Latest News

Movers and Shakers: Creating noise in the shark tank: what it takes to build a successful slot studio

Published

9 months ago

October 8, 2024

Movers and Shakers: Creating noise in the shark tank: what it takes to build a successful slot studio

Fredrik Johansson, CEO and Founder at Fantasma Games, on the challenging environment and organizational focus it takes for developers to create a sustainable business amid ever-increasing levels of competition.

Five years ago, the market entry barrier for a new game studio was relatively low.

This, combined with the low cost of accessing global and local distribution networks through well-established aggregators, led to an influx of studios moving into the space.

The result? Today, there are more than 750 game studios that released close to 11,000 new titles during 2023 alone – on average, an operator takes content from more than 60 providers.

One of the main challenges is that game themes and mechanical similarities now exist between the vast majority of games, and this is impacting the wider competitiveness of the market, and ability to position a unique player experience.

The market barrier entry for a new game studio is now incredibly high and for those who can get up and running, actually staying in the game is almost impossible.

Why? Because studios need to build trust with their portfolio and product roadmap and have a proven track record of creating premium content that hits the market with players.

If you can’t achieve this, you quickly find there is no demand for your games.

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Does this mean new studios can’t succeed? Of course not. Fantasma Games is proof that with a clear focus and strategic direction you can get in on the action and find meaningful and trustful place in the market.

We have been able to establish ourselves as an innovative and premium provider of player-centric games that go beyond gambling to truly engage players.

We also keep our promises, and our customers are confident in our ability to continue to deliver games that perform highly and generate outstanding player engagement KPIs.

For me, this is crucial to the success of any studio.

Studios must be able to deliver premium, high-performing games that resonate with a wide range of player audiences in multiple markets, but they must also earn the trust of their operator partners.

Operators need to be confident in the studio’s strategic growth agenda and ambitions and that they will not only meet but exceed the goals they have set.

Of course, the success of a studio’s games comes into this and that is why the product roadmap must be balanced.

For Fantasma, this means daring to innovate and try something new while at the same time capitalising on existing high-performing mechanical frameworks that we know hit the mark with players.

The studios that take this approach can find they quickly move on from being the new kid on the block to being a major player in the content provision space.

For Fantasma, this has been achieved by working with a clear strategic plan and having a truly talented and passionate team always willing to go the extra mile to make a difference.

Hard work, focus and dedication from all our teams have been key to unlocking the strategic milestones that have enabled us to become established in this industry.

Again, I can’t downplay how important it has been to foster trusted relationships with our customers who believe in our roadmap and organisational capabilities just as much as we do.

Of course, you must always ensure the business is moving forward and that’s why we recently launched our own remote game server, FantasmaXpand.

This allows us to capitalise on existing partnerships and expand our joint collaborative initiatives in a way that ensures our customers are integral to how our roadmap is prioritised and developed.

It means our teams can focus on enhancing the technology roadmap, tuned and calibrated to our customer’s specific needs which in turn allows us to bring even more value to our partners.

This includes being able to deploy our content into new markets – another important capability for a studio to not only survive but thrive.

It has been natural for us to expand our geographical footprint alongside our international customers, as well as build strong local partnerships in key markets such as the US.

This ensures we stay relevant and allows us to keep optimising our global and local games roadmap in tight collaboration with our partners.

So, when you look at what goes into making a studio a success today compared to five years ago, it’s perhaps easy to see why some companies simply don’t make it.

Thankfully, Fantasma is a success story, but it has taken a great deal of passion and hard work to get to where we are today – and this is just the beginning.

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Canada

NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

George Miller

NetGaming, a fast-growing online casino content supplier, is proud to announce its launch in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., a leading online casino and sports betting company in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for NetGaming as it continues to expand its footprint across regulated North American markets.

As part of the launch, Ontario players on BetRivers can now enjoy a diverse portfolio of NetGaming titles, known for their high-quality graphics, immersive gameplay, and unique themes. Standout games such as Zeus’s Thunderbolt, Bison Gold, and Fireball Inferno are among the first to go live, with additional titles set to follow soon.

This partnership is just the beginning. NetGaming plans to extend its collaboration with Rush Street Interactive into Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mexico over the coming months.

Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO of NetGaming, commented: “We are thrilled to go live with Rush Street Interactive, a powerhouse operator with a strong presence and loyal player base. This launch marks a significant milestone in our
North American expansion strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences tailored to local player preferences across the region.”

Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, commented: “We are pleased to partner with NetGaming to bring innovative, premium games to our players in Ontario. This collaboration aligns with our strategy to offer world-class
entertainment through engaging, action-packed online casino games. We look forward to expanding this partnership into additional regulated markets in the months ahead.”

This strategic partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to providing high- quality, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players in regulated markets.

Compliance Updates

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) Selects New Board Chair

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Niji Narayan

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has announced Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, as its new Board Chair for SIGA’s Board of Directors.

SIGA is a non-profit First Nation gaming operator for seven land-based casinos and the online gaming platform PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan.

Chief Cook-Searson first joined SIGA’s Board of Directors in 2018 and has been a regular SIGA Board member as well as a member of SIGA’s Audit & Finance Committee.

She is serving in her 20th year as Chief of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a graduate diploma in management from Athabasca University. She also holds honorary degrees from the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Chief Cook-Searson replaces outgoing Board Chair former Chief of Muskowekwan First Nation Reginald Bellerose, who has held the Board Chair position since February 4, 2015.

Latest News

SCCG Announces Strategic Partnership with Applift

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Niji Narayan

SCCG Management has announced a strategic partnership with Applift, the world’s top performance App Store Optimization (ASO) agency. This partnership will introduce Applift’s proprietary ASO technology and advanced growth strategies to gaming companies worldwide, leveraging SCCG’s unmatched distribution capabilities and expansive gaming ecosystem of 120+ client partners.

Applift has earned a reputation as the gold standard in app growth by delivering data-driven ASO strategies powered by proprietary AI tools and the most comprehensive keyword intelligence system in the industry. Their work drives top keyword rankings, scalable user acquisition, and real business impact – increasing FTDs, improving retention, and maximizing LTV for some of the world’s most successful gaming, finance, utility, and AI apps.

Through this partnership, SCCG will activate its global network — with offices in every major gaming market across North America, LATAM, Europe, Africa, and Asia — to bring Applift’s breakthrough ASO technology to gambling companies seeking to scale user acquisition, boost visibility, and outperform the competition in app stores.

“At SCCG, we identify and scale the technologies that shape the future of gambling,” said Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management.

“Applift’s ASO platform is a game-changer. Our partnership gives gaming companies a proven solution to turn mobile visibility into performance at scale — and our global presence ensures the right operators and platforms benefit from this innovation.”

“At Applift, we’ve helped top gaming apps dominate the app stores, turning visibility into performance and installs into high-value users — all through our unmatched ASO technology and data-driven approach. Partnering with SCCG is a natural step forward. Their strategic footprint in the gaming world perfectly complements our ability to scale app growth at the highest level. Together, we’re not just optimizing – we’re redefining how gaming brands win in the app stores. I couldn’t be more confident in what we’ll achieve,” said Bar Nakash, CEO of Applift.