Wazdan is continuing to meet the changing demands of players by offering games with an increasing number of ways to win, Andrzej Hyla – Chief Commercial Officer at Wazan – told SBC Events.
Speaking ahead of the CasinoBeats Summit Malta, Andrzej Hyla gave us a sneak peak into Wazdan’s Midnight in Tokyo title before explaining how hold and win jackpot rounds will likely capture the attention of casino players throughout 2021.
What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming CasinoBeats Summit?
It will be fantastic to finally get back to face-to-face conversations! Lockdown has been difficult on everyone, so being able to meet partners and old friends in person is something we’re very excited about.
Being able to meet up and discuss industry trends, showcase our new products, such as Hold the Jackpot, and celebrate our milestones including new market entries, are all huge highlights of summits like this and we can’t wait to meet new partners too!
The conference agenda is extremely interesting for game developers and we’re eager to hear the thoughts of industry experts. The CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards are of course something we’re also very much looking forward to, especially with our hit title Telly Reels™ nominated in the Game Retro Style category.
What are you promoting at CasinoBeats Summit?
We’re extremely pleased to be highlighting our new exciting Hold the Jackpot games, including Midnight in Tokyo, which will actually be released during the show on July 14th. Without giving away all the details, it is another action-packed Hold the Jackpot adventure while also containing the new Wild Splitters mechanic. This gives players more ways to win in base play, with the Wilds playing a key role.
New to our Hold the Jackpot collection, Midnight in Tokyo actually gives players the chance to win multiple Jackpots in the bonus round, for huge wins!
We’ll also be discussing our key highlights over the last 12 months, including the launch of our Cash Drop promo tool, as well as our international expansion.
What industry innovation will capture the most attention in 2021?
The increasing number of ways to win in games. Players love multiways games and we strive to meet this trend in our upcoming games, offering more and more ways to win, up to a staggering 16,777,216 in the upcoming Jelly Reels slot.
Creating more ways to win has boosted excitement with players hoping to land that one giant win on a spin, and it’s something we see everywhere now with a number of popular mechanics on the market.
We’re also seeing an increase in the hold and win jackpot rounds, such as our own Hold the Jackpot, with players looking for more than just a big win on a spin, but triggering massive jackpot wins that go above and beyond the usual experience. The lure of a significant sum keeps players engaged and these sorts of games are becoming much more widespread.
Which casino operator has impressed you the most in 2020/2021?
The entire industry has impressed us over the last year with the challenges faced and the resilience shown. From our perspective, all our partners continue to impress us not just with their passion for games, but with the commitment to providing players with amazing gaming experiences.
It’s difficult to succeed in this industry without fantastic, loyal partners, and being able to constantly work together to deliver enjoyable games to players has been very rewarding over a difficult period.
What casino partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?
Not so much one singular partnership, but the performance of leading developers such as Relax Gaming and iSoftBet has been impressive. Improving their aggregation platforms, and the array of deals they’ve signed has changed the market, allowing studios to access a huge number of operators quickly, and without complicated integrations.
Cooperation between studios, aggregators, and operators brings profits to each party, while also giving players a huge game selection. This is something that will continue to change the market, and it has been impressive to watch.
Which parts of the conference agenda have caught your eye?
It’s quite a comprehensive agenda list, and there’s lots we’re eager to learn more about.
Regulatory panels discussing US iGaming and the Netherlands are interesting for us, as we’ve just entered New Jersey and have plans to enter the Dutch market. It’s always great to hear the opinion of experts, and we’re looking forward to these conversations.
Equally, topics that resonate with us, such as the session named ‘Trigger happy: Is there a future for the buy-in feature’ and ‘Gamification – the language of loyalty’ are intriguing, as we’ve launched both a Cash Drop promotional tool and a Buy Feature to our products recently, so listening to wider experiences will keep us in good stead.
Finally, of course, are the more slot-focused conversations, such as ‘Game Selection’ and ‘Managing the User Experience’. We’re always looking to provide an excellent service to both clients and players, and we look forward to hearing what the wider industry struggles with and successes within this space.
Ultimately, it should be a very exciting and fulfilling few days!
