Interviews

Norppa Kasino and the Nordics

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2022

Reading Time: 4 minutes

As a brand that’s here to make a difference – we were excited to sit down with DoubleUp Group’s Emma L., to talk about the group’s latest moves in the Nordic market, as well as its support for the adorable Baltic saimaannorppa seal, one of the most endangered seals in the world.

Crammed with insights into the latest on Finnish regulation, Nordic player preferences and casino traditions in Scandinavia, this one’s not to be missed!

Welcome to European Gaming and many thanks for taking the time to speak with us! Can you talk us through your recent exciting casino launches that DoubleUp has helped support?

Thank you for the opportunity! We’re really delighted with these two new launches as we love working with fun and engaging brands. We’re all animal lovers at DoubleUp and that’s why we support animal themed casinos with a purpose and something that a lot of people can relate to.

At the beginning of October, Norppa Kasino launched, which draws plenty of inspiration from one of Finland’s most treasured animal friends. The name comes from saimaannorppa, which is the one of the most endangered seals in the world. This is a casino that could pledge donations to support the protection of the seal. As part of that, a fun and lovable mascot was created – Onni the Norppa, who is waiting at the door whenever a new customer walks in. Onni has many characteristics that are often used to describe people generally, he’s also a huge nature lover, just like us!

One major region that plenty of our readers have interest in is the Nordic player market – what’s been your experience in the region and what’s your take on how the Nordic casino scene is performing?

My background is the result of living across three different Nordic countries, and as well as my professional industry experience across support, content and CRM – which have given me plenty of insights into the player market. Overall, we’re seeing strong performance. New casinos spring up like mushrooms, especially across much of the Nordics! Marketing – and adhering to marketing regulations are of course key. Also, looking at Finland in particular, with Veikkaus likely to take more of a back seat, we’ll see a transition towards a much more competitive marketplace. This is especially the case with The National Coalition Party proposing a transition to the licensing system, and we have elections next spring (in current polls they’re the leading party).

If they win, we’re one step closer to seeing a properly developed environment. I believe there’s a lot that can be learned from Sweden – and the Swedish gaming license system has been interesting for the Finns to follow up. No doubt, we can use the Swedish system as a test and take the best bits to develop our own licensing system.

Also looking to wider macroeconomic trends, I believe the current uncertain situation in Europe given the energy crisis will most likely have its effect on gambling in the Nordics as well, especially next winter. So definitely something to watch.

Given your company’s vision for supporting casinos that are really here to make a difference, such as Doggo Casino for our four-legged friends, as well as supporting the endangered seal community in Finland, do you see that resonating strongly with players?

Yes, I believe so. The Nordics are a nature loving people, and animals are close to our hearts as well. We’re very proud of our beautiful nature – and as I’m sure many of your readers we’ll have seen, it’s common for all Nordic countries! Fun fact, Dogs are the most popular pet in Finland (with 700 000 dogs in total), while in Norway the cat is king (I’m sure there could have a Catto Casino in the works!).

One of the key trends we’ve seen during the pandemic has been a huge demand for adopting pets. The most common reason being to make its owners happier. Our brands represent something a lot of people can relate to. Seals are loved by the whole Finnish nation (you can even watch them on live stream in the Spring and it’s super popular!).

Looking to entertainment and providing players with a quality gaming experience, what do you believe is key for casino right now in providing a diverse format of verticals that can excite and entertain?

We’ve always seen the best success if you offer a site that has easy navigation, and a UI that isn’t too crowded (Nordic players prefer a simplistic style), as well as trustworthy looks and content, fast payments and also quick load times for games. Given that players always like something new and exciting, fresh launches will always attract curious users. Of course, competition is much harder with sportsbook, especially if players prefer to return to classic sites.

Looking to the affiliate community across the Nordic region – can you offer us any insights into how new brands eyeing the region can really make a mark with local player media?

It’s incredibly important to pay attention to the localisation of content, as well as with campaigns, support, lobbies and the like. Native speaking support, as well as proper translations on site and communications are of course also essential.

We definitely also shouldn’t treat the Nordics as one, and one should do plenty of AB testing and base decision on data. For example, I would not expect a Viking-themed casino to perform super well in Finland, as we don’t have that heritage. Of course, in Norway that could work far better! It’s also important to look into finding new, creative and cool ideas, while ensuring one doesn’t stay stuck in traditional themes. Without a doubt, I would say Nordic players are modern and open to new creative ideas.

Last but not least, with two fantastic casino brands already under your belt, what’s DoubleUp’s plans for the coming months? Any exciting new projects we can look forward to?

We’re constantly looking into improving brands and helping our partners expand their offerings – so we’re very excited about that. One example is increasing the amount of games. We’re passionate about expansion, looking into adding new providers and working on plenty of new features that will be announced soon enough. The World Cup, and of course Christmas are also coming up, which I’m sure will keep Doggo and Norppa busier than ever!

3 Oaks Gaming

Why is LatAm such an important market for 3 Oaks Gaming?

Published

13 hours ago

May 23, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

why-is-latam-such-an-important-market-for-3-oaks-gaming?

3 Oaks Gaming is beginning to establish itself across regulated European markets, but now it has a focus on gaining a footprint in the rapidly evolving Latin American region.

We spoke to 3 Oaks Gaming’s Account Manager LatAm, Henrique De Simoni, about the distributor’s plans for LatAm and the overall appeal of the region.

3 Oaks has recently signed multiple deals in LatAm. How did those deals come about and are there plans for any more partnerships in those territories?

It is fantastic to sign a range of deals across LatAm, initially in Colombia and Mexico before sealing a number of agreements in Brazil. Colombia, in particular, is now a mature jurisdiction and entering the market there first ahead of other regulated territories was something that we felt was a sensible move for us.

Luckia and BetPlay are two of Colombia’s foremost operators, with a huge network of suppliers under their remit. To sign deals with those two giants undoubtedly bolsters our reputation within the region.

We also have Bet7K and F12.bet with our portfolio in Brazil and many more operators that are almost ready to go live in the next semester.

Overall, we have connected with multiple casino platform providers, such as Vibra Solutions, Alea, Hub88 and Salsa Technology, extending the reach of our content across the continent and we are excited at what the future holds for us with these partnerships.

Why were Colombia and Mexico first on 3 Oaks’ list when entering LatAm?

Colombia and Mexico emerged as the top choices for several compelling reasons. Firstly, both countries exhibit substantial market potential, with burgeoning populations eager for new and exciting gaming experiences. Additionally, the regulatory landscapes in Colombia and Mexico have been evolving positively, offering conducive environments for the expansion of the gaming industry. This regulatory stability provides a solid foundation upon which we can build our operations and establish long-term success.

Despite Colombia’s rapid maturity within the gaming sector, our thorough analysis identified continued high potential for growth. By securing certification for our games in Colombia, we’ve positioned ourselves to capitalise on the evolving landscape and seize lucrative business opportunities.

Mexico is now the second market in terms of volume, internet betting traffic and great demographic numbers related to gambling in LatAm. This opportunity of offering casino games for Spanish speaking countries that adores sports is something that challenges us and makes the industry more competitive in terms of generating the best premium slots.

What other LatAm regions are 3 Oaks targeting over the next 12 months?

With some provinces in Argentina already regulated, such as the capital Buenos Aires, this is a key market for us as we look to expand across the continent. Argentina has shown substantial numbers in the iGaming market and can easily become the third largest country in terms of GGR.

However, we are also looking at other regions in LatAm as we try and finalise further partnerships here so watch this space as our journey continues!

With Brazil on the cusp of regulation, how do you think the space will pan out over the next 12 months and what plans does 3 Oaks have for the region?

It’s no secret that Brazil has been our number one target and we are thrilled to be live in the jurisdiction through a number of agreements already. Certain analysts predict that the market is expected to be worth over US$3 billion by 2028, which is an astonishing prediction, but also an incredibly exciting one.

We will see an increase of mature companies trying to expand in Brazil and can expect to reach the biggest operators with our approach and outstanding customer experience. We have premium slots, a team that believes in the market and everything to make our brand visible for our Brazilian customers.

These numbers ensure Brazil will be the jewel in Latin America’s crown once it fully regulates, and thanks to the deals we have in place, we feel we are well positioned for future growth when regulation finally kicks in.

Interviews

Exclusive Q&A w/ Richard Mifsud, Chief Vision Officer at XPRIZO

Published

3 days ago

May 20, 2024

George Miller

exclusive-q&a-w/-richard-mifsud,-chief-vision-officer-at-xprizo

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Would you tell us about the idea behind the Xprizo fintech platform?

It’s a story that started several years ago when the founder was conducting business on the ground in several emerging markets. Xprizo was founded to respond to the needs of emerging market consumers and merchants, whilst also addressing the limitations of Western banking systems.

This full-service payments platform combines all functionality needed by merchants, with a product tailored to unbanked consumers, bringing this market together in one, seamless ecosystem. What’s more, we drive adoption and consumer education through a network of agents, supporting cash deposit and withdrawal in a way that our target audience is accustomed to.

Xprizo’s mission statement is to ‘revolutionise the future of fintech’. What gaps in the market is Xprizo working to find solutions for and improve in the fintech space?

We are primarily targeting countries which have substantially large communities which are under served when it comes to fintech or banking. Therefore, we are operating in a challenging environment where we truly believe we can have a life changing impact connecting these people to several national and international services. We are delivering a comprehensive financial service where our clients are usually just served with either mobile money or cash and with the introduction of Xprizo our customers can benefit from p2p payments, card processing and full integration to the local mobile money ecosystem, debit cards, crypto and much much more.

How was the development process in building the platform? Were there particular challenges along the way and how long did it take to get the platform ready for market?

We wanted to build the platform from the ground up using local knowledge and tenants so we are working with people coming from Africa, India, Southeast Asia and also Latin America. To arrive at where we are it took several years actually and it is always developing. Having said that in the last 12 months the platform and the wallet took the shape it has today and we covered a lot of ground. Main challenges were the territory we operate in since we needed to make sure the platform can run smoothly with less than ideal infrastructure. One has to keep in mind that we are operating in a space where lack of electricity is the norm, interrupted internet is an everyday occurrence, regulatory matters are still very complex and more.

How does the Xprizo platform set itself apart from other fintech offerings? What can the service provide that others can’t?

As explained earlier, we build the platform from the people to the people. Most other offerings are a one-size fits all where they are adapted versions of what is available in the western world. Moreover, we are offering a truly comprehensive payment orchestration for users and merchants. One just needs to get on our platform and doesn’t need anything further. You can get the local payment methods, our own p2p, cards, etc.. No other service out there has such a complete offering.

Xprizo’s platform features a number of payment service providers such as M-Pesa, what benefits does this bring customers?

The idea is that our clients don’t need to use several systems to make their life or business. Using or integrating to Xprizo gives you a number of payment methods in one place where for the business side you would integrate one API and you can pick and choose what you wish to use.

How is 2024 shaping up for the business and what plans are in place to continue to develop the platform?

2024 is proving to be an incredible year for Xprizo. We are very happy to be overwhelmed with businesses that are recognising the benefits of using our system and we are having internal discussions to be integrated with very well known businesses and also by Tier 1 banks. Our ground reach though the agent network will also keep expanding month on month and the product offering will keep being a one of a kind setting the standard for other Fintech companies to keep up to.

2024 will also see us expand our reach in Africa launching several other countries and more importantly we will be launching our first operations in South East Asia. We will be beginning with the Philippines in June with the goal of expanding our reach across the following months.

The post Exclusive Q&A w/ Richard Mifsud, Chief Vision Officer at XPRIZO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

CGS Events

“Francisco Leiva: Forging the Future of the Gaming Industry in Chile”

Published

7 days ago

May 17, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

“francisco-leiva:-forging-the-future-of-the-gaming-industry-in-chile”

In the vibrant gaming industry in Chile, Francisco Leiva’s figure emerges as a key reference. A trained industrial civil engineer, his professional journey spans 35 years, from his beginnings in the public sector to his prominent role as Superintendent of Casinos, and more recently as Corporate Manager of Strategic Development at Marina del Sol. His entry into this industry, marked by challenges and significant achievements, reflects his commitment to progress and innovation. In this interview, Francisco shares his vision, experience, and accumulated wisdom over the years.

Could you tell us a bit about your career, professional trajectory, and path to where you are today; What motivated you to enter the Gaming industry?

I am an industrial civil engineer, and my career started in the public sector 35 years ago. Initially, I worked at the Ministry of Health and then at the Ministry of Finance, where I was involved in the drafting and legislative processing of various bills, such as the anti-money laundering law and the gaming casinos law.

Given my work in the legislative process of the gaming casinos bill, after its enactment in February 2005, President Ricardo Lagos appointed me as the first Superintendent of Casinos to implement the law. It was a significant professional and personal challenge as it involved bringing an industry that was far behind similar developed countries as Chile up to date.

During your time as Superintendent of Casinos in Chile, what were the most challenging tasks you undertook, and what would you say was your legacy in the gaming industry?

The main challenge was implementing the new gaming casinos law, which involved setting up the Superintendency, hiring staff, and preparing all conditions for private investors to apply for new casino operation permits. This led to 52 projects being submitted for the 18 available casino permits, with investments exceeding US$ 755 million at the time. Foreign investment accounted for 55%, and national investment for 45%.

The result was the construction of 18 new casinos along with complementary facilities such as hotels, convention centers, restaurants, and other leisure facilities that turned these areas into tourist attractions in the cities where they were built.

Undoubtedly, the main challenge was meeting the tender requirements within a tight timeframe. We managed to have a competitive process with operators from around the world, radically changing Chile’s gaming casinos industry.

The legacy was transforming the gaming casinos industry from seven municipal casinos to a modern industry with 24 top-level casinos and facilities.

What significant lessons have you learned throughout your career? And what message would you like to leave for future generations?

One lesson is that ambitious goals can only be achieved through dedication and by building motivated teams with clear objectives. It’s impossible to do it alone in tasks like these.

I believe the message is to work with honesty, dedication, and without losing sight of the task entrusted to you.

Knowing you personally, not just professionally, what activity inspires you or helps you achieve balance in your life?

Since I was a child, I have been passionate about playing tennis, and I have tried to maintain this passion even as a senior player. In this sense, I think engaging in sports helps maintain a healthy mind and body, which is essential to counter the stress that comes with demanding and complex work.

Similarly, one cannot neglect family life, as they are the ones who will ultimately support you in difficult times.

In summary, the only way, although not easy, is to harmonize work demands with a balanced life.

Finally, what is your opinion on hosting such an important international event in your country? And in a way, being one of the hosts to such important international personalities.

It is very important for the country to host such events that allow interaction among different actors in the gaming industry. It facilitates the exchange of experiences and networking, allowing the industry to continue developing. It is also important for public authorities, especially regulatory ones, to participate so they can understand the industry’s reality and see where the industry is heading given technological and cultural changes.

Francisco Leiva’s story in the gaming industry in Chile is an inspiring testimony of determination and success. From his crucial role in implementing the gaming casinos law to his contribution to the industry’s growth and modernization, his legacy endures as a beacon of positive change. Beyond his professional achievements, Francisco reminds us of the importance of balancing work and personal life, as well as the need to stay focused on values such as honesty and dedication. His optimism and commitment to the future of the gaming industry in Chile are a reminder that success is achieved through effort, teamwork, and a clear vision.