No bells. No whistles. Crash games are simple in nature. Featuring anything from dinosaurs to footballers, fishing nets to spacerockets and, of course, maroon-painted biplanes, the crash game formula remains – and always will remain – practical and unostentatious. From soaring heights to a capitulation as abrupt as it is inevitable, the player’s ultimate aim is to cash out just in time. And, since the first crash games took off back in 2017, their popularity has risen exponentially – almost like the very multiplier mechanic that defines the genre.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the gambling sector began to really cash in on crash games, gaining particular traction across Latin America. Yet other titles, like Spribe’s Aviator, can already be found on the online casino libraries of multiple tier-one operators globally. As you’ll read later in this feature, one of our contributors still considers crash games to be a “niche” that holds huge potential. By this stage, however, it may be fairer to view this as the birth of a whole new vertical in itself. Assessing that vertical’s history and progression, its unique characteristics and the impact of behavioural economics, Gambling Insider explores this very birth and asks: How can something so simple be so effective?
What is a crash game?
By definition, a crash game involves betting on a journey that is destined to end. The player just has to guess when. Whether it is indeed the flight of a plane, or deciding how long a virtual footballer will hold onto possession before getting tackled, a player places their bet, the process begins and – at some point – that process is guaranteed to stop. A player can cash out at any time before the ‘crash.’ But, crucially, if they fail to cash out before said crash, they will lose their whole stake. The longer the object goes without crashing, the higher the multiplier of the player’s bet. Crashes can occur instantly, at 1.00x, meaning an almost-certain loss for all players, or they can reach 50.00x, 100.00x or even higher... The possibilities are endless, the thrill constant and the engagement high enough to keep players coming back.
Examples of leading titles
As we will explore further later on, Aviator by Spribe is considered the exemplar and archetype of crash games. Once again, that key word of simplicity comes into play here, with graphics more akin to a flash game, a distinct red colour that resonates with players and a social, communal aspect in that you can see how other players are betting – and whether they are winning or losing. All the while, the game is played to soft, soothing music in the background, with a return to player (RTP) rate of 97%. Aviator has received praise from all over the industry as a market-leading crash game. It very much sets the standard. It even has its own GIFs on WhatsApp...
SmartSoft Gaming’s JetX allows you to ‘win with the speed of light.’ The concept and graphics here are not too dissimilar to that of Aviator, and will be mirrored in multiple other variants. Jets, rockets and planes make ideal objects for crash games and, here, the crash is quite literal as the cartoon jet explodes mid-air. The game, again, offers all the social elements and is set against calming background music, with the same RTP rate as Aviator: 97%. JetX was launched back in 2018, the same year as Aviator, and so has undergone a similar journey, timewise, in terms of the growth of crash games.
The operators we spoke to were keen to emphasise two Pragmatic Play titles, Spaceman and Big Bass Crash™. Concerning the latter, not only does this game add distinctively to Pragmatic Play’s crash portfolio, it also builds on an existing slot franchise. The emphasis, like most crash games, is on “real-time decisions.” Again, we see live leaderboards and multiplayer chat, while there is also a “Cashout 50%” option where a player can guarantee half their winnings and stay in the game with the second portion of their stake. The fishing aspect offers a different visual presentation to a game like Aviator, with the RTP rate also slightly lower at 95.5%, but the ‘crash’ premise is exactly the same.
Since the first crash games took off back in 2017, their popularity has risen exponentially – almost like the very multiplier mechanic that defines the genre
In a sign of the times, early crash games drew inspiration from two main sources. One: video games. And two: cryptocurrencies. As Giorgi Tsutskiridze, CCO of Spribe – the brand behind Aviator – tells Gambling Insider: “The inspiration for Aviator stemmed from observing the emerging crypto casino space since 2017, where a new type of game popular with younger players, rooted in the video game industry, caught our attention.”
Indeed, games like Stake Crash were popular within the crypto gaming community, paving the way for the myriad new titles we see today. But the accolade for the very first crash game goes to Eric Springer, a Canadian developer and Bitcoin enthusiast, who created Moneypot. As Gil Soffer, SVP Sales & Business Development at Galaxsys, tells us: “Moneypot was really to help educate those in the Bitcoin community and those looking to find out more. Other games have followed suit, further gaining popularity in the casino category. So, popularity wise, the cross-over if you like into more ‘casino’ mainstream has only really happened in the last couple of years.”
Indeed, the formation of the Galaxsys brand itself is a nod to the growth of the genre and marks a milestone in crash game history. At ICE London 2021, Digitain Group announced the launch of Galaxsys, which would specialise in, among other things, fast games and crash games – led by CEO Hayk Sargsyan. Soffer adds: “Galaxsys contributes widely on delivery innovation and getting fast games to go mainstream. With Ninja Crash, Atlantis, Tower Rush, we are building the next generation of casino games, which are gaining popularity every year.”
So, from its origins in 2017 to a surge in growth some years later, we can see a gradual trend – something that might represent the average in-game crash curve. Like much of the wider online casino industry, however, one global factor helped jettison this growth in a short space of time: the Covid-19 pandemic. As James Ford, LeoVegas Group Director of Gaming, explains from the operator side: “We’ve been familiar with crash games for some time, but it wasn’t until the onset of the pandemic in 2020 that we truly began to recognise their growing popularity. When discussing crash games, it’s fair to say the growth in popularity began with one standout title: Aviator by Spribe. Initially gaining momentum in Eastern Europe, the game gained wider awareness and traction during the crypto boom and the emergence of crypto casinos. Its popularity then spread further through the streaming community. The remarkable success of Aviator served as a catalyst, prompting numerous other suppliers to explore similar products.”
The operator POV
Today’s market is flooded with crash games, some more popular than others, and new suppliers always entering the field. Crash games now represent a casino genre in its own right, with a host of blog posts and videos based around the best crash game strategies. Comtrade Gaming, for example, offers Crash Soccer and will soon be launching Space Aviator (more on this in the Insiders section of this issue), while NSoft also provides a number of titles; even during the process of researching for this article, PopOK Gaming released the wonderfully titled dinosaur-themed CrashoSaurus. LeoVegas, which additionally operates BetMGM’s UK division, offers the likes of Pragmatic Play’s Spaceman and Big Bass Crash™, Games Global’s FlyX, Gaming Corps’ Jet Lucky 2, Playtech’s Cash It and SmartSoft’s Balloon.
Meanwhile, Philip Lam, Director of Gaming Performance at Betsson Group, reiterates the popularity of Aviator to Gambling Insider, but also selects Pragmatic Play and SmartSoft titles, before referencing the need for its own in-house game. “After Aviator, our next best-performing crash games would be Spaceman and Big Bass Crash™ from Pragmatic Play and then JetX from SmartSoft. In Georgia, we also have our own exclusive crash game which has been live for many years called ‘Boom,’ only available to EuropeBet players and performing well in the market.”
As Ford explains, crash games tend to attract a “somewhat different type of player profile” compared to traditional sports betting and casino games. The typical crash game player leans towards fast-paced, exciting and intense experiences. The multiplayer-driven aspects of the games tend to attract more communal players. Geographically, meanwhile, as both LeoVegas and Betsson have alluded to, crash games are popular in Eastern Europe. This synchronises well with some of the aforementioned factors: streaming, crypto and community gaming are all equally popular within Eastern Europe. But one other region where the popularity of crash games has definitively skyrocketed is Latin America.
Encouraging a player to lose beyond their means in one go, thereby creating a negative gambling experience, is an outdated business model that has no place in today’s economy
The Latin influence
The potential of regulated markets in Latin America has been a well-covered subject in recent years. In these very pages of Gambling Insider magazine, we have analysed the popularity of online casino, the potential of online sports betting and, more specifically, the promises of a regulated market in Brazil. For crash games, though, that potential has already been realised. Featuring in the January/February issue of Gambling Insider, Galaxsys SVP Soffer wrote that LatAm is an “attractive market due to increasing internet penetration, economic growth and regulation.
The markets aren’t as saturated as, say, continental Europe, which presents longer-term growth opportunities for suppliers. For fast games, LatAm is an incredible market as crash games are very popular. LatAm is a growth market for our content in all jurisdictions. Brazil is the biggest market but Mexico, Colombia, Peru are performing well. We are present in all the markets with our portfolio of around 30 crash, plinko, mines, instant and other fast and skill games and looking to expand to new markets such as Argentina and Panama.”
Speaking to us again for this issue, Soffer emphasises that crash games are not only popular in LatAm, with Galaxsys games seeing demand in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia too. Success in LatAm is ongoing, however, due to the vertical’s “streamlined, clean” UX with “strong visuals.” Soffer continues: “From a theme standpoint, they are relatable and easier to understand in comparison to other slot-style games, which have complex game mechanics and numerous pay-lines. It is the simplicity of the game that is a strong appeal and lends itself to mobile gameplay in regard to ease-of-use on a small screen device.”
Lam, of Betsson Group, also attributes LatAm performance to simplicity – added to “strong synergies” with sports bettors. “The LatAm markets seem to have been exposed less to casino content over the years and their players in general seem to have a stronger affinity to sports, in comparison to our European players,” he tells Gambling Insider. “The simplicity of the games resonate well with LatAm audiences, as well as having strong synergies from sports customers who cross over to casino, all of which seems to help with the strong performance of this game type in the region.”
Behavioural economics: The Attention Economy
So, given the simplicity of crash games – and the fact that their appearance does not shout about itself – one may ask why a game like Aviator, JetX or Balloon could be so continuously popular. There are no new levels, no hidden bonuses, not even any sweepstake casino elements. Instead, these crash games repeat endlessly on loop, offering players the exact same experience on their 1,000th play as on their very first. And yet demand remains constant.
The answer could be rooted in psychology…
Back in 2019, iGaming expert Mark McGuinness was the first to write about the concept of the Attention Economy for Gambling Insider. This March, meanwhile, Galaxsys CEO Sargsyan expanded on the topic in his GI Friday Guest Column. He wrote... ‘We live in an era of hyper-decision overload. A recent scientist study suggests that the average person makes over 35,000 daily decisions. That’s a lot of choices, right? A heck of a lot of options; some good, some bad and some decisions never made. Is it any surprise, then, that all these decisions per day, per hour, require a lot of available energy and mental concentration and attentiveness – simply put, you run out of steam quickly? ‘Today’s online casino players suffer from the same decision overload and are moving away from games with complicated user interfaces, and a plethora of features and game rules to comprehend. Games developers therefore need to consider all these preferences and behavioural biases to adapt game design outputs. We live in the attention economy, which, given the pervading omnipresent social media platforms we are always on, presents us with a constant barrage of messages, pings, swipes, alerts and vibrations vying for our attention – namely, to sell something.
‘Why is this important, you may ask when considering game design and adapting to changing player preferences related to game choice? Well, there is a growing discipline called Attention Economics. This is a practical approach to managing information through marketing and advertising messages, task completions or messaging systems. The basic premise is that available human attention should be viewed as a scarce commodity and, therefore, to solve some of these challenges, the application of economic theory is developed to provide a framework to solve various information management problems – namely, does one remember and does one have available time to assimilate the message?’
If there were ever a DNA code for a crash game, it could well read like the above. Again, for this feature, Soffer spoke to Gambling Insider specifically on Attention Economics, expanding on his CEO’s previous contribution. The theorem behind attention economics, Soffer says, is that like a computer, the human brain can reach a limit in the choices and decisions it must make. Crash games, by virtue of their game theme and presentation in regard to game aesthetics, present less choice and less decisions.
Broadly, this means that, if a player has less choices to make, they can review and process information quicker, leading to a more informed decision of how to proceed. In today’s busy lives, Soffer explains, consumers and casino player require simpler and streamlined, but still engaging, experiences. He concludes: “We can say the lifecycle of our games is longer than traditional slots and the revenue per player is greater. Furthermore, these games are for a new breed of player, who is more social oriented, which means decreasing marketing costs and offering considerable cross-sell opportunities.”
Once again, that key word of simplicity comes into play here, with graphics more akin to a flash game, a distinct red colour that resonates with players and a social, communal aspect in that you can see how other players are betting
What this means for responsible gambling
Any online slot, sports betting market or, indeed, crash game, faces the same paradox. An effective game must attract players quickly and repeatedly keep them coming back for more. But there is a line beyond which any harmful or problematic gambling must be tackled, or players at least helped. There was a point in time when little regard was given by operators to this side of the equation. As the years have gone by, increased regulation has enforced improved industry compliance. There has, though, also been a shift in mindset from gambling companies themselves. Entertaining players is a priority, so too sustainable revenue. Encouraging a player to lose beyond their means in one go, thereby creating a negative gambling experience, is an outdated business model that has no place in today’s economy.
For crash games, then, there are specific considerations. As already explored, the games are quick, simple, repetitive and demand less attention. Could they, therefore, pose a higher risk than a traditional online slot, blackjack game or roulette spin? Ford, of LeoVegas, admits there are unique characteristics to a crash game RG strategy. He explains: “Responsible gaming considerations are crucial for all forms of gambling, including crash games. The unique characteristics of crash games pose particular challenges, especially with regard to speed of gameplay and the allure of high-risk, high-reward dynamics.
However, we have a range of responsible gaming tools and measures in place to help players address these challenges and create a safer gambling environment.”
Beyond this answer, it has to be said our responsible gaming contributions were not as passionate as the answers to Gambling Insider’s other questions, and a little more boilerplate. Soffer, for example, said all Galaxsys games from a compliance perspective are certified under the GLI procedures, Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and includes provable fairness. He added: “We support our partners and would of course discuss anything that could potentially result in gambling harm. Our games are now certified in over 15 jurisdictions and are compliant with the stringent requirements of different regulators.”
Evolution Chief Product Officer Todd Haushalter, meanwhile, who we will hear more from later on the supplier’s new Stock Market crash game, said: “We maintain a close collaboration with operators and regulators to ensure our customer service teams, game hosts, chat moderators, technology and more are effectively supporting a safe and enjoyable playing environment. As the game’s popularity continues to grow, we remain committed to monitoring player behaviour to enhance our support for our partners.”
Case study: Aviator by Spribe
‘The standout title globally’
As several of our contributors have already mentioned, and the industry at large backs up, the crash games journey is best embodied by Spribe’s Aviator. Spribe triumphed at the Global Gaming Awards EMEA 2024 in the Breakthrough Company of the Year category, and the success of its flagship product (ironically plane-based) has seen the game itself garner not one but two brand ambassadors. Gambling Insider tested the crash game for the purposes of this article and there were several points of note here. Given its aforementioned simplicity, calm background music and community feel, Aviator is fun just to watch... But it is also very difficult to get right – making it a lucrative game for operators to add to their library, all the while keeping players engaged, entertained and itching to cash out at just the right time (ruining any missed opportunities along the way).
At one point, there was a multiplier as high as 570.00x, leaving almost every active player regretful of cashing out far earlier than this. And yet, in the rounds that followed, our famous red biplane was far too quick to get away. Any time the crash game ended at 1.0x or 1.1x, the house was effectively guaranteed not to have any winners. Even the video Spribe uses to advertise the game, meanwhile, adds an appropriate sense of fun and excitement: a man sits at the top of a hill with a laptop – playing the game while wearing a suit...
Spribe CCO Tsutskiridze tells Gambling Insider: “Recognising the potential of this genre for online casinos, we reimagined the concept, tailored it for mobile play and introduced unique features. Aviator’s theme matches perfectly with a multiplayer experience, social engagement and player-controlled gameplay, what made it the #1 game in the world. Aviator found success across various regions, including Brazil, Africa, India, CIS, Italy, Romania, Croatia, Spain and the UK. Players drawn to Aviator typically exhibit traits such as being tech-savvy, competitive, adventurous, social and having prior iGaming experience.”
As referenced earlier, Spribe also went into detail when we asked the supplier about responsible gambling. “A top priority” for Aviator, Spribe believes it is crucial for operators to implement features such as customisable betting limits, self-exclusion options and certainly session time reminders. For a game like Aviator, the latter in particular makes a lot of sense. Tsutskiridze speaks of the need for educational resources on responsible gambling practices, to help raise awareness among players and “empower them to make informed decisions.” After all, whatever the player then chooses, if they are provided with all the available information and data, there is an optimum chance of a “positive and sustainable gaming environment.”
The design process behind designing a crash game versus a traditional slot is also simpler for a developer in terms of game mechanics. As Tsutskiridze tells us, this is because the emphasis is on a multiplayer experience where players can make their own decisions; with slots, the game outcome is dependent only on the game mechanics. This can be achieved through “proper mathematics,” combined with music, visuals and animations that are “carefully crafted” to enhance the multiplayer experience without “overshadowing the core gambling experience.”
Aviator’s popularity has further enabled “transformative marketing campaigns,” such as partnerships with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Memorably, Spribe’s stand at ICE London earlier this year included a UFC cage. Aviator now has brand ambassador campaigns with UFC athletes Alex Pereira and Merab Dvalishvili, aiming at aligning the game with its “core playerbase of Millennials and Gen Z-ers.” Tsutskiridze adds: “The partnership with UFC not only solidifies Aviator’s position in the market but also opens up new avenues for cross-promotion and player acquisition.”
On Aviator’s current performance, the Spribe CCO concludes: “We’re thrilled to see a growing demand from operators for Aviator. The popularity of crash games has been on the rise, driven by their unique gameplay mechanics, immersive user experience, and appeal to a wide range of players. Operators are increasingly seeking diverse and engaging content to attract and retain players, and Aviator offers a fresh and exciting addition to their portfolios. The trend of crash games is on the rise, driven by their unique gameplay mechanics and broad appeal. As players continue to seek fresh and innovative gaming experiences, crash games offer a thrilling blend of action, strategy and adrenaline-pumping excitement. However, there’s a risk of market saturation if developers fail to differentiate their offerings.”
Case study: Evolution’s Stock Market
‘The first live casino crash game’
Even though Spribe and Evolution contributed their responses to our questions completely separately, the note of developers failing to differentiate their offerings is a very natural segue into our next topic. In March 2024, live casino giant Evolution launched ‘Stock Market’ – branded as the first live casino crash game and, most definitely, a differentiated offering. In the brief history of crash games, Stock Market’s release could in fact mark a first crossroads or turning point for the genre. There is even a question as to whether Evolution’s offering is actually a crash game...
Ford of LeoVegas, comments: “At first glance, Evolution’s Stock Market Live may resemble a crash game, but its mechanics differ slightly. In this game, players predict whether the graph will rise or fall by placing their bets accordingly. After each round, players have the option to cash out their winnings, retain their remaining bet for the next round, or add additional stakes. Unlike typical crash games where players must decide to cash out before a crash occurs and risk losing their stake, Stock Market Live doesn’t involve preemptive cashing out before a crash. Instead, if a player bets on a downward trend and the graph does indeed fall, the player wins.”
Like Aviator, Big Bass Crash™ or JetX, Stock Market is incredibly easy to play. During Gambling Insider’s trials of the game, we found it was very quick to almost double your portfolio – but just as quick for that same portfolio to reduce straight back down to zero in value. Again, though, the experience is an enjoyable one. And the mechanics, as Ford points out, are different. There is no cash out option, you are simply predicting whether the market will go ‘up’ or ‘down.’ That reduces player control and the thrill of having to interject. But, at the same time, it increases the simplicity of the game (going back to our attention economics) and reduces the stress of having to press one more button: the decision is made at the very start and your bet lives or dies off it.
In its Q1 results, Evolution reported operating revenue of €501.5m ($535.9m), up 16.7% year-on-year. It saw growth across all geographical regions and, of its revenue total, €431.3m was accrued from live casino. Those numbers speak for themselves – but they also make a statement about the rise of crash games. A supplier generating over €400m in quarterly live casino revenue thinks crash games is its next step? Quite the testimonial. And what’s more, in so doing Evolution has potentially created a new crossover genre of live crash games. On Stock Market specifically, CEO Martin Carlesund praised the “fantastic game” in Evolution’s Q1 report, saying players have “quickly taken” to it during a “strong release.”
Delving deeper, we asked Evolution CPO Hashaulter about the inspiration behind the game: “Forex trading and other forms of online trading have become increasingly popular in today’s digital age, yet we saw no representation of this in the gaming sphere. We started thinking about how we could create a game with elements so widely understood, such as stock markets and graphs, with crash players specifically in mind, and that’s how Stock Market was born. The game itself is unique, appealing to different audiences, such as players looking for a thrill, and baccarat enthusiasts who tend to look at data and try to figure out which side will win the next round.”
A key differentiation, naturally, is the live casino element. Unlike with an ‘Aviator,’ a ‘Crash Soccer’ or a ‘Spaceman,’ Stock Market has a host who interacts with audience members. Hashaulter tells Gambling Insider: “This is the first live casino crash game. When we started working on the game, we saw no reason why a crash game in a live format wouldn’t be popular. In a sense, crash games are already live; players are playing together. But now, a singular host holds the game together, bringing a central point of focus. So far, the game has been performing very well; we are very pleased.”
Steady initial growth has ultimately resulted in longevity – and these games are delivering on their exact purpose. They are gambling games and, on that front, they serve the market perfectly
The success of a live host aiding the crash game experience will be determined by the market. Arguably, the host is far more important for a game like Evolution’s Crazy Time. But Haushalter points out that the game host’s role is tailored to each player’s style and preference. The host, for example, is easy to mute, and there is an abundance of information and statistics players can derive just from the UI itself.
Haushalter is “super happy” with Stock Market’s early results, with Evolution seeing “solid numbers across the board,” especially in Europe and other global markets. LeoVegas’ Director of Gaming, Ford, corroborates that, during the initial week of its launch – particularly in Sweden – the operator observed “significant player engagement” with Stock Market and was among its top five most played games in Sweden during that period. Crucially, the game is yet to hit the US, where Evolution is live in a number of states (only seven offer legal online casino games Stateside). Judging by the passion for stock exchanges in the US, the appeal is almost certainly there – and Stock Market’s success in the US may provide a whole new case study in itself. We know that, in New Jersey in particular, there is a strong appetite for both iGaming in general and Evolution content. That is where Stock Market’s US journey is most likely to begin. From there, it could permeate very easily.
Crash Games 2.0 – where do we go from here?
In May 2013, programmer Dong Nguyen saw the release of his famous ‘Flappy Bird.’ The mobile game was an instant hit, becoming a global force in the months to come. And yet, by early February 2014, Flappy Bird was removed both from the App Store and the Google Play Store. Nguyen claimed he felt guilty about the game’s addictive nature. Crash games, by contrast, are seeing a completely different trajectory. Steady initial growth has ultimately resulted in longevity – and these games are delivering on their exact purpose. They are gambling games and, on that front, they serve the market perfectly.
As we approach a conclusion, however, in assessing how far crash games have come, we also ask: where can crash games go next? Evolution’s input has already seen two key innovations: the combination of crash games and live casino, as well as the outright removal of a ‘cash out’ function. For Ford at LeoVegas, this may even represent a “2.0” version of the genre. “We’ve generated a strong following for crash games in MGA-licensed markets,” he remarks.
“However, from a broader perspective, our overall audience engagement with crash games remains relatively low. This can be attributed primarily to the markets where we operate and the mainstream appeal of our wider offering, such as slot games, table games and sports betting, which attract a larger and more diverse audience. While crash games still occupy a niche space, they hold significant potential for growth. This potential could be further realised with the introduction of a ‘2.0’ version of crash games, where gameplay features and functionality are enhanced and iterated upon, rather than merely cosmetic redesigns. Evolution’s Stock Market Live serves as an early example of this trend, potentially indicating the evolving direction in which the industry may be heading.”
As we’ve already explored, this may well represent a turning point for crash games. Here, the market will dictate whether players prefer this altered version of the concept, or stick to the original. Another innovation, as demonstrated by Pragmatic Play, is the cashout 50% option. Galaxsys, too, offers a “Half-Cashout” option. Soffer tells us more: “Crash games do provide a more streamlined experience, with more straightforward game rules, which provides a feeling that the player can make more informed game choices and decisions. Galaxsys has introduced Half-Cashout on five of our games, Crash, Crasher, Rocketon, Maestro and Cash Show, of which players can take a reduced percentage of their winnings and continue playing which provides more options for the player, in terms of their gameplay.”
The fact that the original crash games concept is already being tweaked and tailored shows us just how widespread the genre has become. But there is an argument that it all goes back to simplicity. Suppliers are competing to innovate yet, for now, Aviator remains the leading crash game by some distance. Perhaps there is no need for a live casino host; perhaps there is no need for a modification of the cash out function. Or perhaps these changes will, in fact, speed up the growth of crash games even further, taking them into the more mainstream markets and ensuring the kind of domination it is already seeing in Latin America, Eastern Europe and more, but on a truly global scale. Whatever form they end up taking en masse, crash games have proved they are here to stay, with operators worldwide advised to cash in on the trend if they haven’t already. When all is said and done, it’s as simple – and effective – as that.