What new markets are you looking at entering?
In 2023, we explored different markets in LatAm, Asia, Africa and Europe. Every market has its own rules of play, legislation and features. We are mainly focused on emerging markets in LatAm and markets in Asia that are bouncing back from Covid-19.
Our research showed that these markets are ready for our flagship solutions – our turnkey online casino and Telegram Casino solutions. Statistics confirm that these markets show good growth, so we’ve chosen them as the key markets for development until the end of this year.
Europe is also important to us, as it has the largest share of the online gambling market and generates 41% of global revenue (based on data for 2022). This market is more established and regulated than LatAm or Asia, but the audience is starved for new solutions and innovations, which is why our company is focusing on them very carefully.
What did your visits in target market countries entail?
We visited the most anticipated iGaming events in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Also, our business development department had special meetings with our partners and customers all over the world.
These events are great opportunities to make connections and strengthen partnerships, but they’re also a way to carry out international research. Our goal is always to understand the current real situation in these markets, including local players’ openness to innovation and gaming preferences.
Now that we have a clear idea of the situation on the ground, we know which solutions these markets will respond to the best.
What R&D goes into selecting markets that will be beneficial for Slotegrator?
We are always in touch with our partners and customers. We also conduct our own internal business research, such as customer surveys, because it is important for us to get information from different angles. As far as demo testing solutions, we carry out multi-stage demo testing with customised solutions for different markets. We have several universal solutions, but we also want to understand how they will work in different markets under different conditions.
What would you say are the pros and cons of AI for the gaming industry?
Let’s start with the pros. The pros are: you get a detailed, regular analysis of markets and player preferences, there is opportunity for accelerated KYC checks, improved customer service, as well as, personalisation of special marketing offers and creation of customised bonuses and promotions.
As for the cons, they might include a lack of empathy during communication with the player — or, in other words, a 'robotic' approach to customer requests. In my opinion, though, it’s just a matter of time before the development of AI will smooth things out in this area.
Why would you say the interest in iGaming is increasing so rapidly? Do you think it will overtake land-based gaming?
Here's what the statistics show: the global casino and online gambling industry was worth an estimated $249bn in 2022, and it’s expected to grow to $263.3bn in 2023.
What is driving this market growth? The constant development of new innovation, sure, but also an expanding consumer base: there are over 176 million active online gamblers, and according to predictions, there could be 210 million by 2025.
You can’t deny the allure of the casino atmosphere; it’s something that online casinos do their best to recreate
The stats speak for themselves — the industry’s potential is huge — we just need to make the right offer.
Land-based casinos will always live on, simply because they are an entertainment format that appeals to a certain audience. You can’t deny the allure of the casino atmosphere; it’s something that online casinos do their best to recreate. Despite the fact that many casinos had a difficult time surviving the pandemic, this format will still live on, but more as something exclusive.
Still, though, it’s difficult to see the same kind of potential for land-based casinos as we see for the online space.
Lastly, what can we expect to see from Slotegrator in 2024?
By the end of 2023, we will publish a series of special reports that will serve as guidelines for several target audiences in 2024. We will announce them after the SiGMA Europe Summit 2023.
In 2024, we are continuing the integration of AI-powered solutions into Slotegrator’s turnkey online casino solution. Also, we will improve its modules and will add new features to it. Stay tuned!
As for markets, we'll continue to dive into the LatAm and Asian markets. Our plans for the European market will be presented at the SiGMA Europe Summit 2023 in November.
