Conferences in Europe
Can Fun Be Safe? The Role of Social Responsibility in Slot Game Design
The European Gaming Congress (EGC) returns to Warsaw for 2024 on 15-16 October, and organizer HIPTHER is proud to introduce the conference’s esteemed Sponsors – trailblazing companies and accomplished professionals that help make the magic happen! In this Sponsors Spotlight Interview, we welcome Maciej Makuszewski, iGaming Director at Promatic Group, parent company of the Platinum Sponsor for EGC 2024, Promatic Games.
For many people outside the gaming industry, putting social responsibility and online slot games in the same sentence might seem counterintuitive. What’s your perspective on this? How can a slot development company demonstrate responsibility?
You’ve hit on a very interesting point right from the beginning. From an outsider’s view, social responsibility and online gambling might seem like polar opposites—like water and fire. But within the industry, we understand that to succeed, all parties, and especially operators and game studios, need to cater to a broad audience. This includes not only players seeking excitement and adrenaline but also casual players who just want a bit of entertainment. We simply need to think about the mass market when designing the gaming experience.
From there, it becomes essential to safeguard ALL players by promoting responsible behaviors and minimizing risks. After all, even with a naturally risky activity like gambling, people still want a sense of security in their experience. This is where social responsibility becomes key. While the public often associates our industry with problem gambling or even addiction, this is a simplistic view. A problem gambler is not a good player—not for them, and certainly not for us. We aim to create a safe and enjoyable environment for all players, which ultimately benefits everyone involved.
So speaking of iGaming in general, what are the key areas when it comes to promoting responsible behavior and minimizing risks for players, as you rightly put it?
I would consider Responsible Gaming as an umbrella term that encompasses a range of measures. I usually break these down into several key categories:
- Identifying and protecting vulnerable players
- Game mechanics
- Transparency and communication
- Youth exposure
- Game design and incentives
- Financial limits and self-exclusion mechanisms
- Utilization of player data
Of course, this list can evolve depending on specific market needs, but these are the core elements. I haven’t included aspects like fairness or certification, as these are typically viewed as basic prerequisites in most regulated markets—they aren’t specific to Responsible Gaming but rather fundamental requirements for offering games to customers. Additionally, technical standards can also play a supporting role in fostering a responsible gaming environment.
Given that your role as a game studio is to provide the games themselves, how can you contribute to making the experience as responsible as possible? You’re not in full control over all of the seven areas you mentioned earlier.
You’re right—our role is narrower compared to operators, but we still have a significant impact in key areas. We can influence game mechanics, transparency and communication, youth exposure (to some extent), and game design and incentives. While we don’t manage player data, we can still support the identification of problem gambling behaviors.
Take game mechanics, for example. As a studio, we invest a lot of time in balancing the speed of gameplay with clear, accurate visualizations of the spin results. One of our key principles is ensuring that all our designs and developments are configurable to meet Responsible Gaming requirements. For instance, our games were recently certified in the Czech Republic, where the regulator mandates that each spin lasts at least two seconds. This is a Responsible Gaming measure, and our configurable software allowed us to implement this requirement quickly.
Another area that’s been a focus of many regulators is the Bonus Buy feature. We were hesitant to introduce it because some of the behaviors associated with this feature may heighten the risk of problem gambling. After months of careful consideration, we decided to launch it only with the ability to monitor every player action related to this functionality. We are committed to tracking this feature closely to ensure it aligns with responsible gaming standards.
You’re also going to touch on game design and incentives at the European Gaming Congress (EGC), correct?
Yes, that’s right! We’re excited to share the story behind one of our most innovative games, Ale Fajny BOBER. The game’s theme is inspired by a popular viral video, and it was a fascinating challenge for our team to translate the essence of a two-minute YouTube clip into an engaging slot experience. We had many discussions on how to best capture and visualize that story within a slot game format. But I’ll save the finer details for the conference—we’ll be talking about it on Day 1 during our presentation! Feel free to join and ask questions!
You mentioned the game Ale Fajny BOBER. Could our readers be familiar with other titles that have come out of your studio?
Ale Fajny Bober is indeed a new game, which had its premiere in Poland on September 26. Promatic Games has a portfolio of hundreds of exciting slot games that have been both successful and widely appreciated by players. Some of these include: Mummy’s Treasure Deluxe, Dracula’s Treasure, Janosik 30 and Miss Joker Show – the latter has even been shortlisted for the Best iGaming Product category at the EiGE2024 awards, with the final taking place at the upcoming conference. I warmly invite to join us at the event and cast your vote for our title. See you there!
Promatic Group’s iGaming Director, Maciej Makuszewski, and Product Design Manager, Luka Oblak, will be presenting a workshop at the European Gaming Congress on ‘Mastering the Art of Balanced Slot Development.
Join us in Warsaw and meet the Promatic Games Team in person:
The post Can Fun Be Safe? The Role of Social Responsibility in Slot Game Design appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Conferences in Europe
Avoiding black-market dominance? Get insights and remedies at next week’s GiH Conference!
As a result of growing regulatory pressure and increasing tax rates, black-market operators have made significant gains in the Netherlands in recent months.
The Netherlands Gambling Authority currently estimates that unlicensed operators have managed to capture more than half of total online GGR.
This year’s Gaming in Holland Conference – which takes place Thursday, June 5 – will feature many sessions specifically dedicated to understanding & avoiding (further) black-market growth:
- Nederlandse Loterij CEO, Arjan Blok will discuss (among other things) his company’s ongoing civil proceedings against Costa Rica-based operator LalaBet.
- Renske Fikkers, Head of Market Supervision at the Netherlands Gambling Authority, will further clarify the regulator’s approach to combating illegal gambling.
- Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital, will share the latest estimates of the current size of the offshore online market, as well as future growth projections.
- Henk Willem Smits, investigative reporter at Follow the Money, will highlight ownership structures and methods of popular black-market operators.
- Christian Heins, Director iGaming at Tipico, will outline how licensed operators can effectively hurt illegal competitors by pressuring B2B suppliers.
All this, of course, in addition to a loaded program that will cover the latest political developments, the impact of further tax increases, M&A, AI, marketing & much more.
Breakout sessions, networking & additional information
Besides an impressive main-stage program, the 2025 GiH Conference also offers five highly practical breakout sessions to help our attendees deal with their day-to-day business concerns:
- B2B licensing for the Dutch market? (Magno Neiva, Head of Compliance, Altenar)
- Bonuses, promotional games & player protection: Navigating the regulatory landscape (Joris Crone, Lawyer, Franssen Tolboom Advocaten)
- Elevating the player journey: Sustainable growth through responsible engagement (Janez Dovžan, Commercial Director PAM – Turnkey Solutions, Bragg Gaming Group)
- Platform technology in the Netherlands (Brian Forth, Commercial Director, Finnplay Technologies)
- Lessons learned from compliance testing in the Netherlands (Sander Hoogendoorn, Business Development Manager, Trisigma)
Lastly, don’t miss our traditional boat tour through Amsterdam’s picturesque canals, festive networking drinks at Holland Casino Amsterdam, and the opportunity to meet the key decision makers in the Dutch regulated gambling market.
Check out our full program here: https://bit.ly/GiHC2025_Agenda.
Or click here to register now: https://bit.ly/GiHC2025!
The post Avoiding black-market dominance? Get insights and remedies at next week’s GiH Conference! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
On 27 and 28 May the Serbian capital will once again host Belgrade Future Gaming exhibition. EGT Digital will participate in it along with EGT for another year in a row. Both companies will expect their guests on stand E1.
EGT Digital will reveal its rich gaming world, including the jackpot bestsellers Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, and Single Progressive Jackpot, as well as over 140 casino games on different themes, which have presence in more than 50 markets worldwide. Visitors will also be able to learn more about the newest addition to the provider’s jackpot portfolio: the 4-level multi-denomination Gods & Kings Link. Currently including 2 games: Glorious Alexander and Ape of Luck, it will offer players an exciting experience full of great winnings, attractive bonuses, and a lot of fun.
The company’s iGaming platform X-Nave will also be on display. Featuring 4 main modules: Gaming Aggregator, Sport Product, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway, it stands out with great flexibility, thanks to which each of the modules can function as part of the turnkey solution or operate independently, as they allow integration with third-party developments.
The Gaming Aggregator will present its vast range of over 13,000 titles from more than 130 popular providers together with numerous functionalities for content customization. The Sport Product will demonstrate its rich sports and esports content across a number of markets globally. The CRM Engine with its player management tools and bonus features, as well as the Payment Gateway, covering a rich diversity of payment methods, will further expand operators’ options to create more personalized and engaging offerings for their clients.
“Participating in Belgrade Future Gaming has always been very rewarding for us and I have every reason to believe that this year’s edition will once again bring us excellent results,” said Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital. She added: “We can’t wait to meet with our valued current partners and potential future customers from the region and show them our latest innovations, that can make their business even more successful.”
The post EGT Digital at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025: Get ready to be fascinated appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Balkans
EGT’s high-potential novelties to fascinate operators and players at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025
Belgrade Future Gaming 2025 is just around the corner. EGT will traditionally participate in the event, showcasing a well-curated selection of brand-new and top-performing products, which will be available at stand E1.
The company will showcase its latest series of slot cabinets Supreme, presented by the S 32-32 St and S 32-32 Up models. Powered by the Exciter IV platform, they will captivate visitors’ attention with their 2 high-resolution 32-inch UHD 4K monitors and a frameless UHD 4K display. The machines will dive players into the fascinating world of Supreme Selection multigames – Supreme Green Selection, Mega Supreme Fruits Selection, Supreme Red Selection, and Bonus Prize Bonus Buy Supreme Selection, offering a wide diversity of new games and well-known classic titles from EGT’s portfolio.
The guests will also be able to try out the Phoenix cabinets PH 27-27 St and PH 50 V St. These models will be among the highlights at EGT’s stand, standing out with their attractive design and numerous ergonomic features. They will be supplied with the jackpot bestseller Bell Link with its popular mixes Bell Link 1 and 2.
EGT will showcase its ETG solutions. The G R6 C roulette will be on display to provide visitors with an exciting gaming experience with its 6 27-inch HD touchscreen monitors and the option to choose between European and American wheels.
The company’s casino management system Spider will introduce its latest modules, allowing operators to make managing the daily activities in their gaming establishments easy and effective.
EGT Digital will also present its wide range of iGaming solutions. The provider will showcase its rich variety of instant and slot games, jackpot products, as well as the in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform X-Nave with its 4 main modules, giving operators everything they need to build and grow their online business.
Aleksandar Kliska, General Director of EGT Group d.o.o. Serbia, commented: “I am very glad that we will participate in Belgrade Future Gaming once again, as it is among the most important gaming exhibitions not only in Serbia, but also in the region. The event will allow us to showcase our latest products to the key players in the industry, strengthen our current partnerships, and start new collaborations.”
The post EGT’s high-potential novelties to fascinate operators and players at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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