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Tom Smallwood, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenSlots

The growth of AI in the industry is a talking point you cannot ignore. From sceptics to those convinced it will have a big role to play, AI dominates discourse. However, it is widely accepted that it will play a significant role in product development. In our industry, the biggest misconception is that AI will replace creativity in game development. In my experience, it has the power to do the exact opposite. I’ve watched countless studios struggle with the same challenge of transforming creative vision into market-ready slot games without requiring a six-figure budget a six-month timeline only to fail to achieve distribution. Yet that’s exactly what the traditional route to market looks like now.

AI is removing the technical barriers that risk keeping creative minds locked out of our industry. At OpenSlots, we’re beginning to see firsthand how AI can help turn a game creator’s ‘napkin sketch’ into a playable prototype in a fraction of the time.

The hidden costs of traditional slot development

The harsh reality facing game creators today is staggering. Developing and distributing even a basic slot requires substantial budgets and months of specialised expertise. Factor in regulatory compliance, RNG certification, and multi-platform optimisation, and smaller studios face insurmountable barriers.

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These costs aren’t just financial, they affect the creative output too. When a single game requires months of mathematical modelling, extensive asset creation, development and technical integration it is inevitable that innovation stagnates. Game developers tend to play it safe, but even then, they risk not getting any ‘airtime’ in the face of the overwhelming quantity of games released by larger studios. The result is a market flooded with similar games, from the same providers, while innovative ideas never see daylight.

The OpenSlots approach

At OpenSlots, we are building a platform aimed at non-technical professions in which every element of the development process is optimised. Our AI-powered system lets operators and game designers create professional slot games through an agentic interface and AI-powered game creation workflows all on a tried and trusted RGS. You describe your vision, say, a high-volatility Norse mythology theme with cascading reels, and OpenSlots, backed by human expertise, handles everything from the creation of your game design document to the game build itself. We even have an WYSIWYG editor prior to publishing.

Real democratisation means accessible innovation

True democratisation isn’t just about making existing processes slightly easier, it is about changing who can participate. When we enable game creators to describe their vision in natural language and watch AI generate playable prototypes, we’re not replacing human creativity, we’re amplifying it. The most successful implementations don’t replace human expertise, they eliminate tedious and costly tasks that prevent creative professionals from focusing on innovation. This is as true for an operator as a studio. We do not see AI as a magic wand, to make everything easy, especially in a highly regulated industry. However, it is an enabler that can create a certain originality and independence for B2Cs and a voice to smaller game design studios.

Why this matters now

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The timing for this transformation couldn’t be more critical. The slots market generates over half of total casino revenue, with operators facing pressure to deliver personalised, engaging content at speed. As mobile gaming dominates consumer spending and competition grows, the traditional development model can’t keep pace with market demands.

This creates an opportunity for platforms that can democratise game creation while maintaining quality and compliance. The industry needs solutions that allow rapid iteration and testing, branded content creation, and market-specific customisation, all without the costs that have historically limited who can participate in game development.

Building the future of game creation

The winners in this transformation won’t be the companies with the most advanced AI algorithms. They will be the ones who best understand how to apply AI practically to real challenges.

The future belongs to platforms that combine industry knowledge with cutting-edge AI capabilities. It’s not about auto-generating second rate game assets, just to for the sake of speed and cost, but leveraging the power of AI to amplify human expertise and give the chance for innovation. In many ways we are giving people the chance to make mistakes. And that, of course, is how we grow.

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The question isn’t whether AI will transform gaming development. It’s whether we allow the broader ecosystem be part of that transformation or left behind by it.

The post AI isn’t replacing creativity in gaming – it is democratising it appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Bet on Games announces the expansion of its very own gaming ecosystem—positioned as a true “universe of games.” With a single API, operators gain access to more than a hundred titles across multiple genres: crash games, slots, lotteries, and hybrid formats. Each game is presented as a unique “planet” with its own character and dynamics, giving operators a broad spectrum of content and players a diverse gaming journey.

At the heart of this universe lie crash games—the driving force behind today’s industry growth.

• Aerobet is all about takeoff and risk. Players place their bets before launch, and as the airplane climbs, the multiplier rises. The challenge is to cash out before the plane disappears from the screen. Its simple mechanic, built around an ever-increasing multiplier, makes every round unpredictable and full of suspense.
• BarioJet takes players into an arcade-style adventure. Here, the hero with a jetpack keeps flying higher while the multiplier grows each second. The task is to secure the winnings before the character soars away. The fast pace and transparent mechanics turn every session into a thrilling test of reflexes.

In the slots category, Bet on Games continues to build on classic formats. A standout example is Monkey Magic 2: Choice—a 6-reel slot inspired by mythology. With its striking visual style and bonus features, it has become one of the central planets in the Bet on Games universe.

Bet on Games Brand Video

Key advantages of Bet on Games:

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• Single API for seamless integration
• 100+ titles in the portfolio
• Familiar mechanics in a fresh format
• Bonus features and in-game enhancements
• Modern visuals and adaptive design

In this way, Bet on Games offers not just standalone products but an entire ecosystem—a universe where every game is part of a greater whole. For operators, this means streamlined integration and stronger player engagement. For players, it’s the constant thrill of discovering new worlds.

And the Bet on Games universe is still expanding—with new “planets” and ever-fresh gaming experiences on the horizon.

The post Bet on Games Presents Its Gaming Universe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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European Gaming speaks with Wedia Group CEO, Carl-Henrik Tuwezén, about building a modern affiliate and streamer-led marketing group that thinks beyond acquisition.

Can you take us back to Wedia’s founding story: what sparked the idea, and what sets you apart from other affiliate and streamer-led marketing groups?

For me, it all started with a streamer I believed had real potential. I helped him informally at first – how to get better deals, what to prioritise on stream, and a few years later an investment opportunity came up for him. He asked if I wanted to join and I left my role at Videoslots to scale what was, at the time, essentially a small stream into a broader operation. From late 2021 we’ve grown to a core team of 16–17 plus a wider network of writers, streamers and editors, and we run a multi-channel mix across SEO sites, streaming and paid social. What differentiates us is the mindset – we try to manage the full lifecycle of a player. We don’t want to be the affiliate that ranks, sends traffic and disappears. We build reasons for people to come back to the brands we’ve introduced.

You’ve said Wedia focuses on long-term value rather than pure acquisition. What does that look like in practice for operators and providers?

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Practically, it means planning retention and reactivation from day one. We will try to agree with partners what happens three months after the first push: what are we doing to re-engage those players? That’s not always an easy conversation as many Affiliate Managers are still measured on acquisition alone, but operators value it. We also leverage social and product ideas to create repeated touchpoints and also build their brand via us. One example is a free-to-play sportsbook concept we trialled; another is running content and campaigns with game and software providers. The point is that we’re not just chasing a keyword win. We want sustained usage of our products and a measurable lift in lifetime value for partners, by being a reliable, good source for players to come back to.

Streamia.io is a big part of that story. What is it, and why is it a game-changer for streamers, providers and operators?

Streamia is a transparent, gamified way for streamers and influencers to start earning, and for providers and operators to activate creators at scale. Streamers pick up “missions” with clear criteria and rewards; as they level up, they earn more while our cut reduces. That alignment matters – we only win if they do, and over time they keep more of the upside. On the provider side we’ve run missions like “stream the new title this week and submit a highlight clip” with the potential for cash or merch rewards. On the operator side we can add performance missions: hit a target this week and unlock a payout. We also give vetted streamers an offer wall – essentially a dynamic link hub that aggregates offers from multiple operators. It’s Geo-IP targeted, so the wall automatically localises to each viewer’s country and surfaces the most relevant operator offers. That lets creators present a mix of brands inside a single stream and convert audiences beyond their home market without manual juggling. It’s simple to start, transparent to grow, and built for repeat collaboration.

You’re entering new territories over the next year. Which regions are you most excited about, and what opportunities or challenges do you see?

We view Streamia through a global lens, with a strong focus on Europe and LATAM – Asia is also on the radar. Across Wedia’s in-house affiliate brands, we typically launch with SEO first, then add streamer activations once there’s traction. Wherever we go, we do it properly: local language, local nuance, local community. The opportunity is clear, creator-led engagement travels well when you respect the market.

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When choosing partners, what do you look for in operators and providers, and how do you ensure relationships deliver value on both sides?

We operate a thorough ‘KYC’ process because we want reliable, long-term partners. We also try to be fair on deal setup and very transparent on performance. If a launch underperforms, we don’t wait for a quarterly review – we’re the first to call and ask what we can test, where the funnel drops and what “good” looks like relative to a benchmark. Sometimes it’s a landing-page tweak, sometimes a different creator, sometimes timing. That proactive stance is part of our USP – it’s better for operators and it’s better for us.

Looking ahead to the next couple of years, what’s your vision for Wedia and Streamia?

Affiliation will always reward teams that are quick and light-footed, so we’ll keep that adaptability. For streaming, the ambition is simple: if a brand wants to try or scale streaming, we want them to think of us first, to come to Streamia to connect with creators in a structured, measurable way. And as Wedia Group, we want to be seen as more than a Nordic player. The plan is to add more markets, more depth and more product so we can offer a broader, acquisition and retention-oriented proposition to operators and providers. Ultimately, we’re building products, websites and communities that people enjoy and return to. We care that the players we send genuinely like the experience, not just that they signed up once.

The post Wedia on retention-first affiliation and the rise of Streamia.io appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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