And with the crypto winter of 2021/2022 firmly in the rear mirror view and Bitcoin recently enjoying record highs in price, crypto is once again dominating conversations in igaming as operators explore the opportunities the assets can deliver. 

One such company which is bringing solutions to the market is iGP. The supplier, headquartered in Malta, has been developing its crypto solutions throughout 2024 and showcased those new developments at the recent SBC Summit in Lisbon. 

The launch and the Summit were the culmination of iGP’s Ready To Launch campaign, which hinted at multiple new product developments from the iGP team. 

Speaking to CasinoBeats during SBC Summit 2024, iGP’s Chief Product Officer, Dirk Camilleri, explains: “One of those new developments is the crypto solution that we’re building. This was developed after looking at recent trends from the industry and we realised the crypto space is something which has consistently kept on growing, and it’s a market which has been untapped for us so far. 

“Essentially, we decided to invest in a new system which would allow crypto payment methods and the full crypto experience, including multi wallet. This means we can support multiple currencies, both in fiat and crypto.”

iGP’s crypto casino solutions focus specifically on creating a positive user experience by tapping into what makes a crypto consumer unique compared to other players. Camilleri identifies that crypto users are a “complete customer segment of their own,” explaining that those players are “very much community driven, and wary of transparency and security, which the blockchain systems offer.”

He adds: “Without this solution, there’s a market which is essentially out of reach. So we aim to expand both our portfolio and our client base who are looking to expand and grow in the crypto space.”

In response to this, iGP’s crypto casino heavily focuses on getting the user experience fine-tuned to the correct audience. As a result, it has worked on ensuring that players can securely and quickly register and both deposit and withdraw their crypto funds. 

Moreover, acknowledging that crypto enthusiasts often have multiple currencies, iGP has implemented its multi-currency wallet. This allows players to use a variety of crypto currencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum, or even some of the lesser known assets. 

Not only this, but Camilleri explains that the crypto casino is not merely about payment methods, but the entire crypto experience that crosses over into other areas including gameplay. 

“Traditionally, game providers don’t support crypto natively but we’ve taken that and built an experience around it, which still allows the player to play in crypto, even though the supplier wouldn’t specifically support this,” he outlines. “Essentially, we are providing an end-to-end crypto experience.”

Following the principles of its Ready To Launch campaign, that being developing high-tech products suited to global operators, iGP has been working hard to ensure that its crypto platform takes the best parts of a traditional online casino and merges that into its crypto experience. 

This, Camilleri asserts, is where a significant gap in the market can be identified. He tells CasinoBeats that crypto casino operators have lacked imagination when it comes to bonusing.

“In traditional casinos, you have cashbacks, and bonuses etc, but there’s no one really out there who has taken that and is looking to adopt it to crypto. So we are currently working on a bonus engine which offers something similar but also creates the concept of tokenising, which would allow players to convert them to either crypto or other tokens such as NFTs.”

The last 12 months have been a whirlwind at iGP, as several new members have been added to its leadership team, including Camilleri and the recent appointment of Deputy CEO Jovana Popovic Canaki. 

This year has been a foundational year in developing new technologies to go to market, highlighted by its Ready To Launch campaign. Now, iGP is ready to take its crypto solutions to the wider market and aims to sign up new partners in the near future. 

Heading into 2025, iGP is shaping up to onboard new clients and is further tailoring its product suite to achieve its aim of being a leading supplier of igaming technologies. 

As Camilleri wraps up: “In 2025 we are looking to develop outside of the crypto space, and we’re looking at market entries and expanding our geographical reach when it comes to products. 

“On the product side, we’re looking to start supporting native apps. This is something which so far we haven’t offered yet, and we’re also looking at an in-house notification system which will allow CRM managers and operators to interact and treat the players at a better rate.”

The post iGP’s Dirk Camilleri: catering our platform to ‘completely unique’ crypto casino segment appeared first on CasinoBeats.

CasinoBeats: Thanks for joining us Jovana. Can you tell us more about the first few months in your role at iGP?

Jovana Popovic Canaki: When the opportunity to join iGP came up, I jumped at the chance to join such a dynamic company, and it has been an exciting first few months in the role.

We’re a company focused on strong performance and building a reputation as the most reliable supplier to work with. We’re keen on building long-term partnerships that are the right fit for both parties. We may not be a start-up, but we’re a young company with very strong foundations to build on. The tech we are offering is of the highest quality, and we have a beautiful dashboard which our partners are very happy with. 

I think finding that right blend of enthusiasm, dynamism and quality can be hard to come by in this industry, and that was all part of what made iGP a great choice for me. I really look forward to seeing what we can achieve.

CB: How crucial is the experience you are bringing into the role and how important do you believe it can be in helping iGP excel to the next level? 

JPC: I hope that my experience can play its part in taking iGP to the next level, but it’s important to remember there has been a management reshuffle this year, so it’s really a collective task for myself and the other managers. 

But there’s no doubt we have all joined a company that is in a strong position already; our main task is to help scale the business. We want to add more and more customers. We may already have almost 100 websites that are live right now, but how do we get to 1,000? The challenge is making that happen while building at scale at the same time, but across the team, I believe we have the right level of experience to achieve that. 

CB: What are the key markets you will be focusing on as iGP continues to grow and what strategy are you employing to best tap into these markets? 

JPC: The key thing here is that we’re focused more on product markets rather than geographical markets. Our core markets are in Europe, and we’re targeting further growth in Latin America and Asia, but broadly speaking, we’re more focused on how we expand our product offering and branching into new markets that way.

We launched our platform aggregator iGaming Deck in September 2023, and that’s been very successful so far, with more than 20 partners signed up. We also expanded that to sports betting with our partnership with First Sportsbook.

We had a successful launch of our new crypto product at the recent SBC Summit Lisbon, and with three partners already integrating the solution, we are excited to see this expand as we engage with new audiences. 

We’re making advances with our various products and enhancing our reputation across the aggregator, sports betting and crypto markets, and improving our offering by expanding our portfolio is more of a target for us than a geographical one. However, that expansion will of course help our progress in those geographical markets as and when we launch in them. 

CB: Can you share with us more what you believe sets iGP apart in a challenging market? 

JPC: One thing that really stood out to me about iGP is how we don’t tend to make unrealistic statements and promises about tearing up the rulebook and starting again. What we have done is put in place very solid foundations on which to build, and we have a scalable business that is being developed in the right way. 

We have made smart decisions about which operators to partner with, and we make sure we are providing the right kind of service to each partner. We don’t go in by saying we will build everything for them from the get go, but instead we will work out how exactly we can tailor our service to that exact partner and focus on building the things we’re good at building.

Taking that approach is what leads us to being able to offer a best-in-class product and we have to continue to cement our position as a trusted, reliable supplier. Last year, we saw an average uptime of 99.97%, and that’s the type of thing we want to be known for. 

CB: What steps can you take to unlock the full potential of iGP products and take their ceiling to the next level? 

JPC: From my past experience in the industry, it’s about understanding what operators really need. I hope to use my past experience with legacy platform providers and my experience of moving into new markets to really help us focus on providing the best possible service with our current platforms.

We want to work with operators that are moving the needle and have ambitions to grow just like we do. If we keep focusing on what we can do for them, our ceiling will only move higher and higher. 

CB: Do you think the igaming industry is guilty of calling replication innovation and how can iGP ensure it truly innovates with its products? 

JPC: I think there is truth in that to an extent. For us, we are focused on being reliable and offering solutions that work every time. That is why our uptimes have been so strong, and why iGaming Deck has a request duration time of 13.7 milliseconds, which is exceptionally fast. 

In our own way, we see having a scalable, workable product as an innovation. We see too many suppliers who rush into things which don’t work out well, but I think if you build something correctly that works reliably, then that in itself is an innovation.

The post Jovana Popovic Canaki, iGP: rigorously chasing product development to pursue growth appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Through the agreement, Tom Horn’s full suite of multi-product offerings will be made available to the iGaming Deck platform’s operator partners, including player-centric slots with mechanics and features such as QuickX and BlastX.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with iGP and to be featured on their innovative iGaming Deck platform,” commented Ondrej Lapides, CEO of Tom Horn Gaming.

“This partnership strengthens our global distribution strategy, allowing us to bring our premium content to an even broader network of operators and players around the world. 

“At Tom Horn Gaming, we are committed to delivering exciting and high-quality gaming experiences, and through iGaming Deck, we can reach new audiences and support our partners in driving success.” 

Tom Horn’s online casino offering includes proprietary slot titles as well as exclusive third-party content, which can now be accessed by iGaming Deck operators via a single integration, in addition to more than 5,000 games currently on the iGP platform. 

Jovana Popovic Canaki, Deputy CEO at iGP, added: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Tom Horn Gaming, a supplier renowned for providing high-quality online casino content which I’m sure our operator partners will be extremely keen to offer to their players. 

“iGaming Deck has been a monumental success for us since its launch last September, with more than 20 leading content providers now live with the platform. We plan to add many more partners and expand the portfolio of first-class titles going forward, and the future for the platform is looking extremely bright.”

The post Tom Horn Gaming expands global reach with iGP’s iGaming Deck appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Narrowing down the most important data points for your specific project is paramount to achieving results effectively and efficiently. In an industry dominated by data like igaming, this requirement is amplified to no end. 

To help better understand some of the most important KPIs in igaming, CasinoBeats caught up with iGP’s Head of Product, Luka Markota, who identified six data points that can make or break your igaming venture. 

Deposit Conversion Rate

The Deposit Conversion Rate measures the percentage of visitors who convert into depositing players, and Markota identifies this as “one of the standout metrics in igaming”.

“When you have information regarding the first deposit and potentially second deposit from any player, this will often indicate the lifetime value of the player,” he explains. 

“It is important to have the technology in place that can track this data and provide the guidance on how to improve your number of unique visitors that are transcending into first-time depositors.”

Average revenue per user (ARPU) 

The ARPU is a self-explanatory metric which is, of course, key to understanding how engaging products are with users and measuring how profitable they are. 

Often used in industries leaning on subscription services, ARPU is essential for understanding player spending behaviour with a certain product.

“Where igaming differs from an industry like media is that some users spend considerably more than others, it is still an extremely useful metric when comparing one operator’s performance against another,” says Markota.

“Management will often take the ARPU number into account when assessing which products are performing well, and which ones will need a different approach.”

Customer lifetime value (CLV)

CLV can help assess long-term customer value and consequently guide future investment decisions in customer retention and acquisition strategies. 

Markota outlines: “If players churn before the investment to acquire them has been made back, then the operator is not extracting any worthwhile value from them. 

“Your understanding of this value may be deemed from a player’s first or second deposits, but CLV is ideally about measuring the value across a long-term period as opposed to a purchase-by-purchase basis.” 

Retention rate

A measurement of the number of players who continue to play on a platform across a defined period, the retention rate is essential to assessing how well a product resonates with players.

“A strong retention rate will be proof of a functioning customer relationship management system,” says Markota. “The way to implement this is to track the number of players who are returning with several deposits, along with the accounts that are inactive. 

“This is an important KPI when it comes to both short-term and long-term success. Remaining on top of this can reduce your costs, because it can be significantly cheaper to retain players rather than acquire new ones.”

Monthly active players

Another self-explanatory KPI, but a crucial one nonetheless. The monthly active players data is crucial in determining the overall health of an operator’s player base.

“For a player to class as an active user, they would usually have to perform an in-app action during a 30-day period, whether that’s logging in or completing a specific action, such as making a bet or deposit. 

Markota continues: “The number of monthly active users can also be compared with the number of daily active users, which will provide more insight on how players are really engaging with an igaming offering.” 

Average deposit rate

Last but not least, Markota identified the average deposit rate to make the top six KPI list. 

“Monitoring this metric helps operators understand player deposit behaviour and optimise deposit-related promotions and incentives,” he notes. 

“This number can vary based on a number of factors, but the important thing is to delve into these reasons and compartmentalise the different deposit rates from separate player demographics. 

“Once you have understood these reasons, you can plan how to track this data and utilise it to improve performance. This figure may fluctuate, but it’s crucial to be on top of when and why this may happen.”

‘Providing expertise to operators’ 

“Simply knowing the most important KPIs for igaming success simply isn’t enough to identify an igaming platform’s strengths and weaknesses”, explains Markota. 

That is why iGP leverages the vast experience and expertise of its product and technology teams to provide in-depth reporting to its clients to ensure they have a holistic understanding of the health of their player base. And regular reporting is even more crucial to get an accurate and contextual view of those vital signs. 

“We constantly track these metrics and provide expertise and advice on how to improve and maintain performance based on the data we have,” Markota notes. 

“This helps our partners drive growth, enhance the player experience, and maintain a competitive edge. With these insights, operators can make smarter, data-driven decisions which will provide benefits in both the short and long-term.”

But there are, of course, challenges to measuring and reporting such vital metrics. Firstly, the integration process must be strong enough to import the necessary data information. Yet, there is a less technical challenge that operators and suppliers alike must overcome. 

What defines good performance? 

The industry likes to keep its cards close to its chest when reporting these metrics publicly as to retain crucial information it can benefit from. So challenges arise when benchmarking because there isn’t enough readily available data. This can make some look red-faced, but iGP is confident that the decades of cumulative experience that its team possesses will help it to overcome these hurdles. 

“We possess an extensive amount of industry experience, so when it comes to benchmarking data, this is something members of our team can gauge based on their industry knowledge,” Markota boasts. 

“We always have to remain on top of what operators expect from us, and we will work with them to define what their KPIs should be. Operator feedback is important to us, so we can use the data our partners already provide us to benchmark and take things from there.”

Commercial challenges aside, Markota does concede that the industry could be more transparent when it comes to data, noting that being a little clearer – without giving away sensitive information – can open up the industry to players and help them understand behaviours even more. 

However, for the time being, iGP remains ready to be there for its clients in providing its varied igaming solutions. It also commits to offering robust data, and corresponding insights and advice to ensure it continues to enjoy fruitful and long-lasting partnerships. 

As Markota concludes: “We have always managed to demonstrate the long-term benefits of the reporting suite by consistently providing feedback and expertise, while also taking into account what our partners need us to track. 

“Keeping an open dialogue with the operator is crucial, and we will always provide the best possible assistance we can in trying to keep on top of each metric.”

The post iGP: six must-have KPIs for igaming success in 2024 appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Through iGaming Deck, the deal will see First supply its Tier 1 sportsbook solution to iGP’s platform and white label partners 

It’s a move that expands iGP’s offering as the firm continues on a path of growth, with the firm seeking to tap into the First Solution, which ‘combines the best odds and markets with unique acquisition tools’.

Commenting on the partnership, Jovana Popovic Canaki, Deputy CEO of iGP, said: “Partnership for iGP is about much more than just technology; it’s about shared visions and goals. First Sportsbook and iGP are focused on growth for our partners and by joining forces, we will provide ambitious Tier 1 operators with the powerful casino and sportsbook solutions they need to compete and realise their igaming ambitions.” 

This latest partnership sets the trend for First to continue expanding its operations by bringing its sportsbook to existing and emerging markets in collaboration with companies like iGP.

First CEO, Tom Light, added on the deal: “Working with a top platform provider such as iGP is really exciting and we look forward to complementing their online casino, aggregation and platform product suite with our Tier 1 sports betting solution. Being able to deliver the most modern and best-performing sports betting technology to our partners is hugely exciting and we look forward to going live with many of them in the coming weeks.” 

It also marks one of the first major moves since Popovic Canaki’s appointment. Speaking to CasinoBeats shortly after commencing the role, she emphasised: ”It’s an exciting time for iGP, we’ve had a busy start to the year, but the whole team is now beginning to turn our attention to showcasing our progress to our partners at the SBC Summit in Lisbon in September. 

“For us, this event will be a key point in the year, and it will be an important moment to push the business further forward.”

The post iGP continues evolution with First Sportsbook  appeared first on CasinoBeats.

CasinoBeats: Can you outline the Tropicana product and why it is such a big development for iGP’s Latin American ambitions?

Dirk Camilleri: Tropicana will act as a customised, tailored front-end specifically for partners in LatAm markets. The platform has been built on the back of extensive market research, where the data informed us about what the region is looking for. This is a big development, because the platform will help us enhance our product offering, following the recent launch of our sportsbook product, by increasing cross-sell opportunities with casino and payment methods.

Within Tropicana, the experience across both sportsbook and casino is quite similar, in terms of switching and navigating and the benefits are twofold. When you’re navigating in the casino, we will deploy a sportsbook widget which will present you with a list of ongoing matches, which can generate a payslip in one tap without necessarily moving away from the online casino. Similarly, the widget can show online casino offers and games while the player is using the sportsbook.

We’re very excited about how Tropicana will enhance our LatAm offering and we can’t wait to take it to market. 

CB: What are the biggest customer demands in Latin American markets and how do you build this into your product development?

DC: I think we have to be very mindful of not taking a centralised view of Latin America, and making sure we take a localised approach with our content in each market. We need to focus on providing mobile-friendly platforms and diverse payment options that cater to local preferences.

The different payment methods, such as cash-based solutions and local e-wallets, should be region-specific, and we’re currently looking into the best methods to implement payment solutions in this way. This will allow us to enhance accessibility and the overall user experience.  

CB: What are the key technical considerations for building a localised product in igaming?

DC: Traffic levels differ in each individual market, so it is important to ensure our infrastructure is robust and scalable enough to handle higher volumes. 

Another differentiation between markets can be languages, so you have to be able to provide multilingual support. I’d also come back to my point about integrating local payment gateways, because the technicalities of this can be complex and must be deeply considered. 

CB: Building the Tropicana product offers your clients a template to customise their offerings. Is customisation essential to building a truly localised product?

DC: With the Tropicana template, we have heavily invested in building a frontend which will resonate with the LatAm market. This will allow our clients to focus on tailoring their offering, incorporating local languages, themes, promotions and payment methods, thereby increasing the client’s relevance and appeal to local players. 

We are also working on building targeted promotional and loyalty programs which will encourage players to engage with multiple product lines between the verticals. I think this is absolutely the direction we need to keep moving towards, because customisation is hugely significant when it comes to localising your offering.

CB: What are some of the differences between Latin American markets that you are active in and does this inform some of your technical and development decisions?

DC: The LatAm markets individually exhibit significant differences, in terms of player preferences and technological infrastructure.

For example, while Brazil is expected to be incredibly lucrative when it comes to sports betting, Mexico shows a higher level of engagement in online casinos.

These differences inform our technical and development decisions, and it is important for us to incorporate flexibility within that development so that the playing experience matches up with the expectations of the players.

CB: How do you ensure that your products will resonate with players in those local markets? Is it a case of rigorous testing throughout the development process, or do you gain expertise as you launch products over time?

DC: It has to be a mixture of the two. Games must be tested rigorously before going to market, but you also have to work out which particular games to launch via market research and seeing how player habits are changing over time. 

iGP conducts extensive market research and user testing to gather feedback and refine products before launch. Then, following the launch of those games, we continuously monitor and update the games based on player feedback and market trends.

A proactive and strategic approach to improving games makes sure your products remain competitive in the long-term, so it’s something we always have to keep an eye on.

CB: What is your top tip on how to build an effective, localised product in igaming?

DC: The first step is you have to understand the market you’re going into. Having an experienced team who understands the nuances of your target market is always a good start and then, from that point, you have to prioritise market research and player feedback from the outset. 

There are plenty of other issues you also have to take into consideration. Understanding the cultural differences, preferences and regulatory landscape of the target market is essential.

The third key point when building a localised product is that it has to be adaptable as you go along. You need to incorporate flexibility in the product design to allow for ongoing customisation and updates based on player feedback. This will undoubtedly enhance the product’s relevance and success.

CB: What further plans does iGP have for localised content over the next few months and years?

DC: For iGP, the future is in a number of areas. At SBC Summit in Lisbon this September, we’ll have a number of crypto solutions from platform to front to showcase, where we hope to be joined by an exciting crypto operator to launch in the coming months.

On top of that, we are adding more and more providers to our aggregator solution,with some big names announcements coming in the coming months, we have been experimenting with AI and have a powerful recommendation engine in the works providing our partner operators true player personalisation.

Beyond that, 2024 is about scalability and refinement, we are fast but could be faster, we are flexible but our ambitions are constantly growing. It has been a busy start to 2024, and I’m proud to say the team I lead are hungry to bring even more to the table in H2.

The post iGP: LatAm success will be fueled by localised Tropicana platform appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The appointment of Popovic Canaki fuels the firm’s ongoing expansion drive as it embarks on a period of global growth.

Most recently, she served as VP Partner Success at Aspire Global, part of NeoGames. This followed a spell as Managing Director and CEO of Masterpiece Gaming. Jovana also spent eight years at Bragg Gaming, where she rose to the position of Director of Business Unit iGaming Platform and Services.

Popovic Canaki told CasinoBeats:”It’s an exciting time for iGP, we’ve had a busy start to the year, but the whole team is now beginning to turn our attention to showcasing our progress to our partners at the SBC Summit in Lisbon in September. For us, this event will be a key point in the year, and it will be an important moment to push the business further forward.”

She added: “I am thrilled to join iGP as the new Deputy CEO. I eagerly anticipate working with our talented team to drive innovation and unlock the full potential of our products, while exploring opportunities to enter new markets for our fantastic clients.

“I have always been determined to contribute towards growth in all my previous roles in the igaming industry, and it excites me when a company begins to make headway in the market as iGP are currently doing. I am proud to be a part of iGP’s journey and look forward to getting started.”

In her new role, she will report to iGP CEO Giovanni Paticchio, is a respected igaming professional.

With 17 years of diverse leadership experience in both B2B and B2C sectors, Jovana brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. 

Paticchio, iGP CEO, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jovana to the team here at iGP. With her magnificent depth of experience in the igaming industry, her expertise will be incredibly valued by us and this is a very important addition to assist with the next stage of our expansion.

“We have welcomed a number of first-class executives to our senior management team this year, and with Jovana on board, this gives us additional depth and capacity to drive the business forward faster and further. It’s an exciting time to be leading this business.”

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However, it was unanimously agreed across CasinoBeats Summit’s Industry Trends and Future Predictions panel that personalisation and the player must be one of, if not the most, important factors for any casino and their future innovation prospects.

Sponsored by NetBet, the Industry Trends and Future Predictions panel featured a variety of industry experts from across sectors who forecasted their unique perspectives on what casino and slots platforms might look like in the years to come. 

On the panel was Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO of EvenBet Gaming; Inesa Glazaite, Chief Commercial Officer of iGP; Itai Zak, Executive Director of Digicode and former CEO of SBTech; Alexander Martin, Advisor & NED at Dice GP and former CEO of SKS365; and Mark Taffler, Commercial Director of Hub88.

Moderated by SBC Media’s Project Director, Martyn Elliott, the panel was asked about casino innovation and technology, with product personalisation being the response each panel participant gave in some form or another.

Martin noted that gamification needs to be at the top of operators’ minds with something new and something interactive, while Starostenkov stated that igaming verticals need to work together to create “comprehensive entertainment” for consumers on casino platforms.

Glazaite highlighted the importance of adapting to changing player behaviour, while Zak remarked that “the player must be placed in the centre”.

Taffler doubled down on Zak’s comments that casinos must recognise players being at the forefront of any future direction for any operator.

The Hub88 Director said: “You have to put the player at the centre of everything that you do. As a B2B supplier, we have to put the B2C customer at the centre of everything we do.

“We have to look at this at a more macro-level. The industry is maturing at such a rate that players are a lot more educated now and I don’t think there’s been any real innovation for a while, I think it’s more iteration.

“That is fine, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I refer to the Henry Ford quote quite a lot where he said ‘If you ask customers what they want, they’ll say faster horses’ and then he invented cars. Customers didn’t know that they needed cars, they thought they could only have a faster horse.

“What is really important is, as the industry matures, we see growing markets that localisation is still fundamentally important. I still hear of people going into LatAm. Which part? The Portuguese-speaking part or the Spanish-speaking part? How big is the file size of your content? How good is the mobile connectivity in Venezuela vs Germany? Where are your servers?

“I think there’s a lot of really hygienic things that need to be done in the industry before everyone starts to move on to the BHAGs – big, hairy audacious goals. Ultimately, all that matters is that the player is happy if you’re a B2C, and ultimately, all that matters is that the casino is happy if you’re a B2B.”

Current trends

Elliott then asked the panel about trends that they are seeing emerge currently in the casino space and several topics were discussed.

Martin noted that he’s starting to see more social games on the market, with gameshows getting involved in various ways, as well as streaming services and the metaverse. He also pointed out the growing interest in artificial intelligence.

“Something that has been around for a long time already and something that everyone should be adapting is AI,” stated Martin.

“The key question is who is adopting the technology. We have been using it for customer service operations, we have been using it for marketing developments, graphics, videos, all kinds of promotions and CRM. These kinds of tools are very efficient and very powerful for an operator. 

“There have been some attempts to use AI to create slots, it’s not of the quality that we are used to having today, but it is something that will be continuing and something that will be coming up in the next few years.”

Zak also noted how important AI is currently for casinos, but stated it’s still in its early stages. It’s just being used as a tool for operators to achieve another goal within their operations such as creating a safer gaming environment for responsible gaming or streamlining development processes. Care with its usage needs to be a top priority.

The Digicode Director said: “AI isn’t suddenly the solution for everything. There is always going to be a need for human interaction. Players’ behaviour, especially in gambling, is very complicated, even for AI at this stage.”

He continued: “Make sure you understand that AI itself can’t solve anything, there is always going to be room and a need for professional human interaction.”

Across the rest of the panel, Glazaite re-emphasised localisation across markets for all operators down to the finest details, especially when launching in new regions. Starostenkov highlighted an interest across several gaming verticals for operators rather than just one or two.

Meanwhile, Taffler commented on live casino, going down a similar localisation point as Glazaite – bringing attention to producing a product which is in line with what the customer wants down to the fundamental elements of each game type.

Future predictions

As for what the future holds for casino and igaming operators, Taffler offered three predictions – payment processes to be improved upon; more companies to assist operators with quicker and more profit performance; and curated player casino experiences via a direct link.

Martin believes that in the next five years, there will be more gamification across all aspects of gaming operations for the metaverse and virtual reality. Glazaite believes personalisation and social gaming will become more prominent with groups gathering to play together online, while Starostenkov feels sweepstakes will be a red-hot trend in the coming months.

Zak brought the conversation back to the initial discussion on the importance of personalisation and the player, emphasising that the “player is king”, replacing the previous gaming monarch of content.

In addition, he also believes there will be more innovation, player offering personalisation and usage of AI by operators for streamlining processes and assisting in responsible gambling.

Zak commented: “If up until recently we used the slogan ‘content is king’, I believe now that the player is the king.”

He continued: “Technology is at a stage where it now enables us to do a lot of things, the limitation is not the technology. The limitation is the connectivity and how you tailor, provide and market your offering. We will see much more focus on the player.”

Other topics that were discussed on the Industry Trends and Future Predictions panel include live casino, content direction, VR and AR future in igaming as well as crypto.

The post CasinoBeats Summit: Players must be at the centre of casino innovation appeared first on CasinoBeats.

CasinoBeats got the lowdown from Camilleri on how the casino tech specialist is getting ambitious operators Ready to Launch in Latin America and what the localised template is bringing to the market.

CasinoBeats: Tell us about Ready to Launch. What does this mean for operators in Latin America?

Dirk Camilleri: Ready to Launch is our initiative to get operators on board with the iGP philosophy for success.

This philosophy came from the founders – igaming experts whose frustration with platform limitations impelled them to offer a better solution. Even today, the driving force to save operators millions from lost uptime is always behind the thinking.

iGP is ready and we’ve found an industry where operators are still woefully underserved by their suppliers. So, the message is about asking the operator: Are you ready to launch? Do you have the right technology, the right people and the right partners in place to break through successfully?

Most operators are not in this position: iGP aims to change this and support them in driving their brands forward to reach their ambitions – especially across LatAm.

CB What challenges have you experienced in Latin America and how does this inform your approach to the region? 

DC: Every new market offers a mix of specific challenges that rely on effective localisation and deep understanding of local infrastructure and social norms. iGP’s process is to develop genuine partnerships rather than client/supplier relationships as this delivers shared learning and insights to enable working towards the same goal.

The challenges currently specific to LatAm, from payment processing or content accessibility, can be resolved more efficiently for operators with a stable and scalable platform and localised products.

Our great tech, stable back-end and robust stack all aligned with our expertise mean that we can offer a genuinely viable alternative to many other providers. This has delivered ambitious projects for us such as iGaming Deck, our aggregator solution and our LatAm specific white label front-end template, Tropicana. 

CB: Can you tell us more about Tropicana? What does it bring to LATAM operators?

DC: Official launch date is slated for late Q2, but visitors and delegates to the iGP stand at SiGMA Americas, São Paulo, were treated to pre launch demos of this highly effective new template. Tropicana is fully localised for the Brazilian market, with iterations for other LatAm countries, and so delivers a significant improvement on existing offerings. It is designed to enable ambitious operators to cross-sell sportsbook and casino to engage with a new audience across Latin America – and beyond. 

The usual pattern is for casinos to host sportsbook offerings as an alternative betting option, but LatAm generally and Brazil especially are unique in that the reverse is true. Tropicana is designed to lead with a sportsbook and introduce a casino experience. This different direction leans into the existing culture whilst actively promoting a new opportunity for players, and a potentially new customer base alongside extending and enhancing existing players’ time online. 

CB: How receptive are LatAm operators to new technologies and innovation? What does this mean for players?

DC: Over the last two years, we have focused on our redevelopment for the LatAm market. The iGP core platform is known for absolute reliability, scalability and efficient integrations all enabling genuine innovation to flourish. The operators with whom we work are fantastically receptive to this innovation across new technologies – their reaction to iGaming Deck and Tropicana for example has been significant. 

LatAm is a highly entrepreneurial environment and speed to market is essential to stay ahead of the competition. However, understanding who your audience is and what they expect, their preferences, pain points, and what drives their behaviour will ensure content resonates, engages and ultimately retains players. Forward looking operators who want to offer the best in localised content, gamification, VR, crypto or NFTs will be the winners.

iGaming Deck, iGP’s games aggregator launched in 2023, offers state of the art technology, cloud hosting and a scalable infrastructure, plus access to 10,000 online slot and casino games from global content providers. We have also recently signed with local providers in order to widen the scope of our localised offering, again giving players experiences that resonate.

CB: What potential does iGP foresee in the Latin American region as a whole?

DC: Without doubt, LatAm is booming and the potential is enormous if managed well.

Progress will be affected by various factors but scalability will be a significant challenge. We’ve invested in developing solutions that we believe will drive success in the region and we’re working with our existing operators on their expansion plans to support them wherever they want to go. 

Peru – with 145 licence applications in one month alone is looking exciting. However, with GGR in Brazil projected to reach $3.23 billion by 2027, alongside anticipation that it will lead the way for regulation that will impact other LatAm countries’ choices, Brazil currently holds a unique position in the iGaming landscape. Overall, if you can succeed in Brazil, in the way iGP is doing, you are setting up successful future opportunities in every LatAm country that wants to embrace iGaming.

To find out more about what iGP can do for your iGaming ambitions, meet us at Casino Beats Summit, Malta, Stand C10 or visit iGP.

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The road to a better future started here 

iGP began life with a few committed igaming experts who were frustrated by the limitations they saw in existing platform provision. Poor stability was the biggest issue, the result of which meant that it was closely followed by a lack of innovation and shrugging off responsibility when things inevitably went wrong.

This was not how iGP saw things working for their igaming clients. From the start, its platform architecture, technology stack and build process were all designed and built to overcome limits and provide exceptionally reliable service. The vision was to be a platform leader by forming a responsive and intuitive product ecosystem.

Eight years on and boasting 99.98% uptime, iGP is positioning itself to make another round of significant moves. So, what does 2024 hold for iGP and its global client list?

What do stability and scalability really mean?

“If your platform is not operating with the right tech and people to deliver a robust stack and scalable, stable backend, then you compromise the ability to enhance the front end,” said Markota.

Platform stability means enhanced everything. The stage is yours to entertain, dazzle and keep the audience coming back for more. And that’s the whole point: loyal, engaged clients, who trust the operator to handle their money, secure their data and deliver personalised experiences, always return. Every part of the iGP platform is built to host products that guarantee security and flexibility to enable growth.

With over 40 live casinos and 9.2 billion bets across 50 million logins, clients are demonstrating daily that iGP is delivering the stable tech to enable them to support and scale their igaming ambitions for growth. The last two years also delivered proprietary CMS solutions and the launch of a single API games aggregator as part of the ecosystem. 

Operators can clearly see that iGP’s tech solutions are working. Now, what about those ‘people’ – what do they do?

How does iGP deliver success?

“What we have been preparing for over the last two years is now finally revealing itself,” Markota explained.

A highly experienced, senior management team has been handpicked to deliver the next stage of the iGP journey. Commercial to marketing, product to tech, these big hitters are driving the strategy to capitalise on, shape and share the wealth of opportunities in the global gaming industry. And this means the whole iGP team and offering is strengthened with consequent results for clients.

From those few mavericks who would not accept second best, iGP is now home to over 100 industry specialists across three countries, who eat, sleep and breathe igaming. And this shows in the development of advanced and progressive web app solutions, new products and data driven direction for enhanced performance, all built on the founding philosophy – stability.

Bringing new solutions to work

New frameworks and tool trends come and go but iGP builds solutions to the critical problems whilst simultaneously encouraging its clients to expect bigger, better, more from the industry. And to ensure that they are always there to deliver bigger, better and more for them.

“We’re using AI strategically to deliver a recommendation tool for players which we will launch later this year which is very exciting for players. We’re enhancing content management systems’ functionalities and pushing data compression to improve the user experience whilst reducing server overheads,” Markota noted. “All iGP innovations are built up from the core platform technology because this ensures success.”

Reinforcing the iGP brand across growth markets

From innovative use of technology applications including AI and VR, to growth markets such as Latin America and Africa, the size and scale of untapped opportunities is huge. As Markota points out, those platform providers like iGP who can demonstrate fast adaptations to new markets – including new software certification and licensing– will secure the operators who are driving growth.

With the crypto market expected to show 12.5 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by 2030 according to Forbes, iGP’s 2023 Crypto Bash design offers both crypto and hybrid options to operators looking to offer this solution. According to Markota, 2024 will see further product enhancement with a game changing payment system to significantly improve current capabilities for operators.

This industry leading reputation for adaptability alongside stability in the core platform has seen success for iGP in LatAm. “Our visibility through a key operator partnership in Brazil is building solid growth. We are developing a new LatAm specific template which we will be launching at SBC Summit in Lisbon,” Markota remarked. “Localisation is a key driver for success and we have strategically ramped up our presence and knowledge to be able to deliver a game changer.”

The road to a successful future

With 2024 being a transformational year for iGP, a more visible presence at shows and exhibitions has been a key initiative as part of the company’s ‘Road to Lisbon’ strategy across LatAm and Europe.

Raising awareness and reinforcing the message that iGP is the go-to platform solutions provider for future-proof products is the latest stage on the journey that really started eight years’ ago.

“Our approach has always been to give our clients the keys to their own success,” noted Markota. “When you deliver 99.98% uptime, you’re really telling your client that not even the sky’s the limit. Our goal is to make sure that every casino operator gets to know what iGP can do for them.

“Across 2024, we are delivering a new vision through real products, enhanced technology applications and a team of people who are making a difference. Our original commitment has never changed. We still want to do everything better.”

Meet us

To see a pre demo of our new LatAm design, book your meeting with us at https://igamingplatform.com/event/sigma-americas-brazil-summit-2024/
To find out more, visit iGP.

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