Vladimir Malakchi, the Chief Commercial Officer of Evoplay, is set to be part of the expert speaker line-up at this month’s CasinoBeats Summit 2022 conference in Malta, where he will be discussing the opportunities for igaming created by the growth of the metaverse.
Ahead of the event, we caught up with him to discuss the games developer’s content going live in the Malta Gaming Authority jurisdiction, as well as its growth plans and product roadmap for the rest of 2022 and beyond.
CasinoBeats: Congratulations on going live in Malta just in time for CasinoBeats Summit next week! Could you take us through the process and what this market entry means for the company?
Vladimir Malakchi: As a leading igaming developer, Malta is one of the most attractive top-tier markets for us. In terms of figures, the total revenue of casinos licensed by Malta’s regulatory body exceeded €30m for 2021, which is extremely promising for operators and players alike.
We have always been very ambitious in terms of expansion; we believe our outstanding game portfolio deserves to be experienced by players across the globe due to its high-tech offering.
As part of our existing partnerships with major Malta-based platforms, we’re now able to deliver in markets under the MGA jurisdiction, which is a significant milestone for Evoplay. It gives us the go-ahead to introduce our innovative mechanics and features to more players through both established and new partnerships focused on Malta, and the key European markets that use the MGA as part of their approval process.
CB: Do you see Malta as Europe’s igaming capital for the next decade?
VM: Malta has secured recognition as the world’s main igaming hub, primarily because it was the first EU country to regulate online gaming. In addition to this, the state created favourable conditions for the industry to flourish, which attracted many businesses from across the globe.
More than 250 igaming businesses currently keep their headquarters in Malta, however, to focus operations purely on this, isn’t an effective solution for frontrunners. The igaming industry develops in leaps and bounds with each new market that appears, and each of them has the potential to become the next hotly-contested battleground for competing brands.
CB: Will you continue to build on your new credentials, and if so, what is in store for the rest of the year?
VM: Global expansion is one of our main focuses, of course after the development of industry-shattering games. Our games receive excellent feedback and have an ever-growing fanbase, which propels us to distribute them to the maximum number of players possible.
Switzerland, Mexico, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Spain are some of the regions that we are keeping an eye on and hoping to see developments in. However, with regards to our expansion strategy for 2022, the first four of the above-mentioned countries are on our to-do list for the year.
We have the required business capacity to see that Evoplay games are offered on these markets by the end of the year, so we have our work cut out for us in the months ahead.
CB: How is Evoplay planning to ramp up excitement amongst its players and partners ahead of upcoming shows and events?
VM: Evoplay’s products tend to have an ‘echo effect’ when they launch, in the sense that industry players hear about them long after their release. We don’t allow the excitement built around our games to fade, constantly working on developing innovative features that can be added as enhancements to live products.
A large proportion of our titles get a new lease of life with gamifying solutions, such as bonus buy, which can boost our partners’ business metrics, as well as adding additional paylines and mechanics that can multiply wins and provide endless entertainment.
Our partners and players are at the centre of everything we do – we value their cooperation greatly and we are prepared to make customised offers. We also look to explore opportunities that strengthen our relationships, and our upcoming reporting system is a great example of this.
CB: Regarding your development roadmap – how is Evoplay looking to cater to new demographics as player preferences continue to evolve and new technologies emerge?
VM: The ease in which our products align with our audience’s preferences and engage them is a testament to how we develop every title with the player in mind. This attitude is also reflected in our mobile-first approach to design and gamification, which is implemented into all of our products.
Our recent release – a third-person runner crash game with a variety of skins and settings called Goblin Run, is a spectacular example of how we push the boundaries of conventional gambling to create a supercharged gaming experience for our audiences.
Evoplay is a truly flexible and responsive developer that keeps track of the emerging trends in the igaming space, finding inspiration from other entertainment spaces in order to remain ahead of the innovation curve.
For example, seeing that sports betting is steadily on the rise ahead of the World Cup later this year, we have started to develop a game shaped around betting on football tournaments. It is expected to be released soon, and as always will make a real splash in the igaming industry.
————–
Organised by SBC, the CasinoBeats Summit 2022 conference and exhibition will take place on 24-26 May at the InterContinental in St Julian’s, Malta.
The summit features a conference agenda that focuses on igaming industry leadership, the next generation of slots and live casino games, emerging markets, the impact of wider technological developments on the gaming industry, and marketing strategies. Delegates will also have access to a programme of networking events and an exhibition featuring the latest innovations and games releases from leading suppliers.
Find full details, including how to book a pass, at the CasinoBeats Summit website.
