The last 12 months have been “quite literally a game-changer”, claimed Slots Temple, CMO, Fraser Linkleter.
Over the last year, Slots Temple became the first affiliate site to gain a UK Gambling Commission licence, a decision that led to the firm to offer cash prizes in its free slots tournaments for the first time.
On the decision, Linkleter noted: “Previously, you could play for fun for the chance to win merchandise or avatars, and to earn xpoints to open chests. But now, we could offer our users something else.
“It’s something that places us in a unique position in the market and really adds to the user XP. It also means we can roll out paid-for tournaments in the future. Entry fees will allow for bigger prizes, although we will still offer free tournaments for cash prizes.
“The licence also represented our commitment to social responsibility and to working within regulatory frameworks. UKGC licensees are held to the highest of standards, and it was important to show our users that we meet those standards.”
Along with the UKGC licence comes a world of stricter regulations. On this point, Slots Temple’s CMO noted that regulations can be challenging but expressed his belief that the affiliates that embrace compliance will have “sustainable businesses in the long term”.
He continued: “More regulation means operators are increasingly cautious about the affiliate partners they choose and will only work with those who put social responsibility at the cornerstone of everything they do, as we do.”
Looking into how slot suppliers can look at incorporating video game elements, such as multiplayer, into slots, Linkleter admitted that there is “certainly an appetite” for multiplayer games, but conversely, he noted that players’ tastes in games have “not changed” as much as people might tend to believe over the years.
“Many of the simple, classic slots are still hugely popular. I think the key element is social, which will become increasingly more important.
“This is what we have done at Slots Temple – taking a traditionally solitary pastime like slots play and adding dynamic social elements through multiplayer tournaments and leaderboards. We’ve built a very active and engaged community whose members have fun competing against each other.
“We’re planning new products and games to enhance this, such as the potential for private tournaments in future which will add a new social dynamic.”
Looking over the next 12 months, Linkleter expects continued innovation in mechanics and mathematical models based round the core game elements, as well as slots that add elements of skill gaming.
From the perspective of Slots Temple, the affiliate will roll out its paid-for tournaments and introduce new tournament variations.
On 2023, Linkleter concluded: “We’ll also be integrating with more games developers which will allow us to offer tournaments across an even wider variety of games. And we’ll be building our communities in the US and Canada, which are relatively new markets for us, while increasing our mar keting activity across the board. Exciting times!”
