Gambling Insider: MAY JUN 2024

MAY JUN 2024

Editor's Letter

Crashing in, cashing out. I had a lot of fun putting together this issue’s cover feature on the growing phenomenon that is crash games.
It took countless hours of research and I’d like to thank five stellar contributors in Spribe (who else, given Aviator’s success?), Galaxsys (another crash games supremo), Evolution (the live casino giant looking to shake things up with its Stock Market crash game), and LeoVegas and Betsson, who provided the operator viewpoint.
I genuinely hope this article is useful to any supplier or operator looking further into crash games. And, thanks to our contributors and the fantastic Gambling Insider team, I am very confident this 5,000 word, 10-page dossier will indeed serve as the ultimate crash game guide.
My personal opinion on crash games, from what I’ve seen so far? I love them. I find them easy to play and difficult to win – probably the perfect balance for any gambling product. But, importantly, they are fun to play and I’ve never had too much of a feeling of frustration after losing.
Like Chandler Bing in Friends simultaneously expressing his bewilderment and awe at the fictional quiz show ‘Bamboozled,’ if I lose my bet I’m left animatedly declaring “this is the best game ever!”
Is any one game actually the best crash game? The market leader, according to several of our contributors, is Aviator by Spribe – by some distance – and its simplicity is simply brilliant.
During my crash games research, I stumbled upon the quote “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” I omitted it from the final draft as, despite being attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, I couldn’t find actual proof of when or where it was said.
Whoever coined it, though, what a beautiful phrase – and it applies doubly to Aviator. It is one of the simplest games you could play, but its results speak for themselves.
Where a nice twist has presented itself is the aforementioned Stock Market game by Evolution. Could I pick a favourite between the two? Despite Aviator’s market-leading status, I’m not so sure – they are both superb in their own way.
A key question here, as our cover feature explores, is whether removing the ‘cash out’ option and adding a live casino element actually takes the crash game concept to another level, or whether it removes its edge. Only the market can dictate that. But crash games as a whole are here to stay.
As James Ford of LeoVegas tells us, for the LeoVegas and BetMGM UK brands – crash games are more of a ‘niche’ due to the mainstream markets in which they operate. Ford himself, however, suggests Evolution’s Stock Market could change that – and that’s before it has even hit a very stock market-driven US audience.
Cracking the globe’s mainstream markets may well be all that’s left for an online casino genre that, since its inception in 2017, has quickly propelled itself into an iGaming mainstay.
But, given its existing popularity in regions like Eastern Europe and Latin America, for me it’s just a matter of time.

In the Magazine

Facing Facts: Online gaming trends in the last decade

Gambling Insider investigates the online gaming market, taking note of trending locations and subsections within the industry

Taking Stock: Analysing online casino operator and supplier performance

Gambling Insider tracks online casino operator and supplier prices. Stock prices are taken across a six-month period (November 2023 to April 2024) – and from the close of the first available date of the month

Moving the industry forward: Kindred Group’s Sustainable Gambling Conference

Back in March, Gambling Insider attended Kindred Group’s Sustainable Gambling Conference, as both those inside and outside the industry discussed a number of matters surrounding its long-term sustainability. Ciaràn McLoughlin reports

Nothing is free: Analysing Brazil's sports betting laws

Brazilian lawyer Neil Montgomery unpicks all the technicalities of the latest sports betting laws in conversation with Gambling Insider

Crash for sports betting: Betlabs’ Boost Bets

Alex Czajkowski, returning Gambling Insider contributor and iGaming marketing specialist, asks whether Betlabs’ Boost Bets is the Bonus Buy or Aviator equivalent for sports betting?

Crashing in: Gambling Insider's ultimate guide to crash games

With expert contributions from Spribe, Galaxsys, Evolution, LeoVegas and Betsson, Gambling Insider Editor Tim Poole explores the growing phenomenon of crash games, the simple-yet-effective genre that has skyrocketed in popularity since inception in 2017

From the ground up: EveryMatrix's new HQ revealed

At the unveiling of EveryMatrix’s new office in Bucharest, Romania, Gambling Insider Staff Writer Beth Turner sat down with CEO Ebbe Groes to discuss the new office, catching market trends and running a modular company

Big Question: Could 2024 see a UK baccarat boom?

It’s fair to say roulette and blackjack dominate the UK casino market – but could that change this year? Gambling Insider speculates...

The maths behind a 'blockbuster' online slot

Katya Machuganova, Product Owner at Silverback Gaming, believes that, ultimately, a great online slot is all about the numbers.

Managing the mischief: The changing landscape of sports betting advertising

Finding that magical angle for sports betting advertisement is just another day in the office for Ken Robertson & Gethin Evans (formerly of Paddy Power). The two industry veterans spoke to Gambling Insider about their new venture, and the past, present and future of the industry

1xPartners: Green lighting, greater popunder traffic

Popunder traffic is a phenomenon in internet marketing that focuses on capturing the attention of a mass audience with content based on popular current topics, trends and issues. The team at 1xPartners tells us more…

BetConstruct: Crypto, meet iGaming

Gambling Insider spoke with BetConstruct CEO Vigen Badalyan about the supplier’s goals for the year and its use of the latest technology.

Supplier POV: Omnichannel offerings

Industry experts speak to Gambling Insider about the perfect blend of online and retail.

Sport Generate: Utilising the energy of youth

Gambling Insider speaks to Sport Generate CEO Simon Westbury about the benefits of start-ups, technological innovation and relishing the challenge as CEO.

Data.bet: Appealing to many

CEO Yurii Berest discusses the inter generational appeal of esports, where it came from, where it’s going and where his company – Data.Bet – fits into the frame

Comtrade CCO discusses a very dynamic industry

Gambling Insider speaks to Comtrade Gaming Chief Commercial Officer Steven Valentine about the latest developments for the company, crash games and more

Online poker: The state of play

Alex Scott, WPT Global President, and recent guest on the Huddle, looks into the evolving landscape of online poker, specifically focusing on the burgeoning trend of private poker apps, grey markets and the distinction between poker and other types of online gambling verticals like slots and bingo.

Review: Light & Wonder’s Dragon Train

Launched in 2023, Dragon Train became the fastest-selling L&W game in the Australian market, setting the stage for its EMEA launch. Dragon Train offers a range of innovative features, including the Hold-and-Spin feature, new Sticky Reels and the Orb Cluster game feature.