendous momentum behind us. It is an honour to be leading such an incredible team of people as we continue to strive to create the most entertaining slots in the market.” 

The appointment comes after Fantasma Games has recently launched its slots and gaming products in the US market. 

Making its debut in the US, Fantasma Games has gone live in states such as Michigan and West Virginia, working alongside BetMGM. Via its distribution partner Light and Wonder, Fantasma Games aims to expand its platform to additional states and operators in the future. 

The post Fredrik Johansson returns to CEO role at Fantasma Games targeting significant growth appeared first on CasinoBeats.

This has seen Fantasma eye a continued global uptick throughout the remainder of the year, after making its initial US manoeuvre early this week following a start to the year that saw the group record its highest month in terms of gaming revenue.

With net sales posting a 349 per cent year-on-year increase to SEK 4.8m (£388,569) from SEK 1.1m, Fantasma reports that gaming revenue closed the quarter at SEK 4.1m (£331,903), a 279 per cent uptick from SEK 1.1m. EBITDA during Q1 narrowed to a loss of SEK 574,000 (2021: -SEK 655,000).

September 2021’s acquisition of Wiener Games is said to have “paid dividends during the quarter”, with the studio contributing SEK1.9m (£152,792) in net sales.

“This has started off great for Fantasma Games achieving net sales of SEK4.8m during the three months,” explained Fredrik Johansson, Founder of Fantasma Games.

“This is a testament to the hard work and dedication that the Fantasma team puts in day in and day out in order to achieve our goal of creating slots beyond gambling and delivering thrilling, exciting and highly entertaining experiences to players.

“It has also been a significant quarter in terms of new operator partnerships, chart-topping game launches and entering new markets. 

“We have already made a great start to Q2, with a new all-time high with the double gross game revenue in April, and I for one look forward to keeping pushing ahead now that we have tremendous momentum behind us.”

The studio aligned its performance to the launch of Medallion Megaways in February, via Relax Gaming’s Silver Bullet platform, which it said surpassed all pre-launch expectations and helped drive gross gaming revenue to SEK 38m (2021: SEK 20m).

Furthermore, a slew of commercial tie-ups, alongside the likes of Entain, Gamesys and Veikkaus, were built upon at the quarter’s end via an alliance with BetMGM Casino platform in Michigan and West Virginia.

“Right now, our strategy for continued growth is primarily focused on launching games in the US and Italy, in order to continue to take important market shares,” stated Johansson.

“In the US, the games are launched exclusively with one of the largest operators, BetMGM, which remain exclusive for four weeks and are then ready to be launched to other leading operators in the regulated states in the US.

“In Italy, an exclusive launch is now taking place with one of the leading operators, PokerStars. The fact that leading players in the US and Italy want to launch our games exclusively is proof that our games are world class, and that they are expected to deliver in relation to market demand.

“Overall, we see great opportunities to both strengthen Fantasma Games’ brand and continue our growth journey as a result.”

The post Fantasma Games: utilising tremendous momentum to push ahead appeared first on CasinoBeats.