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Exclusive Q&A with Mike Fox, CFO at Crystal WG
Q. Let us start with a quick intro of yourself for starters. Could you briefly describe your career?
A. I have 20 years’ experience in the gambling industry. For more than 10 years, I worked as the Group CFO of Euronext listed company Thunderbirds Resorts in Panama. I was lucky enough to work on some fantastic land-based casino projects in several emerging markets. At the time, the group operated 30 casinos and 10 hotels with 5,000 employees in the Philippines, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
I played an integral role in helping expand our remit, opening two large properties in the Philippines – one included a hotel, golf course and casino and the other a hotel and casino. In Lima, Peru the group purchased six hotels and opened a flagship casino in the heart of Miraflores along with acquiring several slot parlors around the country. In Costa Rica, the group opened a flagship casino adjacent to the International Airport and subsequently several more casinos. In Panama, the group operated six casinos. At the time these properties were built, they were the best casino products to enter the markets.
In 2015, I joined Crystal Wealth Group to offer my financial consulting and investment experience for casinos, iGaming and the crypto/NFT space before helping launch new online casino BetCoco this year.
Q. You are a veteran casino professional. How challenging is a shift to the online casino segment?
A. One key difference is the ability to reach a global audience using the power of the internet. This is where a lot of time is spent with every territory we target in making sure we match the specific compliance requirements and own the correct operating licences to be able to offer our product to specific regions.
However, whether it’s land-based or online, the premise of operating a casino brand remains the same. If you can provide a service that surpasses customers’ expectations and offers them an experience that they cannot get anywhere else, they will return.
This is something we have focused on heavily in our design of BetCoco.
Q. Tell us about BetCoco. What are the immediate objectives of the company? Could you also tell us quickly about your job brief.
A. BetCoco is a fun brand that offers the best-in-class player experience with the leading games and services that the industry has to offer. Innovation is at the foundation of everything we do through creating the best features to continuously improve our user experience.
We initially launched in cryptocurrency, yet now offer fiat. One of our immediate objectives is to onboard new customers from the territories where we are operational. We are going to be working with the industry’s top affiliates and media partners to bring quality traffic to our site in every location we are situated.
My role is to facilitate this by focusing our investments on markets that are not necessarily saturated with competitors where our players get excited about a new brand with attractive bonus and loyalty programs.
Q. Could you now talk about your digital marketing strategies and the benefits that customers are going to get from BetCoco?
A. We’re quickly deploying exciting paid media marketing and affiliate campaigns to let the markets know about us such as in Brazil we are partnering with the top affiliates in the market to promote our recurring bonus offers.
We also have a very clear approach to making customer satisfaction one of our key goals. For instance, our aggressive customer bonus plan with 100% bonus up to 0.5BTC is designed to attract keen crypto players – and now we are on the verge of releasing industry-best bonus rewards for fiat customers.
Q. According to your recent press release, BetCoco wants to bring back “more thrill” for customers, which is something that “iGaming operators have lost in their brand promotions in recent years”. Could you elaborate a bit on this point?
A. We think some of the bigger operators with a large market share lose touch sometimes of what will attract players that are new to online gaming. Especially, in emerging markets like Latin America, Asia and Africa, we plan to be the trusted brand that excites new players to begin their online journey into iGaming.
Q. What are the features BetCoco offers as of now and in which markets they are available?
A. We have created a best-in-class suite of tech with our iGaming software platform integrated with the best gaming providers, My Affiliates for affiliate management and Customer.io for CRM. Our intention is to give our players a first-class betting experience and a seamless user journey. This includes making them feel special and appreciated with our special offers and VIP treatment.
We understand that some of our users enjoy the feeling of betting next to friends / other users. So, we are offering exclusive live tournaments and daily challenges and leaderboards with new games announced weekly. Our platform allows players to collect loyalty points and redeem for special rewards and prizes.
Q. Could you outline the new initiatives of BetCoco that are in the pipeline and likely to roll out in the next two years?
A. Our group is the process of launching new sites under a Malta license that will allow us to enter higher value markets. We are also acquiring best in class technology to continue to build additional brands under Malta licensing using our own CMS platform to allow complete control over the customization of our sites for each market.
Thanks to the metaverse and advanced VR Technology, players can now visit physical casinos from the comfort of their homes. We plan to have all kind of VR Games – Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, Game Shows, and even a Sports betting room, where the player can wager on a sports match and stay to watch the game next to other users, just like in Vegas! For this, player just needs to have a VR headset.
We have built relationships with the world’s best metaverse and VR tech companies and will integrate this technology into our brands over time.
We also plan to offer the ability to mint NFT slot machines with a shared revenue model and NFT player passes with in-app purchases.
Q. You plan to enter new markets, especially in Africa and Asia. What are your plans to tackle the fluid state of regulation in many of the African and Asian countries, with respect to cryptocurrency. For example, in India, a potentially large market, the legal stature of cryptocurrencies is in a disputed state. What will be your strategy?
A. While our view of the markets is worldwide, including Asia and Africa, we also see solid opportunities to secure country level licensing in places like Peru and Colombia. In addition, in the short term, we plan a major push in Brazil during the World Cup period. Since we have a presence in Latin America, for example, it allows us to understand better the local players and create brands that appeal to the particulars of each market.
Q. Finally, what is your take on the future of igaming segment, especially in relation to advances in technology such as machine learning and block chain?
A. Artificial intelligence and machine learning is becoming and will be a very important part of the iGaming industry in years to come.
From better understanding user experience through advanced data sets to more complex security measures via anti-money laundering detection software to faster transaction speeds via blockchain-powered cryptocurrencies, the advancements in technology can benefit the industry in so many ways – and it’s still growing.
These developments allow us to operate in a sector that is safer, more enjoyable and just generally more informed. For instance, with machine learning, we can hone the information we have on our customers to create better experiences. With blockchain, we can offer users the most streamlined and frictionless approach to playing.
As technology is always evolving, part of our mission is to evolve with it, so our players can enjoy the best and most advanced gaming. To bolster customer experience, we are already looking at planning to design and incorporate our own VR Games on-site. These games will be available in 1st person view, as well as in 3rd person view. Our VR Casino Games will offer players the most immersive experience on the market.
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The world of sports betting and gaming is set for a major shake-up with the launch of GoldenRace’s innovative, new number game, Goal2Win, designed to captivate the massive global football audience. Goal2Win successfully bridges the gap between the universal passion for the “king of sports” and the proven thrill of number-based predictions, offering partners a fresh, high-potential product for monetisation.
Goal2Win is a premium offering that takes the familiar, classic number game format and integrates it with a dynamic, football-centric theme. This unique combination makes the game instantly recognisable yet excitingly new, appealing both to seasoned sports bettors and newcomers seeking an engaging, simplified experience.
Goal2Win is GoldenRace’s proposal to mix innovation and tradition. It offers operators a product that leverages the immense reach of football fandom while delivering the straightforward, engaging gameplay and massive win potential expected from a top-tier number game. It’s a compelling blend of excitement, simplicity, and significant reward potential.
Key features driving engagement and potential winnings:
Goal2Win is engineered for maximum player retention and high stakes, boasting dynamic gameplay and powerful features:
- Multiplier feature: Players can place the same set of bets across an impressive twenty-two consecutive events, significantly driving up potential winnings and ensuring sustained engagement over time.
- Jackpots and Mega Jackpots: The game includes tiered winnings with both standard Jackpots and highly coveted Mega Jackpots, promising life-changing sums and acting as a powerful player motivator.
- Quick picks: For rapid access to the action, the Quick picks option allows the system to randomly select numbers, streamlining the betting process for players.
- Row/Column selector: Enhancing the user experience, selector buttons enable players to easily pick an entire row or column of numbers, simplifying sophisticated betting.
Goal2Win represents a unique opportunity for operators to tap into the immense global football fanbase with a product that is both innovative and instantly recognisable. It stands poised to become a staple offering, driving higher stakes and attracting a broader demographic to the operators’ portfolio.
The post GoldenRace launches Goal2Win to bridge the gap between football and numbers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Yaspa, the Pay by Bank fintech, today announced a partnership with PayAdmit, the London-based payment software provider and orchestrator used by merchants across eCommerce, iGaming and digital services. The integration brings Pay by Bank to PayAdmit’s platform, giving its merchants a faster, secure, cost-effective way to accept customer payments with real-time confirmation.
PayAdmit offers a modular payments stack that includes White Label, Cashier Service, Payment Bridge and Payment Concierge Service — a high-touch support layer for resolving payment issues in real time. The platform aggregates 350+ global payment methods and provides streamlined onboarding, enabling merchants to go live in as little as 14 days.
Adding Yaspa gives PayAdmit’s clients a high-conversion bank payment option built for speed, conversion and compliance.
Yaspa’s Head of Commercial, Amie Kadhim, said: “PayAdmit moves fast and sets a high bar on payment performance, reliability and checkout experience. We’re excited to power their next chapter with instant bank payments that are speedy, secure and deliver a smooth, mobile-first experience – boosting approval rates and settling funds immediately.”
For PayAdmit’s merchants, the integration with Yaspa delivers:
- Real-time deposit confirmation
- Lower processing costs versus traditional methods i.e. debit and credit cards
- Reduced fraud and chargeback risk with bank-level authentication
- A smoother mobile journey with no card details to key in
Yaspa’s benefits align with PayAdmit’s focus on performance, security and a modern, merchant-friendly toolkit.
Vladyslav Kolodistyi, CEO of PayAdmit added: “Our mission is to give merchants a flexible, future-proof payments stack. Partnering with Yaspa adds a best-in-class, instant bank payment option, so clients get higher conversion with less complexity.”
The post PayAdmit partners with Yaspa to integrate Pay by Bank on its payments platform appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge managed IT solutions designed for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, announces the appointment of Julia Weygandt as Head of Client Growth & New Business.
Based in Malta, Julia will spearhead strategic initiatives to drive customer growth and capture new market opportunities globally, working closely with the existing Sales team and Practice Leads.
Julia brings over 20 years of experience in gaming, entertainment, and technology, with a proven track record in commercial strategy, international market expansion, and strategic partnerships. Her career includes senior roles such as COO at G Games and Tornado Games, and Head of International Partnerships at GAMOMAT, where she successfully scaled operations and delivered significant revenue growth.
Julia is an active advocate for diversity and leadership in gaming, serving as a Board member for Global Gaming Women and leading partnerships for the Behind the Gloves initiative, which combines boxing and corporate engagement to support charitable causes.
Nick Nally, Chief Revenue Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, commented: “Julia’s appointment reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional value and growth opportunities for our customers. Her deep industry knowledge, commercial acumen, and passion for building strong partnerships make her an outstanding addition to our team. We are excited to see the impact she will have as we continue to expand globally.”
Julia Weygandt, Head of Client Growth & New Business, added: “I’ve known the Continent 8 team for a long time; they are a trusted and respected partner to the world’s leading iGaming operators and suppliers, and I am thrilled to join at such an exciting time. My focus will be on driving client success through innovative solutions and strategic growth initiatives, ensuring we continue to lead in this fast-evolving industry.”
The post Continent 8 appoints Julia Weygandt as Head of Client Growth & New Business appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
