Interviews
Epoxy.ai interview: Bringing AI-based betting to Europe
Epoxy.ai has already firmly established itself as North America’s most exciting AI-personalised betting providers – with major deals signed with the likes of Playtech, AWS, Kambi and Nascar, as well as multi-million dollar investment from some of the biggest funds in the industry, including SeventySix Capital.
With exciting plans to cross the Atlantic and bring the AI betting revolution to Europe, we caught up with Epoxy.ai’s Co-Founder and President Jason Angelides, to talk through the tech behind providing individual personalised betting offers for each player.
For our European readers who might not yet know about Epoxy.ai’s success stateside – can you talk us through your company and what you bring to the market?
Sure. Thank you for your interest in our business. Our business really is all about the end user and making the betting experience easier, more engaging, and most importantly – driving retention. I understand that that claim is somewhat cliche, but in the case of Epoxy.ai, it’s completely true. We do this by harnessing the power of our proprietary AI – providing technology that personalises the end-user experience and takes into account the specific preferences of each individual player to give them a unique and fully tailored betting experience based on their preferences.
I use this analogy a lot – think of us as the technology behind what powers the way Spotify helps listeners find and discover new music via automatic suggestions. Or how Netflix, or any other leading video service, puts the content you want directly in front of you without being prompted. Of course, this personalisation really streamlines and improves the user experience with navigation, discovery and selection.
Just like with Spotify and Netflix, we provide what can broadly be termed an AI-driven personalisation platform, and it’s a true gamechanger for operators when it comes to creating a
much more personalised experience for their end users. It is a proven method of driving engagement, retention, and customer lifetime value – and in my view, the technology that will transform betting and iGaming in the years to come.
How much of a game-changer do you see AI being for the European market? How essential is it to improving the European UX and what are the real benefits in terms of engagement and incremental revenue?
We see AI and personalisation being a game-changer globally – and Europe’s certainly no exception. Being one of the world’s most advanced markets when it comes to the end-user experience, we’ve already seen how much of a difference-maker personalisation has been for leader companies in other verticals such as Search, Advertising, Social, E-Commerce, Video, Music and Retail.
Winners in all of these industries have mastered delivery (ease of consumption) and delivering an individually tailored UX for each customer. For example, Netflix and Amazon first made it easier to consume their offerings, and then via the extensive use of data, they then honed personalisation to the point that it has become synonymous with their product.
We’ve already covered how Spotify’s hyper-personalisation AI keeps customers engaged by consistently suggesting new music that aligns with their listening preferences. The number of resources they’ve channelled into AI-driven personalisation has ensured that it has become the dominant music streaming platform with little or no competitors to take them on. And, nearly 35% of Amazon’s sales come directly from personalisation efforts while 56% of these shoppers are more likely to be repeat buyers. We see the gaming industry as being no different. It’s really just the next tech sector where personalisation will create meaningful revenue benefits. Thus far, no one has emerged as the winner in iGaming, and we’re here to change that.
In terms of adoption – are you one of the first to be offering AI-based personalisation for sportsbook and casino? Do you see Europe as being slower to adopt than the US?
Yes, we are certainly one of the first, if not the only company taking a different approach to addressing the problem. There are some legacy providers that utilise different methodologies, but we are certainly breaking new ground in the space. We actually have received over 30 claims of our Omnibus patent (which is part of our proprietary AI) – so I guess we are doing something unique!
I believe the major advantage we have here is how long we have been doing this as a business.
The last company we founded built personalised fan engagement experiences for viewers across North America. That company, largely because of its personalisation platform, was bought for millions by Comcast and now powers some of the largest personalised sports video portals across Sky TV, NBC, and Comcast Xfinity.
In terms of the adoption of personalisation in the EU, I think the interest and pace of adoption are going to be equally as aggressive as it is in the US right now. The EU is a mature market with established players that can meaningfully impact their businesses with AI and ML.
While the US is innovating more with personalisation, the US is still a growing market so there are many other things happening at the same time such as new market rollouts and platform migrations that can get in the way. Europe on the other hand, is an established and mature market – where tech solutions to give operators an edge over the competition are already in hot demand.
You recently launched Personalised Same Game Parlays in time for the US football season, can you see products like these being easily adapted for European betting habits – such as pre-match accumulators for soccer?
Absolutely. It’s all about making things easier and more entertaining for the end user – regardless of the market or sport. In the case of our Personalised Parlay generator (or accumulators, as we would call them in Europe), instead of the user having to bounce from screen to screen to create a Parlay / Accumulator, our system automatically generates the parlays for the end user based on their preferences. This helps the gaming operators as well since many of them use manual processes for putting specialised offers in front of their customers. Now this can be customised around user preferences automatically, which is real gamechanger for engagement and retention.
Last but not least – looking at the European market, what’s your take on the current state of play here in comparison to the growth of sportsbook in the US over the last 5 years?
That’s hard to answer in just a few words but certainly, the adoption of iGaming in the US is nothing but astounding.
While not without its hiccups, iGaming will no doubt continue to expand as a form of entertainment in the US markets as more and more states begin issuing licences for online casino.
I think what is really notable about the US in comparison to the EU (and indeed the rest of the world), is how AI and personalisation are at the forefront of the US growth strategy.US operators clearly understand that they cannot compete without product differentiation and multiple ways to monetise their customers.
We can see this with the shift into entertainment. So many more brands are now taking this to the next level by providing an ecosystem that is so much more than just a place to make a bet or play a casino game.
Fanatics, for example, who really are a major online retailer of licensed sports merchandise, is now going full bore into the iGaming space, and at the forefront of its strategy is personalisation. To put this into perspective – this is like Amazon when it was just selling books. So much more now lies ahead. In the future, just like Amazon, you can expect Fanatics to offer a lot more, whether it’s shirts, merchandise, NFTs -you name it. Of course, AI and machine learning driven personalization are going to be at the forefront of their strategy. The same goes for the other leading companies in the US.
Of course, given we’re leading the AI adoption charge, we see this a very good for iGaming as competition, and the search for differentiated will always lead to innovation. For companies like us at Epoxy.ai – we’ll be here to provide that technology and truly power the next era of innovation.
Behind every stellar online slot is an equally stellar maths model. These are becoming more experimental as the industry flirts with an increasing array of innovative new mechanics. We spoke to Pablo Martinez, Math/Design Lead and Founder at maverick game studio Peter & Sons to find out more.
Do you have to be a maths genius to build a slot machine?
Nah, you don’t need to be a maths genius. It’s more about having the right mix of skills and loving what you do. You need to play a lot of games, see what’s working out there, and understand what makes them fun. Knowing maths helps, sure, but it’s more about creating something players want to keep coming back to.
Peter & Sons is known for making games that dare to be different, visually and thematically. Is the underlying math equally experimental?
Definitely! We love pushing boundaries, both in how our games look and how they play. Sure, it’s a bit of a gamble to have a bunch of games with unique mechanics, but we’re all about trying new things. Games like Peter Hunter and our upcoming Muddy Waters are great examples — they bring fresh gameplay and new experiences to the table. Each year, we try to put out at least one or two experimental titles, keeping things interesting while mixing them with more familiar styles.
Do you come up with the maths model first and then build the game around that? Take us through the process of building the game from start to finish.
We usually start with an idea for the mechanics first. We make a quick prototype to see if the concept can work with the maths. Then we bring in the art team to brainstorm themes that will fit well. Once we have a basic prototype, we go through a bunch of tweaks and changes until the art, mechanics, and maths all feel right together. It’s a back-and-forth process where we’re constantly finetuning everything to get the best balance.
Why do you think a mechanic like Megaways was so successful?
Megaways took off because it’s a fun, exciting mechanic that gave players something fresh, but smart brand marketing really helped it catch on.
Is there pressure as a slots developer to come up with the ‘next’ Megaways?
Not really. Coming up with new mechanics is always fun, but it’s not the only way to make a hit. Plenty of top games are just clever twists on classic mechanics. It’s more about creating a great experience that keeps players coming back, whether it’s something brand new or just a fresh spin on something more familiar.
Which slots are more popular, high or low volatility, and why do you think that is?
It depends on the market, but in some unregulated markets — and especially with some operators — high-volatility slots are really popular. A big reason for this is streamers. High-volatility games make for exciting content, so they get a lot of attention and hype online. That thrill factor really draws players in.
Which is your favorite Peter & Sons mechanic and why?
Right now, I’d say the fishing mechanic in our upcoming game Muddy Waters. It’s a new twist on the fishing genre that really brings something fresh to the gameplay. It’s exciting to take a familiar theme and make it feel totally different.
Tell us about the mechanics in your latest release, Barbarossa Revenge.
Barbarossa Revenge is a pirate-themed, high-volatility game with 243 ways to win. It’s a DoubleMax game, meaning the multiplier doubles with each cascade. You’ve also got Multiplier Jumps and a Cashout feature that guarantees wins. During Free Spins, the multipliers don’t reset and can keep growing unlimited. With a max win potential of 30,000x the bet, this game is a real thrill!
Interviews
Bigly – not just another game studio. Find out how this start-up is going to help operators achieve sustainable success
European Gaming talks to Liam Mulvaney, Founder of Bigly.
Bigly is the latest studio to have launched into what is a hugely competitive space. What makes you stand out from the crowd?
You’re absolutely right when you say this is a crowded market. Today, there are more than 750 studios providing in excess of 38,000 games to operators and players. But Bigly is not just another game studio. We will be producing thrilling and entertaining content for our partners and their players, but we are positioned to be much more than just a content provider. We consider ourselves a marketing studio that happens to provide assets in the form of slots. Our unique commercial model means operators can access our games for a reliable and predictable cost, which in turn means they can ramp up marketing activity behind the titles that best meet the preferences of their players AND keep the lion’s share of the revenue each game generates. As costs rise and margins fall, Bigly is exactly what operators need to ensure sustainable success.
Tell us more about your unique commercial model.
So Bigly allows operators to access content for a capped monthly fee instead of the standard commercial model used by other studios where they work to a revenue share format. For the operator, this means if a game performs well, they hand a significant chunk of the revenues generated back to the studio. This ultimately has a knock-on effect as to the games that operators push to players and how they allocate marketing resources – this is why you often see the same slots from the same providers at the top of casino lobbies or used for promotional activity. But with our commercial model, which is sort of hybrid between a revenue share and a fixed cost system, operators have much greater flexibility over the games they give top lobby positions to, and how they market those games to players. Of course, they also know that if the game performs well, they get to keep the majority of the revenues made.
How does Bigly’s commercial model help operators beyond cost savings on content?
Our vision is to provide more opportunities for operators to push their own brand rather than Bigly. A quick example is that Bigly will not brand our games’ loader screens, but operators are free to feature their own logo if they wish. This means more brand presence from the operators. With Bigly, operators and their marketing teams can get super creative with their campaigns knowing the cost of accessing the game (or games) is fixed so the better the game performs, the more money the casino makes. In fact, the bolder the casino is in its marketing activity, the bigger the returns they will likely enjoy.
How do operators access your content?
There are a couple of ways. The first is directly through our remote game server, which is provided by our technical partner, Reelsoft. This is our preferred method of integration as it allows us to foster incredibly strong relationships with our operators while ensuring the smooth and seamless delivery of our content into markets across the world. Operators will also be able to get our games through aggregation platforms although the commercial relationship will be with Bigly – the aggregator will simply be a technical partner in the same way that Reelsoft is. This approach allows us to offer our content – and unique commercial model – to operators in the vast majority of jurisdictions from the get-go.
How does this approach to commercials and your wider business model benefit Bigly?
It gives us a major point of difference from the 100’s of other studios in the market, that’s for sure. And there’s something nice about bringing a product to the market that disrupts the status quo and genuinely revolutionises a major part of the industry. Ultimately, our approach and commercial model mean that we can provide the games and financials that operators are seeking, and, over time, this will see us become a major player in the content provision space. Of course, our approach works both ways – while our games are a predictable cost for our partners, they are a predictable income for Bigly and this really helps when it comes to establishing, growing and future-proofing the business. This can be really tough for new studios given the competitive nature of the market and the need for their games to be played at scale which of course requires top lobby positions and operator marketing activity, both of which are hard to secure for a new developer. It is important to note that the vision of this studio is for this approach to be the lifetime model for Bigly, a new way of selling and consuming content.
Your USP is your commercial model, but what about your games?
Our games are a crucial piece of the puzzle. Our commercials can be super attractive, but if our games are tosh then players just won’t play them. This is why I’ve been tapping into my extensive network to assemble an incredible team of designers, mathematicians, developers, testers and so on, as we will live or die by the quality of our content. The first games of a studio are always tough but we are confident that our slots will hit the mark in terms of quality and playability. Our first slot is Deep Sea Treasure and takes the cascading reels format, with symbols tumbling as players dive into the underwater abyss in search of big wins. I’ll be giving people a sneak peek at the SBC Summit in Lisbon, so flag me down if you want to see it in action.
The post Bigly – not just another game studio. Find out how this start-up is going to help operators achieve sustainable success appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Booming Games
Interview with Booming Games: A Sweepstakes Casino Powerhouse Poised for Big Wins in 2025!
In the ever-evolving world of sweepstake casinos, Booming Games is making waves. With visually stunning slots, a wide range of games, and a strategic focus on sweepstakes, they’re quickly becoming the go-to supplier in the industry. We sat down with two of the masterminds behind Booming Games’ success: newly appointed Director of Games, Nemanja Zivic, and VP of Product, Moritz Blume. Here’s what they had to say.
Booming Games has been making quite a splash in the sweepstakes space recently. What’s the secret sauce behind your success?
Moritz Blume: laughs Well, it’s no secret that we’ve been laser-focused on making Booming Games the ultimate partner for sweepstake casinos. For us, it all starts with the players. We’ve built a reputation for creating visually stunning and feature-packed games that keep people coming back for more. And, you know, our sweepstake-friendly features like interactive bonuses, free spins, and multipliers? Players love it! Who wouldn’t want to hit a big win without staking any real money? That’s kind of our jam.
We’ve also made sure to optimize all our games for mobile because let’s face it, people love spinning the reels on their phones, whether they’re on the couch or waiting for their coffee. The seamless mobile experience keeps them hooked, and we’re proud of that.
You’ve just introduced Nemanja Zivic as the new Director of Games. How does he fit into Booming Games’ already strong team?
Moritz Blume: Oh, Nemanja is a rockstar! He brings a ton of experience, not just from the online iGaming world, but as a passionate player of land-based games too. His expertise spans both worlds, and he’s helping us take those proven land-based features that players love and bringing them online. We’re offering players mechanics tailored to all kinds of play styles. Nemanja’s input ensures our games are not just popular but keep players coming back for more.
Nemanja Zivic: Absolutely! We know there’s a traceable trajectory for the features that start in land-based casinos and go on to make waves online. There’s nuance, of course, but we get it. That’s why we offer content featuring both the core and the evolution of Hold and Win, Cash Collect, Triple-pot bonuses, quick-hit Multi jackpots, Multi-reel set Bonuses, and short-term persistence games that make players feel right at home. We bring these land-based features online, and then elevate them with multiple bonus buys, side bets, and picks—ensuring every kind of player, from the casual spinner to the high roller, finds something that resonates with their style.
Between Moritz and me, we’ve got the experience to know what players crave. Add that to our killer roadmap for 2025 and 2026, and we’re all set to release some seriously exciting new titles.
Speaking of sweepstakes, what specifically sets Booming Games apart for operators in this space?
Nemanja Zivic: Booming Games offers full flexibility and an unmatched diversity in our game portfolio—whether you’re looking for classic casino fruits and diamonds, popular casual player favorites, or high-roller picks, we’ve got it all either in the portfolio already or coming next year.
For sweepstake casinos, we provide modified language support tailored to sweepstake players, social currencies, you name it—we’re all about making it work for the operator. And we don’t just stop there. We offer customized game titles to help strengthen the casino’s brand. Want a game with your logo on it? We can do that! Want exclusive features for your VIP players? Done.
Oh, and let’s not forget our various app integrations. We’re getting embedded into platforms that sweepstake players use the most. If you want your Booming Games titles in your app store, we make it happen. Anything’s possible when you’re working with us.
Wow, that’s impressive. Can you tell us more about how you’re integrating with influencers and sweepstake streamers?
Moritz Blume: We’re playing the long game here. In 2025, we’re going to be teaming up with some big names in sweepstake-focused streaming and influencer marketing. Expect to see Booming Games plastered all over Twitch, YouTube, and every platform where people love to watch gameplay. We’ve got some secret partnerships up our sleeve with streamers who are going to take our games to the next level in terms of exposure.
We’re already among the top 3 revenue drivers on various sweepstake platforms, and we’re only going to climb higher. By working closely with influencers, we’re taking our visibility and engagement to new heights. The future is looking bright!
It sounds like Booming Games is on the verge of a major sweepstake takeover. What can we expect next?
Nemanja Zivic: We’re just getting started! We’re in the final stages of some truly exciting partnerships and game launches tailored specifically for sweepstake operators that will redefine the player experience. At the same time, we’re always keeping our eyes on regulatory changes—if there’s an update, we’re ready to react the next day, ensuring our games are fully compliant wherever they’re played.
But that’s not all—responsible gaming is one of the pillars of Booming Games’ strategy. While we’re busy creating all these exciting new features, we’re equally focused on making sure our games are safe, secure, and fair for everyone. By staying on top of regulation and promoting responsible play, we aim to deliver not just thrilling games but ones that players can trust.
Any last words for the sweepstake casino operators and players reading this?
Moritz Blume: If you’re an operator, Booming Games is the partner you’ve been waiting for. We’ve got the tools, the games, and the know-how to make your players love what they’re playing. And for the players? Strap in, because Booming Games has some wild new titles coming your way. 2025 is going to be a ride!
Sounds like Booming Games is the perfect storm for sweepstake casinos. Thanks for chatting with us!
Moritz Blume and Nemanja Zivic: in unison Thank you!
Booming Games continues to dominate the sweepstake casino world, with cutting-edge game design, tailored solutions for operators, and exciting partnerships in the pipeline. Stay tuned for their roadmap in 2025—it’s going to be big!
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