Dmitry Starostenkov, EvenBet: “ICE London’s audience is the most diverse in terms of the regions and verticals present”
EvenBet Gaming CEO, Dmitry Starostenkov, spoke with Focus Gaming News ahead of ICE London 2023.
Exclusive interview.- Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO EvenBet Gaming, sat down with Focus Gaming News to talk about the company’s expectations ahead of the new edition of ICE London and shared EvenBet Gaming’s main goals for the first months of 2023.
How are you preparing for ICE London? What are the company’s expectations about meeting the gaming industry at such an important event?
ICE London is one of the highlights for the whole industry; when we started showcasing our products back in 2016, it was our first choice, and it continues to be the key event for EvenBet Gaming. The show’s audience is the most diverse in terms of the regions and verticals present, so for us, it is a chance to meet all of our existing and potential customers from Europe, Asia, both Americas, and Africa; no other event gives such an opportunity.
“So, I would say that our hopes are high and we are ready to prove that our products can be a success in any market.”
Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO EvenBet Gaming.
What did you plan for the show and what can visitors expect to see from EvenBet Gaming?
First, we are promoting our latest features introduced in 2022, such as Game Constructor, the unique tool for an operator to create, test, and publish customised and branded card games by changing the existing game mechanics.
In addition, we haven’t yet had a choice to present our top updates at a show of this scale: the new mobile applications and the changes in the promotion and segmentation engines. Our visitors can try both client apps and management tools, to have a 360-degree product overview. And to have some fun, they can participate in the iGaming Quiz and win a nice souvenir if they have some knowledge of the industry.
The company has recently launched the Game Constructor tool, which enables operators to tailor games on EvenBet’s platform. What feedback did you receive from operators?
The feedback proves that we are working in the right direction. Many of our customers need tailored games and unique offerings, and with a new tool, they can conduct as many experiments as they need to see what works best for their players. And they don’t even need developers or professional testers!
Of course, we will continue creating new games, but with a hundred projects in support and maintenance, we are incapable to do unique games for every operator, so we allow them to do that on their own. We even plan to offer this option for the players in the future, so they would create private tables with their own rules. It will immensely enrich the player experience and move the whole poker, vertical forward.
What are your expectations for the gaming industry for the rest of the year?
The industry will be growing but in very different ways. In mature markets like Europe, the operators have nearly exhausted the opportunities to grow through expansion and acquisition. The current regulation limits acquiring the players by bonus, freespin, and free bet options.
There, we will see a boost in the quality of the offerings, the growing importance of retention tools and targeting, AI-based matching mechanics, and numerous innovations in user experience. While in many emerging markets, the development will be concentrated on mobile and casual gaming approaches, as shown in the experience of the fastest-growing LatAm and Asian markets.
“At the same time, the legislation will be evolving in South America and some of the Asian markets; I hope that Brazil will finally make its move this year.”
Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO EvenBet Gaming.
What are the company’s main objectives for the first months of 2023?
Currently, we are concentrating on expanding our product team to propose even more innovative options in 2023. It is not an easy industry to acquire talent; we have more than 130 employees now, but it’s not enough. At this point, we need a bigger and more flexible team to realise all ideas for our product to skyrocket by the end of the year. We have already proved our leadership in many markets, but we aim to create the world’s most flexible and functional online poker and skill games platform.
