“Players don’t just want a standard betting experience; they want to be entertained”
iGaming Express caught up with Swintt CEO, David Mann, to get his thoughts on the company making it to the five-year milestone, what today’s players are looking for in a slot and how shifting regulations continue to be the #1 challenge for online software providers…
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Congratulations on being recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the iGaming industry by iGamingExpress. What does this recognition mean to you personally?
Thank you very much! Obviously the announcement came as a complete surprise to me and I’m simultaneously honoured and humbled to have been named as one of the 100 most influential people in an industry that is growing and changing on a near-daily basis. It naturally means a lot to be recognised by a valued media platform like iGaming Express, with its big outreach on channels like LinkedIn, and is testament to the great team I have around me. Of course, the achievements I’ve had over the past five years with Swintt are what really drives me to keep on doing what I do, but to also be singled out for praise on a personal level is definitely very nice too!
Since becoming CEO of Swintt, what have been some of the key milestones and achievements that you are most proud of?
Swintt recently celebrated its five-year milestone, which I think provides me with a nice vantage point to look back from and take stock of everything we’ve achieved together in that time. It’s important to emphasise here that when I first joined the team there were only two people working full-time for Swintt and there are now over 40, so I’m very proud to have been there from Day 1 to witness this incredible growth first-hand.
The whole journey to my role as CEO has been an amazing learning experience for me and I’ve been lucky enough to oversee some really important moments such as our certifications in the UK and Ontario and the acquisition of Elysium Studios.
Can you share more about the strategic vision behind this acquisition?
There’s a growing sense in the iGaming industry that players want more of an experience when playing slots and casino games. They don’t just want the standard betting experience; they also want an immersive level of entertainment that only the most dynamic software studios provide.
At Swintt, we also consider ourselves to be in the entertainment business first and foremost, so we were naturally drawn to the engaging visuals, innovative bonus features and mobile-focused approach that Elysium Studios provides. From a strategic perspective, we believe the brand will be absolutely key in the SGA market and we have high hopes for it in the UK and Ontario as well.
You have successfully expanded Swintt’s market presence through strategic partnerships with companies like Betsson, Kindred and ATG. How have these partnerships contributed to Swintt’s growth, and what future collaborations can we expect?
At Swintt, the primary goal has always been to ensure that we’re present in as many regulated markets on as many platforms as possible. This way, we can guarantee our content is available to customers the world over – and the more players engaging with our games, the more beneficial it is to the company.
Teaming up with brands like the three you’ve mentioned obviously helps us better penetrate each market, and this is a fundamental part of our sustained growth. ATG, for example, is the biggest operator in Sweden and we’re hoping our Elysium Studios partnership will help us there, as it’s really appealing content for this type of audience. Looking ahead, we recently received our Ontario certification and have some big deals for that market already in the pipeline.
How does Swintt stay ahead of industry trends and ensure that its game offerings remain fresh and engaging for players?
You have to always remember that trends are largely market-specific and what works well in one country might not actually translate to success in another. At Swintt, we try to accommodate for this fact by offering a rich and varied game portfolio that contains different titles targeted at very distinct player demographics.
On the one hand you have the SwinttPremium line-up, which is pitched at markets like Germany and Netherlands where classically-themed slots are more popular, and on the other you have titles from the SwinttSelect and Elysium Studios ranges, which are designed to appeal to the audience in Sweden, Ontario and the UK with an immersive game play and stunning visuals. We develop all our games with mobile-first approach to cater for the high amount of players using their mobile devices.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see on the horizon, and how is Swintt preparing to address them?
I think the biggest challenge of the future is also the biggest challenge of today – and that is the constantly shifting regulations that all software providers have to stay ahead of. At Swintt our focus is on regulated markets and we’re now present in so many of them that we always need to have one eye on any new rules or amendments that might impact our current approach.
Beyond that, I’d say the second biggest challenge is the fact that the level of competition is increasing on a daily basis. The market is already very saturated and new studios are opening all the time, so we constantly have to think of new ways to provide unique content that players will want to play.