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Wazdan appeals to the traditional slot audience with retro-inspired slots

Published

4 years ago

September 22, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Andrzej Hyla, CCO at Wazdan writes about how the company has gone back to basics in terms of the appearance of its slots in the Hot Slot™ series, applying a self-reflective approach to game design to get closer to what a ‘traditional’ slot is in a number of its products.

Slots have been around for over a hundred years, and for decades the 3×3 layout that featured cherries, lemons, and other fruity symbols was the standard for the space. Naturally, the genre has evolved to facilitate modern player preferences and their craving for new themes and a greater sense of interactivity. However, a small group of loyal followers still seek out retro games that evoke a sense of nostalgia and deliver a charm that, in their opinion, modern releases fail to.

While many believe that it is only a matter of time before traditional experiences are pushed to the peripheries of iGaming, at Wazdan, we believe there will always be a place at the table for throwback titles that utilise easy-to-understand mechanics and a classic aesthetic. As the industry continues to push forwards in terms of innovation and customisation, it also produces a steady stream of players that start to feel sentimental and reminisce about old-school gameplay, creating consistent demand for classic products.

The appeal of retro experiences

The main appeal of vintage products is the sense of nostalgia they deliver, paired with the simplicity of their mechanics. Research shows that the majority of land-based and online casino customers are casual gamers that consider slots an entertainment-based pastime.

These players see traditional experiences as something that can bring face-value excitement into their lives. Therefore, do not want to waste time learning about the complicated rules and seemingly endless combinations that modern titles provide. They seek simple, yet engaging games that provide them with many winning opportunities.

As a business that prides itself on the quality of games it produces, with an offering that spans classics and popular table games to innovative video slots, we have a responsibility to cater to all types of players. Our top-performing Hot Slot™ series, including Hot Slot™: 777 Crown, Hot Slot™: Magic Bombs, and Hot Slot™: Magic Pearls, do this by taking things back to how they used to be, employing modern features that complement the classic designs on display, rather than overpower them.

As a result, our games get recognition for the balance that they strike between traditional and contemporary, generating fantastic results for our partners.

Innovations that target modern demographics

As things stand, slots with sophisticated bonus features dominate the iGaming space as more and more players yearn for a greater sense of interaction and entertainment.

With the advent of new technologies and leaps in graphic and audio design, the slot looks different now than it did ten years ago, as do mechanics, outcomes, and even bonus rounds.

However, we believe easy-to-understand features that increase the chances of winning are the most engaging for players. Our Hot Slot™ games collection is a perfect example of how effective simple features can be in terms of driving revenue growth for operators.

Our top-performing Hot Slot™: 777 Crown proves that many players still seek simple fruit machines with basic mechanics. Although the game offers Scatters as the only special feature, it became one of the most popular slots in our portfolio.

Hot Slot™: Magic Bombs is a brand-new slot that offers our engagement-boosting Collect to Infinity™ mechanic proven to generate better results for operators. The game also introduces our brand-new Sticky to Infinity™ feature, designed to keep players immersed for longer. When combined with player-favourite Free Spins, these two innovative features guarantee increased engagement. Players immediately understand how these mechanics work and can focus on the thrilling action taking place on the reels.

The upcoming Hot Slot™: Magic Pearls slot combines classic aesthetics with our popular Hold the Jackpot bonus round, allowing players to win the Grand Jackpot of 2500x their bet in a simple re-spin-based bonus game.

What is more, our games offer customisable features, allowing players to adjust the game to their needs. For example, with our Volatility Levels™, each game can appeal to all types of players, from recreational to VIPs.

Finding the perfect balance

Providers in the iGaming space are required to be flexible and change with the times to remain relevant, serving modern players with slots that are a feast for all senses, but those that take it upon themselves to develop games for retro slot fanatics get to reap the benefits of catering to a loyal community of mature gamers.

The key to our success has been developing slots that target modern players without alienating the fans of classic slot experiences, and we have no plans to stray from this strategy.

Flashscore

Flashscore tops speed rankings in UK fan survey ahead of 2026 World Cup

Published

20 minutes ago

May 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

flashscore-tops-speed-rankings-in-uk-fan-survey-ahead-of-2026-world-cup

Flashscore has been ranked the fastest sports results platform by UK fans, according to new research into how audiences consume live sport.

In the UK survey of 2,000 sports fans, 46% identified Flashscore as the quickest platform. Flashscore said the pattern was similar in Italy, where 49% of 2,000 respondents named Flashscore the fastest, and in Brazil, where 53% of 3,300 participants reached the same conclusion.

Respondents also associated Flashscore with reliability. In Italy, Flashscore (known locally as Diretta) was recognised as being more accurate than competitors and national broadcasters’ platforms, while in the UK and Brazil it was recognised as being equal to or close to competitors and national broadcasters’ platforms.

Flashscore Director of Engineering Tomáš Kavka said: “It is not one magic technology that solves everything, it is a lot of small and larger right decisions over time.

“Serving a user in South America from Europe is technically possible, but speed is in our DNA. If we want to be the fastest on every continent, we need to be as close as possible to the user. And the data needs to reach that location the moment it appears in our database.”

The company said it continues to scale globally in its 20th year since launch, reporting more than 125 million monthly users worldwide, more than 400 million app downloads across its portfolio, and approximately 145 billion monthly impressions. Flashscore also reported over four million UK downloads, more than two billion monthly impressions, and average daily time spent close to 30 minutes. On infrastructure, Flashscore said it moved to a new data centre in Prague in 2024, tripling processing capacity, and uses a distributed cloud architecture. It added that during a major Champions League matchday earlier this season it handled 34 million users in a day, delivered 700 million notifications, and processed up to 1.3 million requests per second.

The post Flashscore tops speed rankings in UK fan survey ahead of 2026 World Cup appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

executive appointments

Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer

Published

20 minutes ago

May 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-promotes-diana-larina-to-chief-marketing-officer

Evoplay has promoted Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer, expanding its senior leadership team. The company said Larina will continue to lead its brand, performance and product marketing teams, with a focus on growth, strategy and market positioning.

Larina joined Evoplay in 2022 as Head of B2B Marketing. She was promoted to Head of Growth Marketing in 2023 and then appointed Head of Marketing in November 2024.

Evoplay credited Larina with leading major campaigns and helping shift the business towards a more B2C-focused approach aimed at strengthening player engagement. The company also highlighted award nominations including Woman Leader of the Year at the AffPapa iGaming Awards, Young Changemaker at the Casino Guru Awards, Marketing Star of the Year at the G Gate Awards, Young Leader of the Year at the WIG Diversity Awards, and a debut appearance on the Top 50 Masters of iGaming Marketing list.

Diana Larina, CMO at Evoplay, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what the marketing team has achieved at Evoplay and I’m excited about what comes next. This promotion is a reflection of the hard work of everyone around me, and I look forward to continuing to push boundaries, build the brand and drive growth as we expand our presence across global markets.”

Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, added: “From the moment Diana joined us, she demonstrated exceptional drive, leadership and ambition. Her journey through the company is a testament to both her talent and dedication, and this promotion to CMO is incredibly well deserved. Diana has consistently delivered impactful results while inspiring those around her, and I’m confident she will continue to play a key role in shaping Evoplay’s future.”

The post Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Diana Larina CMO at Evoplay

Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer

Published

1 hour ago

May 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

Evoplay has promoted Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer, expanding its senior leadership team.

Larina joined Evoplay in 2022 as Head of B2B Marketing. She was promoted to Head of Growth Marketing in 2023 and appointed Head of Marketing in November 2024.

Evoplay said Larina has led marketing initiatives spanning brand, performance and partner-focused campaigns, and contributed to a shift towards a more B2C-focused approach aimed at strengthening player engagement.

Diana Larina, CMO at Evoplay, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what the marketing team has achieved at Evoplay and I’m excited about what comes next. This promotion is a reflection of the hard work of everyone around me, and I look forward to continuing to push boundaries, build the brand and drive growth as we expand our presence across global markets.”

Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, added: “From the moment Diana joined us, she demonstrated exceptional drive, leadership and ambition. Her journey through the company is a testament to both her talent and dedication, and this promotion to CMO is incredibly well deserved. Diana has consistently delivered impactful results while inspiring those around her, and I’m confident she will continue to play a key role in shaping Evoplay’s future.”

The post Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.