I am Janice Duncan. I am the CFO for Casumo. I joined Casumo back in June 2023 but I’ve been in the gaming industry now for about 10 years.
WHAT ARE CASUMO’S CURRENT OBJECTIVES AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO REACH THEM?
We are very much in a transformation process at the moment. We have brought in a whole new C–suite who joined through 2023. We’re very much focused on moving forward and looking forward. Underpinning everything that we do, we have three core values;
Aspire. That’s about commitment to excellence and commitment to growth. Believe, which is all about trusting and supporting each other. Care, which is a commitment to our players and to our employees.
Our goal back in 2012 when we were established was very much about designing, improving, reinventing and shaping the future of online gaming. That was the goal back in 2012 and remains the goal at this point in time as well. We have a number of main markets which include Sweden, the UK, Spain and Malta, as well as some other emerging markets, subject to applicable law.
In terms of our future plans, it’s a very exciting time for Casumo. We’re very much in a transformation phase. We have a clear focus in terms of our product launch and rebranding. That goes back to supporting our plan of shaping the future of online gaming... We’ve got an entirely new C–suite who joined in various points through 2023, which is designed to deliver our vision and in terms of our product, again, it’s very much about continuing with that innovative approach. We’re looking to bring products that can revolutionise the iGaming sector but also provide a unique social entertainment experience. It’s important to say this is very much about doing so in a responsible way, but also about social features that allow us to foster human connections and build community within our players.
YOU TOUCHED ON INNOVATION AND TRYING TO CHANGE THINGS UP. HOW DO YOU DIVERSIFY YOUR CASINO AND SPORTSBOOK OFFERING?
As I mentioned, it’s about having a unique social entertainment experience. There are a lot of similar products on the market. We want to do something that makes us stand out from everybody else.
WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU OFFER TO YOUR AFFILIATES?
In the past, Casumo embarked on numerous affiliate deals, engaging with a wide array of partners that, although expansive, diluted the potential for genuine partnership projects. Recognising the essence of partnership —akin to real-life relationships that require nurturing and commitment — we are pivoting towards a more focused approach. With a longstanding reputation in the industry, Casumo is now committed to reverting to its foundational strengths: building bridges and forging stronger, more meaningful connections with a select group of affiliates.
JANICE, YOU’VE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR ABOUT A DECADE. YOU SPENT SEVERAL YEARS WITH RANK INTERACTIVE AND WILLIAM HILL. HOW HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES HELPED YOU AS THE CFO OF CASUMO?
There’s a lot of challenges within the industry; a lot of regulatory change. But they’re all very similar in terms of how they impact different companies. What I’ve been able to do is take the experiences I’ve gained in some of those larger companies and bring them to Casumo. But, at the end of the day, there are a lot of similar challenges across the industry.
ONE THING I FOUND QUITE INTERESTING IS THAT YOU HAVE A 50/50 GENDER SPLIT. HOW DOES CASUMO ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO ENTER AND DEVELOP CAREERS IN THE GAMING SECTOR?
That’s one of the things I really like about Casumo. The fact that we have a really diversified workforce. It’s not just about the gender diversity we have, we have something like 45 different nationalities working within Casumo. The benefits of that are well known. If you bring in a diverse workforce, you get lots of experience. You get lots of different viewpoints. Therefore, it’s about encouraging people to bring those viewpoints out into the company. That will encourage more people to come and want to work with us.
DO YOU THINK, AS A WOMAN IN LEADERSHIP, YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP DEVELOP AND GROW THAT WITHIN CASUMO?
I believe so. We’ve got an open-door policy, we’ve recently launched a mentorship programme and we’re looking to get involved in International Women’s Day events. Again, I think the fact we have a 50/50 gender divide at C-level gives people the view that opportunities are there regardless of who you are and where you come from. It’s about bringing your experience out for the company.
HOW DOES YOUR WORKPLACE CULTURE ALLOW YOU TO GAIN AND HOLD TALENT, ESPECIALLY IN MARKETS AS COMPETITIVE AS MALTA?
One thing we do is, like many other companies, encourage flexibility and culture. I’ve already touched on the three values that underpin the business; aspire, belief and care. We put a lot of emphasis in terms of our employees and making opportunities for development. That’s very much integrated into our values.
What keeps people in the company? We, like many other companies, encourage flexibility in terms of working. We have a hybrid working policy in terms of splitting between working from home and working from the office. It allows people to have a balance between personal life and work life. One of the things unique to Casumo is that we have a work-from-anywhere policy as well. Recognising the fact that we have so many different nationalities, we allow our colleagues to work from anywhere in the world for a period of time during the year. These benefits encourage people to want to work with us and stay with us as well.
WHAT’S CASUMO GETTING UP TO NEXT? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
Our product I’ve touched on already. But one of the other big things we’re doing is in terms of rebranding. It’s a really exciting time. The idea behind it is about reflecting the change in our company strategy, our revised values or aesthetics and current trends, and focusing on social platforms and engaging our players. It’s a really vibrant, exciting community and our rebrand will hopefully reflect that.
IS IT A CASE THAT YOU’RE KEEPING THE NAME CASUMO? ARE YOU CHANGING THAT OR IS IT MORE AN AESTHETIC CHANGE?
The updates are primarily centred on visual enhancements, aesthetic improvements and values that we want our players to have and the Casumo name remains unchanged. So, again, the initial goal we set in 2012 is still what we’re looking to go towards and is very much still our goal. This is about refreshing and bringing ourselves up to date with the modern world.
I think the fact we have a 50/50 gender divide at C-level gives people the view that opportunities are there regardless of who you are and where you come from
