Speed, according to Neil Ferris, head of casino at Rabbit Entertainment is what has put the company ahead within the industry over the last 12 months.
The industry has had to overcome various well documented hurdles over the year, with numerous lessons being learnt throughout this unexpected period, yet Rabbit Entertainment ended 2020 with a high note winning big at the SBC Awards.
Speaking following the firm’s receipt of the Rising Star in Casino, Ferris explained that the company has “reshaped the business and have proximity to the platform and developers, and this gives us a significant competitive advantage.”
“For Rabbit Entertainment, being selected for the ‘Rising Star in Casino’ award shortlist created a lot of excitement within our growing team, the SBC judges helped to independently acknowledge the great strides we have made over the past year.
“To then be chosen by the judges from that shortlist to take the ‘Rising Star in Casino’ Award gave our team an even bigger boost, in a market so fast-moving, with so many restrictions, tougher competition, and an ever-changing regulatory landscape, I can definitely say that our close collaboration and proximity to our platform and aggregator United Remote was surely part of the judges thinking process in what set us apart as an award-winner.
“I am convinced that the judges saw that we have no geographical or communication boundaries with our platform provider and this certainly gave us an edge. In addition, Lapalingo’s partners cover some of the world’s biggest providers, to more experimental and boutique producers, giving Lapalingo a highly-differentiated gaming experience which also no doubt proved popular with the SBC Awards judges.”
“Nowadays, players prefer to place their bets anywhere anytime using a mobile rather than waiting to get home and do it on a desktop, laptop or tablet”
Rabbit Entertainment, asserts itself as a ‘mobile-first’ focus while offering a range of online casino games including slots, table games, keno, video poker and live casino. This alone, according to Ferris, gives the company an advantage in being able to offer ‘significant benefits’ to players.
He continued: “Nowadays, players prefer to place their bets anywhere anytime using a mobile rather than waiting to get home and do it on a desktop, laptop or tablet. In addition, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new preferences for live casino.
“Eighty per cent of our players choose to play via mobile so strategically mobile is at the centre of every decision we make. This is the driver for ‘mobile-first’. Our mission is to eventually offer a better mobile-based brand experience than others. Currently, we are working on having a good competitive mobile product and a relevant brand experience for our players.
“Frankly, with wider adoption of mobile devices, the trend is for users to expect exactly the same from mobile as they expect from a desktop or tablet. This trend is opening the market for more potential players and we are responding to this with adjustments to our technology, software and user interfaces.
“Whilst this is very much a work-in-progress, we have made progress this year and we are confident that we can continue to devote resources to ramp up our capability in this important area.
“The enhanced mobile environment also calls for a lot more diversification so we have intensified our offer to over 2000 casino games. The fact that mobile devices now support reliable deposit and withdrawal methods, app security and top-quality internet connectivity only enhances the power of mobile gambling even further.”
One of the many hurdles that faced the industry during 2020 was the heightened focus on responsible gaming, particularly due to the impact of nationwide lockdowns on vulnerable players.
“the trend is for users to expect exactly the same from mobile as they expect from a desktop or tablet”
When asked on what procedures are in place to ensure that responsible gaming remains a central focus throughout the company Ferries explained: “We take responsible gaming very seriously at Rabbit Entertainment, and use it as an opportunity to create a sustainable business that puts consistency at its core.
“Rabbit Entertainment and its brands lapalingo.de and lordlucky.de are the first and only independently certified entities to provide virtual slots in conformity with Germany’s forthcoming regulations, the first company to achieve this status via its platform provider United Remote.
“As a result, the offering of Rabbit Entertainment on lapalingo.de and lordlucky.de, based on the platform provided by United Remote, is the first vertical offering Virtual Slots which has been certified by TÜV AUSTRIA Group as compliant with the new German regulation (Glückspielstaatsvertrag).
“This puts player protection front and forward, seriously emphasising a commitment to responsible gaming, while creating a safe environment for players to enjoy the entertainment experience to the full.
“The conformity statement issued by TÜV TRUST IT GmbH certifies the vertical offering is already compliant with the requirements of the forthcoming Inter-State Treaty on Gambling in Germany, based on the currently established Tolerance Period. TÜV AUSTRIA Group is the neutral, objective and independent partner for consulting and certification services.
“In addition, we hit the milestone ISO 27001 certification in October which defines the highest standards for data privacy and protection and is highly respected by numerous regulatory bodies. United Remote has shown the proper policies, procedures and controls are in place to comply with the requirements of the international standard for information security management – ISO/IEC 27001:2013.”
“Rabbit Entertainment has a strong player base and we will be driving significant focus on profitable verticals”
Ferris noted that 2020 has taught his company how to become resilient and discovered that its team spirit is ‘strong’ while not taking things for granted. Now with both eyes firmly fixed on 2021, Ferris provided a glimpse into what people can expect from Rabbit Entertainment.
“Rabbit Entertainment plans to invest in infrastructure, expand in key markets, and continue to focus on achieving operational excellence in a regulated environment,” he concluded
“Rabbit Entertainment has a strong player base and we will be driving significant focus on profitable verticals.
“We will also build on the company’s strategy to reshape releasing further potential, including capitalising on the certification in Germany and as the winner of Best Rising Star in Casino at the prestigious SBC Awards. The business is entering a new phase and our CEO Tal Zamstein has identified a number of actions necessary to further strengthen the company’s position.
“Both Lapalingo and Lord Lucky have universal appeal that will help our business go from strength-to-strength and we look forward to building on that legacy further with a focused multi-brand strategy in our key markets.”