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Reflecting on Evoplay’s LatAm success: Exclusive interview with Vladimir Malakchi, CCO

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Award-winning heavyweight studio Evoplay has made a serious impact in LatAm in 2022 – with its smash-hit Penalty-Shootout quickly becoming one the continent’s fastest-growing games by popularity and engagement.

Our team at Gaming America took the chance to sit down with Evoplay’s legendary CCO, Vladimir Malakchi to talk through the studio’s 2022 success, new releases and plans for the LatAm region in the year ahead. Read on to find out more!

 

First off, congratulations to Evoplay on a fantastic 2022! For our readers, can you tell us a bit about your success over the last year and what that means for LatAm?

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2022 became another outstanding and rewarding year for Evoplay, with so many goals achieved and milestones reached, thanks to our business strategy. We grabbed seven prestigious industry awards, again proving that we are moving towards being one of the most innovative studios in the industry.

Looking at our work – the task of creating top-tier iGaming content and delivering it worldwide was performed at the highest level. We released forty-six new titles, the biggest hit being a World Cup-inspired football package that helped Evoplay’s stats skyrocket.  One of our games, Penalty Shoot-out, gained significant popularity in the LatAm market, which comes as no surprise, as we developed it with football fans in mind!

Looking back, I can’t but mention that 2022 is also marked by a line of fruitful partnerships with top-notch iGaming providers. We established deals with companies operating in the Italian, Irish, Romanian, Croatian, and, of course, LatAm markets, as well as obtained the opportunity to work with the markets under the MGA jurisdiction.

Given that football is so popular in South America, how much are you looking to develop your games with a sporting slant?

We have done thorough research and analysis to study the LatAm iGaming audience and its preferences and cater to its exact needs. It’s no secret that sports are prevalent among LatAm residents, with football being their greatest passion. The region’s betting GGR is over $1.3 billion, which is forecasted for continuous growth. Sports betting constitutes 75% of sportsbooks’ GGR, which reflects strong demand for such content.

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Our football package, consisting of 3 titles,  Penalty Shoot-out, Football Bet, and Penalty Series,  is a product to cover a broad audience of LatAm players, from sports bettors and football fans, to iGamers seeking fresh, sports-based games. This collection is a perfect mix of casino and betting entertainment, and we definitely have more football-themed products on our roadmap.

With Argentina proving to be the World Cup champions, how much increased traffic did you see over the World Cup, and were you impressed with the numbers?

We were impressed with the figures before, during and after the World Cup. You could say that it became a true goalscorer in our business metrics! During the World Cup, for the football package, we saw impressive growth in our key metrics. In particular, Penalty Shoot-out and Penalty Series showed a considerable spike in Bet Sum, GGR, User and Round Count – up to 600%! These results demonstrated the special atmosphere of football celebration a sporting tournament creates, and iGaming providers should be on the ball with their products and their marketing.

Looking to player preferences – what’s your take on what LatAm players are looking for right now, and how is Evoplay looking to cater to this demand?

LatAm is a very diversified region, however, an active interest in football is a common feature for its audience. Evoplay is ready to supply it with the gaming experience they search for. We studied the nature of sports betting, segregated its key elements and implemented them in our titles, giving players the same excitement, but with a casino twist. As a result, they are not bound to football fixtures and can enjoy the same pastime within reach of their smartphones.

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Aside from that, we have an assortment of other titles in our gaming portfolio that will perfectly match LatAm players’ interests. Evoplay produces many games with a LatAm flair, such as the Mexico-inspired Rueda De Chile or Hot Rio Nights with its Brazilian carnival theme. Our research proves that the LatAm audience prefers dynamic and action-packed games, which aligns with our product vision. There is more in the pipeline, as we have some interesting titles in the making!

Looking ahead to 2023, we bet you’ve got plenty of exciting things in store to wow players! Can you give us a hint as to your plans?

Evoplay will continue rocking the iGaming industry with innovative games and solutions. Rest assured, we have much in our product pipeline and business strategy to make 2023 a year to remember. Our mission is to revolutionise traditional iGaming and bring a fresh perspective to its products, offering more gamification and fun. On top of that, we see our global reach considerably growing this year, including enhancing our presence in the LatAm market with even more new partnerships established.

Last but not least, what’s your take on the development of mobile on the continent, and how much are we seeing enhancements in data capacity and smartphone playability?

Without a doubt, the level of mobile penetration in LatAm is growing, which holds a lot of potential for developers and providers, with 75% of subscribers using a smartphone to engage with a product. I am more than confident this trend will continue and build momentum for smartphone playability.

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We have always been focused on mobile iGaming, with our in-house game engine, Spinential, being an excellent solution, accelerating loading speed by up to 10x and saving digital storage space. It makes our games accessible to players on a wide range of devices, regardless of their technical specifications and the quality of their internet connection.

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Canada

ComeOn Group adds sportsbook to its offering in Ontario

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ComeOn Group announced a significant milestone in its sportsbook expansion journey with the addition of sportsbook to their offering in Ontario following the successful acquisition of the required permits. This addition represents a strategic advancement in the Groups sportsbook growth trajectory where they are set to double its sportsbook business in the coming years.

ComeOn Group is one of 51 active operators in Ontario. The Ontario market has experienced robust growth since its launch, reaching C$6.7 billion in revenue in 2023.* By 2029, the market is forecasted to grow by a total of 29%, with 2024 expected to close with a 20% increase.

ComeOn keeps investing in its sportsbook business acceleration that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform and in-house risk management and trading team. As a multi product vertical operator, ComeOn is striving to give its customer base a safe and exciting entertainment destination and this approach is now expanded to their Ontario audience.

Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited about the opportunities this new milestone opens up for us. As a casino-led operator it represents a key part of our sportsbook strategy to double our business in the coming years. Like in any of our other markets, we are striving for a differentiated sportsbook entertainment experience that is powered by our in-house technology. Our goal is to deliver top-tier entertainment to our players while fostering safe and innovative gaming experiences.”

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*Source – H2GC H2 Ontario Data 25.10.2024 (excl. Lottery)

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BCLC

INTRALOT Announces New Project with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation for Online Lottery Platform

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INTRALOT S.A. has announced the undertaking of a new project between the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the sole lottery operator for the Government of British Columbia in Canada, and INTRALOT Inc., its US subsidiary, for the provision of an online lottery platform. The project also includes the digitalization of the existing land-based network.

The solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem, and adds to the company’s overall partnership with BCLC, which has been extended until 2028.

INTRALOT is a leading player in a changing world of gaming. With significant experience in looking forward and anticipating emerging trends, the company provides future-proof solutions to regulated lottery and gaming operators around the world.

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Canada

Relax Gaming joins forces with PointsBet to strengthen footprint in Ontario

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Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has significantly enhanced its presence in the Ontario market through an agreement with leading Canadian operator, PointsBet.

This partnership reinforces Relax Gaming’s aim to become a standout provider across North America, having already gained early success in Ontario. Relax became one of the first suppliers to deliver content to the region’s players in March 2022, debuting with over 120 games across multiple operators.

PointsBet pride themselves as one of Canada’s leading operators offering unmatched speed, ease of use, and a comprehensive array of pre-game and in-play sports betting options. This is complemented by a top-tier online casino which will now be boosted with the integration of Relax’s portfolio of slots and live dealer options.

With its authentic Canadian approach, PointsBet prioritises technology that minimises external dependencies to maintain control over its platform and has a commitment to responsible gambling best practices, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all players.

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Martin Stålros, CEO at Relax Gaming, said: “Since we launched in Ontario we have enjoyed tremendous success, with our content hitting the sweet spot for the broad range of players in the Canadian province. This partnership with PointsBet will strengthen our presence in the market as the region’s leading operator integrates our rich content portfolio which will engage its player base.”

Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer at PointsBet, added: “Relax Gaming has established a strong reputation across North America and in Ontario in particular. The impressive range of content that will be integrated into our platform will increase engagement within our online platform and we are delighted to be able to provide more immersive experiences to our audiences.”

Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.

Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.

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