Henrik Gedda, Play’n GO: “We implemented a new, more regionalised structure”

Play’n GO’s recently appointed head of regional sales for the Nordic region highlights his vision for the industry.

Exclusive interview.- Henrik Gedda was recently appointed as head of regional sales for the Nordic region at Play’n GO. In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, he spoke about the changes in the team, his new position and the challenges for the company in the coming years.

Can you tell us more about the changes in the team and your new position, a position that hadn’t existed within the Play’n GO structure previously? 

It may be a new title, but our commitment to the region has always been strong. We are a Swedish company after all. 

Our commercial team recently implemented a new and more regionalised structure which is designed to increase the focus and expertise around those markets internally. The product of these changes will be that we can offer our operator partners ever more strategic and valuable insights that will help them grow their businesses.  

Personally, I’m excited to focus on the Nordic region, alongside Eastern Europe, from my base here in Sweden. 

Play’n GO’s roots are in Sweden. Can you describe how our journey has taken you from a small office there to becoming the global superpower that we are today?

It’s amazing to think that this company was once founded in the small town of Växjö, where we still have one of our head offices, and have expanded worldwide. But even more amazing is that team spirit and hunger to develop are still as strong as ever as we continue to build important foundations of this company.

Even though we’ve grown into an international company, with staff all over the world with over 700 employees, team spirit still very much is key. We are true to our values and our strategy, being long-term committing partners in regulated markets, proving energy, quality, and trust in everything that we do.

Do you think the Play’n GO portfolio is geared toward players in Scandinavia?

It’s not much of a secret that Play’n GO content works very well in the region. We’ve got a broad portfolio of games addressing a wide audience, different mechanics and themes, and all of the highest possible level of quality. We put a lot of focus on the story of the games themselves and from the looks of the player attraction in the Scandinavian market, players love the quality of our games.

See also: Play’n GO strengthens Italian market position with Sisal launch

How important are regulation and regulated markets to both Play’n GO and the region?

Regulation is very important for us, for the iGaming industry, and for the players. For us, iGaming is all about fun and entertainment, and for that reason, it’s also important for the players to stay safe in a regulated environment.

Today, our games can be found in more than 25 regulated markets, and of course, the recent addition of a new supplier license in Sweden, allows us to continue serving players with our strong portfolio of games. This is just one out of the licenses and markets to be covered this year, but of course, with Sweden being the home ground it feels great to have been one of the first suppliers to get the Swedish license. Regulation is the most important thing for us and the long-term key to success.

Play’n GO has some classic titles in its portfolio, but how do you think players in the region have received new releases like Legion Gold, Slashimi and Gerard’s Gambit that seem to be everywhere these days? Are there any 2023 titles to look out for in your opinion?

Generally, players in the Nordic region are very happy to see one new game released per week from Play’n GO. It’s been a strategy for us to keep the portfolio up to date to ensure we have a broad offering that suits all tastes.

Speaking of taste preferences, one could argue the main dish of Sweden includes meatballs, but from my point of view, Sushi is making its way to the top of dishes here in Sweden, and from the looks of the performance of Slashimi, the Nordic players definitely like their sushi in a great looking game!

We are all very eager to see the innovative, cross-sell game of Gerard Gambit in action. It’s a very interesting game from the perspective of educating its players and taking them to new levels building on the storyline of the black sheep of the Wilde family, Gerard! This is a great game that on the first level starts off very easy and builds on as it goes. A game I am sure will make the Wilde family happy.

What do you think the casino gaming landscape will look like in the Nordic countries in the medium to long term?

I am sure that licences for suppliers in Sweden will open up a conversation to ensure that suppliers also follow requirements for regulated markets. We gladly welcome this. We are all waiting to see what will happen further in Finland in the next coming years and I believe most of us are awaiting updates on the regulation.

Otherwise, overall we see more and more actions being taken and will continue to be implemented especially from Spelinspektionen in Sweden and Spillemyndigheden in Denmark.