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The European Gaming Q2 Meetup taught us all about Live Casino Trends and Innovation
The European Gaming Meetups by Hipther have been established as the go-to virtual events to keep you up-to-date with what is fresh in the European gambling industry.
For the 2nd European Gaming Quarterly Meetup that took place on 14 June 2023 at 10am CEST, the #hipthers and Zoltán Tűndik, Co-Founder and Head of Business at Hipther Agency, welcomed a panel of iGaming experts with extensive experience in Live Casino offerings – from the early online gaming days to current casino verticals, and the “futuristic” Metaverse!
The #hipthers are thrilled to introduce you the panelists who discussed:
“Innovation in Live Casino: Standing Out in an Increasingly Saturated Market”
and walk you through their insightful and thought-provoking conversation.
Anna Vikmane is the Director of BETER Live, seasoned iGaming industry executive with experience in a wide range of jurisdictions, products and services in companies such as Playtech and GVC (now Entain). As Director of BETER Live, she is tasked with bringing a new generation of live casino products to the global market.
Daniel Gunba is the Founder / CEO of TRIIONFT – the company working on solutions such as a Body Tracking technology based on #AI to bring the dealers into the Metaverse, and developing the whole #Metaverse environment where Live Casinos will be able to bring their games and products.
Simon Croft is the Founder and developer of Live Solutions Group, pioneer of the fully live online casino platform for table games with video chat for all users. Simon has 30 years of experience in the gaming industry, including #data center management, #payment solutions, Casino operations, Business Management, Full Stack Programming, Affiliate Marketing and Risk Management.
Watch the European Gaming Q2 Meetup Livestream on YouTube here – subscribe to Hipther TV and get notifications for all upcoming virtual meetups and videos by Hipther!
Read on for the highlights and key takeaways from the live meetup conversation!
Q: What can a company do to make its product stand out in the saturated casino market?
Anna Vikmane: “Companies should focus on developing more verticals like game shows and live casino games, like Blackjack Roulette, with additional features and differentiated customer journeys”.
Simon Croft: “First of all, companies should define what Live Casino is for them: What is the Live element of the gaming experience? Some companies use live feeds from casinos, and others focus on creating social environments like we do at Live Solutions. And now there’s also AI to accelerate the process”.
Daniel Gunba: “In terms of UI and UX, companies can add features to Live Casino, but in order to innovate and create something new, one should focus on the Live Experience with casino dealers. Experience is the key”.
Q: What casino trends have emerged in the last few years? Can you give us a sneak peek into the future of live casinos?
Anna: “VR and AR both have been hyped. But overall, what we see in the past 5 years is that the iGaming vertical has been growing massively in terms of offerings and demographics as well. Which adds many cross-selling options and a variety of offerings, starting from core casino games to entirely new gaming concepts – which is what we should be focusing on. We will see more on the live game shows as a separate vertical in the next two years”.
Simon: “Many companies have been jumping the original live dealer bandwagon, while others have been trying to enrich this experience. The Live Game Shows have this “TV filter” that makes them appealing and interesting. Interaction between players is a very important trend, and casino peer-to-peer videos offer a totally new user experience. What holds great potential for the future is how the players can be served better by the companies”.
Daniel: “I agree with Anna in terms of additional features and new gaming concepts – and we have the examples of the Wheel of Fortune, Monopoly, etc. Metaverse is a great trend as well, not for live casino, but still, for gambling. In the future, metaverse can bring in both the factors of live casino and improved casino experience; the real life casino experience and the Metaverse”.
Q: VR and AR spaces are very exciting and Live Casino seems like a natural fit for such technology; how can VR and AR enhance player immersion?
Anna: “The metaverse combo works well and live casino goes hand-in-hand with technological development. VR Live Casino has been done, but what is challenging about it is the end user experience and how natural it is for the users to choose VR at this point. How user-friendly can VR be considered now, when we have our phone in our pockets, not VR glasses? New advancements, like Apple’s headset, create the hype for VR so it can be applied in the future”.
Simon: “Trends are led by the development of devices. Like iGaming started with desktop and laptops, and then Apple came up with a product that allowed people to walk around with entertainment in their pockets. The problem with the VR Live Casino concept is that it depends on both the advancement and popularity of VR devices”.
Daniel: “The experience of VR casino exists – Pokerstars have their own product. Yes, we are not ready for live VR casino, but it certainly is something we will see in the future. Mobile technology is already extremely advanced, and perhaps it will evolve to accommodate the VR experience as well”.
Q: Why do you think that having a bespoke brand of Live Casino is catching on – especially in the U.S. ?
Anna: “The US market is known for valuing the entertainment quality of their products – especially considering the value and growth of Hollywood. So, they traditionally have this show-type of outlook. The Live Casino market specifically, has gotten very competitive with so many new provider and operator companies coming in. Most players are registered to 3.5 operators on average in order to check all offerings. So, the answer for providers is to keep producing unique, exclusive content for operators to stand out”.
Simon: “The ability for branding in virtual tables and the costs lead to overcharging the tables’ branding. On the other hand, It is very difficult to justify having physical tables branded. So this trend of bespoke Live Casino branding will continue”.
Daniel: “Yes, everyone wants to successfully brand their tables so that people remember them. And users want to have a 100% positive and unique user experience”.
Q: Are there any “magic tricks” for developers to elevate the user experience?
Anna: “There is no end point to the improvement of user experience! But the question is: where is the end user in this journey? With the current phones, we have 4K quality for example, but internet connection quality per region is also an issue. Additionally, the user experience needs to be personalized in order for the customer to get the best experience possible – and that’s the biggest challenge”.
Simon: “It’s all about the user experience and not about technology. Technology provides the means for retention, but there are different types of players, looking for different points in the user experience. The new generations want social experience and we’re going to see development focusing on interaction between the users”.
Daniel: “You need to identify who your end user is, so you can provide different types of personalization – such as different types of resolutions and settings, to provide as much as possible for all players depending on their needs and hardware”.
Q: Do you think that Live Casino Games still have a seat at the table at a time when so many immersive games are being released every week?
Anna: “Definitely, although there are so many games and there is an emphasis on sports and football. But Blackjack and Roulette are live casino classics and we have seen that there can be many new variations of these games”.
Simon: “Casino games will continue to morph and change, and live casino is definitely not going to disappear. Even standard slot games can evolve to live casino”.
Daniel: “Yes, definitely games like slots will evolve to live casino and personally, I would be very happy to play slots with a live dealer. And thank you, that’s a great idea for my Team!”.
Outro – Here’s what our speakers had to say to wrap up the discussion on Live Casino Innovation:
Anna: “Let’s all stay tuned, be creative and Live Casino is the vertical with the greatest potential to evolve. Personalization is the key to a better user experience”.
Simon: “Live casinos started because people distrusted iGaming and RNG. This has massively changed now and it can only be a good thing”.
Daniel: “My team keeps an eye out for new releases every week and every day, investigating new ideas. And I think that iGaming is the ideal industry to try out new ideas!”.
Gaming Corps unveils industry veteran Adam Pentecost as new Director of Customer Success as it lays out its plans for growth in 2025.
Gaming Corps, a publicly listed game studio based in Sweden, is proud to announce the appointment of Adam Pentecost as their new Director of Customer Success. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Adam provides a proven track of helping established providers achieve growth.
Adam has been in the iGaming industry for 11 years, working in key roles for respected providers like 1X2 Network, iSoftbet, Play’n Go, IGT, and Hacksaw Gaming. In three jobs, he held Head of Commercial Account Management roles, managing a global workforce across the UK, Asia, Romania, Sweden, and Malta and reporting directly to C-suite level management and board members.
His time in the industry has seen him amass a wealth of experience in many key areas, including regulated and emerging markets, aggregation distribution, and crypto and streaming operations. He also had a deep knowledge of the constantly evolving North American landscape. These qualities will be valuable assets to Gaming Corps as they continue their global expansion strategy throughout 2025.
Adam will hit the ground running in his new role as he will be responsible for driving revenue and maximising the business performance across the board. During his first few months, he will analyse the status of key relationships, ensuring they are reaching their full potential while also formulating a strategy that will benefit the company’s rapidly growing ecosystem.
With market access and distribution at an all-time high and a dramatically expanded product roadmap emphasising innovation, Gaming Corps’ appointment of Adam Pentecost is perfectly timed to build on this momentum.
Adam Pentecost, Director of Customer Success, said: “I am excited to join Gaming Corps at such a pivotal time in their journey. It has some incredibly ambitious expansion plans, and I am eager to roll up my sleeves and help make them a reality.
“With over a decade’s worth of experience behind me, I am well aware of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The team and I share a vision of what we can achieve, and I look forward to working alongside my new colleagues at Gaming Corps to help take the company to new heights.”
Alex Lorimer, Gaming Corps COO, said: “Adam’s extensive experience and proven track record make him the perfect match for Gaming Corps’ plans for 2025 and beyond. He is a respected figure within the industry, and he will be able to leverage his extensive network of contacts and industry expertise to help accelerate growth across the board. Adam is the latest piece in a collaborative jigsaw that continues to solidify our position as a leading game studio.”
The post Adam Pentecost Joins Gaming Corps as Director of Customer Success appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
ADG
Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commissioner, Joe Pennington, Retiring After 24 Years of Service
After serving over 24 years as a Commissioner on the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (“MMA”) Commission, Joe Pennington presided over his final commission meeting on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Pennington was appointed to the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission in 2001 by Governor Jane Hull and served under the next four administrations of Janet Napolitano, Jan Brewer, Doug Ducey, and Katie Hobbs.
During his tenure, Commissioner Pennington played a key role in strengthening safety protocols for fighters and reinforcing Arizona’s position as a leader in combat sports regulation. He is most proud of the Commission’s commitment to combatant safety, exemplified by the adoption of the concussion protocol and testing, the passage of 581679, the Boxing/MMA Omnibus Bill, in 2024, and the adoption of rules for Boxing, MMA, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Tough Man competitions. Last fall, the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission was recognized as “Commission of the Year” at the North American Boxing Federation Awards Banquet for its regulatory efforts.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside Commissioner Pennington over the last few years,” said Danny Vella, Executive Director of ADG’s Boxing and MMA Division. “I am grateful for his nearly two and a half decades of dedicated service and commitment to enhancing combat sports regulation in Arizona. I wish Mr. Pennington the best in his retirement and look forward to the continued impact of his tremendous contributions.”
“On behalf of the Arizona Department of Gaming, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Commissioner Joe Pennington for his unwavering dedication and service to the Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts community in Arizona,” said Director Jackie Johnson, ADG. “Through multiple administrations, his commitment to integrity, fairness, and the growth of combat sports has left a lasting impact on the industry and the state. We thank him for his years of leadership and public service.”
Serving in his final commission meeting, Commissioner Pennington was presented a commendation from Executive Director Vella on behalf of Governor Katie Hobbs, receiving well wishes from several attendees of the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission meeting on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, The Department and its staff wish Mr. Pennington a joyous and adventurous retirement, and we are forever grateful for his 24 years of service to combat sports safety and regulation in Arizona.
The post Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commissioner, Joe Pennington, Retiring After 24 Years of Service appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Continent 8 Technologies, the leading provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions to the iGaming and online sports betting industry, has launched its data center and managed and professional services in Missouri.
Following the approval of Missouri Amendment 2 on November 5, 2024, the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) is preparing the state for the launch of its regulated online sports betting market, scheduled for December 1, 2025. Continent 8’s first-to-market strategic approach provides Missouri online sports betting operators and suppliers with immediate access to Continent 8’s data center, along with a full suite of best-in-class services that facilitate the rapid deployment of secure, resilient, zero-compromise gaming platforms.
The US continues to be a strategic market for Continent 8, as it remains not only the fastest growing, but only end-to-end solutions provider for the gaming industry in the nation. Continent 8 possesses requisite regulatory licenses, certifications, approvals, and registrations across more than 30 states, including Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and now Missouri. The most recent EGR Power US Rankings underscores Continent 8’s position as the premier service provider in the industry, servicing and supporting 95% of the listed operators.
Michael Tobin, CEO and Founder of Continent 8 Technologies, said: “The approval of Missouri Amendment 2 highlights the continuous growth of the regulated and highly competitive US online sports betting market. We are thrilled to already be engaged with numerous customers and actively preparing their environments for the soon-to-open market.
“Our approach, anchored in regulatory compliance, ensures that gaming operators and suppliers are equipped with market-ready solutions to swiftly establish state-compliant, secure and uncompromising infrastructures, while providing ample time to optimize their platforms well in advance of the state’s launch date.”
The post Continent 8 Technologies Launches its Data Center in Missouri appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Adam Pentecost Joins Gaming Corps as Director of Customer Success
Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commissioner, Joe Pennington, Retiring After 24 Years of Service
Continent 8 Technologies Launches its Data Center in Missouri
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