CasinoLandia and Jonathan Crook, Team Lead, Account Management, Betsoft Gaming in conversation about the developer’s background story, ongoing progress and upcoming goals.
Could you provide us with an overview of Betsoft’s journey to becoming a frontrunner in casino game development?
We have been in the industry since 2006 and we radically shook up the market with our initial slot designs that changed the way people played. Bringing true entertainment to iGaming, we quickly established a reputation for quality and originality which we maintain to this day.
The combination of immersive themes and recognisable characters, supported by mechanics which develop the gameplay has always been a winner with players and we have made this our signature.
In addition, our constant creativity allows us to keep developing slots with enhanced game progression. This means instant recognition by players plus anticipation of our releases, putting us into the forefront of slot development.
We currently have 200+ award-winning slots as well as our classic table games and exciting newly released Mini and Crash games. To add gamification to our slots, our enhancement tools Take the Prize™ and Tournament are part of our constantly growing Betsoft Drive™ toolbox to maximise the excitement of our promotions and tournaments.
Through focusing on differentiation and innovation we have kept our edge in an over supplied market and Betsoft remains an original provider with entertainment guaranteed.
What unique elements does Betsoft infuse into its games to create a distinctive edge in terms of innovation and captivating player experiences?
Features and mechanics are key to engaging and retaining players. All Betsoft slots offer a combination of these to enhance gameplay. What makes Betsoft unique is the way we build the layers of the game so that play is constantly developing; plus we design in features that are not normally seen together.
For example, we have a series of Hold & Win led slots: Golden Dragon Inferno™; Phở Sho™’; Wish Granted™; and April Fury and the Chamber of Scarabs™, all of which have significant additional features such as Free Spins, Multiplier Wilds, Nudging Multiplier Reels and the Buy Bonus. By combining these elements, not only is the win potential raised but also the variety of ways in which to win is increased.
Our slot themes and their delivery provide a superb visual and audio experience. Whether award-winners such as Wilds of Fortune™ or Alkemor’s Elements™ or our older releases Stampede™, Take the Bank™ or any of the Pop™ slots, all Betsoft releases are holistically designed for the ultimate playing experience.
What strategic approach does Betsoft employ to cater to a diverse clientele, ranging from startups to global gaming giants across different regions? What impact does account management have on this?
All smart businesses have a mix of clients and we are no different. The big brands bring global recognition to your name whilst startups bringing freshness with cutting-edge technologies and transformative business models.
Through taking a broad approach to our global client base, we offer players unrivalled choice. We translate and localise all our slots to ensure an authentic and immersive playing experience for everyone.
Betsoft account managers are experts in the industry, multi-lingual and culturally attuned. Across account management, we see ourselves as an extension of our clients’ teams – their success is our success – so our innovations are directed by deep research and feedback from them. In addition, we commission focus groups so that we understand who are playing our slots, why, and as importantly, why not.
This means our product development gives players what they actually want to play – often before they know it themselves – and account management constantly is primed to secure new business and extend existing relationships, creating a win-win-win situation.
Our casino partners know of our longevity in the industry and why this has stood the test of time. Using data driven analysis, we listen to clients and players so we always deliver. This player feedback has guided innovations in concepts such as personalisation, the use of the Hold & Win feature, crash style social gaming, mini games and the further development of our in-game tools.
Players can find Betsoft at casinos as diverse as 888.com to bwin.com and be confident that they are playing in safe and regulated environments.
How does Betsoft adapt its games and services to align with the requisites of various jurisdictions? What does this mean in terms of regulations?
We have an efficient Compliance department who ensure we are always completely in line with local regulations in our chosen markets.
We are approved by the Malta Gaming Authority, the Romanian Gaming Authority and ADM, in addition to being certified in Spain and Colombia as well across various jurisdictions in the rest of Europe. Plus, all of our games are reviewed and certified by GLI and QUINNEL. Both these bodies are the industry benchmarks for RNG certification in slots.
Specifically at Betsoft, we ensure our slots are appropriate as well as legal and compliant for specific regions. This may include changing symbols to dice for the Belgian market for example or offering both jackpot and non-jackpot variations.
We are also intensely aware of player safety and ensure we abide by the local regulations for advertising and promotions. At all times, we aim to and succeed in delivering a safe and fair entertainment experience for all our players.
Mobile-first game design is pivotal today – how does Betsoft enhance the gaming experience for players?
We saw the potential of mobile gaming many years ago when we launched our supplementary software to overcome the then bandwidth and coverage issues. We were also among the first providers to move to HTML, so we see ourselves as always looking to enhance the mobile experience.
Download speed is critical: asset rich slots such as Book of Helios™ and award-winner Wilds of Fortune™ take under nine seconds to load, making them some of the quickest downloads on the market for such deeply detailed games. Global hit and No. 2 in Italy release Golden Dragon Inferno™ offers 243 ways to win as well as Hold & Win with fast download times. Special progression slot Alkemor’s Elements™ offers Wilds, Scatters and innovative Free Spins whilst Primal Wilderness™ gives 1024 ways to win, significant in-game features and mechanics but loads in just eight seconds.
We also take ‘mobile first’ further as we review elements such as screen size and preferred screen orientation for example. Locating controls and maximising the screen real estate whilst still ensuring full game control by the player’s thumb has had been very well received. Plus all games have been given a sharper and more responsive layout for ease of one hand touch commands.
Betsoft also ensures uninterrupted gameplay from notifications and pop ups whilst playing, which really makes a difference to the quality of the overall experience. Add in simple sound control and automatic play options and all players are guaranteed to mobile play that way that suits their style.
We developed in-game tools – Take the Prize™ and Tournament – for enhanced gamification and naturally these were built with a mobile first mindset too. The importance of access to promos and tournaments on the go was something our players made very clear to us.
Take the PrizeTM, Betsoft’s in-game promo tool sounds intriguing: can you elaborate on its core features and how it heightens player engagement?
DRIVE ™ is our toolkit of gamification products. Take the Prize™ was the first tool we launched to create enhanced player experiences, instant wins and prizes for non-stop entertainment throughout each game. We have subsequently launched Tournament and more tools are in production.
Take the Prize™ offers a random fortune wheel and guarantees cash prizes and bonuses throughout qualifying games – without interrupting gameplay or affecting RTP. Prize-winning spins can be triggered at any point in the game to keep players on red alert for a win.
We also ensured that, as a visually high impact product, Take the Prize™ is especially mobile friendly and compatible across all devices.
Tournament is aimed at a competitive, high value player base and brings substantial prize win potential. Leaderboards on each game constantly update in real-time, allowing players to track their own and other players’ progress throughout any promotion. With these different mechanics we can target core player bases as well as high value VIPs. We can also whitelist and blacklist players, meaning we can segment campaigns for our clients.
Both tools have enabled the delivery of highly successful network promos with increasing numbers of casino operator participation. Their impact has been exceptional in drawing players away from competitors and has also acted as an amazing way to retain customers. These tools deliver a thrilling experience to players and increase the win potential across an ever growing choice of slots.
Players who follow us on social media are kept up to date with all our news and promos. Facebook, Linked-In, Twitter, Insta and our website betsoft.com have all the info.
Betsoft’s recent successes are of interest – could you spotlight noteworthy accomplishments that underscore Betsoft’s dedication and innovation within the gaming industry?
Since launching in 2006 as one of the first online gaming companies, we are often asked what keeps us delivering. It’s the satisfaction of a job well done but also the recognition of the work and its impact. Recently we were nominated across regions and jurisdictions for Innovation in Slots’ Provision; Best Slots’ Provider; Mobile Supplier of the Year; Breakthrough Game of the Year for Triple Cash or Crash™; Most Electric slot for Book of Helios™ and Wow slot for Gemini Joker™. We also lifted trophies for Game of the Year Wilds of Fortune™; and Most Popular Slot for Alkemor’s Elements™.
In closing, what message would you like to convey to players?
Well, the short answer is ‘thank you’. We couldn’t do it without you and we appreciate every single spin of the reels. Please keep giving us feedback on our slots, features and themes as well as our new innovations like Crash games. The more you tell us, the better we get!
We have a number of new innovations across our slots coming out, including more Hold & Win; some fantastic sequels to our iconic releases – one of which will definitely cause a big impact; and a new Network Promo to be launched.
We are also in the refining process for a new style of classic ‘chance’ game which should be launched imminently: so, follow us on Social Media and always be the first to know as there’s a lot going on at Betsoft.
