— Please introduce yourself and tell our readers about yourself.
My name is Zack. I have been working in the gambling industry since 2017. Worked with various products in our industry: bookmakers, online casinos, poker rooms, etc. I also started a startup as a business development manager.
— What responsibilities do you perform at Uplatform?
I’m a senior sales manager. My duties include supporting the entire transaction cycle: from the first contact with the client to signing the contract. In addition to processing incoming traffic, I search for leads on my own.
— How did you get into the iGaming industry?
I got into gambling completely by accident. My knowledge of English and the ability to find a common language with almost anyone helped me. At that time, I had already worked as a hotel administrator for five years and wanted to change something in my life. I accidentally saw an ad that a local betting startup is looking for a translator to help you make international deals. In my first month of work, I helped sell a betting platform. That’s how I started my career.
— What services are most often requested by Uplatform and why?
Most of the requests we receive are for integrating bookmakers using iframes and creating betting platforms. This is due to the fact that our bookmaker is a unique product that is 100% developed by our team. We do not purchase data channels or analyze the results of matches. All you get is one of the best bookmakers on the market, the quality of which has been honed over the years.
— Which is easier to open — an online casino or a sports betting platform?
In my opinion, launching an online casino is easier. You will need fewer people, as the casino does not require many analysts and internal support staff, and the profit from the casino is more stable than from sports. Yes, sports betting is less stable in terms of dividends, but often they either outperform casinos in terms of GGR (gross gaming income. — Editor’s note), or encourage visitors to stay on the site longer and go to the casino section while waiting for the match result. I would also like to add that the trend towards monoproducts is now fading and in order to be competitive, it is desirable to have a full range of services. To sum up, online casinos are easier to run, but there are many nuances that should be taken into account.
— Which direction is in high demand?
Again, it all depends on the specific region. Everyone has their own well-established gambling traditions. Everyone has their own laws governing the industry. There are countries where gambling is not regulated at all; in some places it is prohibited, while in others only certain products are allowed. Such markets usually allow lotteries or sports betting.
But if you still want to get a specific answer from me, then on average in the world I would call sports betting the most popular area of gambling. And in second place, I will put a combination of casino plus sports betting. This is a reference to my speech about monoproducts.
— How many people do you need to run and maintain an online casino?
The number of people can vary greatly depending on the size and scope of the operation. Here is a rough list of specialists that you will definitely need: management team, customer support (at least 3), compliance, legal department, finance and payments service. In a small online casino, some roles can be combined and several people can perform a number of functions. On the contrary, a large enterprise can employ hundreds of employees. The exact number varies greatly and depends on the specific needs of the casino.
— Can entrepreneurs fully outsource casino development processes?
In my opinion, everyone should do what they are good at. Uplatform is ready to take over the entire technical part of the project, up to the individual support service. This way, our clients will have more resources for business management and marketing.
— Do you think the strategy of one operator launching several casinos with different designs, but the same «content» is justified? We will not point fingers, but such duplicates are found.
I know what you’re talking about. I can say that in some cases this is quite justified. For example, if the operator wants to work in new geos. Different regions have their own peculiarities and traditions of gambling on the Internet, which have developed over the years, and we have to adapt to them by changing the site design. Often in such cases, a new skin is made.
— In general, we see a lot of similar casinos and bookmakers. Why are owners afraid to take risks and create unusual concepts?
That’s a good question. The gambling audience is usually very conservative. Check out which slots are popular right now and you will see games that are already 15-20 years old in the list. Bold new concepts can confuse the user and scare them away from the site. In my opinion, the probability that the new concept will be successful is low. But entrepreneurs are pragmatic people. No one wants to risk their money. Although I am sure that in the near future there will be crazy projects with new ideas that will be successful and popular, but there is still a chance of failure.
— How can you really surprise your players today?
It is not so difficult to surprise them, but it is more difficult to profit from this surprise. We have already witnessed the rise and fall of VR casinos. Yes, it was something new, but impractical. However, there were also successful examples like the game Aviator. From the casino sector, we can expect a conceptually new game, and from sports betting — interaction with artificial intelligence. We’ll find out later which one exactly.
— Search engines and social networks put strict restrictions on advertising gambling and betting. How do you promote online casinos and bookmakers?
We do not directly promote client platforms. This aspect of the work is entirely on the client side. We can only advise you on which traffic sources the site owner should use based on the selected geo.
— What unusual marketing campaigns have you offered your clients?
Probably the most unusual method of promotion I’ve seen was from one of my African clients. One of the founders is a popular rap artist in his country. Each concert became a marketing campaign, as the stage was covered with posters with the name of their betting site, and all the musicians were wearing branded T-shirts.
— Share the most difficult case from your practice.
Probably the most important case occurred in 2020. Back then, I was working for a poker software company. We were approached by a client from Costa Rica with a request to integrate the poker room into their gaming site. The negotiations lasted a long 7 months. Due to the large time zone difference, we could only call each other early in the morning or late in the evening. Poker software is technically quite a complex product that requires fine-tuning depending on the geo and business model. We spent many hours in negotiations, trying to take all the points into account. Somewhere we had to prove ourselves to the maximum in order to agree on favorable terms for us. But, fortunately, everything ended well. As a result, we had a signed agreement on the table.
— Tell us a little more about interaction with providers and casinos. How does the collaboration work? Do developers request information about the sites that host their gambling entertainment?
We always try to make life easier for our customers and negotiate with providers to provide their games. We have a well-established mechanism that follows strict rules. Despite the fact that we have more than 200 providers of various casino games and a huge number of clients around the world, our team effectively copes with its task and serves as a guarantee of successful and stable work of our clients, as well as maintains partnerships with casino providers.
— You focus on different markets. Tell us, how do casinos in Africa, Asia, and Latin America differ from European ones?
Of the three, Asia differs most from the European approach. The market develops according to its own rules and is a very closed system with its own popular providers and business principles. It is quite normal for any provider to offer different commercial terms for Asia and the rest of the world.
If we talk about Africa, the most significant difference is the payment methods. Mobile transfers are in high demand, as well as cash payments in small land-based bookmakers, where money is accepted by agents with mobile terminals.
I cannot point out any fundamental differences between Latin America and Europe. Sure, there are a few things that make their way of doing business stand out, but they’re not as critical.
— Is it realistic to create a global casino that will successfully operate in different markets? How is the product localized?
Yes, it is possible, but it requires a considerable amount of money, time and human resources. To break into a new market, you must conduct an analysis and throw your managers in there. Their task is to find all the pitfalls, develop connections, study local legislation and payment methods. This stage alone can take anywhere from a couple of months to several years. This is followed by product adaptation, additional integrations, and the development of a marketing strategy. And so on for each new market. Only such a comprehensive approach will allow you to conquer the world of gambling.
— Can you name the top 3 most popular providers among operators?
Let me answer in my own way. I would like to highlight Pragmatic Play as one of the most popular casino providers, which is in great demand among our customers all over the world. As for live casinos, it is not surprising that I will single out Evolution, a leading provider that has dominated this market for many years. Well, the third provider that I would like to mention is Aviatrix. He quickly broke into the industry and attracted everyone’s attention for his signature game.
— Do you think land-based casinos need to enter the online market?
This is not necessary at all and depends on the specific business model. However, we often receive requests from land-based casino owners about their desire to switch to online casinos.
— What are the main trends in the gambling industry right now?
At this stage, I see two bright trends. The first is the introduction of blockchain technologies in the gambling business. We will increasingly see the emergence of new cryptocurrencies. And now it is difficult to imagine a large platform without the possibility of a crypto deposit. So the interaction between the crypto world and online casinos has a great future.
The second trend is caused by widespread digitalization and globalization. I’m talking about state regulation of the iGaming business. More and more often we hear about how laws prohibiting or regulating gambling are being adopted in different countries. And this trend of getting out of the gray zone will continue for many years to come.
— In your opinion, how will the online casino market change in the next 10 years?
As I said, we will see more cryptocurrencies and stricter laws. Yes, over time, it will be harder for newcomers to break through, and well-known brands will have to adapt. But all these changes will create clear and transparent rules of the game. This will attract more investors, for whom this business previously seemed too risky.