Giovanni Ferraro, Play’n GO: “We have a clear goal to establish new partnerships”
Giovanni Ferraro, who has a career spanning almost two decades in the igaming industry, talks about his role and objectives at Play’n GO.
Interview.- Giovanni Ferraro, head of regional sales in Central and Western Europe at Play’n GO, outlines the company’s short and long-term objectives, based on the new structure.
Can you tell us about your background and your role at Play’n GO?
I’ve been within sales and commercial in igaming since 2006, starting in online poker. From there, I’ve worked across a number of verticals, including player account management platforms and casino white labels. My career here at Play’n GO started by looking after several territories and licenced markets across Europe, with a clear goal to establish new partnerships that are mutually beneficial in driving growth.
We have recently made an organisational change at Play’n GO, where we can now focus much more on each customer and each market, with dedicated regional teams. My role is now to lead on Western and Central Europe-regulated markets, as well as Social Casinos, with a dedicated sales and account management team. This will further evolve with the addition of marketing support that will provide our customers with an unrivalled customer experience.
Western and Central Europe is a big region both geographically and in terms of size of the iGaming market – which jurisdictions are included in the new Play’n GO commercial set up and how will you prioritise them?
Indeed, it is a big region. At Play’n GO it includes Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Croatia, as well as Austria and Hungary, where there are only a limited number of licences. The priority across the board is to really ensure that have taken the time to truly get to know and understand each and every operator, and what their needs and key success factors are, so we can address each one individually.
It’s a long-term vision for growth, and as one of the most important suppliers to every one of our individual customers, we can only enhance our partnerships by taking a more focused and localized approach, one that offers not only a great product but also best in class customer engagement
How important are the likes of Germany and the Netherlands, who both recently re-regulated, to Play’n GO and how is Play’n GO tackling the increasingly stringent landscape in both countries?
Without question, both are very important markets. Not just for Play’n GO either, but for the wider industry too. As such, both markets are quite influential in terms of approach to regulation. We have always embraced regulation and now have licences and certifications in over 25 jurisdictions, so not much surprises us anymore when it comes to continued and increased measures to helping to keep players safe.
“We have licences and certifications in over 25 jurisdictions.”
Giovanni Ferraro, head of regional sales in Central and Western Europe at Play’n GO.
We are well-positioned to meet any changes required from both a technological and product perspective. Our choice for some time now has been to focus on the entertainment value of games first and foremost, so regardless of whatever restrictions are imposed, players from Germany and the Netherlands (and any other regulated market, I should add) can have a great experience with our games.
We’ve noticed that Greece is a big source of traffic to Play’n GO’s main website, does that mirror the situation on the ground commercially? What has led to the strong position in Greece in your opinion?
It definitely does mirror the situation on the ground, yes. Operators and players alike have fully embraced our ability to produce entertaining games with high production value. This, coupled with a variety of game formats and features, has proven a successful combination.
For example, Gerard’s Gambit, which is aimed at educating new players who have perhaps never played slots before, is performing brilliantly. That, combined with some of the classics we’ve created, such as the Dead series of games or Tome of Madness are firm player favourites, so for us, it’s about having different content that caters for everyone.
What does the future look like for the industry in Western and Central Europe?
Like other regulated markets in Europe, naturally, there is a short- to mid-term ‘hit’, related to individual market restrictions, whether it’s bet or deposit limits, or advertising restrictions. On top of that, further investment is needed to adhere to the very same restrictions, so it’s a double hit in that regard.
I think that we will also continue to see more mergers and acquisitions, as companies look to consolidate the market, take market share, and find synergies to cut costs. More and more of the unlicenced operators will get phased out as regulation takes hold, and major international brands and local operators will dominate their respective markets, as we have seen in the Netherlands, for example
Overall, I think the long-term outlook is positive for those who can adapt and cater for market regulations. If you have the right capabilities, the right investment, and you can stand out from the crowd with a quality product and service, then the industry will continue to grow in the long term, and you will grow alongside it.
Markets such as the Netherlands, and especially Germany, are still in their infancy, and once a new regime has had time to establish itself, it will prove beneficial for suppliers, operators, and players alike.
