Speaking to CasinoBeats, BGaming director Marina Ostrovtsova dissects the reasons why crypto is helping the game developer to meet the needs of its partners while also elevating the overall player experience. 

CasinoBeats: BGaming has been labeled as the first slot developer to incorporate cryptocurrency within their titles, what made you make this decision? And how popular has it been with players? 

MO: This label is tightly connected to our roots and the time when we started building games. So this is in our history already. 

This is not a secret that we are a part of the group of companies that includes different platforms for online casinos, so when we decided to build the platform for crypto casino, this was the obvious choice to incorporate this into the games. 

When everybody on the market was trying to flirt with cryptocurrency, we actually had a very serious affair and that is how it transformed into the label. 

The interest in crypto is still growing and we, of course, keep abreast of the situation. BGaming expands its presence in crypto projects. For example, a few weeks ago BGaming started cooperation with BetBit, the world’s first bitcoin casino. We are going to widen the partnership with another crypto project Wagerx shortly. 

CasinoBeats: Within your games, which cryptocurrencies have you implemented and what was the process in deciding? 

MO: From the very beginning, the obvious choice was BTC, that is how it all started. Litecoin and Dogecoin jumped in straight after. This threesome was alive and kicking until Etherium started rocking. So we saw the demand from operators and this was just a matter of settings until we enabled this one. Further, this was already a process for us – seeing this demand, and reacting accordingly. 

It is always about feeling what your current clients need, about identifying it with what we have on the market. So this is the foremost. The second major would be the system itself – from the very start we have built the system to be able to work with any currency out there even if this does not yet exist. 

CasinoBeats: Cryptocurrency lives in a very volatile market with its value altering on a nearly hourly basis. Is this an issue when it comes to using digital currency?

MO: This is an excellent question, and for sure this is an issue. It is important to answer another question though – what are these realistic use cases for our business?

For the game provider, this is just the currency players making their bets and using crypto in the whole portfolio of currencies supported is just broadening the audience and gives this audience more flexibility and freedom. 

But here we can stumble upon another issue – if our business has an effective system in place to balance and manage the risks. Speaking on behalf of a game developer, it is essential to have a flexible system to reflect all the changes. 

Accepting cryptocurrencies makes game suppliers always be prepared to change (either the bets in the game, or the system itself) and this is challenging on its own. From the very beginning, we all do it manually, moving slowly to more automated versions of our systems and platforms. 

CasinoBeats: In the past, we’ve seen changes in interest around cryptocurrency. Are current levels of enthusiasm here to stay? And how can slot developers make the most of the opportunities presented by the crypto space?

MO: Let’s be honest – millions of people around the world have been observing the hype around bitcoin lately, even those who have never used them before even a tiny bit. Many celebrities were tweeting it as if this is their regular basic staff to share, which can be true. So this is already something deeply rooted in society. And I am not only talking about our industry specifically, a lot more people nowadays want to be a part of it, want to understand the technology standing behind it. 

Many people are already using blockchain technologies, sometimes not even realising it. So this is already an ecosystem we live in and yes, there will always be enthusiasm around it. 

For the game provider – we can try to use the technology to the fullest in our production life cycle as this one is one of the most progressive and flexible.

CasinoBeats: How significant is the transparency and efficiency of digital currency to boosting your players’ user experience?

MO: First of all – you can play internationally, but not only play but withdraw faster from anywhere in the world without any restrictions. Also, you can feel more secure while using crypto and you can stay anonymous. All of that is already boosting player experience. 

Still, this is the level of interaction with an operator. Now what is left is to pick your favourite place to play at and one of the BGaming titles and have a great time. 

CasinoBeats: Moving forward, what do you envisage in the future collaboration with online casinos and the cryptosphere? Will we see more and more casinos develop their own wallets for crypto and see more titles incorporate various currencies? 

MO: I envision the room – the space for innovation. 

With more restrictions and rules nowadays we can see some cryptocurrencies specifically created for online gaming (there are several examples already). Those tailored coins allow maintaining low transaction costs, immediate transfers, and more security. 

From the developer’s point of view – the process of being emerged into new technologies and processes can be even more fascinating than playing games. 

The post Marina Ostrovtsova: Why cryptocurrency is an integral part of the BGaming story appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The new cashier function works on all mobile devices, enabling players to track deposits and withdrawals, while ethereum – the world’s second most popular cryptocurrency after bitcoin – is also now accepted.

Tauri Tiitsaar, head of casino at Bitcasino.io, said: “Mobile betting has never been more popular, so it makes sense for us to cater for players to offer the best service possible.

“We’re always looking to innovate and stay one step ahead of our rivals, and that’s exactly what we are doing with the launch of our mobile-first cashier and addition of the world’s second most valuable cryptocurrency.

“We are positive players will love both additions,” said Tiitsaar.

Bitcasino users can now deposit, play, win and withdraw in both bitcoin and ethereum, while also taking advantage of BTCXE, the industry-first fiat-to-bitcoin currency converter.

The post Bitcasino.io boosts mobile focus and adds ethereum appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Despite boasting a career of more than 15 years in the gaming ecosystem, John Caldwell, co-founder of software company ASG Solutions, had a whole different life in the music business before gambling.

Working alongside acts that boasted sales of more than 60 million in the 1990s, Caldwell, who now works in the gambling/crypto intersection, recounts his time in music in a CasinoBeats column. 

In August of 1994, the Stone Temple Pilots tour was a juggernaut. Roll into town, play a sold-out show, lather, rinse, repeat.

We specifically went out of our way to spend up on production. Many acts at the time were firmly implanted in the ‘less is more’ minimalist approach to production. Some lights, a couple large Persian rugs and the band’s gear were generally it as far as a stage presentation went.

This was ‘The Big Rock Show’, however, and we were determined to give young music fans value for their buck. Two twenty foot high lava lamps were planted on either side of the drum kit, and a light show that would harken back to the days of Queen, Kiss and many of the other acts that people of our generation held dear as kids.

But with outsized production came outsized reactions. I remember one night in Philadelphia. 14,000 people. Philly is a notoriously exuberant rock crowd. I was out at the sound board when the band hit the stage. 

First, I saw a couple people from the back hop the guard rails and run down front. Then a few more. Before long hundreds of people were charging the front and were determined to get up on stage. To what end, I have no idea.

The security, while world class for concert security, were completely overwhelmed. I myself punched one and wrestled another guy who were trying to rip the sound and light control boards down off their moorings. Total chaos.

The band had to stop and restart more than once. The singer, Scott, finally had to get on the mic himself and let people know that they had two choices: Back to their seat or back home.  

Order was eventually restored, but I learned a valuable lesson that day. If a large enough crowd wants to go somewhere or do something, there isn’t a lot you or anyone else can do about it. There becomes sort of this ‘irrationality of exuberance’, and it’s highly contagious. Common sense goes out the window.

We have seen this in the Bitcoin markets. Late 2017 to early 2018, we had this same ‘irrationality of exuberance’.  Everyone had to have Bitcoin, but 90+ per cent of those people weren’t really sure *why*.

Fundamentals go out the window, and common sense with it. Many of the people that bought in that winter of 17/18 got burned. Some are still bitter through this current rally, vowing never to touch BTC again.

The last three years has helped us answer that critical question: Why. Why Bitcoin? Could Bitcoin, often lauded by skeptics as crazy actually be the *sane option* as it relates to many global currencies – whose supply is at the whim of a small number of people who can simply choose to switch on the printer and make more?

But when you see legitimate companies putting BTC on their balance sheets, or you see panels at high end investment conferences with titles like “How can I get BTC exposure for my clients?”, you know we’ve crossed a very critical hurdle.

The gaming business is no different. Online casinos are continuing to add and refine their digital payments strategy, while crypto native operators grow quickly and at a (seemingly) unabated rate.  

But what stage are we as an industry in?  I would argue the crypto rally of 2017/18 actually did the gaming industry a big favour – long term. As I’ve detailed in previous columns, in 2017/18  the interest from the meat of the gambling industry collapsed faster than the price of BTC did. This sort of prevented the industry from ever entering that irrational exuberance phase.  

And with exuberance comes excitement. That excitement is contagious. That never happened to the broader gambling industry. Frustrating for those of us who worked on that side of the space, but nonetheless, it has allowed the industry to think about crypto in a more considered way. This to me bodes well for the long term health of digital payments in gaming.

If you need a beacon of light (or two) to guide you on your BTC discovery journey, I may have a solution. I believe there are still a couple twenty foot high lava lamps sitting in a warehouse in Chatsworth, California. Lightly used.

The post The Power of the Crowd: <br> John Caldwell, Lessons from rock n’ roll appeared first on CasinoBeats.

RELEASE DATE

Out now.

THE PITCH

“Finished in top-quality visuals, Mining Factory has responsive design based on HTML5 and handling natively a wide range of devices.”

GAME DETAIL

Meet Henry the Stingray, an old hand adapting hardly to the digital world. Henry would just let it stand, but new times mean new rules. Gripped by the bitcoin rush, Henry made one of his many factories into a mining farm. A robot cutie Chain tries to assist filling Plasmatron for extra mining power.

Mining Factory is a highly volatile 3×5 video slot with 27 paylines, expanding wilds, free spins and accumulative bonus. The RTP is 96.1 per cent, while the maximum win is 16,200-times the stake.

Finished in top-quality visuals, Mining Factory has responsive design based on HTML5 and is thus suitable for a wide range of devices.

THEY SAY

“With its captivating gameplay and special features, Mining Factory follows up our successful launches throughout this year. We’re happy to announce this important product, which was built and designed completely in-house” – Konstantin Katsev, CMO, True Flip

DEMO

Try it out here, on the True Flip site.

The post Mining Factory – True Flip appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The operator has added a new purple mode for players with the fresh skin a direct result of user feedback, with some players saying they missed the familiar Bitcasino.io purple following the site’s relaunch at the beginning of December.

As well as the purple skin, a new dark mode is set to follow early next year.

Pavel Navolochko, head of design at Bitcasino.io, said: “Our players have been really impressed with the new website, but when they told us they missed the classic purple look, we knew there was still work to be done.

“We pride ourselves on reacting quickly to feedback from our customers and rolling out the new purple Bitcasino.io mode just weeks after we received the first comments underlines this commitment,” he said.

“We will continue to place our customers at the heart of our development process and look forward to using future feedback to drive forward innovation.”

Bitcasino.io relaunched its website to offer players a faster and more user-friendly casino experience in early December. The new site boasts an array of innovative new features as well as load speeds up to eight-times faster than many competitors.

The post Bitcasino.io responds to player calls with familiar theme appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Brennan will lead CashBet in the next period of its development, the company said in a statement.

He brings 25 years of experience in the online, software, hardware and financial services industries, working with a host of Fortune 500 companies including Merrill Lynch, Seagate, Adobe, Microsoft and NexTag.

Brennan said: “I have enjoyed serving as an advisor to CashBet and am confident that my understanding of the business and its position in the igaming market will help me step up to this new position as we look to grow even further.

“Even with the unforeseen challenges presented by the crypto bear market, CashBet has never been in a better position to achieve its full potential. I am honoured to begin serving as the company’s new president with guidance from the board.”

Brennan’s appointment follows the board of director’s decision to begin search for a new CEO to replace Cashbet’s co-founder Mike Reaves.

Reaves co-founded CashBet in 2012 following a long career in online gambling.

The post CashBet picks Brennan for president appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The seven-day exclusive deal sees operator Bitcasino seeking to boost acquisition with players keen to play before the game is officially released.

Players can now deposit, play, win and withdraw in both bitcoin and ethereum, as well SOC coin, while also taking advantage of BTCXE, the industry-first fiat-to-bitcoin currency converter.

Tauri Tiitsaar, head of casino at Bitcasino.io, said: “Our exclusive access to Joan of Arc is an addition that’s set to inject yet more fun into the gaming experience of both our existing and new players.

“Gameart’s brand new title is their best yet and their fans are sure to be excited by the prospect of immersing themselves into the world of an iconic historical heroine. We are very confident it will prove to be a great collaboration.”

Almir Kudic, head of account management at Gameart, added: “Bitcasino.io is one of the most innovative and fastest-growing casino operators in the industry and we are delighted to have agreed an exclusive deal with them.

“They already boast some of the most exciting and engaging titles available, so it’s a great privilege to have agreed an exclusive partnership.”

The slot, which goes live on Bitcasino on Wednesday, September 19, sends players on an epic journey as they bid to unlock rewards with legendary heroine Joan of Arc.

Players will be drawn to the innovative “expand and split” function, which randomly replaces and separates all icons with arrow borders when scatters are triggered, rewarding them with seven free spins.

The post Exclusive Gameart slot launch for Bitcasino.io appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The move simplifies depositing for players and welcomes those using credit and debit cards with a simple fiat-to-bitcoin exchange service.

BTCXE uses the iSignthis platform and adheres to best-practice AML and KYC procedures, while the processing fee is set at a consistent 1.95 per cent of the fiat currency amount.

Tauri Tiitsaar, head of casino at Bitcasino.io, said: “The popularity of cryptocurrencies continues to grow therefore it’s now more important than ever for us to find ways to make playing easier for customers.

“Industry-first partnerships like this one with BTCXE not only offer something unique to our loyal players while also attracting new ones but helps us to stay ahead of the curve.”

Bitcasino operator, The Coingaming Group, has also introduced the exchange to customers of betting brand Sportsbet.io.

A BTCXE spokesperson said: “The popularity of cryptocurrency gambling continues to rise in stock by the day and we are delighted to partner with industry frontrunners Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io.

“Our software offers a simple solution that allows everyone form cryptocurrency novices to experts enjoy both platforms and we are 100-per-cent confident the benefits will be clear to see for both parties.”

The post Bitcasino offering players fiat-to-bitcoin converter appeared first on CasinoBeats.

A millibitcoin is worth about US$9 at time of writing while a bit – expressed as µ฿ – is worth one-thousandth of that, so $0.009, or around one cent.

Tim Heath, CEO of the Coingaming Group, said: “With bitcoin now well and truly in the mainstream, and its price continuing to surge, we wanted to ensure all games and sports events were accessible to all types of customer.

“Reducing our gaming unit to bits is the ideal way of doing so and keeps the user at the centre of our universe.

“Our customers can now play and bet more for the same money, and we expect this to encourage even more users to sign up to the leading bitcoin casino and sportsbook, while also providing existing loyal players with greater flexibility and potential play time.”

The post Coingaming turns to microbitcoins to address rising BTC values appeared first on CasinoBeats.

CasinoBeats caught up with the experienced gaming professional to ask what drew him to CasinoCoin and what the future holds for crypto in igaming.

What caused you to move from an established career in betting and gaming to cryptocurrency? It shows a lot of faith in the new project.

AT: “I have been following the growth of crypto over the last 18 months and became increasingly excited by the potential for blockchain technology application in gaming. I was keen to get involved with the right project, one that would truly add value to the gaming world.

“My background is in large gaming corporations that focus on regulated markets and work diligently to ensure the highest standards are met for responsible gaming. Until I heard about CasinoCoin, I felt the technological and commercial challenges for crypto use in gaming were too much of a barrier to entry. Things like slow transaction speeds, high transaction costs, the difficulty for non-tech-specialists to understand crypto – as well as no real-world regulated market utility – were too much of a risk for any of the projects I knew about to significantly come in and challenge the status quo.

“With CasinoCoin, while there are still the risks that come with any new and (so far) unregulated industry, I recognised the value it could bring to regulated gaming operators, and the whole industry. The coin has genuine utility and the team has a deep understanding of the regulatory needs of this market and has been working with regulators since they took on the project, ensuring everything is approved and delivered through the correct channels. This is key in my opinion.

“CasinoCoin provides a gateway for operators to reach a new player demographic and it provides regulators with the assurance that these players have undergone stringent KYC checks before they begin to play. All the above is achieved with a product that is easy to use, safe, secure, lightning fast and with extremely low fees. As a gambler, I felt it was a risk worth taking.”

So what is so special about the CasinoCoin offering?

“For me, CasinoCoin is totally unique, it’s a blockchain-powered payment solution with a custom-made blockchain designed for, and which aims to complement, the regulated online gaming industry. Its simplicity, with no desire to become an operator or platform, and its real-world utility provide the best application of blockchain technology in the online gaming space. Everything about CasinoCoin has been built with users, gaming operators, and regulators in mind. Our soon-to-launch Bankroll Manager (BRM) app features built-in KYC and AML capabilities and responsible gaming options, and provides a fully transparent and traceable payment solution.

“CasinoCoin has the experience and operating management of a much larger and more mature business but the energy, enthusiasm and tech awareness of a young start-up. There is a continuous stream of innovation and development that I am constantly amazed at and it’s not just pie-in-the-sky ideas – there have been hundreds of hours of development behind the things I am being shown. I can’t say too much but just last week I was taken through plans to unveil the first blockchain system designed specifically to be an online/offline solution for brick-and-mortar gaming casinos – it’s revolutionary, live blockchain products that actually work!”

What is it about CasinoCoin that is so appealing to operators specifically?

“The benefits already mentioned above, around transparency, speed, ease of use and cost effectiveness will be hugely appealing and advantageous to operators and users.

“On top of that, the CasinoCoin Foundation, a non-profit entity made up of gaming industry and tech veterans, is focused on harmoniously developing the use of blockchain technology in the regulated gaming industry. This means operators that integrate CasinoCoin’s blockchain-powered payment solution can utilise the experience and support of a wider team of experts who have made it their mission to progress the use of blockchain in the world of gaming.

“The operators that partner with CasinoCoin will also benefit from the Foundation’s continued development into new blockchain innovation, without the need to invest in expensive tech development teams of their own.

“Finally, they will benefit from CasinoCoin as a gateway to a new and untapped group of players, already fully vetted to stand the test of today’s regulatory requirements. This will provide a new revenue stream that, we believe, will only continue to grow in time as blockchain and cryptocurrency become more central to everyday life.”

“Due to the complex nature of crypto and blockchain, we believe initial adoption and growth will come from the cryptocurrency community.”

How important is it to have the backing of the player community when promoting such a product, and how is CasinoCoin being received?

“The CasinoCoin community has been one of the elements of the project that has impressed me the most. We have a very active and steadily growing online community that is incredibly enthusiastic and supportive. They believe in the project as much as we do and some of them have even created tools, websites and widgets that benefit the growth of CasinoCoin.

“Due to the complex nature of crypto and blockchain, we believe that initial adoption and growth of CasinoCoin will come from the cryptocurrency community. We know this to be a large and growing community where millions have already been wagered on unregulated online crypto casinos. There is a steep learning curve when it comes to understanding how all things crypto and blockchain work, and it takes time to become comfortable with all the functionality. A core cryptocurrency principle is removal of third-party trust – ‘be your own bank’. This means that the ultimate responsibility of protecting your coins and tokens lies with you. The crypto community champions this principle, is comfortable with the responsibility and understands the risk.

“We believe that, in time, crypto will become more prevalent in all our daily lives. As that happens, and to really establish CasinoCoin, we will need to to attract today’s online gaming players. We believe they will adapt to using our coin and Bankroll Manager app as they would any other type of payment. This will happen over time, and will require us to provide the necessary education to make them comfortable with the world of crypto, best practices on how to secure their coins, and on educating players of the multiple benefits that cryptocurrency holds over traditional fiat currencies including cost, security and speed.

“…crypto still has an image problem with the public, and the negative assessment is not completely unfair“

“The concept of cryptocurrency still has an image problem with much of the public, and the negative assessment is not completely unfair as there are many documented cases of scams and hacks that resulted in millions of dollars being stolen. The way to remedy this again comes back to education on how to spot scams and store your coins securely, as well as technological advancement.

“We have a responsibility to do as much as we can to protect our customers, and we will continue to invest in tech development to keep CasinoCoin up with the ever-changing and evolving crypto security landscape.

“With the help of our operating partners, we believe CasinoCoin can offer a superior igaming customer experience compared to what is available today, but ultimately it will be up to the customers to decide.”

The post A deeper understanding: CasinoCoin is ‘a gateway for gaming operators’ appeared first on CasinoBeats.