INTERVIEW: Bragg Gaming Group Incorporated, Making the Technology Fit

Established in 2004, Bragg Gaming Group Incorporated supplies a wide range of high-quality and bespoke technology and content solutions to some of the iGaming industry’s most prominent casino sites.

With headquarters in Toronto, Canada, alongside satellite offices in the United States, Malta, Slovenia, India and the United Kingdom, the firm markets itself as being able to offer online casino, sportsbook and lottery brands a complete full-service proposition encompassing an exclusive games portfolio, bespoke turnkey innovations and full-service interaction services.

Casinos.com spoke with Robert Simmons, the company’s Head of Communications, about its offer, its upcoming appearance at SiGMA Europe, and the future challenges facing itself and the wider industry.

Bragg Gaming Group Incorporated is well known for being a ‘one-stop-shop’ for iGaming operators looking to grow their businesses. To what factors would you attribute this success?

"There are several factors that come into play when thinking about our success as a full-service iGaming content and technology supplier. First, we’re a diverse company with offices around the globe and an operational footprint covering more than 30 regulated markets. This diversity gives us a great pool of knowledge and experience to call upon when shaping solutions for our customers.

"Second, we’ve always been a data-driven company, whether it be player data or data we use to support our operator partners. This is a resource that we use constantly at all stages of our offering, ultimately supporting its development.

"Finally, we have an executive leadership team under our Chief Executive Officer, Matevz Mazji, that is filled with industry veterans; people with great experience who know the industry intimately and understand the operators with which we work. 

"This is ultimately how we are successful as a content and technology supplier and help customers grow, by learning from our customers and deploying the solutions they want."

What does your firm look for when partnering with a third-party content or technology provider?

"The important thing is alignment in a way that benefits both. We need to align our own internal structure to that of prospective partners. Were we to conclude a skewed partnership, this could ultimately be harmful to both businesses so it’s imperative to get it right.

"This starts with finding common ground and communicating. Experience, robust technology, the right markets, compliance and content are also hugely important to any agreements we make. As an example, earlier this year we concluded a third-party content agreement with King Show Games, a well-known slots developer in the United States, which is core to our strategy of expanding our business in the American market. 

"It’s great to have King Show Games on board and we’re developing some great titles."

What do you think are some of the factors that go into making an online casino slot game successful?

"Good online casino games need to have intelligent gameplay, visuals and audio that engage players without being too overtly in their face. They need to utilize mathematics to deliver that counterbalance between the player winning and losing in a way that is not harmful to the player. They must also appeal to the preferences of the local market.

"We have developed specific mathematical models for slot titles in the United States that are distinct from the mathematics used in other markets like Europe, for example. By using data and information on player preferences, we can better cater to players and these slots will be more successful."

What do you see as some of the biggest challenges currently facing your company?

"There’s changes in regulation, which is a necessary part of being in any industry, and how we respond to these developments that shape our success as a business. Staying competitive in a crowded sector like ours can also be difficult. It’s about retaining our unique selling points and using these effectively to separate ourselves from the competition and growing our business.

"Outside of these, responding to changes in technology is also hugely important as well as entering new markets quickly and in a way that is compliant with local regulations. 

"We are hugely experienced in these areas and we’ve used our knowledge to get to market quickly, concluding partnerships with the right partners globally."

Where do you think the industry is headed in terms of technological advancements?

"Sadly, I don’t have a crystal ball but undoubtedly advancements in technology will continue to play a huge part in the future of the iGaming industry. You only have to look at the development of the smartphone to see the practicalities of how these technologies can influence development.

For me, we’ve yet to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and what it can do in online casino content development and technology solutions. 

"We’ve begun to tap AI with our AI-powered game recommendation system, which is used on our Fuze marketing and promotional toolkit to recommend online casino titles to players based on their preferences, but there’s still so much more we can do with this. 

"Additionally, things like virtual reality, cryptocurrency, biometrics and new forms of payment security are becoming more widely used. 

"At the end of the day, it’s a question of making the technology fit the industry in a way that is compliant. which is not an overnight thing, and will improve the experiences of both operators and players."

What is your take on the 2022 legalization of iGaming by the Canadian province of Ontario?

"Ontario has become a very stable and secure iGaming jurisdiction and one that we are very happy to be a part of given our Canadian roots and office in Toronto. Based on my observations, Ontarian authorities, namely iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario, have done a very good job of setting up the market. 

"They made all the right moves and learned from the example of other markets where regulations were introduced following regulated market launches. During my time with Bragg Gaming Group Incorporated, we’ve launched with a number of partners in Ontario with our products and we expect that trend to continue into 2025 and beyond."

Do you think this liberalization could soon be echoed by other Canadian provinces such as Manitoba and British Columbia?

"As to the potential for other Canadian provinces to adopt regulated iGaming, absolutely. Opportunities to become a regulated market are built on two things, local appetite and potential benefits to the jurisdiction itself. Ontario’s example shows that it can be done, and done well, and profitably.

As to appetite, Canada is very much like the United States in that there are many sports betting and iGaming fans who would all be eager to participate in a regulated market if they could. 

"So, yes personally, for me it’s definitely a case of when rather than if the other provinces come on board."

You will be exhibiting a wide range of products and solutions at Malta’s Mediterranean Maritime Hub from November 11 to 14 as part of SiGMA Europe. What can attendees expect to see on your stand?

"SiGMA Europe attendees can expect to see examples of our online casino content as well as our entire product suite and the interrelationship between our products. 

"We’ll also be demonstrating our full turnkey solution in addition to our Bragg HUB product delivery platform, both as a full-service and as a modular solution for prospective operator partners."

What innovation are you most looking forward to showcasing at the exhibition in Malta?

"Perhaps the most important thing we are showcasing is our Fuze marketing and promotional toolset, which uses a slew of constantly updated marketing tools to encourage player engagement at all stages of the customer journey. 

"Fuze includes tools such as an AI-powered games recommendation system, tournaments, maps, quests, bonusing technology and flash jackpots. 

"These tools can be deployed at various points in the conversion, engagement and retention of new and existing players and are proven to increase the lifetime value of players. It’s something we’re very proud of and it’s a popular innovation because it can be deployed with our exclusive and third-party content as well as our content aggregation solutions."