Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and what is your role at Rival Gaming?
I have been in the gaming industry for over 20 years taking on roles that include areas of marketing, finance, accounting, affiliates, business development and game design. In 2022 I celebrated 10 years as a Rival team member where I am now the Content Strategy Manager.
How did you first start in the gambling industry? What were the initial challenges?
As you can imagine, the online gambling industry was still quite young 20 years ago. I met people that were developing gaming software and coming from a creative background, there was a natural opportunity for me to get involved. The evolution of the industry and growth associated with that saw the need for me to fill roles in which I had no education or experience. Performing exceptionally well in those new roles was challenging but it gave me a wealth of experience and a more holistic view of what it takes to run a successful iGaming company.
With so many game studios on the market, what do you think is the biggest differentiator for Rival Gaming?
Rival creates great games but at the core of our business is service. Service to our industry partners, our operators, and our players. I believe our core team has created a reputation for reliability, dependability, honesty, and integrity that our partners know they can count on.
Can you please tell us what is the slot with the Biggest Wins from Rival Gaming? We are sure our readers would like to give it a spin, if they haven’t already.
Rival’s network-linked progressive jackpot system often leads to enormous wins and has paid millions to jackpot winners. Just this past year a lucky player hit a win of over $300,000 USD playing Diamond Rhino Jackpot.
What are your top 3 favorite slots from Rival Gaming? Can you please tell us the reasons behind your choices?
Mythic Wolf: Sacred Moon is a heavy favorite due to its unique 720-ways diamond-shaped reel layout, great artwork, and engaging game play. This feature-rich game offers plenty of chances for players to hit huge wins with features including a Stacked Wolf Wild symbol that has a random 2x, 3x, or 5x Multiplier, Free Spins bonus game, and “Dreamcatcher” Wheel Bonus. Topping things off is the Double Up Gamble option where players can risk their win for a chance to double it!
Bigger Cash Win is one of our newest classic 3-reelers and pulls you into the excitement of Las Vegas. This game is a sequel to our hit Big Cash Win slot and amplifies everything there is to love about the original, just bigger. There are 5 paylines and more bonus features than the original including an Expanding Wild, Free Spins, and a Bigger Cash Wheel where players take a whirl at landing either an Instant Prize payout or Free Spins.
Hail Caesar is another personal favorite. There is immersive artwork but the real winner in this game is the simple game play. Caesar is of course the game’s wild icon and comes with a 5x multiplier during the base game. In the Roman Triumph Free Spins round, Caesar becomes a Sticky Wild and remains in place for the entire round. Players that land three scattered Gold Coins gain access to the Ides of March Pick Bonus where choosing citizens accumulates instant rewards. The neat thing about accessing the Pick Bonus is if a player only lands two scatter symbols in a spin, those symbols become sticky and award the player a Second Chance Re-Spin and additional opportunity to trigger the bonus.
What is the most important aspect of a slot from your perspective?
Above all else, the slot must be fair. Rival games are created with a state of the art RNG (random number generator) to ensure random outcomes for every spin. The RTP (return to player) is easily found within the game’s paytable so players can play confidently knowing Rival games are fair. Outside of that, entertainment is king. This is evident when looking at a slot like Rival’s Reel Crime: Stealing Christmas. The emphasis is on fantastic game play — as evidenced through drop icons and the expanding reels game mechanic — but the theme is also a well-developed Christmas caper. It pairs players with two bumbling burglars named Remy & Raoul who are chasing a New York City townhouse in search of their next big payout.
Is there any way to predict if a slot is going to be a hit or not?
Not entirely. We design every new slot to be our next big hit and never sacrifice game development until we think that potential is there. That said, there are certain game types, features, and themes that we know are generally more successful than others with players.
Looking to the future, what is the next big release Rival Gaming is planning?
We’re extremely excited to be unveiling a great collection of engaging new slot features in 2023. Our next big release is a 1,024 ways slot called Klondike Gold. It brings players through one of the greatest gold rushes the world has ever seen. The most exciting part of this game is our new Collect ‘N’ Win feature. Collect ‘N’ Win is a feature available only during Free Spins where players collect golden Lynx heads to upgrade other high-paying symbols to the highest paying Lynx symbol. The result is more Lynx symbols, more combos, and more wins!
Do you have any advice for those who would like to work in the gambling/ e-gaming industry?
I’d recommend learning a bit about the industry. There are a lot of exciting opportunities in many different fields within iGaming. Keep an open mind and show initiative, creativity, ability to adapt, willingness to be a team player, and dedication to your career, and there is no telling the heights you can reach.
If you weren’t in the gambling industry, what other industry would you want to work in?
I would likely look to work in the film industry as a screen producer. The teamwork and collaborative process, the combination of creatives and engineering to create an incredible end-product, it really gives a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. There are a lot of parallels between screen production and my current role in iGaming.
Is there anything you would like to transmit to those who support Rival Gaming, before we say goodbye?
Get ready for some exciting new slots and game features in 2023. If you’re already familiar with Rival, thank you. If you’re new to Rival, welcome. We look forward to having you all with us!