Connect with us
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

News

Exclusive interview with Tal Zamstein, Group Head of Gaming at Fortuna Group

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

My next interviewee is a well know expert in the gambling industry. Tal Zamstein (Group Head of Gaming at Fortuna Group) is going to be among the speakers at the second edition of Prague Gaming Summit (more details here) and I want to thank him for taking his time and doing this interview.

I would also like to thank you for following my interview series and for sharing these information with your colleagues and partners. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming interview, please send me an e-mail to [email protected] and I will happily get back to you!

Mr. Tal, thank you for accepting this interview. I have read in your biography that as a manager team-work, leading your team to achieve great results is very important for you. Will you please shortly speak about you and your career?

Tal: I grew up from the very basic level in this industry, started as a CS agent while studying. This gives me until today the ability to understand the CS agent behind the Phone/Chat/Mail and his/her challenges. As I moved to managed projects I did not forget the focus on the customers, always having in the back of my mind, the experience with faults and errors I had to deal with as a CS agent.

Later moving to manage people was easier. They knew and felt I was coming from the lower level and I always paid attention to the fact I should be part of the team, accept other opinions while giving direction. It is a key for a success to give the people a space for their own creativity while creating the boundaries.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

As I moved to roles which required me to manage people in multiple locations the challenge became bigger, and there is no way to convince someone to behave in a certain way while you are absent if the other party does not understand what is the main goal and is not part of the whole journey there. People engagement is a key and we cannot achieve it with orders but with a team set of mind.

The Fortuna Entertainment Group is the largest European betting operator. It operates in several European countries. Please speak about the services, products this company offers.

Tal: Fortuna Entertainment Group is the biggest Central and Eastern Europe operator. In the UK and Germany we can still find bigger operators. We concentrate on our 5 territories and building ourselves as a one stop shop, in terms of betting and gaming in those countries.

Currently we offer Sportsbook and Virtual Games retail and online in Poland and Slovakia, the regulator is restricting gaming at this point. In Czech Republic we launched online gaming a year ago (Technical Games and Live Games licenses) and of course Sportsbook online and retail.

In Romania we are operating currently with 2 brands (Fortuna and Casa Pariurilor) and we have a full gaming, instant games, Sportsbook offer in both retail and online.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

In Croatia we own the PSK operation, similar to Romania where we have a very comprehensive retail and online Casino, Lotto, Sportsbook offer in this market.

The company you represent is a leader in setting trends in the betting sector. How could it reach to this level? What is the key of success and which are the values the company considers vital in order to achieve its goals?

Tal: We are leading the market because of a work which was done well in the past. The Fortuna brand was built very strongly, especially with the retail presence in the main three territories (Poland, Czech Rep, and Slovakia) and later with a big first acquisition in Romania.

The Group is always putting in mind to be first out with a new product once allowed in the territory and push forward with innovation within the operations. The leading management of the Group changed the emphasis into online and Mobile offers a while ago, showing the trends to the territories.

With the last acquisition of Hattrick Group (Casa Pariurilor in Romania and PSK in Croatia) the Group extended its arms in the region and took another step to get this vision into those two brands.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

You have a vast experience in the gambling industry. Please tell our readers your opinion about the Czech market regulations and the present situation of this market.

Tal: The Czech Market is a very non-mature gaming regulated market. It is not unique for this territory to restrict a lot in the very beginning, we can remind ourselves about Slots not being allowed in Italy and Spain i.e. For now, there are many restrictions regarding products (Live Dealer offer is restricted), amounts are very tight (max bet and max win) and the government took it very slowly to protect the customers.

I assume that like the other territories did in the past, the Czech regulator will understand that the operators are not the bad guys and there is a space to offer everything in a proper way. This will take time, too.

The Market has a space for more operators and I think that we will see more brands go live this year. It is a process of several years and I think we will have the Czech market structured like the mature regulated markets as Italy, Spain, and UK etc.

Finally I would like to ask you to share with us the future plans of the company and your expectations regarding the future of the Fortuna Entertainment Group.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Tal: We do expect a lot from the Group, as you know, our major shares holder is currently buying back all the Fortuna stocks. The plan is to finish the migration of the new brands, put everything on one advanced platform with the most innovative technology and continue to expand territory wisely.

There are still regulated countries in this region we are not operating in and I assume it will be changed at some point.

To meet Tal in person, make sure you register and attend Prague Gaming Summit 2018, held on the 29th of March at Andel’s by Vienna House Prague.


Source: European Gaming Media and Events
Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Latest News

What makes Turbo Games’ provably fair games so special?

Published

on

what-makes-turbo-games’-provably-fair-games-so-special?
Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.

Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”

Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.

There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.

Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”

Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”

What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.

 

 ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

More information: https://slotegrator.pro/

 

ABOUT TURBO GAMES

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.

Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.

The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.

More information: https://turbogames.io/

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Baltics

Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

Published

on

games-factory-talents-has-teamed-up-with-nordic-game-to-bring-you-nordic-game-talents.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.

Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.

Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Participating in the event

As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.

To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair

About Games Factory Talents

A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents

Continue Reading

810 THE SPREAD

Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting

Published

on

 

Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.

Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”

Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”

Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:

6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.

9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.

12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.

4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio

BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.

For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.

Continue Reading

Trending