Interviews
Exclusive QandA with Eriks Petersons, Digital Transformation Director of Ciklum
We have here a fascinating interview with a leader in the gaming industry. Meet Eriks Petersons, Digital Transformation Director of Ciklum.
He talks here about his introduction into the industry as a professional poker player in Riga to his move to Malta and his career in the industry.
What stands apart in the opinions and views are a clear-cut focus on the player experience and how it needs to be unique and standardized.
“One area that is really lacking, in my opinion, is differentiated player experience.” He says with absolute conviction.
He also elaborates about the use of technology, regulation and the need to break down the internal processes into smaller and simple steps.
Read on. Don’t miss the wisdom.
Q. Let’s begin the interview with a brief intro into your career. Our readers love to hear top entrepreneurs talk about themselves.
A. I started off in the iGaming industry in early 2008, back in my hometown Riga, where I was a professional poker player. Poker was at its peak and everyone was talking about it. Fast forward to 2011, specifically the Black Friday events of April 15th, which pretty much put an end to the poker hype. I bought a one-way flight ticket to Malta in order to further develop my career in an industry I’d fallen in love with.
I’ve spent the past 10 years or so working in various operational positions in major B2B and B2C companies, working closely with clients, tech and products. Looking back, I was fortunate to join the industry at a time where I’ve been able to grow and mature alongside it. This has allowed me to develop a well-rounded knowledge of company operations and industry specifics.
My current role at Ciklum is leading the iGaming vertical. Our aim is to contribute back to the industry, sharing our technological know-how and supercharging the growth of our clients to reach new heights.
Q. How do you view the development of technology for the iGaming industry over the last few years? There have been too many things happening, such as the covid 19 pandemic, frequent regulation changes and the emergence of newer tools in artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and blockchain?
A. The last few years have been quite interesting. Whilst one might say regulation has been the biggest culprit for the lack of innovation, especially for those companies that have a global footprint, it’s also been one of the main motivators for innovation. The same is true for AI, Big Data and Cloud, which all serve regulatory needs in one way or another.
Now that we have seen the adoption of these new tools to some degree, it’s time to spread them out to the other areas of the product. One area that is really lacking, in my opinion, is differentiated player experience.
With some exceptions, most casinos are all the same. They just have a different look and feel. There’s nothing special that makes the player choose a particular brand, or even more importantly, stick to it.
Q. On what ways do you think the pandemic affected the igaming technology development? And what are the technological changes that igaming companies can adopt to make their functioning pandemic-proof in future?
A. There’s not been many new developments, but one that I do like is the shared player experience. It’s also a trend we have seen in other industries, such as video streaming, with tech giants like Netflix and Disney+ both launching watch-along features earlier this year.
In regards to technological changes, the industry has once again proved its recession-proof status. Although I’d say this is more due to the entertainment nature of the industry, rather than any particular technological development.
When times are tough, people look for moments of joy. As long as it happens in a sustainable and responsible way, why not have a chance of winning something as well?
On the other hand, the closure of all the sporting events during the pandemic taught us the importance of product diversification and over-reliance on physical world interactions. Therefore I’d expect things like already popular esports betting and virtual sports, especially built on the blockchain technology, to now grow in significance.
Q. Let’s now talk about technological changes. How can iGaming companies work on different regulatory changes and product features in parallel – without stalling each other, and offering seamless service to users?
A. There are quite a few factors at play here, from your product strategy, to planning, to prioritisation, to available budgets and headcounts. There needs to be a well-segregated system with teams formed around different areas of responsibility, which can work independently on their own release cycles. The emphasis should be on independence. For example, whilst your ‘responsible gaming’ or ‘fair play’ team is busy implementing a change in Germany, your ‘player acquisition’ team can refactor, test or improve the new features on the homepage.
The only other piece of advice, which is similar to what every productivity coach would tell you, is break things down into small logical chunks and start working on them at your earliest opportunity. This way you’ll avoid any last-minute stress for your teams, gain some productivity points, and thus benefit from extra time to spend on some nice, new, shiny features. The trick here is to keep releasing these small logical chunks directly to production, and in case the full feature (constituting of multiple small logical pieces) is not ready or requires to be launched later, you can keep its functionality configurable on or off – known as feature toggling.
Q. Why do companies need APIs to work with a number of 3rd party tools, such as fraud detection platforms, KYC verification tools, and others?
A. It’s not a question of why, but rather a question of how? If you don’t have a standardised process, you’ll keep adapting to each new integration coming your way and thus fitting more and more customisations and exceptions to your platform, which would eventually grow into an uncontrollable beast that no one wants to deal with.
As a simple example, if we focus just on the basic functioning of the online slot – there’s tons of various online slot providers out there which each have their own API. However, all slots function pretty much in the same way. You need to query the wallet to check the balance, you need to call the provider to make a bet (spin), and then you need to be notified of any winnings. Now, as an example, some providers will not return any calls when there is a loss, some will return a call as 0 winning, whilst others will register each loss separately. If you don’t have these things standardised in your platform, you’ll keep having different variations of the same that will eventually become hard to maintain.
Q. What are your insights on the use of cloud computing in working with huge amounts of players data?
A. There are numerous benefits of using Cloud which are already pretty well documented. First of all, huge amounts of data require enormous amounts of storage. Whilst it’s technically possible to increase the capacity of your in-house servers, you need to plan these things well in advance.
Secondly, due to cloud’s ‘infrastructure as a service’ model, you’re basically moving all your upfront bare metal CAPEX expenses to much smaller OPEX expenses which would grow only as you grow, and thus are much better on your bottom-line.
Last but not least, cloud provides the ability to scale your infrastructure very quickly so you can manage large spikes of traffic or prepare for a new market launch. The cherry on top is when you manage to automate this horizontal and vertical scaling.
Q. How do you think simple changes – such as registration forms design – can make a big difference in the player experience and eventually the revenue for iGaming operators?
A. One can never stop experimenting. Player trends are constantly changing, and you should not forget to account for the multiple market and cultural aspects in this equation. There are tons of untested hypotheses which can only be validated by real data. Is a three step registration process better than one?
Even the smallest things like the colour, shape or positioning of a button can have an enormous impact on player behaviour and thus the conversion rate. Successful operators never stand still, they keep experimenting, keep validating, and keep improving their product and thus revenue in small, manageable increments at a time.
Q. Finally, where do you see the current digital transformation heading to. In future, will digital transformation invade privacy and data security of the end users much more than it does today?
A. Overall, the digital transformation topic is quite broad, but one important aspect of it is the ability to see things in much greater detail, understanding those details, and then having better control over them. This may be physical items, events or outcomes. Having said that, it definitely touches on all possible aspects of player data. I would expect regulations and moral principles to set the boundaries.
Think of your phone, it already has dozens of various sensors built into it which can detect light, sound, gravity, acceleration, location, temperature, biometrics, and a lot more. One can opt to use this data, and who knows, maybe in the future, instead of the traditional spin buttons on the slot machines, players will throw their phone up in the air to feed the slot’s unique RNG algorithm.
But on a more serious note, short to mid-term I’d expect to see more control given to the players in terms of how they want to entertain themselves. From the look and feel to the actual dynamics of the play. They might want to play solo, or have a party game with their friends, where balances are shared and winnings distributed. Prop bets will also become much more granular by using every imaginable data point of the particular sport / market, placed via smart speakers directly on your TV whilst watching the live stream.
Long-term, affiliates, and probably even individual players themselves, will be able to create their own casino within the casino and keep a portion of the revenues. They would be able to define every aspect from the look and feel to the type of games, localised bonuses and loyalty programs, and so on.
Then, in the not so distant future, this all will probably move to some sort of metaverse, with such attempts having already been made.
Interviews
Rewarded User Acquisition: Transforming Mobile Gaming with James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia
Introduction:
In the rapidly evolving world of mobile gaming, innovation is the key to staying ahead. Rewarded User Acquisition (UA) is emerging as a game-changing strategy, enabling developers to attract and retain players by incentivizing engagement. At the forefront of this movement is James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia, a leader in Rewarded UA through platforms like Freecash. With over a decade of experience in mobile gaming and partnerships with major titles, James provides invaluable insights into the potential and challenges of Rewarded UA, the shifting landscape of the mobile games industry, and trends shaping the future.
Rewarded UA: Transforming Mobile Gaming Engagement – An Interview with James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia
Can you describe Rewarded UA to our readers?
Rewarded User Acquisition is a marketing strategy commonly used in mobile app and game development. It involves incentivizing users with rewards like Amazon or Google Play vouchers for engaging with an app or game. This approach not only increases engagement but also helps developers acquire high-quality users more likely to make in-app purchases or interact with ads. Platforms like Freecash excel at scaling this model without relying on third-party networks, creating a frictionless experience for studios.
“The key to success in Rewarded UA,” James explains, “is continuously testing different rewards and strategies, adding deeper-level events to maintain user engagement and maximize outcomes.”
What is your career background?
With over 13 years in the mobile gaming space, James started his journey at Kabam, working on the successful Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North. He has since held pivotal roles at renowned studios like Outfit7 (My Talking Tom), Huuuge Games (Huuuge Casino), and Wargaming (World of Tanks, World of Warships). Recently, he ventured into the web3 space with MoonGaming (Medieval Empires).
James joined Almedia nine months ago, diving deep into Rewarded UA through the Freecash platform. “We’ve seen tremendous growth as developers realize how scalable our audience is,” he shares.
How do developers benefit from giving away cash?
“The idea that developers are ‘giving away cash’ is a misconception,” James explains. Instead, developers pay a cost per install (CPI) to platforms like Freecash. This investment is structured to drive user engagement with short-, mid-, and long-term activities. As players progress through challenging levels motivated by rewards, developers monetize through in-app purchases and ad engagement.
By carefully designing reward structures, developers ensure they acquire users who remain invested and engaged in their games while generating revenue.
Why is Rewarded UA growing?
Traditional UA channels have become competitive, expensive, and difficult to scale, especially after privacy regulations like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. Rewarded UA, by contrast, bypasses these challenges, offering direct access to users keen to engage with games and earn rewards.
James notes, “Rewarded UA platforms provide an invaluable alternative, especially for studios looking to scale effectively amidst increasing privacy constraints.”
You’re based in Berlin; how is the mobile games industry performing locally?
Berlin continues to thrive as a gaming hub with notable studios like Wooga, Wargaming Mobile, and Ubisoft’s Kolibri Games. It also fosters a vibrant ecosystem of newer studios such as TrailMix, Metacore, and Playflux. “The city’s talent pool spans developers, producers, designers, and marketing specialists, all supporting the local industry,” James says.
What are some common misconceptions about ‘Rewarded UA’?
Many in the industry still equate Rewarded UA with the outdated concept of incentivized traffic, which focused on boosting app store rankings without delivering quality users.
James points out that modern Rewarded UA is far more sophisticated. “Platforms like Freecash are delivering measurable results for studios like Plarium, where new user registrations rose by 30%, and the lifetime value (LTV) of users was 20% higher compared to other channels.”
While the model is powerful, James emphasizes the importance of anti-fraud measures to maintain trust and quality.
At Almedia, you lead gaming partnerships. How do you approach building connections in the games industry?
“The gaming industry is incredibly well-connected, so we focus on building relationships for the long term,” James explains. Events play a significant role in fostering these connections, and maintaining authenticity in conversations is key. “Don’t treat discussions as transactions; view them as opportunities to build meaningful partnerships.”
As we look toward 2025, what industry trends are on your radar?
James predicts a more equitable and accessible mobile games industry, driven by policy changes like Epic’s court victory against Google. Additionally, he foresees a surge in user-generated content (UGC), with platforms like Roblox and Unreal Editor for Fortnite paving the way for new creative opportunities.
“Increased payouts to creators and emerging platforms to support UGC will be a significant trend,” he adds.
Conclusion
Rewarded UA is reshaping mobile gaming, providing scalable and effective user acquisition strategies while enhancing the gaming experience. With industry leaders like James Crabb championing innovative approaches, the future of mobile gaming looks brighter than ever. From advancements in Rewarded UA to new opportunities in UGC, developers have much to look forward to as the gaming landscape evolves.
The post Rewarded User Acquisition: Transforming Mobile Gaming with James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Interviews
FTDx Wins Xanada Startup Contest: Unlocking Untapped iGaming Traffic with Innovative Monetization Solutions
Recently, Xanada Investments announced FTDx as the winner of this year’s Xanada Startup Contest, an investment initiative of the fund. FTDx has demonstrated outstanding innovation in traffic monetization within the gambling industry, earning them the top spot.
In the interview below, Vladimir Malakchi, the CEO and Managing Partner of Xanada Investments, and Björn Nilsson, CEO and co-founder of FTDx, share their perspectives on this achievement and what lies ahead.
Vladimir Malakchi, CEO and Managing partner at Xanada Investments:
What were your overall impressions of this year’s Xanada Startup Contest participants, and why did you choose FTDX as the winner? What key factors stood out about their solution that aligned with Xanada Investments’ vision?”
VM: This year’s Xanada Startup Contest had nearly 250 applications from all over the world. The range of ideas was incredible, everything from gamification to AI-driven user engagement. What made FTDx stand out was how practical and impactful their solution is. They’ve tackled a big issue in iGaming, what to do with traffic that doesn’t convert because it’s from regions operators usually ignore. Their system turns that missed opportunity into real revenue while also encouraging first-time deposits.
We loved how FTDx backed up their idea with real numbers and a solid strategy. They’re not just solving a problem; they’re doing it in a way that scales and adds value for operators. That’s exactly the kind of project we look for at Xanada Investments-solutions that deliver results and create meaningful change in the industry.
Xanada Investments has a history of backing scalable solutions. How do you assess the scalability of FTDX’s technology, and what competitive advantage do you believe this gives them over other monetization platforms in the market?
VM: At Xanada Investments, scalability is a key factor in evaluating projects, and FTDx has shown a strong foundation for growth with its lightweight, adaptable platform. Its seamless integration with operators’ systems and focus on real-time revenue generation make it ideal for scaling across regions, especially in today’s fast-moving digital landscape.
FTDx’s major advantage is efficiency,it captures value from active users during live sessions, reducing the need for costly re-engagement strategies. This cost-effective approach works well in markets with varying tech infrastructure, including those with high mobile traffic but limited resources, enabling FTDx to tap into a wider audience.
The platform’s data-driven design supports continual optimization, allowing operators to refine strategies based on real-time insights. This adaptability keeps FTDx competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. Overall, FTDx’s scalable and proactive monetization tools provide operators with a reliable solution for driving revenue in diverse global markets.
Looking ahead, how do you envision FTDX evolving with the support of Xanada Investments? What role does their team’s expertise play in ensuring the successful execution of these growth plans?
VM: With Xanada’s support, FTDx is well-positioned to expand its reach and develop its platform to meet the growing demands of the iGaming sector. Our resources and strategic network will provide FTDx with the connections and insights needed to enter new markets, particularly in regions like Europe and Latin America, where demand for gamified, real-time engagement solutions is on the rise. Xanada’s role will not only be financial but also advisory-we’ll work closely with FTDx to refine their approach and scale their operations effectively.
The expertise within the FTDx team is a major asset in executing these growth plans. Their background in data analytics and monetization strategies means they have a clear understanding of the market’s demands and a precise approach to addressing them. This technical and strategic expertise allows them to develop solutions that are not only innovative but also grounded in practical applications. Their ability to anticipate and adapt to industry trends is a valuable strength, ensuring they can keep up with evolving customer expectations and continue delivering results as they scale.
FTDX’s ambitions to provide measurable outcomes, whether through immediate revenue generation or long-term user retention aligns closely with Xanada’s vision for sustainable growth. By leveraging our network and expertise, FTDx will have the support needed to continually innovate while expanding into new markets. Together, we envision FTDx not only as a leader in iGaming monetization but also as a standard-setter for efficiency and effectiveness in player engagement solutions.
Björn Nilsson commenting on the win of FTDx in the Xanada Startup Contest:
Congratulations on your victory! What was your strategic motivation for participating in the Xanada Startup Contest, and what advantages do you see from this win in terms of your future development?
BN: Thank you very much! I’ve had experience participating in startup contests before, including one with Triggy. While we didn’t win that time, we made it to the top 10 finalists, which was an invaluable experience for the company’s growth. As I mentioned during my podcast with Vladimir Malakchi, contests like these sharpen your game. As a former athlete, I know firsthand that nothing improves you more than competing. Whether you win or not, participating forces you to refine your pitch, clarify your message, and solidify your business plan.
Beyond this, I genuinely enjoy the thrill of competition.
Your product offers a unique approach to monetizing global visits. What inspired you to develop FTDx? What market challenges did you identify that led you to create this solution?
BN: My co-founder, Fredrik Selin, and I were active in several areas, primarily on the affiliate side, when we had a conversation with Jon Bowden, the CMO of New Jersey-regulated casino PlayStar. Jon mentioned that they were receiving a significant amount of traffic from states other than New Jersey and asked if we had any ideas about how to utilize that traffic. Intrigued, we promised to explore the issue further.
Using tools like Similarweb and Ahrefs, we analyzed traffic data from various brands, both large and small. What we discovered was staggering-there’s an immense amount of “lost” traffic out there. Millions of visits end up on 403/404 blocked pages every month, representing a massive untapped resource.
Ten years ago, this issue wouldn’t have existed. At that time, being online inherently meant being “global.” However, with increasing regulation and rising competition, operators must now specialize and dominate local markets to remain relevant. This focus inevitably results in excess traffic from markets where they aren’t operational. That’s where FTDx comes in-to unlock the value hidden within this overlooked traffic and turn it into a new revenue stream.
How do you see the success of the FTDx solution based on your clients’ experiences? How does their traffic volume change, and what positive side effects have you noticed from implementing your solution?
BN: Though we’re still early in our journey with live clients, the results so far have been extremely promising. For example, blocked traffic from our largest client has generated over 8,000 new accounts with other brands in just the past three months. This is traffic that would have otherwise gone unnoticed and unrealized.
When we enable traffic exchanges—allowing clients to receive blocked traffic from other operators—the volume of relevant traffic in their target markets grows significantly. One of the most notable positive side effects, and a point we’ve emphasized from the start, is how operators begin to see the extended value of brand marketing. They realize that their efforts reach far beyond their primary focus markets and, thanks to FTDx, can now monetize that extended reach.
The post FTDx Wins Xanada Startup Contest: Unlocking Untapped iGaming Traffic with Innovative Monetization Solutions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
David Natroshvili, Founder of SPRIBE, talks about company culture and why office working is the key to communication for any organisation
Home working, office working or hybrid working. What’s best when it comes to fostering a successful company culture?
SPRIBE started off as a hybrid working company with our employees having a lot of flexibility over where they worked from and the schedules they worked to. This served us well during the pandemic when companies were forced to send staff home during the height of lockdowns. But since then, and given the rapid growth we have experienced, we have opted to gradually switch to a full-time office set-up for our employees. Why? Because there are so many benefits to having employees working from the office, for both the organisation and those working for it. We’ve tried to make the transition as seamless as possible by creating comfortable and inspiring workspaces, offering regular team-building activities and ensuring we run plenty of social events each month, including poker tournaments and Happy Friday which brings together all team members to round off the week.
Can you talk through some of the benefits of office-based working?
The biggest benefit is the connection that forms between team members and the different teams that make up the organisation. Communication is key to a business – and individuals – achieving objectives and reaching its/their full potential, and communication is so much easier when everyone is under the same roof and can speak face to face. It allows for deeper collaboration, faster problem-solving and more cohesive processes. I think there are serious mental health benefits, too – by working from an office, people feel part of a community and don’t become isolated from their team and the wider organisation. Without its people, company culture is little more than a document of ideas and processes but when you bring the people that make up the organisation under the same roof, it comes to life.
What does SPRIBE’s company culture look like?
We have always focused on helping our employees strike a good work/life balance, and we go to great lengths to support their well-being and mental health. This includes fun activities like our weekly Happy Friday and regular social events but also ensuring that each team member feels valued and that they are supported and encouraged by senior management and team leaders. Personal development is a big part of employee well-being, so we offer plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development. This, combined with providing the right environment for our employees to work in, ensures each member of the team can thrive, develop and grow, which in turn makes them feel like they have a long future with SPRIBE and that their position within the company is valued and secure.
How will you ensure your company culture evolves alongside changing employee expectations and wider working trends?
The way I see it, talented people want to contribute to a successful business so long as their involvement is valued and rewarded. This has always been the case and won’t change anytime soon. At SPRIBE, we want to attract the best talent in the business and so long as we ensure this talent feels valued and is given the environment and opportunities to reach its full potential, while striking the right work/life balance, we will remain a highly attractive organisation to join regardless of the latest company culture trends and employee expectations.
When you founded SPRIBE, did you expect it to become the success that it is today?
Yes and no. I knew that we had an incredibly strong founding team and that when we came up with the concept for Aviator, the original iGaming crash game, that we’d come up with something big. But no, I couldn’t have seen it becoming the phenomenon that it has – Aviator is now live with more than 4,500 online casinos and has 42 million active players a month. This has allowed us to continue to innovate and be pioneers, especially when it comes to our marketing deals with the UFC and A.C. Milan. It’s this that ultimately makes SPRIBE such a great place to work – we are doing things that other companies could only ever dream of.
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