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:
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Conferences in Europe
SOFTSWISS Developer Conference Highlights Engineering Strength in High-Load iGaming
SOFTSWISS, a global igaming software provider, has hosted one of its largest internal developer conferences. The closed-door event in Warsaw brought together over 100 product and engineering specialists to share their experience on building robust iGaming infrastructure, scalability, and technology resilience.
Designed to accelerate cross-functional collaboration and drive technical excellence, the conference agenda featured ten selected talks focused on mission-critical topics such as platform architecture, high-load performance, risk management, and structured thinking – all vital to the stability and success of modern iGaming operations.
“Behind every seamless gaming experience is a robust, well-architected platform that can perform under pressure,” said Sergey Kastukevich, Deputy Chief Technology Officer at SOFTSWISS. “This conference reflects our belief that high-performance technology is the foundation of long-term operator success. It’s where ideas are tested, knowledge is shared, and better systems are built.”
The speaker line-up was curated from a highly competitive pool, with three applications submitted for every available slot. The final agenda reflected both the technical depth and practical expertise required to operate at scale in the iGaming industry, offering value beyond core engineering topics.
“Most of the topics revolved around strategic challenges aimed at improving efficiency, stability, speed, cost, and process optimisation. That defines who we are as a company: we are a global tech company with 16 years of experience, our products are mature, and what matters now is how we process large volumes of data reliably and build scalable knowledge bases. These are applied, enterprise-level issues,” highlighted Stanislau Biarkovich, Principal Architecture Manager and one of the internal organisers of the conference.
Among the standout sessions were:
“An Economist’s Guide to Architecting and Building Web-Scale Platforms” – a talk connecting infrastructure decisions with economic principles, delivered by Brian Azzopardi, Head of Engineering.
“How Risk Management Techniques Could Make Business – and Your Life – More Effective” – a session by Sergei Laiter, Risk and Process Manager, highlighting the strategic thinking behind resilient tech systems.
Attendees included engineers and product leaders from SOFTSWISS offices across Europe.
As part of its broader commitment to innovation and community engagement, SOFTSWISS also participated in Code Europe 2025, one of the continent’s top tech festivals. Representing the company on the public stage, Artem Bychkov, Deputy Chief Security Officer, delivered a keynote titled “Groundhog Day: Lessons from 20 Years in Security”, shedding light on recurring cybersecurity blind spots and their impact on digital business resilience – including in iGaming.
With demand for stable, scalable, and secure platforms at an all-time high, SOFTSWISS continues to invest in its global engineering culture to ensure that its partners – including operators, aggregators, and affiliate programs – can grow with confidence.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS complies with a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 30,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
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Conferences in Europe
EGT Digital to present its brand-new products designed to perform at iGB Live 2025
This year’s iGB Live is the next destination where EGT Digital will present a selection of impressive new releases, product upgrades and popular bestsellers from its portfolio. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the company’s latest innovations at stand N50.
Part of the exciting new lineup is the upcoming slot Power & Glory: Athena, which will be launched as part of the popular Clover Chance jackpot series. The game invites players to challenge the Greek goddess in exchange for a rich mix of cascading wins and dynamic bonus features.
Together with it, guests can explore EGT Digital’s extensive portfolio of over 140 in-house developed casino titles, covering a wide variety of themes and mechanics. On display will be also the company’s standout jackpot solutions Bell Link, High Cash, Single Progressive Jackpot, and the latest Gods & Kings Link.
EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave will demonstrate how its modular architecture helps operators build and grow successful online businesses. Its 4 main modules – Sport Product, Gaming Aggregator, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway, can be used as part of the complete solution or integrated individually into third-party platforms. Each module has been upgraded with new functionalities, which will be showcased at iGB Live 2025.
New features are coming to the Sport Product module, bringing a more dynamic and personalized betting experience. Among the highlights is the Early Payout option for live events, giving players the chance to lock in a win as soon as their team takes a 2-goal lead. The updated eSports menu introduces a new visually engaging layout that makes browsing and navigation effortless. To further tailor the experience, the new Sports Recommendation Engine delivers real-time, personalized suggestions based on individual betting history and behavior. A predefined multiple bets container now appears in the Sports lobby, displaying both original and boosted odds. With the enhanced Quick Deposit feature, players can top up their accounts instantly while staying within their financial limits.
X-Nave’s Gaming Aggregator will present its expanded game library, which now includes more than 24,000 titles from over 150 providers. Attendees will get acquainted with the Client Hub, which offers easy access to game resources and features, jackpots, documentation, and certificates. In addition, now operators will be able to manage bonuses through the Aggregator, thanks to the module’s built-in bonus support.
The Payment Gateway will introduce several important upgrades designed to improve flexibility and player convenience. One of the latest additions is the Stacking Deposits feature, which allows multiple consecutive deposits to be combined toward activating a bonus. The PIX method now enables players to make deposits straight from the game window, while the Quick Deposit functionality continues to support fast and seamless top-ups. The platform users will also have at their disposal Google Pay as a deposit option and Apple Pay as a withdrawal option. Fully automated deposits and withdrawals via bank transfer will be also available.
Last but not least, the Standalone payment gateway will be presented too. This is a new separate product, which includes all features of the Payment Gateway: transaction monitoring, rule engine, integrations with payment methods, and allows integration with X-Nave and platforms of other providers.
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, commented: “I always look forward to iGB Live, as this event traditionally provides us with the chance to showcase our innovative solutions to a wide range of professionals from all over the world and to strengthen our existing partnerships, as well as start new high-potential collaborations. This year, my excitement is even greater as the show will be held in a new place – London, which has already established itself over the years as a preferred location for holding large-scale gaming exhibitions. I am confident that our participation in iGB Live 2025 will be a great success, meeting and even exceeding our expectations.”
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The Sustainable Gambling Zone (SGZ) located on stand Q30 at iGB L!VE will reflect the very latest thinking on player protection delivered by a mix of not for profit and private sector companies including Yaspa, Experian, Department of Trust, Gordon Moody and BetBlocker – the 2025 Clarion Gaming charity partner.
Visitors to the Zone will have the opportunity to connect directly with specialists in responsible gambling, mental health, and consumer protection, learn about the latest technological advances and initiatives designed to enhance player safety and well-being, attend thought-provoking sessions and workshops focused on best practice and foster collaborations aimed at driving positive change across the industry.
Explaining the evolution of Clarion Gaming’s commitment to player protection Managing Director Stuart Hunter said: “I’m extremely proud that we became the first b2b gambling event to champion player protection when we launched the Consumer Protection Zone at ICE 2018.
“The journey of the Sustainable Gambling Zone has been nothing short of remarkable. What began as a ground-breaking initiative has evolved into a powerful symbol of the industry’s collective commitment to sustainability. As the home of the iGaming community moves to London, the heart of the iGaming industry, the SGZ will once again underscore our belief that player experience and responsible practices are fundamental to long-term success.”
Naomi Barton Portfolio Director iGB events added: “World class exhibitions provide a powerful platform for engagement. The opportunity to bring together the international industry with its regulators in a professional environment is a key opportunity to ensure that gaming regulation delivers robust player protection undertakings within a framework which allows the industry to grow.
“We remain utterly committed to supporting safer gambling and the promotion of regulated markets. The SGZ provides a focus for our attendees to understand, implement, and champion the responsible principles that underpin a healthy and thriving iGaming sector. We invite all 15,000+ iGaming professionals attending iGBLive 2025 to visit the SGZ and be part of what promise to be vital conversations.”
iGB L!VE: 2 – 3 JULY, 2025 | ExCel London
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