At the end of last year, GBC Time Awards 2020, an important event in the world of gambling, took place. Among the winners of the award ceremony, there is Evoplay Entertainment, which often appears in the latest gambling news. To find out more about the company’s secrets to success and plans for the future, the GBC Time team talked to Vladimir Malakchi, CBDO at Evoplay Entertainment.
Congratulations on your three award wins! Can you tell us what it means to you and the team?
Many thanks! In spite of the unprecedented global circumstances, 2020 was a busy year at Evoplay Entertainment. The team’s impressive dedication and achievements earned us three titles: Slots Developer of the Year, Marketing Guru of the Year, as well as seeing myself named as Speaker of the Year.
I’d like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all Evoplay Entertainment partners, and of course, our own fantastic team, who have supported our far-reaching global growth every step of the way. These accolades have inspired us to continue working hard on executing our ambitious ideas in the year to come.
What’s been the key to success this year at Evoplay Entertainment? How have you tackled 2020’s challenges?
The streamlined organization of our internal processes, from the product pipeline to the commercial end, gives us a key advantage. Constantly monitoring the international markets where we operate, and implementing a user-centric approach within them, gave us a head start in adapting to the changing global circumstances that have characterized the year.
In practice, a large part of that process was about filling the void in entertainment left by the disruption to sporting fixtures. Our high-octane instant games, Penalty Shoot-out and Football manager, are a case in point, providing fans lamenting the cancellation of Euro 2020 with alternative football-themed entertainment of the highest quality – and we’ve been able to really buck the trend of RNG to provide a cross-sell that can work for operators.
What have been the main lessons learned?
For most companies, the year provided a stern test of commercial reactivity. Those who adapted their product offering and communications strategy were able to succeed, with businesses such as our own even managing to scale up over the course of 2020.
In a year of dramatic change, our detailed analyses and evaluation of both players and markets gave us an edge. That said, with another revolutionary product launch planned for our flagship 2021 game, we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels going into the new year!
The judges were particularly impressed by your approach to marketing, tell us about your strategy and what you look to do differently?
Key to strengthening our market strategy were ideas borrowed from outside the world of iGaming. We kept track of global trends beyond the gambling industry; and reaped the rewards as a result.
An innovative succession of promotional campaigns, including partnerships with leading streamers such as Jooxlan Casinos and Mr. Gamble, allowed us to introduce our unique games to new audiences. When popular influencers enjoy your games on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Live, exciting opportunities arise on the customer acquisition front.
Those opportunities were also created by the progressive social media campaigns we undertook in 2020. Our Brutal Santa Instagram filter, for example, allowed players to showcase that immersive game in any picture or video, alongside the festive set of Christmas decorations, also included in the cutting-edge AR tool.
Looking at the CEE and CIS regions, what’s stood out for you this year in terms of market movements?
One of the biggest changes we’ve observed in the region is a move towards a more transparent model, with a number of markets regulating new verticals such as online gambling.
That can only be a good thing. It’s likely to have a positive impact not only on our industry but the region as a whole: in Poland, the legalization of the online casino sector generated a 96.7% increase in the market’s revenue, with the government able to raise more in taxes as a result. I expect Ukraine to enjoy similar benefits, following its regulation in July 2020 – and the market has plenty of potentials.
Last but not least, looking to the year ahead – what are your plans for the first half of 2021?
Next year, Evoplay Entertainment will be creating an even more innovative portfolio of groundbreaking games, including our latest flagship 3D video slot to follow on from our industry-acclaimed 2020 RPG-based title, Dungeon: Immortal Evil, shortlisted for EGR’s Game of the Year.
Add innovative new mechanics, gamification features, tournaments, jackpots, and next-generation marketing campaigns to the list, and it becomes clear that we are gearing up for a hugely exciting year!
On the business development front, we’ll be strengthening our position in the markets we entered in 2020 (Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia), and establishing a presence in new territories across Europe and Latin America.
With a big announcement also planned for the start of the year, we’re gearing up to reach new milestones as we continue to disrupt the global iGaming market for the new generation of players – and I look forward to keeping our fantastic momentum going!
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