Latest News
Movers and Shakers: Tereza Melicharkova: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for creating sustained engagement

“Movers and Shakers” is a dynamic monthly column dedicated to exploring the latest trends, developments, and influential voices in the iGaming industry. Powered by GameOn and supported by HIPTHER, this op-ed series delves into the key players, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes shaping the future of online gaming. Each month, industry experts offer their insights and perspectives, providing readers with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on what’s driving the iGaming world forward. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, “Movers and Shakers” is your go-to source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving iGaming landscape.
Writing for European Gaming, Tereza Melicharkova, Head of Marketing for Swintt, discusses the importance of knowing each individual target audience when creating a software portfolio that caters for the widest cross-section of players possible.
In an industry as dynamic as iGaming where new trends come and go, player preferences are constantly evolving and what constitutes the blueprint for a successful release can differ wildly from one market to the next, Swintt has always believed that the key to long-term success lies in creating a content portfolio that can appeal to as broad a cross-section of customers as possible.
While it’s true that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for creating casino games that consistently hit the mark with players and create sustained engagement for the operators that host them, there’s definitely something to be said for diversifying your offering so that you always have the opportunity to tailor the content provided via your partnerships to account for all local audiences.
In doing so, you’ll ensure that you’re not effectively placing all your eggs in one basket by sticking to a single tried and tested formula, but are instead building a library that is capable of tapping into regional differences while still retaining the hallmarks of your brand. It’s precisely this line of thinking that led us to developing the multiple product lines that exist within the Swintt portfolio.
Balancing Legacy and Innovation
For those who are unfamiliar with how Swintt operates, we always sort our releases into one of three main categories. The two founding product lines in our software portfolio are SwinttPremium and SwinttSelect, but we’ve also diversified our offering further with Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt titles that have arrived following our acquisition of the developer earlier this year.
Going through the different product categories one-by-one, the Swintt Premium range was developed with a view to appealing to audiences who have a fondness for the kind of slot you’d normally find in a land-based gaming venue. Typically combining classic casino-style graphics and sound with familiar fruit-based symbols, each Premium release offers a recognisable, easy-to-trigger feature such as our signature “Book” Free Spins or the popular “Pearl Respins” bonus.
Successful examples of SwinttPremium slots include releases in the aforementioned “Book” series like Seven Books Unlimited as well as games like Big Max Pots and Pearls – and what we’ve seen from these titles is that they generally perform well in markets like Germany and the Netherlands, where the average player is a little older and more traditional tastes typically prevail.
Of course, while it’s obviously important to cater for these “legacy” players, doing so should not come at the cost of innovation and supplying a more immersive slot experience to the newer generation – and this is where our SwinttSelect line-up comes in. Known for their state-of-the-art designs and pioneering bonus features, our Select games push the boundaries of what’s possible from a slot and have proved incredibly popular in tech-savvy markets like the UK and Scandinavia.
In particular, our XtraSeriesTM games – including our most successful release to date, Aloha Spirit XtraLockTM – have really helped showcase what a talented team of developers we have by providing a range of unique and engaging themes as well as bonus features players won’t find from any other provider. By offering these titles, we ensure Swintt is capable of catering to the needs of a wide range of players while also reflecting the demands of each market we operate in.
Having A Mobile-First Mindset
As I referenced earlier, Swintt’s acquisition of Elysium Studios in January this year really was a major step forward for the company, as it enabled us to not only further diversify the portfolio of content that we offer to partners, but also to double down on all of the things that have made our Select line-up such a success by introducing even more ambitious designs and thrilling features.
As a provider that has carved out a fairly specialist niche in the industry for creating game mechanics that draw on a variety of social, video and casino gaming factors, Elysium Studios was always going to be a key part of how Swintt looks to engage with the next generation of casino customer. Featuring cutting-edge designs, quirky themes and a huge variety of features in every release, the Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt range really has taken our offering to new heights.
What is perhaps particularly notable about Elysium Studios is their mobile-first approach to game design – and while this has always been a big priority at Swintt, by working together with them, we’ve definitely taken things to the next level. With mobile now accounting for the majority of all online casino play, having immersive bonus features that utilise tap and swipe touch-screen functionality has been an incredibly powerful tool in helping us connect with modern audiences.
We’ve already seen from the success of games like Law of Gilgamesh and Fox Tale that there’s a real demand among newer players for titles that replicate the user experience of the popular mobile games that they’ve grown up with – and if the buzz around our upcoming release, I Hate Fairytales is anything to go by, we’ll have many more success stories with the studio in the future.
It’s All About Entertainment
Of course, while having several strings to our bow has been a key component of Swintt’s success in penetrating multiple regulated markets, it’s equally important that for all our different product lines, we’ve never lost sight of who we are and what we stand for. We see online casino gaming primarily as a form of entertainment – and whether they’re playing Premium, Select or Elysium Studios releases, our players can always be sure they’ll be getting a fun and exciting experience.
We pride ourselves on providing top quality titles with a real flair for the creative, and this definitely extends to the way that we market ourselves to partners. From our stand at SBC Lisbon that promoted I Hate Fairytales with a free-to-enter hammer strength competition to the Swinttopia board game we created to celebrate our five year anniversary, we’ve always tried to find inventive ways to promote our products and this has been a major factor in how we’ve grown.
By retaining this key creative strand across our entire portfolio, we’ve put together a product line-up that is varied enough to tap into the unique demands of each individual market without ever compromising the principles that have enabled Swintt to truly stand out as a brand – and in an industry as competitive as iGaming, that’s a really powerful thing to have working in your favour!
The post Movers and Shakers: Tereza Melicharkova: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for creating sustained engagement appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
DreamPlay consolidates its status as a global player in the iGaming industry and opens an office and campus in Cyprus

DreamPlay’s ambitions go far beyond simple game development. With a new office in Limassol, the international iGaming solutions provider is expanding its presence in Europe and laying the foundations for a new philosophy of the iGaming business.
The location in Limassol was not chosen by chance – Cyprus has long become the European center of iGaming. It is here that key market players, large operators and financial structures supporting the industry are concentrated. And the high concentration of technology and talented developers allows DreamPlay to form its own ecosystem of talent.
If in the 2010s Cyprus became a hub for classic iGaming operators, today it is a point of attraction for technology companies that are betting on metaverses and the integration of games into a wider digital ecosystem. DreamPlay is one of those shaping this trend.
Google-style campus for game development talents
The DreamPlay office and campus in Limassol are part of the company’s international network of corporate campuses. Similar hubs already operate in Thailand, Bali, Peru, the UAE and Poland. They offer employees comfortable working conditions and the ability to move between locations, accommodation, meals, legal support for stays in different countries. And all this is at the expense of the company. -And the flexible work format and 4-day work week in the company helps DreamPlay talents maintain a healthy work-life balance. It’s all about well-established business processes and taking care of the team.
It’s nice to know that you can come to the country, and there is a Dream Campus where friends, like-minded people and someone who can simply take care of you are waiting for you. They will meet you at the airport, give you a tour, accompany you on medical or legal issues. It’s all part of the team.
“iGaming is an industry of emotions. Therefore, the people who create it should work where they feel best. Therefore, in our campuses we create an environment where the team can feel maximum freedom for creativity, focus on creating new breakthrough products. And not be distracted by everyday issues. And we are sure that this gives us a strategic advantage, because we are sure that our employees have received better conditions than their colleagues in other companies. Comfort, flexibility and freedom are part of our global philosophy of DreamPlay,” shares DreamPlay CEO Alex Tkach.
What does this mean for the market?
Opening a DreamPlay office in Cyprus is a wise decision, as the company is preparing to enter new markets and partner with the largest iGaming players. It is also a signal to the entire market that the company is moving into the league of global players who dictate trends, rather than following them.
If today Cyprus is another platform for international expansion, then tomorrow DreamPlay may turn into one of the first technology companies in iGaming, operating on the principle of large IT holdings.
And this is where the main intrigue lies: will DreamPlay become the one who fundamentally rethinks the very nature of the industry?
The post DreamPlay consolidates its status as a global player in the iGaming industry and opens an office and campus in Cyprus appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
International Game Technology PLC
IGT Wheel of Fortune Video Poker Makes Global Debut at Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas

International Game Technology PLC announced that it recently introduced its much-anticipated Wheel of Fortune Video Poker game in the world’s most prolific video poker market: Las Vegas, Nev. Guests of Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino (Downtown Grand) in Downtown Las Vegas became the first players in the world to enjoy legendary IGT multi-hand video poker paired with the puzzle-solving, wheel-spinning fun of Wheel of Fortune via IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Video Poker game.
“Becoming the first casino in the world to offer IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Video Poker was an exciting moment for Downtown Grand and one that generated palpable buzz and significant play on our gaming floor. For decades, our players have enjoyed IGT video poker and Wheel of Fortune slots, so combining the DNA of those two products to create something new is an exciting proposition for our players,” said Rick Coltor, Slots Manager at the Downtown Grand Las Vegas.
“Launching IGT Wheel of Fortune Video Poker in Las Vegas, the world’s largest video poker market, marked another important milestone in the rollout of our expanded Wheel of Fortune games portfolio. Our Wheel of Fortune Video Poker game delivers an ideal blend of proven multi-hand poker, jackpot excitement and the signature elements of Wheel of Fortune games that have propelled the theme’s success for more than 25 years,” said Nick Khin, IGT President, Global Gaming.
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Video Poker is currently available on the CrystalCurve cabinet. Wheel of Fortune Video Poker incorporates the franchise’s famous puzzle-solving features and the iconic “Wheel Bonus” that has had players chanting “WHEEL-OF-FORTUNE!” for decades. The multi-hand poker game is available in triple-play, five-play and ten-play configurations and can award players 30,000, 50,000 or 100,000 credits, respectively, for a dealt royal flush.
The post IGT Wheel of Fortune Video Poker Makes Global Debut at Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Frank Arthofer
MLB Players Sign Licensing Agreement with PENN Entertainment

MLB Players Inc., a commercial affiliate of the Major League Baseball Players Association, and OneTeam Partners announced they’ve reached a licensing agreement with PENN Entertainment.
The agreement designates PENN’s sports betting platforms – ESPN BET in the U.S. and theScore BET in Canada – as Officially Licensed Sportsbooks of MLBPI.
PENN now has the rights to use MLB player names, images and likenesses on its sports betting platforms, marketing assets and promotional campaigns.
The deal also includes PENN’s retail sportsbook operations (32 retail sportsbooks at its casino properties, including 19 under the ESPN BET brand).
Last fall, FanDuel and MLBPI reached a similar licensing agreement after the MLB players’ union sued FanDuel and Underdog Fantasy in New York Supreme Court, accusing them of using the names and likeness of ballplayers on their players without permission.
”As baseball season gets underway, we’re excited to offer fans an enhanced betting experience that includes player likenesses, expanded wagering options and a more dynamic product. Partnering with MLB Players Inc. strengthens our connection to the league and its star players and creates additional opportunities to engage fans throughout the season,” said Jason Birney, Vice President of Operations at PENN Interactive.
OneTeam Partners specializes in commercializing group licensing rights for professional athlates, and is a joint venture between the NFL Players Association, MLB Players Association, Women’s National Basketball Players Association, MLS Players Association, and U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association.
“By integrating MLB player rights into PENN Entertainment’s platforms, this partnership brings fans closer to the game while unlocking new business opportunities in sports betting. It highlights the growing influence of players in shaping premium, fan-focused betting experiences while enhancing player NIL rights and widening distribution,” said Frank Arthofer, President of OneTeam Partners.
The post MLB Players Sign Licensing Agreement with PENN Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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