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The game has changed for online casinos
David Natroshvili, founder of SPRIBE, the company behind Aviator, assesses the state of play for online casinos as we come to the end of 2024
For me, 2024 will go down as the year that changed the game for online casinos.
Over the past 12 months, a revolution has swept across the market in a way we’ve not seen before. From the games players play to the ways they pay, things are changing and they are changing fast.
Slots no longer dominate game lobbies and where once players used to prefer to deposit with debit cards, it’s now crypto such as Bitcoin and Ether.
The companies providing the games players play have changed, too, with some now considered among the most innovative technology and entertainment companies on the planet.
This includes SPRIBE, the company I founded.
So, what have been the biggest changes we’ve seen in 2024 and what impact have they had on the sector? Let’s get into it.
Slots no longer dominate game lobbies:
For many years, it’s been blockbuster slots from the top-tier providers that have dominated online casino game lobbies and certainly topped the player charts.
But that’s not the case anymore.
Increasingly, players are being drawn to non-traditional content in the form of Mines, Hi-Lo, Goal, Plinko and of course, Crash.
SPRIBE developed the original crash game, Aviator, which now has more than 42 million monthly players across the 4,500+ online casinos that offer it.
For those that give it a full marketing push at launch, it can account for more than 10% of total casino GGR – a remarkable figure when you think about it.
Online casinos must now offer non-traditional games if they are to engage Millennial and Gen Z players, but also meet the changing preferences of existing players.
Crash games in particular have broad appeal because of the fast-paced big risk/big reward gameplay. That Aviator is multiplayer and packed with social interaction has also been key to its success.
It’s why they are so popular with all player types and why titles such as Aviator can have a direct and significant impact on casino GGR.
Crypto casinos setting the standard for others to follow:
Aviator gets much of its DNA from the fascinating world of crypto casinos which continue to push boundaries when it comes to engaging with players and the experiences they deliver.
Regulators remain cautious when it comes to crypto, but you only need to look at the runaway success of the biggest crypto casinos to see consumer demand is incredibly strong.
Crypto casinos gave birth to non-traditional content, wrapping gambling elements around popular video games such as Minesweeper and for me, they continue to set the benchmark.
Not only that, but these casinos understand how to connect with players where their attention can be found – streaming, social media, etc – and have such powerful brand values and identities.
Then of course you have the way crypto is connected to the entire experience, and how these operators have ensured the smoothest UX.
Traditional online casinos need to take note and step up to the mark being set or risk losing more players to these brands.
Game providers entering multi-million-dollar marketing partnerships:
One of the biggest changes for me has been how studios are now directly marketing their games to players – again, this is something we have pioneered with Aviator.
This includes our first-of-its-kind partnership with the UFC which sees the Aviator logo appear inside the Octagon at Fight Night and PPC events.
It also created a brand ambassador fund which allows us to run marketing campaigns with superstar athletes such as Alex Pereira.
Other studios – I won’t say who – have entered similar deals but not quite to the same degree. We are also close to unveiling another major deal in the coming weeks.
These marketing deals drive huge awareness for Aviator and ultimately mean operators must add it to their lobbies to meet player demand.
So, there you have it – this is how the game has changed for online casinos in 2024, and I expect the pace of evolution to be just as fast in the coming 12 months.
The post The game has changed for online casinos appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Eastern Europe
Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating
“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.
On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.
“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.
A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact
The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.
Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.
More Than Just a Run
It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.
“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.
“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”
“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”
“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.
Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.
Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.
The post Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BMM Testlabs, the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced the promotion of Sacha McLaughlin to Vice President of Global Quality Assurance.
BMM’s President of Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, Kirk White, said, “Sacha has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first attitude. Her experience and passion will be critical as we continue to grow our QA services to meet the always-evolving needs of the global gaming industry.”
With over 18 years of experience in software implementation and seven years in the gaming industry, McLaughlin brings extensive knowledge of both agile and waterfall development methodologies, test planning, project management, and cross-regional team leadership. She is recognized for her ability to build and scale QA organizations that deliver quality, speed, and value to customers.
McLaughlin joined BMM in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Company, most recently serving as Senior Director of Quality Assurance. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in expanding BMM’s QA capabilities and helping customers launch products into the global gaming market more quickly, with a focus on regulatory compliance, functionality, fairness, and security.
The post BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Major findings from the newly launched report include playable ads having the potential to deliver impression-to-install rates 16 times that of non-playable formats for emerging gaming apps and a 20% increase in spending on interactive ads year over year.
Liftoff, a leading AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy, has published its seventh annual Mobile Ad Creative Index. The report explores top creative trends that are attracting and scaling in ad spend across consumer apps and games. It also highlights the expanding role of AI in creative production, testing, and optimization.
This year’s Mobile Ad Creative Index specifically analyzes creative concepts that have excelled in scale for Liftoff’s highest-spending advertisers over the past 12 to 48 months. It is based on findings from over 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and 1.1 billion installs between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2025.
Highlights from the report include:
Top consumer apps are investing in interactive ads to compete for engagement
In 2024, the share of spend on interactive ads for top apps increased by 20% year over year. The share of spend increased by 2% for spenders outside the top tier. Top-spending apps differentiate their campaigns by adding innovations to evergreen concepts such as social scrollers, carousels, and scratch-offs.
Playable ads deliver returns across ad budgets for mobile game advertisers
In 2024, the share of spend on playable ads for top games averaged 35% higher than other games. Across all ad budgets, however, playable ads delivered higher conversion rates. Impression-to-install rates were 8 times that of non-playable formats for top spenders and 16 times that of non-playable formats for other game advertisers.
Tailoring “metaplay” elements to motivations can improve performance
“Metaplay” elements—gameplay that diverges from an app’s core design to appeal to a broader audience—are widespread, but top games gain an edge by tailoring their metaplay ads to the publisher audience. The report found that aligning “metaplay” creative with publisher audiences resulted in a 93% increase in installs-per-mille.
UGC is becoming a key differentiator in driving scale for consumer apps
The share of spend on user-generated content (UGC) increased 11% for top-spending apps, with social and utility apps seeing the most significant jump of nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.
Widespread adoption of Gen AI leads to more customized ad experiences
Creative teams increasingly leverage AI to enhance top-performing assets with 3D and motion and to create and test variations. Top advertisers also use AI to recombine their assets in customized ad experiences that break away from standard video to playable formats.
Yann Zeller, Chief of Staff, Creative at Liftoff, said: “Today’s creative landscape is shaped by a single, powerful truth: attention is the commodity, and brands, games, and influencers are all vying for it. Great mobile ad experiences can earn attention by aligning context with behavior. As ad formats become richer and AI expands our ability to personalize and adapt creatives at scale, we’re able to unlock new insights into user behavior and motivation. We see users spend meaningful stretches with the right content, sometimes 60 to 90 seconds when the ad feels personal or prompts meaningful participation. This isn’t just a better way to advertise—it’s a better way to tell stories and the most exciting brief we’ve had in years.”
Soren Steelquist, Director of Creative Production, said: “The proof is in the data—more and more consumer apps are incorporating UGC into every stage of their marketing, and programmatic is no different. UGC works because it’s authentic and relatable, and users are more likely to be influenced by ad when it’s coming from a trustworthy source. To see higher impact from UGC creatives, work with a partner that can match the right creator with your brand and develop winning concepts that resonate with audiences.”
The post Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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