Exclusive Interview with Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson

– Tell us about the CEE region for you in 2020 – what’s been your major highlights?

Throughout 2020, the CEE region was hugely important for Playson. It was the year when our games were certified in Croatia, Republic of Srpska, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro, which increased our foothold within the region significantly. We signed a raft of major commercial deals and were often among the first suppliers to partner with operators upon entering a newly-regulated territory.

That success is testament to our credentials as one of the region’s most exciting suppliers, and we can’t wait to continue expanding our CEE reach with a string of new agreements in 2021.

– To give readers a view of how you see the market – where’s been key for you and what regions are you keeping a close eye on?

Germany remains a key market of focus for us. Despite a decline in gaming revenue caused by tougher restrictions on domestically licensed operators, we believe the market will continue to grow. Further west, neighboring Netherlands, which is set to bring in regulated online gambling later this year, is also of strong interest to us, and we’re keeping a close eye on any regulatory developments coming out of Switzerland.

We plan to apply for local licences and secure comprehensive operator partnerships in both of those territories, which will further cement our position among the region’s fastest-growing content developers.

– How have events in since last March changed your approach to the region? Would you say it’s changed the landscape and demographics?

Businesses across the globe continued to reel from the shockwaves caused by Covid-19, and our industry is no different. The closure of land-based casinos and retail betting outlets took its toll, as did the pause on sporting fixtures.

One sector that has surged, however, is online casino. The coronavirus outbreak and ensuing lockdown caused a spike in activity, with demand for our content hitting record highs. Nevertheless, we’ve continued to adapt to the changing circumstances, with the pandemic causing delays and interruptions to regulatory processes in markets across the globe.

– Looking to the future – what should our readers be watching out for in the next 12 months?

Even more thrilling Playson content! New games, bonus features and engagement tools are all on our agenda, with the aim of increasing retention rates and dwell time for operator partners.

Our upcoming release, Wolf Power: Hold and Win, is a glowing case in point. The slot showcases in-game jackpots including the Grand Jackpot worth x500, with stacked Wilds, Hold and Win mechanics and Free Spins also making an exciting appearance.

Overall, 2020 will see us maintain the impressive content rollout that attracted so many fans last year, with an emphasis on unique gameplay features tailored to key markets.

– And last but not least, looking outside of the gaming industry, can you name an industry figure or company that we’d do well to learn from in the year ahead?

We continue to learn from colleagues in the blockchain space, which has gone from strength to strength in recent months.

As an open and transparent ledger of actions and information, blockchain allows regulators to monitor the funds going in and out of a casino, and how much and how frequently players bet. From a player protection standpoint, that could be extremely promising.

Given that a large percentage of our revenue comes from mobile, we also keep track of new smartphone releases from the likes of Samsung and Apple. That’s a vital part of ensuring our content is optimised for the full spectrum of devices, which is a high priority for Playson.