This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
MICROGAMING Focus


do in a limited amount of time, with still many unanswered questions at this late stage. Effectively the online gaming industry has three months to implement all the changes put forward by the Danish government, and Microgaming have been pleased to be able to meet the regulators to understand first hand how the regulations are developing.”


"We believe that the eCOGRA standards are sensible and have helped to shape and develop them with the rest of the industry," explains Chris of his view that harmonisation is the right thing for all parties. "We see the regulation of markets in Europe as a significant change in the online gaming business. It represents a massive opportunity as we're seeing an explosion of growth in terms of working with global partners, development for local regulations, market expansion etc. We are having to change our business in response to the regulations, but it's not something that we can choose to do or not. This opportunity exists and we have to embrace it.


The difference between Microgaming and many other software developers, is that the company has restricted itself to the sole provision of software - Microgaming does not operate its own casinos. "We are software providers," underlines Andy. "In France and Italy our software is approved but not licensed. We don't procure the licences, though we do follow the challenges facing operators in each


market. These challenges make demands on the requirements of the hardware which in turn affects the operator and their licence. We have to remain on the ball at all times."


HOUSERULES Bingo is a developing sector for Microgaming. The company launched its bingo offer relatively late into the online marketplace back in 2008 and has since grown its network to include eight operators. With dedicated staff in Cape Town and support teams based in Durban working on the testing and support for its bingo offer, Microgaming is pouring resources into a sector that is brimming with brands and established opportunities to play in the belief that it offers a viable alternative to the current bingo crop.


Microgaming's Neill Whyte is responsible for the company's bingo product and outlined the current marketplace: "The collective global industry for online bingo generates revenue of around US$2bn annually, with 70 per cent of the market concentrated in Europe. Of that 70 per cent, the UK is responsible for approximately 50 per cent of that, with revenues of $600m generated by British players last year. While land-based bingo is prevalent in most markets, there's been a great deal of focus on the UK, in which you now have over 300 brands created by few software providers."


It's understandable that many believe that G3i I ISSUE 2 I PAGE 35


“There are networks offering players the biggest roomswith


the biggest jackpots. What thatmeans in reality is that


players have only a tiny chance of winning the big


prizes in the big rooms. The


operators thatwe


workwithwant their players towinmuch more often,which in turn helps themto retain business." NeillWhyte,Head of Bingo,Microgaming.


the online bingo market in the UK has reached saturation point. Neill acknowledges that it's a very competitive market, but the fact that so many brands have been created on the back of a small collective of software providers gives rise to opportunities for content differentiation. "We are offering a different take upon online bingo in which players are not driven to a bingo room to solely to play bingo, but are instead offered a wide range of games with chat communities as an integral part of the player environment."


One of the expected features of the online bingo market is that of consolidation between the different operators, with Microgaming's view that the alliances currently formed between operators and software suppliers could prove detrimental to future deals. "A software provider with links to operations raises issues in terms of their impartiality," states Neill. "It is important to maintain the separation between the two. We don't need to be an operator to gather all the feedback we need to tailor the product to the operator and player's needs. We ask the players what they what to see on the site, which helps us to create a great place to play and a best-of-market experience. In terms of regulated markets, we want to be very different from the next brand. Each partner can configure the software to make sure that the product evolves to fit their needs. It's very important for the customer to feel that


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com