During the most recent CasinoBeats Summit last May, SBC spoke with Thomas Rosander, CEO of Real Luck Group.
The slot game boss was quizzed by CasinoBeats and SlotBeats business journalist Mollie Chapman on the similarities between the slots and iGaming industries, and what former can learn from the latter, something which Rosander believes quite firmly on.
“I think there are so many elements from gaming that would fit into slots, we’ve seen the operators do more actually in terms of gamification. But there is so much room for slot games to grow, so no, I do not think it is enough,” explained Rosander.
Whilst there is room for slot game providers to innovate, learn and adopt methods from the iGaming space, they must also remain original.
Rosander was asked if it was more important for slots to forge their own path or delve fully into immersing themselves with iGaming content and creators.
He said: “To some extent, it has to forge its own path. We can see that they are trying to find their way, but I think it is because of the money, it’s comfortable because it is working.
“I think today it has become a volume business and there is not that much innovation. So, game providers really have to try to innovate, adding elements that make people come back beyond the normal mechanics that don’t have good retention. Adding some of these elements is going to make a difference.”
Furthermore, it isn’t just the iGaming sector slots can take inspiration from. The video game industry has proven to become one of the most profitable and popular forms of entertainment in the world.
Rosander is fully aware of the popularity and opportunities video game providers can offer slot game operators to help make slot games grow and innovate.
“There is a reason why Netflix, Apple and everybody else has video games, because what is happening is an unprecedented shift in how people consume entertainment. Video gaming is already one of the largest industries in the world. That’s why these operators want to sponsor eSports teams because of the new audience, that’s where they are,” remarked Rosander.
Asked what he would like to see in the future of slot games, the Real Luck Group CEO focused more on interactive reward-based programming. Rosander believes that this will help slot games grow further beyond their limits and improve player retention.
“What I would like to see is the game providers adding gamification elements inside the actual slots. We’ve seen operators run loyalty reward programs, adding gamification elements there,” said Rosander.
“But I would really like to see a slot where there is a reward element – something that makes you come back everyday to that slot – besides the normal mechanic. Something where there is extra retention.”
The conversation then delved into narrative-based slot games, social aspects of slots and finally, Rosander revealed which game providers he believes to be the most innovative in the industry today.
