Yana Khaidukova: We always keep our ear to the ground when it comes to the latest developments in the industry

Are you ready to dive deep into the world of iGaming with one of its most influential figures? Join us for an exclusive interview with Yana Khaidukova, the Managing Director of Slotegrator.

Maciej Akimow: The iGaming landscape is ever-evolving. Could you highlight one of the hottest growing markets  that Slotegrator is currently observing, and what unique opportunities and challenges does it present for both operators and players?

Yana Khaidukova: Slotegrator is paying attention on LatAm and Asian markets. In the industry, both of them are called ‘sleeping giants’. The first is an emerging market with great potential, while the second still needs to wake up after the COVID-19 pandemic. When launching a project in Latin America, it’s important to keep the entire process organized from the get-go — to obtain the proper license, to select software like Slotegrator’s online casino solution, and to design a proper promotion strategy. The key to the Asian market is to set yourself apart from your competitors. The Asian market is very demanding and selective, so the first thing you have to do is make a good impression and establish yourself. Also, it is very important to visit local events, participate in live meetings and to maintain established relationships.

As Managing Director at Slotegrator, you’re at the forefront of industry trends. Can you share some of the recent innovations or novel approaches that Slotegrator has introduced to enhance the gaming experience for players and operators alike?

 This year, we are focused on integrating much-discussed AI-powered solutions into our platform. Among them:

• Well-known modules like Casino Builder (for creating an individual site interface), Fraud Detection (for collecting Big Data to reduce risk), and KYC (responsible for fast, smooth, and consistent user verification), all of which now have improved functionality.
• The business intelligence (BI) module, which helps operators track the analytical data they need to make strategic decisions (and has become an Artificial BI module). Now it allows operators to compare indicators and profitability of their project with others that operate in the same market.
• The seamless switch in payment & interchangeability – how auto-replacement switches to another payment method when one is dropped.

The concept of Telegram casinos is gaining traction. Could you provide insights into the advantages and potential of this innovative  product? How do you see it shaping the future of iGaming engagement?

Telegram Casino is a solution that came just in time. Today, players prefer to spend time on messenger, and Telegram is the fastest and most convenient. It features more than 7,000 video slots and other games from international development, and has quickly become our ‘top’ solution. Its main values are uploading speed, a variety of games (including the hottest new titles), data security, technical support – in short, it’s an all-in-one solution. We have good reason to believe that this solution is going to be trending for a long time.

The future of Telegram Casino depends on players’ preferences: a place to create communities, trying immersive gaming, and more. We’re going to keep listening to our audience and giving them what they want.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a buzzword across various industries, including iGaming. How do you envision AI’s role in shaping the future of the iGaming industry, and what potential do you see for AI-driven innovations?

Whereas a year ago AI integration was still on the horizon, it now seems like every day there’s a new AI-powered solution on the market. As I said earlier, we integrated AI options and features into our turnkey online casino solution to improve the product in various ways: to strengthen security and combat fraud, to improve support functions, to help operators track the analytical data they need to make strategic decisions and compare their project with others that operate in the same market. And, finally, to provide our customers with the most advanced software for achieving their goals.

Slotegrator is renowned for its cutting-edge solutions. Could you shed light on some of the recent technological advancements within your portfolio that are helping operators stay competitive and provide exceptional player experiences?

Sure. The first is our turnkey online casino solution. It’s our flagship product — a fully functioning online casino platform which is entirely customizable and gives operators total control over every aspect of daily casino operations. The next one is Telegram Casino – a unique solution that we’ve already mentioned that offers players the full casino experience through a bot in the popular messaging application. And the third is APIgrator – an innovative solution which allows integration of more than 15,000 games by one click. All new and exciting games can be integrated via APIgrator into any online casino worldwide. These products are complementary to each other, but each of them is strong on its own.

The player’s experience is a top priority. Can you share some insights into how Slotegrator’s solutions contribute to creating seamless and engaging experiences for players across different iGaming Platforms?

This year we’ve launched a bonus feature to enhance the bonus module of our turnkey online casino solution. The new bonus feature, “Wheel of Fortune”, is a wheel divided into sectors, each of which shows what kind of prize the player can win. This bonus solution is based on the classic roulette-style mechanism: a player turns the wheel, testing his luck, and gets an opportunity to win. Operators can access the user-friendly backend to set the number of segments in the wheel — from two to twenty-six — choose the winning segments, and set the probability that players will win. In addition, it is possible to configure a few more key aspects:

• The currency in which winnings are paid out.
• Whether the odds of winning are displayed to raise interest or hidden to maintain intrigue.
• Whether players win cash or small prizes.
• Bet limits.
• Frequency of appearance: the wheel can be displayed once, a limited number of times, or indefinitely.
• Schedule of appearance: letting the wheel appear only on certain days lets the operator control the time spent by the player on the wheel.
• Customization — the wheel can be designed with the casino’s branding.

Tips are given at each stage of setup, giving operators full control of the entire process. Each project can have an infinite number of bonuses, depending on the structure of gameplay. The option of introducing a new bonus is already available to all users of the online casino platform from Slotegrator. The company’s development team is already working on a new iteration of this bonus solution. It will have 3 types of wheels, with fully customizable graphics and design, as well as having the possibility of adding wheel animations. What does this novelty give players? A chance to try their luck and to to try something new for their gaming experience.

The iGaming industry is known for its dynamic nature. What strategies or approaches does Slotegrator employ to stay adaptable and responsive to changing trends and player preferences?

We always keep our ear to the ground when it comes to the latest developments in the industry. We put ourselves in our customers’ and their players’ shoes to get a better understanding of what they’re looking for. We keep tabs on industry trends, which gives us the whole picture of the gaming experience. The main thing is that we always listen to our customers, consider their feedback and suggestions, and create products that they really need today — and that they’ll need in the future. Also, we do internal research every quarter.

Collaboration is key in the iGaming ecosystem. How does Slotegrator foster partnerships and alliances within the industry to ensure a well-rounded offering of products and services?

One of the most famous products for collaboration is APIgrator – our unified solution for fast integration of game content. Now we have more than 15,000 games from more than 150 providers. Another is our affiliate management system, Partnergrator. This is a complete business intelligence solution for real-time affiliate program management and analysis. Partnergrator provides a unified protocol that processes and segments event data for tracking and managing affiliate programs. It’s an incredibly useful tool for casinos who want to make the most of their affiliate partnerships. And we always prioritize media collaboration. We partner with great resources, and this year we are preparing something exclusive for the market engaging our partners.