Kickstarting Evoplay’s success in the Latin American market has been its Football Pack, with recent releases Penalty Shoot-out and Football Bet achieving considerable success. We caught up with Chief Commercial Officer Vladimir Malakchi to talk about the playbook behind this strategy, why the games resonated with LatAm audiences, their current and future plans for the region and the future of iGaming innovation.

Evoplay’s had some exciting news recently when it comes to your latest Football Pack instant games – can you tell us about the launches and the demand you’re seeing from LatAm players?

We’ve been thrilled with the recent response to our Football Pack. Evoplay strives in offering exciting and engaging games that resonate with players, and it’s evident that our latest launch has struck a chord with the Latin American market.

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In total, the Football Pack includes three unique games: Penalty Shoot-out, Penalty Series and Football Bet. Each of these instant games offers a different aspect of the beloved game, whether that be playing for their chosen country or experiencing the thrill of a penalty shootout. We’ve designed these games to be accessible and engaging even for players new to iGaming, while also having enough suspense and anticipation to keep gaming veterans excited!

Of course, there’s a natural passion for football in Latin America, and we’ve successfully managed to tap into this sentiment with our now very-well known football series of launches. Both players and partners have been incredibly receptive to how we’ve combined the quick pace of instant games with the excitement of the beautiful game. The early numbers have surpassed our initial expectations, reaching bet sum of over 120% and GGR of over 110% in the first 3 weeks of the pack’s release.

Given Evoplay is fast-becoming one of the most exciting European studios on the LatAm market – what do you believe has driven this success?

Our success in the Latin American market is down  to our strategic decisions and dedicated team effort. Key factors include our understanding of local culture and player preferences as well as adapting game themes, mechanics, and visuals to the region’s taste. As mentioned previously, the launch of our Football Pack was a significant move, tapping into the LatAm’s cultural passion for football in a way no other studio has done so comprehensively.

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We’ve also focused on mobile optimisation, recognising the region’s high smartphone penetration rate, with this trend looking to continue climbing in the coming years. Adoption rates have been simply phenomenal in LatAm, and you’re now looking at a level of use that still has plenty of exponential growth to be had.

Last but not least we’ve fostered strong partnerships with local entities, increasing our market presence and promoting our products effectively while providing personalised customer service. This success stems from our local expertise, the development of relevant high-quality products, and the building of meaningful relationships with our platform partners and operators.

Your recent partnership announcement with Sportingtech saw plenty of attention – can you tell us about your plans for the market together?

We’re incredibly excited about our partnership with Sportingtech. Being a well-respected platform provider with a huge network, particularly in Latin America, allows us to tap into new markets and bring our games to an even wider audience.

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Our initial plan is to integrate our sports-themed portfolio of instant games onto Sportingtech’s platform, such as Penalty Shoot-out, as well as our Brazilian Carnival-themed slot Hot Rio Nights, which have both proved a hit with local players. By combining our powers, I believe we can make a significant impact in the market. It’s a partnership that I´m confident will benefit both companies, but more importantly, one that will deliver exciting gaming experiences to players.

Looking ahead, and with new markets coming online – where does Evoplay see the most potential in LatAm right now for slot studios?

Looking at the evolving landscape in Latin America, we see immense potential across the region. New markets are rapidly emerging as regulation evolves and technology continues to advance, which is creating new opportunities for companies like ours.

Brazil stands out as a key growth area. As the largest country in LatAm, it has a vast player base, and the recent move towards regulation opens exciting opportunities. With over 210 million people and a strong passion for games, Brazil holds immense potential for slot studios. Secondly, Mexico has great opportunity too – with the second strongest economy in Latin America, a population of over 120 million and a mobile penetration rate of around 60%, the market presents a window of opportunity for the industry.

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Other markets showing favourable conditions include Argentina, thanks to its mature gaming market and recent steps towards online gambling regulation. It has an established gambling culture and a solid digital infrastructure, making it an appealing target market for growth.

Our approach will remain focused on understanding the specific needs and preferences of these markets and using this information to deliver high-quality and innovative games that resonate with local players.

Last but not least – given your pioneering work in the next-gen slots space, what’s your vision for the future when it comes to gaming trends?

There is an exciting future for slots on the horizon, shaped by a number of key trends. In particular, the shift towards mobile gaming will intensify, leveraged by increased smartphone usage and 5G networks. Evoplay plans on being at the forefront of this, providing engaging experiences anywhere and across all devices.

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I also foresee a rise in the use of VR and AR for immersive gaming, and an increased focus on personalisation, tailoring aesthetics and storylines by using data and machine learning.

This will see an emphasis on gamification tools that offer a bigger variety of ways for players to win and interact with games. Elements like levels, quests and achievements will become more prominent, to appeal to a wider audience and make online slots a competitive entertainment form, not just gambling.

Of course – Evoplay’s commitment is to pioneer this future, creating innovative games that captivate and redefine online slots. I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come as a team and we’re very excited to keep making our mark over the next few years!

Premium online slots provider Evoplay, has announced its latest partnership with Sportingtech, in a move that will greatly boost its presence in the LatAm market.

Sportingtech, a leading online and retail gaming platform provider, boasts almost 10,000 casino games in its portfolio and will now benefit from Evoplay’s vast array of top-performing LatAm titles.

The deal follows Evoplay’s extensive success across the LatAm market, with its sports-themed instant games, including Penalty Shoot-out, proving a particular hit with local players, as well as its Brazilian Carnival-themed slot Hot Rio Nights.

Under the agreement, Evoplay’s game portfolio will now be available to Sportingtech’s operator partners, the studio’s popularity with LatAm players is expected to provide a significant uplift to engagement and revenue.

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Marking the latest partnership for Evoplay, the innovative provider has signed multiple deals with major partners in the last 12 months, including Bragg Gaming, Fortuna Entertainment Group, Relax Gaming and GiG.

Commenting on the partnership, Vladimir Malakchi, CCO at Evoplay, said: “LatAm has been a huge success for us over the past year as we grew our bet totals by 560%, and the region remains a top priority for our long-term plans as we look to expand our customer base and audience reach even further.

”We’re very proud to be partnering with Sportingtech, one of the most recognised platform brands not only in LatAm, but globally, and with our innovative titles being hugely popular, we’re sure to continue growing even more rapidly now with Sportingtech.”

As a leading iGaming studio, Evoplay has enjoyed an outstanding 12 months.

As well as going live with multiple tier-one providers, including Bragg Gaming, Fortuna Entertainment Group and Relax Gaming, the company also won the coveted Innovation in Casino Entertainment award as well as Casino/Slots Developer of the Year at the 2022 SBC Awards.

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In addition, at EGR’s 2023 B2B Awards, Evoplay was awarded the Innovation in Mobile category, testament to Evoplay’s reputation as one of the industry’s most exciting suppliers.

Evoplay has proven itself as one of LatAm and Europe’s most innovative game studios in recent years, with a host of industry awards for its ground-breaking titles, including the RPG-based ‘Dungeon: Immortal Evil’ and the space-based shoot ‘em up, ‘Star Guardians.’

As the award-winning provider gears up for its first debut in North America, we sat down with Evoplay’s Head of Sales, Ihor Zarechnyi to talk through the supplier’s exciting launch in Canada’s largest market, Ontario.

With Evoplay’s Canadian debut getting closer and closer, can you tell us about your initial plans for the market?

We’re very excited to be gearing up for our launch in Ontario. We have no doubt that Canada will be a major growth opportunity for us, with the market being one of the most favourable for iGaming businesses given its transparent and clear regulatory framework. We’ll be putting a lot of effort  into our marketing efforts, including network promotions, and I’m very confident that our games will be incredibly well-received by Canadian players. I can certainly hint that we’ve got some big expectations with some of Canada’s leading operators, so you’ll have to watch this space!

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I would also hope that our hard-earned reputation will precede us before our launch in the market – we’re proud to be known as a studio that creates high-quality graphics, engaging gameplay and innovative features. We’re also committed to providing a safe and secure gaming experience for all of our players, so I have no doubt that we have an excellent platform for success.

What potential do you see in the market and why have you and your commercial team earmarked the market as a key location for growth? Could it be a stepping-stone into the US?

As we’ve already touched on, we see a lot of potential here. As our first point of entry into North America as a whole. I have no doubt that Ontario will be a great platform for that expansion.

Taking our content into Canada’s largest market will no doubt enable us to promote our brand and also establish trust with players – we can’t wait to get started!

Looking at demographics, Canada is growing rapidly, and we want to tap into that. In total, the potential of online casino players is expected to reach 10 million by 2025 – which makes it a force to be reckoned with. iGaming is already a firmly entrenched form of entertainment, and we’re very excited to be filling that demand.

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On top of that, the Ontario regulator has a very progressive framework for regulation, which will be conducive to the market’s continued growth.

As to future plans beyond Ontario, I can certainly hint that we’re already talking with some of the largest players in the US market, so without a doubt, some very exciting times lie ahead.

Looking at your award-winning portfolio of games, do you have any particular titles in mind for entertaining Ontario players?

We have a number of highly engaging games in our armoury that we are incredibly excited to share with Ontario players.

Our Bonus Buy games have really resonated with players in the market, which gives them that bit more control over their experience. Sold It Bonus Buy is a particularly captivating title with this option and features an exciting Free Spins round that includes Sticky Wild multipliers which players can purchase with pre-added Wild symbols. Similarly, Redrose Sanctuary Bonus Buy gives players the chance to buy the Free Spins round with different multiplier amounts.

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Fishing games are also incredibly popular on the market right now. When paired with Bonus Buy, it is no wonder why The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy is another top performer for us and one we anticipate a strong reaction from in Canada.

With North America’s rich land-based casino history, a retro-themed game always goes down well. Our Hot Triple Sevens slot is a prime example of this, melding a traditional slot theme with innovative features. This is also seen in our classic instant lottery game Scratch Match consisting of simple, straightforward rules that make for a fast-paced and exciting gaming experience.

Your football-themed instant games have certainly made a splash across LatAm and Europe, does Evoplay have ice hockey-themed games in mind for Canadians?

Evoplay is always looking for new ways to entertain players, and of course we know all too well that ice hockey is Canada’s most popular sport! So, in line with that, we’ve seen our football-themed instant games perform great where football is the most popular, so we’d no doubt look to repeat that for Canada.  In terms of development, it’s definitely something we’ve got in the pipeline, as I have no doubt that repeating our instant games’ success be incredibly well received! It’s still in the early stages of development, but I have no doubt that it’ll be live in the next year, and I’m sure it will prove to be a massive hit with Canadian players.

We’re seeing plenty of interest in Esports among the latest generation of players, can that cross-over into casino?

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Yes, there can be plenty of cross-over. Esports is a rapidly growing industry, and it is attracting an entirely new generation of gamers. Of course, it goes without that saying that they’re tech-savvy and looking for new and exciting ways to play.

If we look at total market potential – estimates put the aggregated global player base for casino at $335 billion by 2025. So of course, within that, there’s a significant portion available. As to what they’re looking for, slots inspired by mechanics and themes one sees in video games certainly go a long way. A great example of this is our 2022 flagship slot, Star Guardians, which is heavily inspired by third-person shooters – set in space in the year 2777 in the midst of an interplanetary war.

In many ways, we’re still in the early stages of cross-over, as it’s still an emerging demographic, but I have no doubt that this is one to be watched and will likely continue to grow in the future. There’s plenty of options to consider – from Esports teams partnering with casino operators to create new branded games and promotions, over to sponsorship of teams and even Esports events held at real casinos! Of course, we follow all these trends at Evoplay and it’s certainly an audience that will be focusing hard on entertaining.