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Interviews

Axel Antillon: Our Peru entry is a major milestone for WA.Technology

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Axel Antillon: Our Peru entry is a major milestone for WA.Technology

 

What opportunities has WA.Technology identified in the Peru market? Why was this an attractive expansion opportunity? 

The Peruvian market is an incredibly attractive opportunity for WA.Technology, for many reasons. The market is home to a large, fast-growing, tech-savvy audience that has an ever-growing disposable income available to enjoy gaming.

The Peruvian market is also no stranger to gambling regulation. Land-based casinos have been legalised in Peru since 1979; this legislation formed a solid foundation for many other LatAm markets to introduce similar regulations for brick-and-mortar venues.

Online regulations have been introduced much more recently, in October 2023, following approval from the regulator, MINCETUR. As you can imagine, this means that much of the population has a level of awareness of the different gambling products available to them.

Another key factor is the growing usage of social media platforms among players. In Peru, social media usage has surpassed eight hours a day – this provides an important opportunity for operators to be able to establish communications with players and, ultimately, build brand exposure. Growing internet and smartphone penetration across the country also presents a huge opportunity for the growth and development of the gambling industry. It is estimated that smartphone penetration is approximately 1.2 phones per person, making the type of online gambling we’d expect in Europe and North America quickly available further south.

 

Why has now been the right time to enter Peru?

As they say, there’s no better time than the present! We already have a strong presence in LatAm. The introduction of regulations that govern the online gambling space in Peru has opened up new doors for us to expand our footprint across the region.

Peru’s regulatory framework makes this market the perfect opportunity for WA.Technology to bring our expertise to operators across this nascent market.  With more and more operators entering Peru (the last time I checked, there were 145 licence applications), we knew that there would be a demand for platform providers that can offer the full package of iGaming solutions. WA.Technology is perfectly placed to deliver exactly that.

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Our full spectrum of products and solutions – which includes WA.Platform, WA.Sports, WA.Casino, WA.Fantasy, WA.Affiliates and WA.Lottery – will allow sportsbooks and casinos across Peru to revolutionise the way they engage with bettors by facilitating new levels of personalisation and localisation.

 

How do you plan to stand out from the crowd? What are your key USPs for this market?

WA.Technology has three key aspects that will give us a true edge in the Peru gaming market, making us the best proposition available for operators. The first is that we are the only iGaming provider that fully understands the importance of localisation. We are a global business, but we act locally – as well as boasting nearly two decades on the continent.

In short, we are incredibly well versed in the intricacies of the LatAm market, and how best to navigate the unique gaming culture in Peru. We also have a team based in Trujillo, which gives us a solid base of operation and allows us to stay up to date on developments on the ground.

The second aspect is the quality of the platform that we have. The WA.Technology is second to none; our products and solutions are highly customisable and scalable, each tailored to the unique needs of each of our partners.

We also offer best-in-class technology, backed by our team of top-level professionals, which utilises artificial intelligence to create the most efficient, streamlined products for our partners. This combination of expertise and cutting-edge technology gives WA.Technology an edge in the Peruvian market and allows us to stay ahead of any changing trends.

The final aspect is the support that we can offer to our partners. Operators are not just purchasing a product from WA.Technology; they are getting a full package of iGaming solutions. By partnering with us, operators will gain access to a wealth of knowledge and round-the-clock support that no other provider on the market can offer.

In addition to our platform, our partners also benefit from our team’s extensive gaming experience. Not only do they receive the full spectrum of support when launching and executing their growth strategies – but we’re also able to seamlessly integrate our best-in-class technology, no matter what the local tech challenges, as we understand LatAm better than anyone else.

 

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How will your previous experience in LatAm shape your Peru strategy?

Our experience in LatAm, and other markets around the world, has provided us with a deep pool of knowledge that will most certainly influence our value proposition and our ability to offer operators the best possible solutions based on their own unique requirements.

WA.Technology knows just how important localisation and personalisation are to creating stand-out experiences. This isn’t just applicable to LatAm, but rather to every market that is regulated. We are very fortunate that we can tap into our local team to ensure that we have a deep understanding of the cultural, social and economic dynamics of the market.

We know that in order to engage and retain players, we cannot offer a standardised set of products – each product and solution must be tailored, in collaboration with our partners, to allow them to achieve their company goals.

 

What have been some of the biggest trends within the Peruvian gaming market? And how does WA.Technology plan to capitalise on these?

Something to keep in mind is that the Peruvian market is incredibly diverse, so it is hard to pinpoint a small number of trends that are shaping the market. But there are two which I believe should be mentioned: the first is the growth in provinces outside of Lima.

Lima, the capital city, has long been the centre of operations in Peru. But the city has become increasingly saturated, with many operators focusing their attention here.

In recent years, we’ve seen particular growth in cities such as Arequipa, Ica and Moquegua, and with that, significant technological advances and growing acceptance of gambling activities. This growth looks as though it will continue long into the future, which I believe will bring plenty more opportunities for expansion in Peru.

The second trend I’ve noticed comes down to players’ behaviour. The grouping in digital tribes is becoming much more noticeable, especially as we can analyse behaviours across different demographics.

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At WA.Technology, we have identified more than 40 different demographics of players and more than 60 different psychological biases that impact how players engage with gambling activity. With those insights, we can understand what stimuli can impact player behaviours and adjust our products accordingly.

 

WA.Technology’s commitment to compliance and social responsibility

WA.Technology is a dedicated B2B service provider that upholds a strong compliance culture and encourages social responsibility and responsible gaming. Our marketing efforts support partners in upholding ethical standards, reflecting a commitment to integrity, transparency and the well-being of the gaming community. WA.Technology encourages safe and responsible gaming environments by offering products and services that adhere to regulatory compliance and responsible marketing.

Interviews

Building a company culture from the ground up

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Building a company culture from the ground up

 

David Natroshvili, Founder of SPRIBE, talks about company culture and why office working is the key to communication for any organisation

 

Home working, office working or hybrid working. What’s best when it comes to fostering a successful company culture?

SPRIBE started off as a hybrid working company with our employees having a lot of flexibility over where they worked from and the schedules they worked to. This served us well during the pandemic when companies were forced to send staff home during the height of lockdowns. But since then, and given the rapid growth we have experienced, we have opted to gradually switch to a full-time office set-up for our employees. Why? Because there are so many benefits to having employees working from the office, for both the organisation and those working for it. We’ve tried to make the transition as seamless as possible by creating comfortable and inspiring workspaces, offering regular team-building activities and ensuring we run plenty of social events each month, including poker tournaments and Happy Friday which brings together all team members to round off the week.

 

Can you talk through some of the benefits of office-based working?

The biggest benefit is the connection that forms between team members and the different teams that make up the organisation. Communication is key to a business – and individuals – achieving objectives and reaching its/their full potential, and communication is so much easier when everyone is under the same roof and can speak face to face. It allows for deeper collaboration, faster problem-solving and more cohesive processes. I think there are serious mental health benefits, too – by working from an office, people feel part of a community and don’t become isolated from their team and the wider organisation. Without its people, company culture is little more than a document of ideas and processes but when you bring the people that make up the organisation under the same roof, it comes to life.

 

What does SPRIBE’s company culture look like?

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We have always focused on helping our employees strike a good work/life balance, and we go to great lengths to support their well-being and mental health. This includes fun activities like our weekly Happy Friday and regular social events but also ensuring that each team member feels valued and that they are supported and encouraged by senior management and team leaders. Personal development is a big part of employee well-being, so we offer plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development. This, combined with providing the right environment for our employees to work in, ensures each member of the team can thrive, develop and grow, which in turn makes them feel like they have a long future with SPRIBE and that their position within the company is valued and secure.

 

How will you ensure your company culture evolves alongside changing employee expectations and wider working trends?

The way I see it, talented people want to contribute to a successful business so long as their involvement is valued and rewarded. This has always been the case and won’t change anytime soon. At SPRIBE, we want to attract the best talent in the business and so long as we ensure this talent feels valued and is given the environment and opportunities to reach its full potential, while striking the right work/life balance, we will remain a highly attractive organisation to join regardless of the latest company culture trends and employee expectations.

 

When you founded SPRIBE, did you expect it to become the success that it is today?

Yes and no. I knew that we had an incredibly strong founding team and that when we came up with the concept for Aviator, the original iGaming crash game, that we’d come up with something big. But no, I couldn’t have seen it becoming the phenomenon that it has – Aviator is now live with more than 4,500 online casinos and has 42 million active players a month. This has allowed us to continue to innovate and be pioneers, especially when it comes to our marketing deals with the UFC and A.C. Milan. It’s this that ultimately makes SPRIBE such a great place to work – we are doing things that other companies could only ever dream of.

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Fantasy Sports

Will Booth: blending the best of fantasy and sports with Pick’Em Player Props

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Will Booth: blending the best of fantasy and sports with Pick’Em Player Props

 

For those that might not know, can you give us a brief overview of Pick’Em Player Props?

In simple terms, the new Pick’Em Player Props product from WA.Technology is almost like a hybrid between fantasy sports and sports betting. In the same vein as traditional player props products that you see in traditional sports, players can select markets on individual players – we have just taken that model and elevated it.

During the game, players can make between two and six bet selections. For example, will Erling Haaland score more or less than 2.5 shots? The number of bet selections the player makes then determines their multiplier. By allowing bettors to unleash their sporting knowledge and provide engaging games for them to play, we are helping our operator partners to not only engage with a wider player base but also to fuel long-term retention. It really is a one-of-a-kind product and one we’re incredibly excited about. It’s already proving to be a top performer in LatAm.

 

Why has now been the right time to unveil Pick’Em Player Props?

Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant growth in the number of player proposition products. There are several reasons for that. Sports fans have shown a growing affinity for individual players rather than a team. They follow players on social media and engage with content featuring that player.

This reflects the wider trend we’re seeing: the new generation of fans is more in love with the players than the team itself. A great example of this is both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Bettors worldwide would wager on either of those players and engage with their content regardless of which team they played for or what club they supported.

The appetite for player-driven betting is increasing dramatically, resulting in a greater demand for products specifically tailored to individual athletes.

With more traditional sportsbooks, however, we’ve found that there isn’t as much depth of product regarding player propositions – aside from goal scorer markets. We wanted to change that – we wanted to deliver a fun, engaging product that helps build a sense of community among players.

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Since Pick’Em Player Props is also a hybrid of fantasy and sports, it can act as an attractive tool to facilitate new market entries, as fantasy sports are not regulated like sportsbooks or iGaming. Take the US for example. In most states, operators do not need a licence to offer a fantasy sports product. This is the case for many markets around the world, too. I believe this will be an attractive proposition for operators looking to expand their international footprint, and as a truly global provider, we’re here to make that happen.

 

In your view, what differentiates WA.Technology’s Pick’Em Player Props from other player props products on the market?

Currently, we are the only B2B provider to offer a player propositions product that combines sports and fantasy. A handful of companies in the US offer something similar, but they are all B2C companies – we are bringing something totally unique to the B2B space.

Fantasy Sports have always been popular in the US. But over the last 18 months, we’ve seen a meteoric rise in the demand for player proposition markets; we wanted to develop a product that caters to that growth in demand and delivers something unique for our partners.

For other player props products on the market, something that is worth noting is that the design and UX are doing little to engage Millennial/Gen Z bettors. This audience demands a streamlined UX that is easy to use. Our Pick’Em version has been specifically designed with this demographic in mind, although we have been careful not to disenfranchise other age groups. We have kept the design sleek, streamlined and easy to use to deliver that. It’s extremely well-designed compared to what you might see in a more traditional sportsbook.

The game is straightforward to understand because we have fixed multipliers. This decision differentiates us from more traditional products, where the multipliers vary depending on how many bets you place. It also makes the product much more accessible for players who might otherwise not be familiar with fantasy or player props.

Another major defining factor is that we have ensured players can add multiple bets from different markets together. On most sports betting sites out there, you cannot combine player props markets. You couldn’t, for example, have a bet slip combining Erling Haaland’s Over/Under Shots and Kevin De Bruyne’s Shots on Target. We know this is frustrating for many bettors. We wanted to eliminate that barrier and elevate sports fans’ experience.

 

How does the level of data granularity influence the design and effectiveness of player proposition betting products, particularly in terms of player engagement and personalised betting options?

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We are very fortunate that the data feed we use for our player props markets is the best. We have a wide range of insights and data analytics available, giving us an edge over other companies within the space – this is a serious differentiator.

The enhanced data range means we can deliver many more bespoke, personalised betting options to players while also getting more granular with the markets we can offer.

Our Managed Services Team, which oversees all things trading, also closely monitors the markets that are most popular with players. For example, if we see an influx in bets on ‘shots on target’, we know how to create more promotions around this particular market. We can tailor the CMS to engage better with players and create a more personalised experience.

Players can also ‘favourite’ particular players and clubs. Any market featuring that player will automatically appear when the Pick’Em Player Props application loads up.

 

Are there any markets where you believe Pick’Em Player Props will prove to be particularly popular? If so, why?

In all honesty, I can’t think of a market where this won’t be popular! Regions such as LatAm present an enormous opportunity for the growth of player proposition markets. I believe we can really plug a gap in the products currently offered to bettors.

Across the continent, we’ve seen players show a real passion for player-focused markets, and we’re here to capitalise on that. In Brazil, for example, if we were to create markets on Neymar, I’d anticipate this would gain much traction!

The real selling point for Pick’Em Player Props here is that we offer an extensive range of sports and markets that cater to a broad audience – but within that, we can personalise sports and bet selections not to overwhelm the player. I’d expect that markets on football will perform exceptionally well across Africa and LatAm, while countries such as South Africa may have a stronger preference for Rugby or Cricket.

Ultimately, it’s about understanding the unique preferences of players within each jurisdiction our partners operate in and tailoring the product accordingly. With teams based in various markets worldwide, we can get to grips with the local knowledge and fully understand what resonates with bettors.

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In your view, what are some of the factors behind the growth of player props products in the last 12 months?  

Most definitely shows how sports media companies are incorporating more player-specific content into their roster. This already has a huge impact, and I can’t see it changing anytime soon.

Whether it’s interviews with specific players, post-match analytics on performance or even the inherent growth of social media, the balance is undoubtedly tipping more towards the player rather than the team.

Personalisation will also have a considerable knock-on effect on the growth of player propositions. Bettors want more bespoke offers, specific bet suggestions and more instant content tailored to their unique playing habits. With a product like Pick’Em Player Props, you can personalise that betting experience to your heart’s content.

It also becomes much easier for sportsbooks to align with a specific user’s interests when we deliver unmatched data analytics and levels of personalisation that are available via WA.Technology’s product suite.

In short, Pick’Em Player Props gives operators the tools they need to create wide-ranging engagement opportunities without sticking to the rigid sporting calendar, where sometimes you might have to wait several days between a game. By incorporating fantasy sports, we can deliver round-the-clock content much faster, therefore meeting the demands of players. If you want to find out more – make sure to stop by Stand 1095 at SiGMA!

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Interviews

Peter & Sons- Maths and Mechanics

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Peter & Sons- Maths and Mechanics

 

Behind every stellar online slot is an equally stellar maths model. These are becoming more experimental as the industry flirts with an increasing array of innovative new mechanics. We spoke to Pablo Martinez, Math/Design Lead and Founder at maverick game studio Peter & Sons to find out more.

 

Do you have to be a maths genius to build a slot machine?

Nah, you don’t need to be a maths genius. It’s more about having the right mix of skills and loving what you do. You need to play a lot of games, see what’s working out there, and understand what makes them fun. Knowing maths helps, sure, but it’s more about creating something players want to keep coming back to.

 

Peter & Sons is known for making games that dare to be different, visually and thematically. Is the underlying math equally experimental?

Definitely! We love pushing boundaries, both in how our games look and how they play. Sure, it’s a bit of a gamble to have a bunch of games with unique mechanics, but we’re all about trying new things. Games like Peter Hunter and our upcoming Muddy Waters are great examples — they bring fresh gameplay and new experiences to the table. Each year, we try to put out at least one or two experimental titles, keeping things interesting while mixing them with more familiar styles.

 

Do you come up with the maths model first and then build the game around that? Take us through the process of building the game from start to finish.

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We usually start with an idea for the mechanics first. We make a quick prototype to see if the concept can work with the maths. Then we bring in the art team to brainstorm themes that will fit well. Once we have a basic prototype, we go through a bunch of tweaks and changes until the art, mechanics, and maths all feel right together. It’s a back-and-forth process where we’re constantly finetuning everything to get the best balance.

 

Why do you think a mechanic like Megaways was so successful?

Megaways took off because it’s a fun, exciting mechanic that gave players something fresh, but smart brand marketing really helped it catch on.

 

Is there pressure as a slots developer to come up with the ‘next’ Megaways?

Not really. Coming up with new mechanics is always fun, but it’s not the only way to make a hit. Plenty of top games are just clever twists on classic mechanics. It’s more about creating a great experience that keeps players coming back, whether it’s something brand new or just a fresh spin on something more familiar.

 

Which slots are more popular, high or low volatility, and why do you think that is?

It depends on the market, but in some unregulated markets — and especially with some operators — high-volatility slots are really popular. A big reason for this is streamers. High-volatility games make for exciting content, so they get a lot of attention and hype online. That thrill factor really draws players in.

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Which is your favorite Peter & Sons mechanic and why?

Right now, I’d say the fishing mechanic in our upcoming game Muddy Waters. It’s a new twist on the fishing genre that really brings something fresh to the gameplay. It’s exciting to take a familiar theme and make it feel totally different.

 

Tell us about the mechanics in your latest release, Barbarossa Revenge.

Barbarossa Revenge is a pirate-themed, high-volatility game with 243 ways to win. It’s a DoubleMax game, meaning the multiplier doubles with each cascade. You’ve also got Multiplier Jumps and a Cashout feature that guarantees wins. During Free Spins, the multipliers don’t reset and can keep growing unlimited. With a max win potential of 30,000x the bet, this game is a real thrill!

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