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Listen to Nikita Gorshkov from Mancala Gaming as he tackles some interesting questions with some brave answers! From his views on the current state and future direction of the industry to some urban myths about slot machines, watch this exclusive interview and get acquainted with his expertise:
Reporter: How is the show treating you so far?
Interviewed: It has been amazing, but extremely tiring, extremely tiring!
R: What’s the most popular game from 2022?
I: One of the most popular titles, if you take away the fruit games, was Candy Clash.
R: I played it, it’s really cool!
I: I know, amazing!
R: And which one do you think will be the most successful in 2023?
I: Alright, so this one is an inside scoop, ok? Ok, so we have a game coming out that is based on an old-school Nintendo game! There’s some ducks, there’s some blood, it’s gonna be interesting!
R: So you can’t reveal any more!
I: There’s a trailer that we’re showing at the stand right now, just a peak, a little peak!
R: Live games or slots?
I: My personal favourites? Slots! Yes, yes! Live games? I prefer to go to a casino!
R: You designed a lot of slots. How is the creative process going? And how do you choose a theme, and a soundtrack, and everything?
I: You got to take them in control! It’s illustrators! They’re artists, you know, they like to design, they like to create! It’s difficult, they have so many ideas, so…There’s never a lack of ideas, let’s put it like that!
R: But how do you choose the best one?
I: Oh, that is a tough decision! It’s just so much that we have to go with, but usually you have to put some sensibility, you got to be sensible, you got to be sensible. Look, at the end of the day, you choose a thing that is going to be popular on the market, right? You have to analyze, you have to look…We know, or we believe that we know that something’s going to work based on the market analysis, based on the partners, based on operators. Probably that’s going to be released rather than something more experimental.
R: OK! Do you have a recipe for success in a slot? Like, if it’s Egypt-themed or something like that?
I: Nobody does! Pragmatic think they do; they don’t!
R: OK!
I: There is no recipe for success. I believe it’s just luck! That’s why we’re gambling!
R: OK, so the whole business, it’s actually luck!
R: Do you have a specific type of customer you’re looking for? Which one is it?
I: Well, we are concentrating a lot now on licensed operations. We are now looking forward to Slovakia and Czech Republic, but for us, we are more than happy and welcoming any operator that would be considering to take our content, and we’re open, we’re open for anyone!
R: Which was the biggest customer of 2022?
I: Our biggest customer? Well, that is very difficult to say because we’ve been very strong in Asia, specifically South-East Asia and there are a lot of platforms, that, you know, operate with many casinos. So, let’s put it like this: for us, this year, and the previous one, was very important in South-East Asia.
R: So, what’s the first slot you’ve created?
I: Our first game, this was about 3 years ago, it was called ‘Monster Thieves’. We had to do, create something, test out the system, you know, it wasn’t anything crazy, it wasn’t anything special, but it still works to this day!
R: If someone is new to gambling and wants to try a slot, which one would you recommend?
I: I would say something with low volatility! Something simple, that doesn’t eat a lot of your money, that you can continuously play to learn and understand how the game mechanics work.
R: Can you drop a name?
I: Oh, no!
R: OK, OK, so, no name-dropping!
I: We have some amazing low-volatility slots!
R: OK, that’s great!
R: OK, so what’s the biggest win you’ve seen so far?
I: Last year, one of our players actually got a win of 230,000 euros and that actually from a 100 euro bet. And it was from December, as well. Merry Christmas!
R: Such a nice Christmas gift!
R: Do you think the recession affected the industry?
I: Only in the positive way! My personal opinion that the only thing recession – well, we are still going into it – the only thing it’s going to do is bring more people, more players, for sure!
R: So, what’s your opinion about responsible gambling?
I: I think it’s the way forward. We’ve been seeing, I believe, from about 5-6 years ago, when MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) was the main licence, and now you see most of Europe, every single country, coming up with their own regulation, coming up with their own licence, and that’s the way forward! You either take it, or you leave!
R: Can you tell me your personal favourite slot?
I: My personal favourite slot? Myself, I like, if I go to gamble, and I want to have a great time, I got land-based. Land-based, anything that has a progressive jackpot, I’m happy with that, I love that!
R: Yes…
I: Yes! If online, online, you know, it’s quick, it’s quick, easy, you know, I take my phone, I play a little bit, you know, I get in the car, I go to work…Over there, I don’t know, I would say, as of late, megaways, I really got into that! At first, wasn’t that fun, but for some reason, as of late, I really enjoy it!
R: It did grow on you! Yes…
I: Exactly, yes!
R: What are you going to promote from your company? Like, what’s the newest thing, hottest thing?
I: Well, as I told you, there’s that interesting and unique duck game coming out. Be on the lookout for that! And, by the end of the year, there’s going to be something with a lot of skill-based elements, and, maybe, maybe, it’s going to be something like Zumba!
R: OK, I need to see this in the future! Thank you so much for your time!
I: Thank you as well! It was a pleasure!