iGaming solutions provider SOFTSWISS was among the companies making waves at SBC Summit Lisbon, where it showcased its comprehensive range of solutions. At the show, the supplier demonstrated its commitment to supporting clients with its expansive ecosystem of online gaming products, which address pressing issues such as retention, alignment with license requirements, and responsible gambling practices.
In this interview, Artyom Rudakov, Head of SOFTSWISS Managed Services, discusses the key highlights from the event, the major issues operators are facing, and how SOFTSWISS can help its partners overcome them.
Additionally, Artyom Rudakov shared insights into the work of the Managed Services team, his own experience with the company, and the company’s approach to product development.
What are your main takeaways from the latest edition of SBC Lisbon?
First of all, I must recognize the high level of the event’s organization in general. For me, it was kind of the gold standard. The event managed to avoid problems such as having attendees stand in queues for hours to grab something to eat and other such delays. This comment is more on the infrastructure side of the event, rather than our takeaways from a networking standpoint, but I think it is worth pointing out: smooth organization helps companies focus on their business needs.
In terms of our expectations for the event, they were met. The three days were great and our stand was always busy. But the “real deals” are the ones that will be taking place soon now that the show is over.
What opportunities do events such as SBC, which is one of the major European iGaming shows, open for SOFTSWISS?
Our attendance at industry events is always about meeting our partners face to face; showing empathy and understanding their needs. The feedback we receive from our clients is a key factor when developing new services.
We could create solutions without their input, but it wouldn’t make much sense – at the end of the day, we are adapting and launching our solutions for them, not for us. In a nutshell, what we do is always on that personal level. It’s about a tailored approach, where we suit our services to best fit the needs of our clients.
What were attendees approaching SOFTSWISS’ stand interested in learning more about?
Well, hopefully, they were interested in our attendance approach I mentioned earlier! And learning about what we can offer them to drive growth in the iGaming sector.
I think that for top companies, this year is all about innovations in retention strategies, alignment with license requirements, and responsible gambling practices, so those are the three major points I would highlight as dominating conversation.
With the number of online casinos growing steadily, operators are facing increased competition. This makes retention, which you just mentioned, a key goal. In which way can SOFTSWISS support companies in this endeavor?
The Managed Services team plays one of the key roles here, making the user experience and journey as smooth as it could be at every step of the player lifecycle. We have the First Line support, acting as a representative for the casino, helping build that trust between the player and the brand from the very beginning. But we also have a specific Retention team, focused on increasing retention rates by creating unique and targeted proposals to clients through proper segmentation and constant analysis.
However, these are not the only components of retention success. It’s also all about our ecosystem in general, since we have much more to offer to help our clients keep their numbers great. We are a trusted and well-recognized industry leader. We provide a whole ecosystem of comprehensive solutions to our clients. This makes it easier to start lowering the bar of entrance into new markets and jurisdictions because we already have a ready-to-go solution, including white label.
The company is celebrating 15 years of operations in 2024. What can you tell us about this landmark and your own personal experience working with SOFTSWISS?
From my personal experience, it’s my fifth year in the company. I joined SOFTSWISS during the start of the Coronavirus outbreak and the company probably tripled or became even four times bigger since then. And of course, it was a big challenge for the company in general and for me personally to scale the operations pretty fast and rapidly without sacrificing the quality that sets us apart.
Sometimes growth can be a bit of a bumpy ride. But at the end of the day, you can see that we are headed in the right direction, and standing here in a beautiful big booth at SBC is proof of that.
