Game changer - EGR Magazine

Casino report 2012
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Every issue, every angle, every month
c a s i n o R E P O R T 2012
Game changer
Technology innovation and greater access
behind growth of online casino
Featuring: 36Gaming | Aristocrat | Betsoft | CTXM | Edict | entwine Tech
Gtech G2 | Net entertainment | nextgen
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The house rules
C
asinos are intrinsically linked with
glamour and success. Whether a seasoned
blackjack player or an armchair Ocean’s
Eleven fan, casinos are institutions associated
with stories of taking on the house and walking
away with a suitcase full of chips.
But it is not just land-based casinos that
are enjoying this reputation. The online casino
sector has grown at an exponential rate in
the last decade, and this year has seen a burst
of innovation with a surge of new product
and game launches. Advances in technology
have made content more realistic, while the
choice of casino games, platforms and interfaces
has exploded.
eGaming Review talks to senior members of
the online casino industry to discuss the latest
trends and to find out what the future holds.
Jon Yarker
Report editor
C A S I N O R EPOR T
Introduction
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Chief executive: Charlie Kerr
eGaming Review is published monthly
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W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
3
Casino report
CONTENTS
6 No signs of slowing
BjÖrn Krantz of Net Entertainment talks to
eGaming Review about how working with the
evolving casino industry allows for more
growth
9 Taking the greatest casino
slots online
Gillian Findlay of Aristocrat Online explains
how the company’s newest investments in
online gaming are building the future of the
gaming industry
21 Bigger, better, faster,
stronger
What a difference a year makes. Udy
Yosha takes a look back on how CTXM
has developed in 2011, with more growth
opportunities in store
22 edict: veteran player
reinvents itself
Mark Dieckmann, of edict, talks to eGaming
Review about how edict is meeting new
challenges following regulation in Europe
12 Different era, new success
25 Live and kicking
15 The new generation of slot
technology
26 The right technology
David Johnson, of NextGen Gaming, explains
how an emphasis on understanding the player
and keeping fresh with concept and design
allows their slot games to keep up with the
rapidly evolving casino sector
Anthony Locke, head of product development
at BetSoftGaming, talks about how melding
cutting-edge technology characteristics with
an old favourite – video slots – has made his
company the innovator and leader of true 3D
cinematic slots gaming
With today’s ever advancing technology,
there are more ways than ever for operators
to deliver content to players. Celio Ho, of
Limelight Consulting Company, explains how
live gaming offers an innovative and fresh
opportunity for the egaming sector
As the online casino industry continues
to grow, the pressure on innovative and
attractive technology is higher than ever.
Dino Pastos, of 36Gaming, explains how a
technology provider can stand out from the
competition
18 Exciting new additions
Dominic Mansour, of GTECH G2, unveils
thrilling content in the 3D online casino
sector to stand out from the crowd
4
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Itching to play?
www.nextgengaming.com
CASINO REPORT
No signs of slowing
Bjrn Krantz of Net Entertainment talks to eGaming Review about how working with
the evolving casino industry allows for more growth
T
he online casino sector is growing in popularity
and success, due in large part to the fact that
the player’s access to operators has increased
exponentially through smartphones, wherever and
whenever the player is. This growing demand for realtime betting requires an innovative range of products,
created to the very high quality customers have come
to expect. That’s where Net Entertainment comes in…
Björn Krantz,
acting CEO of Net
Entertainment
has more than ten
years of international experience in
the fields of sales
and marketing
management and
most recently was
head of sales and
business development for Ericsson,
Central Europe.
eGaming Review (eGR): What products do you offer
as part of the changing face of casino gaming?
Björn Krantz (BK): The online casino industry
is constantly evolving with increased demands
and expectations on product mix, innovation and
quality assurance throughout the delivery chain.
Net Entertainment continues to adapt and push its
product offering to surpass these needs, both from
an operational and portfolio excellence perspective.
Technology leadership is of high importance which
provides the company with a solid baseline for a
long-term competitive edge. In short, we can split
core deliverables into our games portfolio, platform
and professional services. Within the framework of
these core deliverables, we will see adaptations and
enhancements to cater for our legacy business
as well as for new and regulated markets.
Broadening of the product portfolio is of
importance, and as an example, we will
launch our first mobile games soon.
The mobile vertical will allow our
customers to offer an ‘at any time’
experience, and we will take an active
role in this evolution.
be similar to what is currently recognised via PC, and
by meeting that development objective we positively
support our customers’ growth momentum and player
interest for the mobile vertical.
Net Entertainment’s mobile games focus is mainly
around smartphones, with the objective to make full
use of the device technology to ensure we can provide
the highest player experience, which our customers
already are accustomed to, with our current offering.
Our mobile offering will be powerful and include
four top performing games, as well as new frequent
games releases.
eGR: What efforts has Net Entertainment made
to maintain player acquisition and increase game
brand recognition?
BK: Net Entertainment prides itself on its game
content offering, which is innovative and unique. It
is on this basis that we are able to continuously drive
eGR: How can mobile games be seen
as a complementary product offering as
part of your portfolio?
BK: Mobile is a key focus area for Net
Entertainment. Mobile games will
allow our customers to easily extend
current means of distribution to new
and existing player groups.
We think it’s important that the
experience for mobile players will
06
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
eGR: How is Net Entertainment keeping up with
growth in the mobile sector? Is it difficult to continue
to provide high-quality products, which give the same
entertainment value as traditional online games?
BK: What is clear is that the mobile-play impact on
the traditional online casino segment will become
apparent during the course of the next few years.
Sports betting on smartphones is a growth sector
already, and it’s expected that the same trend will
be seen within the mobile casino vertical. Net
Entertainment will be releasing its new mobile
vertical soon, which we believe is not just keeping
up with, but will surpass existing offerings on the
market, in terms of quality, usability and overall
experience given to the players.
To ensure the very highest quality of our products,
we have taken our time to really adapt parts
of our instant portfolio offering to suit the
prioritised group of mobile devices. For Net
Entertainment it is easier to say ‘No go’,
than ‘Yes’ if the development objectives
have not been met. We are experts in
our field of profession, and it’s simply not
OK to deviate from our commitment
to provide a best-in-class portfolio
offering irrespective if it’s related
to traditional online games,
mobile or any other new product
vertical. The experience for the
player must be safeguarded, and
we put great pride in our ability to
understand what needs to be done. It’s all
about focus and control, and as long we
can be on the forefront of technology
and innovation, I am positive we will
continue to surprise the market. Our
customers know what they get when
they partner with Net Entertainment.
w w w. e g R M A G A Z I N E . c o m
“Ultimately, player
acquisition is built on the
strength of our complete
product offering” ■
BjÖrn Krantz
eGR: What kind of feedback are you getting from
operators about your upcoming mobile games?
BK: In respect to the limited exposure we have allowed
for product showcase, the general feedback from our
mobile games has been excellent and very rewarding.
Significant development efforts have been made and
we are very excited to bring the mobile product to the
market together with our customers. We are confident
that our mobile games will provide our customers with
a fantastic value-add as an extension to their existing
Net Entertainment portfolio.
eGR: What do the next 12 months hold for Net
Entertainment?
BK: We are always striving to push the limits, and
the next 12 months will be very exciting for Net
Entertainment, with continuous games developments
and releases, new market offering for mobile as well
as some big surprises. We have a clear focus and
direction which we follow, and which will continue
to safeguard a competitive edge. Another very
important focus for us is the on-going regulation
of the industry. We are committed to be part
of driving the regulatory agenda forward, and
will invest accordingly as we see required
from market to market. What is also
interesting is what is happening outside of
Europe, and we continue to monitor the
developments and keep a close eye on
relevant markets. The possibility of
something specifically developing
in the next 12 months still remains
to be seen. Overall organisational
readiness is highly important
irrespective of geographical focus,
and will allow us to stay on top of the
necessary environmental changes
and new requirements, which is
imposed on us from time to time.
We are a major player in our
field, and will continue to grow
together with our customers.
07
Casino report
player acquisition for our customers. As a company,
we support our brand and game development with
our business intelligence team, which continuously
adds vital player behaviour and performance input
that helps to shape and guide our offerings. Increasing
player acquisition and game brand recognition is
also improved by the close working relationship
that we have between the customer and our account
management team, who constantly advise and inform
about new release potential and performance, while
our marketing department supplies detail and full
game promotional materials. So ultimately, player
acquisition is built on the strength of our complete
product offering, closeness to our customers and
excellent business advice.
CASINO REPORT
Taking the greatest
casino slots online
Gillian Findlay of Aristocrat Online explains how the company’s newest
investments in online gaming are building the future of the gaming industry
Gillian Findlay
holds the position of general
manager, group
strategy and online
gaming, as part
of the emerging businesses &
strategy division at
Aristocrat. Findlay
is responsible for
managing the
group’s online
strategy and leads
business development for Aristocrat
Online.
eGaming Review (eGR): This year’s G2E saw
Aristocrat launch a new online product offering. Could
you tell us about it?
Gillian Findlay (GF): At G2E we launched two new
exciting online products; nLive and nLiveLink.
nLive is a turnkey ‘virtual casino’ providing an
innovative play-for-fun online casino product, fully
branded for land-based casino operators. Players can
visit the virtual casino site and access a suite of online
games, including poker, table games and slots. nLive
offers our casino customers the opportunity to build
their online brand presence and extend their existing
player relationships online.
Casinos that use Aristocrat’s Oasis 360TM
casino management system can implement the
nLiveLink module to integrate players’ online and
land-based accounts.
eGaming Review: What are some of the key features
of these new products?
GF: nLive can be integrated directly to our land-based
customers’ existing web properties and it provides a
broad range of games to be played for fun, including:
multi-player flash-based poker, roulette, blackjack,
video poker and other skill-based games. There is also
a wide selection of Aristocrat’s classic and new slot
games, including: 50 LionsTM, 5 DragonsTM, Queen of
the NileTM and More ChilliTM. In addition, nLive is a
product agnostic platform with the ability to integrate
third party content. We know our customers will
demand collaboration will other game suppliers and
our technology can facilitate this.
For casinos with Oasis 360TM, nLiveLink integrates
the nLive module and the casino management system.
This allows players to log on online, create a reward
account and view account balances. The casinos can
reward players via the site. nLiveLink provides the
casino with a comprehensive view of players both on
the floor and online.
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
eGR: You have your first two customers already?
GF: Absolutely, it’s an exciting time. At the beginning
of G2E we were able to announce we had secured two
contracts.
Firstly we announced a major systems contract with
one of the largest casinos to open in 2012 – Maryland
Live! Casino. This is a big property – a $500m multi-use
complex that covers 12 acres. The casino will house more
than 4,750 slot machines and electronic table games.
Our Oasis 360™ systems products will cover every
one of the 4,750 devices on Maryland Live! Casino’s
casino floor, utilising the latest technologies from Oasis
360TM. All devices will be enhanced with the nCompass™
media window and displays, and Maryland Live! Casino
will have access to advanced offerings like the powerful
bonusing engine nRich™, Ricochet Rewards™ and
Splashdown Countdown™.
Prior to the grand opening in June 2012, the
Maryland Live! Casino will launch a fully-branded
play-for-fun virtual casino in Q1 2012. Therefore, in the
months between the virtual casino launch and the doors
opening at the property, players will be able to play
games online, for free. The virtual casino will provide
Maryland Live! Casino with a perfect pre-launch
marketing tool to build a player membership base and
to promote their property.
Our Oasis 360 nLiveLink gives the Maryland Live!
Casino the opportunity to integrate players’ online and
land-based profiles, linking the games they play when
they are at home with what they do when they walk
inside the casino, helping our customers build a closer
relationship with their players in a new space.
This is in addition to our contract with a longstanding
Oasis 360TM customer, Island Resort Casino & Resort.
This sees Aristocrat bringing an online play-for-fun
solution to tribal gaming for the first time.
These are both important customers for us and we
are pleased they will be the first of many to go online
with solutions.
09
Casino report
eGR: Aristocrat and GameAccount Network
announced their partnership in the US market in
August. Why did you choose GAN as a partner?
GF:
Aristocrat’s relationship with UK-based
GameAccount Network (GAN) started earlier this year
when we were looking for a compliant and innovative
partner to take some of our land-based games onto
licensed internet gaming sites in Europe. We have
already begun the release of eight classic games
through the GAN platform, with 50 LionsTM going live
in August. Several more titles will be available before
the end of this year.
After thorough due diligence, Aristocrat selected
GAN to also partner on the opportunity to provide
our land-based customers a comprehensive fun-toplay online product. We have agreed an exclusive
arrangement to use GAN’s highly robust, flexible
and compliant internet gaming system in the
United States. The platform will be hosted on new
infrastructure located in Nevada, owned exclusively
by Aristocrat and dedicated solely to this solution.
We wanted to provide our customers the option of
a partnership that knows the US gaming market, has a
clean online offering with no history of taking bets in the
US and adheres to strict regulatory compliance standards.
Partnering with Aristocrat, a gaming company with over
200 licences to protect, offers a compelling alternative to
some of the other European online players.
eGR: Is this available outside of the US?
GF: Since displaying our online offering at G2E and
announcing these two major contracts, we have had
significant interest from our land-based casino and
10
“The demand for our
games online from
operators and players is
very strong”
■ Gillian Findlay
club systems in a number of jurisdictions outside of the
United States where real money gaming is not currently
legal. We are evaluating each market on a case-by-case
basis. However, it is likely we will roll out nLive in a
number of markets in the near future.
eGR: What will 2012 mean for Aristocrat post G2E?
GF: 2012 will be a very exciting year for Aristocrat in
the online space. Following G2E we have built a robust
pipeline of US customers interested in our online
solutions so we’ll be active in rolling out these products.
In addition, we will have several of Aristocrat’s most
famous and top performing games on many major
regulated online casino sites in Europe. The demand
for our games online from operators and players is very
strong and we will be announcing some significant
European content distribution deals very soon.
We are also considering a number of strategic options
to build our online business further in the future, and one
thing is certain – we will continue to create the world’s
greatest gaming experience every day.
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CASINO REPORT
Different era,
new success
David Johnson, of NextGen Gaming, explains how an emphasis on understanding
the player and keeping fresh with concept and design allows their slot games to keep up
with the rapidly evolving casino sector
N
David Johnson
heads up international sales from
NextGen’s London
satellite office. Formerly at Cryptologic, Johnson joined
eGaming in 2006
having previously
undertaken commercial roles within
the industries of his
other two passions:
music and football.
extGen Gaming sprang into life in 1999,
founded by two ex-IGT employees and backed
by venture capital. The vision was to provide
the best quality games in the market that weren’t tied
to a particular platform. While the business model has
evolved over time, NextGen have remained true to
their founding fathers in creating mature, repeat play
math-modelled slots games accessible to worldwide
online and land-based operators via multiple channel
partners.
The larger land-based suppliers now entering the
online space are rightfully mindful of the competitive
market that exists, with new online only suppliers
springing up every other month… and in some
cases lasting just about as long. Making ground in
the online industry from a standing start is a tough
challenge; suppliers cannot learn the intricacies
of integration methodology and network models
overnight, nor necessarily are able to modify their
products to appeal online.
The potential for land -based operators to offer their
players the games they love in the comfort of their
own homes as well as in bricks-and-mortar casinos,
is no doubt an exciting prospect and a crucial step
as operators move to provide a seamless online/landbased offering. But this will not be to the detriment
of those who primarily supply online; the market is
mature enough that players playing both on and offline
will demand the titles they know and are comfortable
with. It’s no surprise that strategic partnerships are
continuing to appear; an online heritage such as
NextGen’s 13 years and counting is hard earned.
Quality control
Deploying games into the most competitive and
mature land-based markets worldwide dictates our
product has to be of a certain quality… you’d expect
nothing less of NextGen. But this quality in supply
12
and design fundamentals must equally be upheld in
an online delivery to partners such as PartyGaming
or 888, supplied via an aggregator or direct, and
compliant in any number of local jurisdictions. Our
Cherry Blossoms smash in South America is just one
testament to this. While our bread and butter is online,
given the Australian heritage it’s no coincidence
that you’ll see NextGen games hosted on terminals
throughout the physical world; cementing our unique
position as the leading platform agnostic supplier
of quality slots content. The NextGen product has
historically lent itself to the mature slot player and as
the online world develops into its teenage years, we
have benefitted from the exposure to both sides of the
market. It’s a distinct advantage that puts NextGen
ahead of the competition, even more so as the markets
continue to mature and in line with our operator
partners we are ready to reap the rewards.
A fundamental in the production of NextGen games
is the constant focus on not just one, but two target
audiences, developing design briefs in tandem and
producing titles with absolute relevance. Naturally we
are in regular dialogue with our operator partners who
drive our demographic and psychographic development.
Range and selection of product is a form of competition
and operators need to be able to differentiate their site
and give a greater gaming experience to their players,
who of course ultimately decide the relative success
of a game. Some conundrums that take up mindshare
in the creation of a winning slots proposition include
sports punters vs. recreational bingo players vs. VIP’s
vs. an experienced slot player, males vs. females,
geographic nuances, as well as discussions on theme,
colour, sound, volatility and prize distribution as you’d
expect… the considerations are almost infinite and the
only certainty is that one size most certainly does
not fit all, nor are players ignorant to repeat re-use of
game engines.
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
Casino report
It takes more than bling and eye candy or an
association with the latest movie franchise to win in
the long term; the experienced and committed player
demands more as the land-based market has proven
over many years and many expensive branded flops
highlight. Love at first sight in the slots world does not
often lead to a long-term relationship. In the war of point
of sale vs. repeat play math models, your new branded
slot better have a killer feature set married to the maths
along with a very specific gaming connotation to stand
a chance of even competing in the long term.
NextGen’s core market is games for gamblers;
games with complex, mature math models that
encourage repeat play loyalty from players who crave
our new releases. Innovation comes in all shapes and
sizes, whether that’s by attempting 3D style games or
a different representation of reels, if indeed reels are
utilised at all. Our experience tells us that gamblers
are change resistant and like to trust their wallet with
games they are familiar with, so the challenge we face
is to introduce our innovation in a way that doesn’t
create distrust or make players feel uncomfortable.
At NextGen we like to balance improving our product
and putting in points of difference in order to increase
the player engagement and therefore retention,
increasing the number of spins a player makes per
session and the value of the individual line bets. We
will always maintain a number of the core elements
that our players find so attractive while introducing
newer concepts such as DynaReel™ and Superbet!™
w w w. e g R M A G A Z I N E . c o m
among our recent feature subsets. In terms of titles, we
expect players to be spellbound by Merlin’s Millions™
& arrested by Bobby 7’s™ in 2012 as two of our key
releases on the horizon following the successes of
Mad Mad Monkey™, Hot Hot Volcano™ & Medusa®
amongst others from 2011.
Building on core principles
NextGen’s bread and butter remains online and we
relish the fast-moving market and opportunity of swift
change that our world offers, even with the challenges
of the opening of newly regulated markets. We can
have mature product feedback in weeks as opposed to
the months/years it can take offline and we have the
expertise to act upon this data, constantly refining
and never resting… always looking to improve. The
opening of the larger land-based markets to online
gaming presents a huge opportunity for NextGen
given that these markets would offer significant
distribution potential, secure in the knowledge that
the mature, repeat play math models fundamental
to our games will appeal to the world’s most mature
markets. It’s not all about a particular market and you
won’t see NextGen throwing all their eggs into one
basket; that would go against the founding principles
laid down by our forefathers. Strategic partnerships
are being cemented upon different shores which will
allow NextGen to cement the quality of the offering
for specific market segments in tandem with those that
know those markets best.
13
Anthony Locke, head of product development at BetSoftGaming, talks about how
melding cutting-edge technology characteristics with an old favourite - video slots has made his company the innovator and leader of true 3D cinematic slots gaming
eGaming Review (eGR): What is Slots3™?
Anthony Locke (AL): Slots3™ is the brand under
which we have created this series of true cinematic
3D video slots. The Slots3™ product was introduced
in early 2008 with the objective of recreating the
graphics and animation quality of a console gaming
system or animated feature film. BetSoftGaming is
the innovator of this style of cinematic 3D gaming
and with 22 titles in the Slots3™ library, we stand
strong as the leader in this field.
eGR: What inspired BetSoft to develop the Slots3™
library?
AL: We were acutely aware of the tremendous strides
in audio and graphics technology, and evaluated the
market, only to see that there was a massive untapped
niche for 3D video slots made to the exacting standards
of animated films or video games. Pouring many hours
into researching the best way to push that technology
to its limits, we sought to create unique games that
were not only immersive and exciting, but that would
not overtax players’ computers.
eGR: What makes Slots3™ games stand out from the
rest?
AL: Our dedicated design team, populated by
artists and engineers originating from the AAA
video gaming and feature film industries,
decided that the absolute foundation of Slots3™
would be smooth, superior, true 3D graphics
and animations. This added an entirely new
layer to the concept of video slots. And with
our eye-popping, proprietary EXPANDICON™
technology, the bar was raised even higher. With
EXPANDICON™, slots icons are no longer confined
to their places on the reels. Instead, they can burst
forth in thrilling 3D to expand upon wins, thus
increasing the entertainment factor for the player.
Entirely designed in superior quality 3D graphics,
w w w. e g r m a g a z i n e . c o m
each and every Slots3™ game is a true cinematic
visual experience.
That experience is further expanded by the amazing
audio and ‘soundtracking’, tailor-made to the game’s
specific theme.
eGR: What other prevalent features are there, aside
from the graphical aspect of Slots3™?
AL: In addition to the sound effects for the animations,
there are an abundance of audios that signify standard
and large wins/payouts – yet another key component
of the Slots3™ brand. All Slots3™ games contain a
minimum of two features and engaging second-screen
bonus rounds. Features vary from game to game, and
can include wild reels, on-reel click-me icons, free
spins, scatter pays and cascading reels. We select and
place every feature for maximum effect, within each
game’s theme.
eGR: Tell us a little about the core foundations of the
Slots3™ library.
AL: Every game in the Slots3™ series is supported by
strong foundations of cutting-edge Flash optimisation
and performance. We employ the latest technologies
and techniques to achieve the smoothest performance
and the smallest download. The results are obvious
– all Slots3™ games load quickly and run flawlessly,
even for players with older machines and slower
Internet connections. Of course, an equal amount
of attention is given to the math models, which are
developed in conjunction with some of the finest
mathematicians in the industry. Our development
cycle is designed to be intensive, which allows us to
produce and release these exceptional video slots at
a rapid rate.
eGR: What sorts of themes are featured with
Slots3™?
AL: Every Slots3™ game is character-driven and
15
Casino report
The new generation
of slot technology
Casino report
centred around a strong, specific theme. Once we
choose a theme for development, our talented
design team spends hours researching all the
necessary elements. This is an integral part of the
Slots3™ creation process. We select themes that
vary in dynamics so as to appeal to all markets and
demographics. In Mamma Mia, the player takes on
the role of sous chef, assisting the head chef in the
creation of delectable Italian dishes and helping to
impress a notoriously blunt food critic. We composed
original operatic music for Mamma Mia in order to
further enhance the savory experience. True Illusions
revolves around a traditional magic show, featuring
well-known and beloved magic tricks, with all the
wonders and mysteries just waiting to be plucked by
the player. Our latest Slots3™ title, Ned and the Rats,
is a doo-wop masterpiece, telling the story of Ned and
how his methods of dealing with life in the presence
of a talented quintet of rats. And I must mention our
classic Slots3™ titles, the tried and true games such
as Mr. Vegas, where players can vicariously enjoy the
gambling experiences of that debonair high roller
as he makes his way down the infamous Las Vegas
Strip.
One of the main features of our themes is the
characters – brought to life in stunning animated 3D.
We have introduced a charming and hilarious cast
of characters through our Slots3™ series. From the
unforgettable, eponymous Slotfather and Mr. Vegas
to Ned and his ubiquitous musical rats, the goal with
each Slots3™ character is to delight and amuse the
player. The player, transported to another place and
time via the game, can get involved in a much more
intimate fashion – they can shift from cooking up
amazing Italian food to learning how to live with a
quintet of singing rats to becoming amazed by a slick
16
magic show, all without leaving their home. We bring
in professional voice actors to lend their expertise to
enhance every Slots3™ character and provide unique
personalities.
eGR: How does the future look for BetSoftGaming?
AL: With over 100 top-quality games in our repertoire,
we have proven to be not only the industry’s leader
in 3D cinematic game development, but the true
innovator. We develop each Slots3™ game with the
goal of improving upon the standards set by previous
games. We’ve become aware of imitations showing
up throughout the industry, imitations that fall
short of our work. It only further solidifies BetSoft
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Slots3™ is the first, the best and the template for
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w w w. e g r m a g a z i n e . c o m
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CASINO REPORT
Dominic Mansour
is VP of products
at GTECH G2,
responsible for
roadmaps, features,
functionality and
performance of
poker, sports betting, casino, games,
bingo and core
platforms. Prior
to joining GTECH
G2, Dominic was
the CEO of Bingos.
com and a board
director of NetPlay
TV PLC.
18
Exciting new
additions
Dominic Mansour, of GTECH G2, unveils
thrilling content in the 3D online casino sector to
stand out from the crowd
V
ery recently, on a cold November night, a
crowd of hundreds lined up at midnight in
Oxford Circus. Journalists and photographers
jostled for space, an excited crowd stamped their
freezing feet to keep warm, and an assortment of
celebrities including the cast of The only way is
Essex and QPR footballer Joey Barton even provided
a novelty sideshow in the shape of a war-of-tweets.
And no, this bizarre spectacle of hype wasn’t a film
premiere or awards ceremony. It was the launch of a
video game.
That’s right, the exclusive launch party of one of the
highest selling games out there – the newly released
“call of duty: modern warfare three” – was the reason
that crowds were drawn and newspaper columns were
filled. Who could have predicted a few years ago that
a ‘computer game’ would cause such quasi-hysteria?
But indeed that is the world we find ourselves in
now. In these technology-centric times, the way to
stand out is indeed content, and more to the point,
the quality of that content. In regards to call of duty’s
(COD) success, gamers are spoilt for choice when it
comes to first-person-shooters, but what COD has
done is to bring cinematic quality to the table – and
that is where GTECH G2 comes in.
Consumers across all gaming sectors are becoming
more and more demanding; in order to remain
competitive it is vital to offer an experience that
excites players and engages them in a way that
is far more advanced than a traditional slot game.
Detailed market analysis has shown that while
some of the bestselling games are the traditional
slots, it is the star games or marketing games that
attract new players to the site. In response to this
market analysis, GTECH G2 has developed a range
of marketing games designed to excite and attract
players. Players find themselves spoilt for choice
when it comes to premier online casino games,
so what can one do to stand out? Quite simply,
the GTECH G2 path to success is to offer a quality
of content that stands out and is true to the mantra
of too-good-to-miss. That’s why we are proud to
announce an exciting new breed of 3D games.
We are introducing our new 3D game Casino Job.
Casino job is by far the most exciting and innovative
slot game released by GTECH G2. The game is a
true cinematic 3D experience. The entire game is
designed and modelled in quality 3D graphics and the
characters and the environment come alive in a way
you don’t experience in a traditional slot machine.
The game is set in the GG Royal Casino and plays on
the popular Ocean’s Eleven movie, seeing four security
experts take on the challenge from Gloria Galone, the
eccentric owner of the GG Royal, to circumvent the
state of the art security system at the casino and break
into the vault without getting caught.
Each character in the game is modelled with their
unique skill set and style. Dan is the slick gentleman
thief that heads the team; Bruce is the muscle man that
always carries some TNT and a blow torch. Watch out
so he doesn’t blow up the reel set! Kat is the athletic
woman that navigates gracefully between the alarm
laser beams. Finally each gang has its computer geek
– Greg – that will hack the Casino mainframe and nick
some free game rounds and award the player. The
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
Casino report
player interacts and assists the crew by collecting
‘tools’ to help them to get into the casino vault
without triggering the alarm.
The game has been designed to not only offer
state of the art graphics but is intended to drive
acquisition and improve retention by creating
characters that really engage players and creating
a real story that players want to be part of with a
sense of personal satisfaction when they finally
crack the vault!
Casino Job is only part of the GTECH G2
commitment to enhancing the player experience.
Blackjack pro is the exhilarating HD quality graphics
that feel like you are in a real Las Vegas casino, so
real is the experience. New multiplayer features and
games again recreate the excitement and buzz of a
real casino and create a community helping to drive
player loyalty. Features such as auto play help to
improve the player experience.
GTECH G2 is committed to ensuring that we help
you to have more players playing. At GTECH G2
we understand that one size does not fit all. Players
want to have a personalised offering, they expect
to be recognised and approached personally. This
customisation starts from the moment a player
enters the casino with the dynamic portal and lobby
that recognises your VIPs and creates an exclusive
player experience to reflect their importance to an
operator.
The innovative flight board and CRM tools are all,
like Casino Job, designed to engage the customer.
The CRM tools and processes offered as part of the
GTECH G2 gaming management system, allow you
to speak to your consumer and engage with them at
crucial moments during their time in the casino. For
example, the first time they purchase Casino Job, wish
them luck or offer a lucky clue in how to break into
the casino. It also allows you to speak to them at a
crucial moment, such as a failed deposit, helping to
cement and strengthen the player relationship.
It has taken a lot of time, cost and effort to develop and
perfect these games. The use of “perfect” is fitting – we
are confident that what we have achieved is a fantastic
offering that meets today’s jaded player’s high standards.
By maximising quality and managing to tailor this
offering to each player on a personal level, we have truly
excelled the standard of the online 3D gaming market.
“Players find themselves
spoilt for choice when it
comes to premier online
casino games, so what can
one do to stand out?”
w w w. e g R M A G A Z I N E . c o m
19
CASINO REPORT
Bigger, better,
faster, stronger
What a difference a year makes. Udy Yosha takes a look back on how CTXM has
developed in 2011, with more growth opportunities in store
eGaming Review (eGR): How would you sum up
2011 for CTXM customers?
Udy Yosha (UY): For CTXM customers, 2011 has
seen the online gambling market mature and flourish.
While industry research shows the recession may
have meant less money was placed on the table,
online casino platforms saw a dramatic increase in
casino and betting submissions. At the start of the
year, CTXM geared up to address hot topics ranging
from social gaming trends to integrating the latest
technologies onto our platforms. However, what
really made 2011 a success for our customers was
that we ensured they were well placed to receive
customised turnkey solutions that integrate a broad
range of third-party products.
eGR: How did you achieve that?
UY: CTXM made a series of strategic partnerships
that provided a robust gaming foundation and
integration platform. Whether customers are drawn
to the broader media technology experience, the
variety of games on offer, loyalty schemes or the
accessibility of the platform; CTXM allows operators
to deliver a flexible and dynamic online gambling
experience. Our key third-party integration projects –
poker games, live casino and sport book applications
– have broadened our portfolio with fresh and
engaging services.
eGR: What can we expect from CTXM in 2012?
UY: We gave a lot of thought to 2012 during 2011.
As a result, two major R&D initiatives were taken.
Firstly, CTXM recognised the attraction of a realistic
computer-generated experience, developing the
pioneering 4D slot solution. Secondly, we set out
to ensure our offerings could be formatted to suit
mobile play both in terms of engagement and rapid
response. Our mobile casino was launched, bringing
gaming to a broader audience on the move with a
flexible platform that ties in with the growing social
networking sphere.
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
eGR: Tell us more about your mobile gaming
developments.
UY: CTXM has broadened into non-traditional
gambling to create the mobile casino. This ontrend solution converges with social networking
opportunities to integrate the most popular games
onto the mobile technology platform, including
card games, slots, table games, video poker and
scratchers. Mobile casinos are now overtaking all
other types of casinos and the more sophisticated
gadgets become, the more opportunities arise for
online casino operators to reach their customers.
CTXM’s mobile casino is compatible with Android/
Blackberry platforms as well as iOS (iPhone, iPad)
and is applicable both for Android cell phones and
Apple products. By early 2012 mobile casino will be
exclusively offered to the top 20 CTXM clients.
eGR: What is the new 4D slots technology?
UY: Driving the immediacy, entertainment-value
and big-win excitement of the slot machine to the
next technology level, CTXM will be launching a
new generation of 4D slots. The solution represents
significant technology advancement from the existing
3D slot solutions on the market today by bringing
slots to the next level and showing 3D visual depth.
CTXM’s most successful and popular slot themes
have burst into 3D reality, engaging new players and
ensuring an extended player lifetime. The lure of the
4D slot solution is best understood when directly
experienced. Operators are invited to visit CTXM at
the ICE show in January, booth 5230.
Udy Yosha has
been setting
up soware
development
companies since
1998 and managed
business activities
until mid-2003.
Currently, Udy
leads the strategic
development of
CTXM, a gaming
development
company.
eGR: Will CTXM integrate with social networks?
UY: The social networking expansion provides an
ideal platform for 4D slots to be presented with
current licensing agreements including Facebook and
VKontakte. As social networking continues to evolve
in parallel with technology developments and useradaptive behaviours, CTXM is primed to present a
platform for social gaming with a full suite of games.
21
C a s i n o R EPO R T
edict: veteran player
reinvents itself
Mark Dieckmann, of edict, talks to eGaming Review about how edict is meeting
new challenges following regulation in Europe
I
Mark Dieckmann,
managing director,
founded his first
online company
named ‘Netwhere’
while studying business administration
at the University of
Kiel and Hamburg
in 1994. He Joined
edict in 2005 as
CEO.
n 2008 the current German State Treaty Contract
changed the gambling world in Germany.
German-based online companies like edict, Fluxx
or Tipp24 had to stop operations or find new models
to generate revenue after the Interstate Gambling
Treaty prohibited all kinds of online gambling. Up
until 2007, edict successfully provided live streaming
software for German land-based casinos for over
four years, namely to the casinos in Wiesbaden and
Hamburg. On 31st December 2007, at precisely 23.59
CET, they had to pull the plug and took the chance
to build something new. Managing director Mark
Dieckmann talks about the effects these challenging
times had and new chances that have been created in
the upcoming regulated markets of Europe.
eGaming Review (eGR): In 2008, edict had to go
offline after operating legally under licence in the
German market. What was the situation like in these
times?
Mark Dieckmann (MD): Things were really difficult
at the end of 2007. We were running a good business
with roulette live streaming from the casino in
Wiesbaden. Many people thought that the new law
would be challenged almost immediately in Brussels
therefore bringing it to a grinding halt after a few
months so we could go back online again. I wasn’t
that optimistic in these times and tried to find a new
partner and to set up a new business so that we were
ready when the Interstate Gambling Treaty would
expire in 2011. Today we know that I was right.
eGR: edict was bought by the Gauselmann AG in
2008. What changed then for edict?
MD: Beforehand we were quite a small operating
unit and owned by the Jahr/Achterfeld KG up until
2007 when we suddenly became a member of the
Gauselmann group, which has over 6,000 employees
22
and has Germany’s best known gambling brand – the
Merkur sun. I decided to join the group with edict
because Paul Gauselmann was very convincing. He
always has a good feeling for the political situation
and business opportunities within it, being able to
read the landscape well. He wanted to be prepared
when the market opens up again. The size and the
reputation of the group gave us the possibility to build
a brand new platform from scratch. We had the chance
to hire excellent staff here in Hamburg, so we could
unite the knowledge of four years operating in a legal
environment with new creative programmers. The
outcome at the end of 2010 was fantastic. When we
presented our new casino turnkey solution on the EIG
in Copenhagen we received impressive feedback for
the design of our games and the attention to detail of
our software. We heard from our competitors several
times that our table games are very ‘crisp’.
eGR: Isn’t it hard for a land-based slot machine
development company to buy an online unit?
MD: The Gauselmann group is of course most known
for its slot machines and the Merkur entertainment
centres. But the company is running many more
operations. In Italy, it has been active online with
Merkur Interactive since the market opened. With its
ownership of Cashpoint, it has set foot in the betting
landscape. For us the situation is almost perfect. The
Merkur slot games have not been online before, but
are well-known and established among European
players. That gives edict the top content for any B2B
online customer that wants to launch his own online
casino.
eGR: Are games that have been specially created
for the online world not much more successful than
established land-based slots?
MD: Our first customer went online at the middle of
w w w. e g R M A G A Z I N E . c o m
C a s i n o R EPO R T
last year and we were impressed at how fast players
turned to this platform along with the buzz that the
Merkur slots created on forums and social media.
eGR: How does Germany’s new Interstate Gambling
Treaty and the new law that the state of SchleswigHolstein has put into place affect you?
MD: We were expecting that the states would not give
any security until the end of the year. So we decided
to offer our product in other jurisdictions as well.
Our first partner is operating under an Isle of Man
licence, but we are of course ready for when Germany
opens up. We are located in Hamburg and that means
we live on the border to Schleswig-Holstein. When
the first licences become available in Kiel in March,
we will offer our software to our clients for licences
there as well. We are the only ones offering casino
software ‘made in Germany’ as well as being the only
ones that were running software legally in Germany
beforehand. With our experience we are of course
ready for a licensed German market and other markets
that are undergoing their own licensing processes in
Europe at the moment. However, the situation is still
very confusing. Many people are speculating that the
latest bill proposed by the 15 states will not comply
w w w. e g R M A G A Z I N E . c o m
with EU law and will be challenged immediately –
with some predicting Schleswig-Holstein not being
able to keep their own way. The times are interesting
and I think that the situation will stay unstable for
some time.
eGR: Do you think it will be possible that smaller
companies can focus on the many jurisdictions that
are licensing at the moment?
MD: I think that even some of the biggest players
don’t have the resources to focus on every single
country that creates their own rules. The question will
always be; is the work required to adapt the software
to the new licence regulation worth the return on
investment? In some cases it might be, but an overall
European regulation blanket would help the whole
business to save on costs and be more transparent.
eGR: The ICE is coming up in London this month, will
you attend the show?
MD: We always have our own booth with edict at the
EIG and the ICE ever since we had our new product
ready in 2010. The Gauselmann group has their separate
large booth at the ICE, but once again we have our own
small zone right opposite Playtech this January.
23
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CASINO REPORT
Live and kicking
With today’s ever advancing technology, there are more ways than ever for operators
to deliver content to players. Celio Ho, of Limelight Consulting Company, explains
how live gaming offers an innovative and fresh opportunity for the egaming sector
eGaming Review (eGR): What opportunities does
live gaming bring?
Celia Ho (CH): Live gaming is a show business that
actually entertains players from all angles. It is also
the perfect gaming channel to showcase a company’s
brand as it visually displays to the customer the
company ethos and values through a live dynamic
setting. The critical factors this allows the operator to
address are: accessibility, security, transparency and,
above all, the customer gaming experience provided.
Through live gaming, you can connect directly with
the customer. It is just like a land-based environment,
except there is no limit to the number of customers
you can service at any one time. Live gaming does
not have any walls or maximum table numbers,
your operating cost is not scalable like the landbased alternative, and therefore you can grow your
infrastructure in line with your business in your time
and on your budget.
eGR: How is EntwineTech planning to expand its live
gaming offering?
CH: Being a leader in live dealer games over the year has
attracted many clients and ideas. EntwineTech is always
actively listening to its clients. This process brings in a
lot of creative ideas and customised products. Expanding
our offering is unlimited in the sense that whatever
our clients or potential clients want, we can deliver.
For example, we recently added a full screen roulette
game into our full screen series; and in the next three
months, you will see our fourth studio up and running
with 20 more tables, adding up to a total of 38 across
three locations. We continually study research data
and our customers’ behaviour and feedback; our plans
are to aim high, work hard and serve our clients and
their customers better. We are delivering developments
such as enhancing our video format, catering smart
phone platforms, entering into new markets with new
medium, and optimise our back-end functions.
eGR: What are the challenges that come with hosting
live gaming? How has EntwineTech overcome them?
CH: Hosting live dealer games is an art. It takes a
long period to get things not just right, but perfect.
This whole process requires constant optimisation and
tweaking on both the technical and operational level,
not to mention that you have an operation of more
than 100 people only in studio staff that you have
to run swiƒly. Being in the entertainment business,
you have to uphold to the highest standards of
broadcasting. Over the years, EntwineTech has learnt
through experience how to overcome all these hurdles.
Aƒer all, we are in “show business”, with emphasis
on the business. At EntwineTech we like to categorise
challenges as opportunities – each operational or
technical challenge is always viewed as an opportunity
to show to the client and their customers just how
good we can be. Whether it be the opportunity to
demonstrate our ability to provide protection from and
the defence to a DOS attack, or maintaining system
security and complete client/customer confidentiality,
to the demanding logistical jigsaw of managing an
operating environment that is fast moving, highly
professional and full-on 24/7, 365 days of the year.
eGR: What do you think about the trend of live
gaming for the next 5-10 years?
CH: Live dealer games is bound to expand to more
European markets, more South East Asia markets like
India, South America markets and ultimately North
American markets. In the next few years there will be a
strong correlation between land and online live dealer
games and, with mobile reaching 100% broadband
usage in five years, one can only dream of how good
this will be. This is against a backdrop of extreme
economic difficulty in many areas of the developed
world. The secret of our continued success lies in our
product resilience and its attractiveness to establish
new clients. Also, now that we have established barriers
to entry, we believe there will be a gradual move
towards greater industry consolidation in the later
years of your time horizon. The business will continue
to make progress in underdeveloped markets and may
even see new more permissive regulation in some
locations. However, the primary drivers for success
will be product accessibility – the customer can play
at any time, location and across platforms of his or her
choice – and the overall entertainment experience and
value proposition of the games provided.
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
Celia Ho is
president of
Limelight
Consulting
Company. Miss
Ho has been
actively involved
in the Asian
online gambling
industry since
2000, employed by
MACOM GROUP
as chief marketing
officer and as
marketing director
at G-Master
Technology.
25
CASINO REPORT
The right technology
As the online casino industry continues to grow, the pressure on innovative and attractive
technology is higher than ever. Dino Pastos, of 36Gaming, explains how a technology
provider can stand out from the competition
G
Dino Pastos,
operations
manager, has
been at 36Gaming
for three years,
having served
as a technology
consultant in the
past. His vision is
to take 36Gaming
technology to a
unique level with
exclusive products
for operators and
players.
aining a piece of the online casino pie is getting
harder and harder for start-up companies who
launch their own brands. This ’issue’ is present
in almost every aspect of new businesses these days.
How can a company who makes a new smartphone
compete with Apple who make the almighty iPhone?
The answer falls under the marketing, advertising and
branding category. Of course, like every new startup company, costs for promoting new products are
extremely high, with a return on investment (ROI) that
is not always guaranteed.
Being a technology solutions provider for online
and land-based casino operations, 36Gaming
constantly invests in research and development to
stay ahead of standard requirements. Their vision
is to provide a complete package to customers with
minimal experience in the field. Why? Simple, to keep
everyone’s costs as low as possible with a high ROI.
36Gamings’ R&D department develops new
techniques in order to cater for their customers’
marketing reach. They have thought ’out of
the box’ and put together a set of tools to give
a competitive advantage to all their customers
against other casinos – and their so‹ware providers.
It’s all about player acquisition
The magic starts with their technique used to
acquire new players. The idea is simple but brilliant.
“Not only do the affiliates
have a higher conversion
rate, the casino receives
customers who see and
hold your brand daily”
■ Dino Pastos
26
By combining the power of affiliates and tracking
technologies, they have manufactured stylish USB
drives that are given by affiliates (or the casino directly)
to potential players as a promotional gi‹. Notice
that a USB drive cannot be compared to valueless
conventional marketing materials like branded gi‹s,
fliers, CDs, print media, etc. simply because a USB
drive has as an actual value with its daily use. What
they have done is clever, by locking a small section of
the USB drive, they ship a custom-tagged version of
their casino so‹ware including affiliate tracking codes,
which is automatically installed on the users machine
upon use. The rest of the drive is freely usable.
What is really achieved here? Not only do the
affiliates have a higher conversion rate, the casino
receives customers who see and hold your brand daily.
Each computer that the USB is connected to becomes
exposed to the casino so‹ware and brands, all that with
minimal effort and low cost by all angles. The best part
is that new players do not even need to remember
the URL of the casino players deal with, making
your campaign effective as most of the conventional
methods just flood the player with too much useless
information.
36Gaming has also been secretly working on an
advanced method of delivering high-performance,
instant-play games in all web browsers without the use
of Flash Player. As far as we know, they are saving this
for a world release at ICE 2012 at Earls Court.
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M