Magnus Thalin, Play’n GO: “The diversity of our games sets us apart”

Magnus Thalin, Play’n GO’s commercial director for Europe and Asia, spoke to Focus Gaming News about the company’s presentation at ICE London 2024.

Exclusive interview.- As ICE prepares to say goodbye to London, Play’n GO’s commercial director Europe & Asia Magnus Thalin reflects on the casino entertainment studio’s long history at the trade show and looks ahead to another big year in 2024.

How is the company preparing for ICE London 2024 and what are the expectations for the exhibition? What are the goals for Play’n GO during ICE?

ICE London is always a really important show for us. Even as the global conference circuit has become more geographically fragmented over recent years, ICE is always a great chance for our entire industry to come together and discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead.

From our perspective, even though we aren’t exhibiting with a giant stand this year, we will be sending more of the Play’n GO team to London than ever before. We’re really looking forward to connecting with our customers, perhaps meeting some new ones, and sharing our plans for the coming months.

“We will be sending more of the Play’n GO team to London than ever before.”

Play’n GO’s commercial director Europe & Asia Magnus Thalin.

As this is the last edition of ICE in London, do you have any reflections on the event’s time in the capital of the UK? How important has this event been to the evolution of Play’n GO over the years?

At the risk of getting a little emotional, ICE will always hold a very special place in our hearts. In many respects, we’ve grown alongside the conference. The early days of Play’n GO involved trips to ICE with little more than a roll-up sign and a folding table. Throughout these years ICE was the beating heart of our commercial operation, and many of the transformative partnerships we’ve built had their origins in meetings at the show.

So sure, there’s nostalgia there, but we’re really excited to continue to support ICE in the years ahead, and the fresh start in Barcelona is a perfect opportunity for that. We’ll certainly be there in 2025.

What importance do you give to the opportunity to meet with all those who are part of the industry at this and other events?

The business of online casinos is far more complicated than it used to be. We’re now operating in more than 25 regulated markets worldwide with a large number of operator partners. Our portfolio of premium titles has topped 350. The landscape is shifting all the time, in terms of regulation, player preferences, commercial considerations, technical capabilities and much more. So for us, aside from catching up with partners, industry events are a chance to keep up to speed on all of this.

“We’re now operating in more than 25 regulated markets worldwide with a large number of operator partners.”

Play’n GO’s commercial director Europe & Asia Magnus Thalin.

What are the big opportunities for Play’n GO in 2024?

Where to start? We are growing quickly in North America, and we’re excited to see that continue in 2024. As ever, we’re watching closely for regulatory developments, not just in the US but worldwide. Latin America is particularly interesting right now, with significant progress being made from Mexico to Brazil. Whenever a new market introduces sensible and sustainable igaming regulation, we’ll be exploring the possibility of entering it.

Elsewhere, we look forward to releasing a whole raft of premium games in 2024. We also have the recently launched Play’n GO Music, our dedicated imprint for showcasing the amazing music featured in our titles.

And perhaps most excitingly, the Formula 1 season kicks off with its first race in March, with the Play’n GO logo appearing on the Haas Formula 1 team race suits, which is going to introduce our brand to a huge global audience.

What is the importance of diversifying and offering a greater variety of entertainment to customers?

If Play’n GO is known for one thing, it’s prioritising the entertainment aspect of our games. This is about building a sustainable future for our industry, and that means delivering user experiences that are, first and foremost, fun. The value of an online slot shouldn’t be inherently tied to whether the player wins or loses; we want our players to feel like they’ve had a great time regardless.

This approach has really set us apart, and it is reflected in the sheer diversity of our portfolio. Hundreds of titles spanning IP-licensed games, world-famous series and innovative mechanics that simply aren’t available elsewhere.

In November, the company reached a milestone after breaking its historical record for the number of rounds played in one day. What does this mean to the company?

It shows that Play’n GO continues to grow and that as we approach two decades of building online slots, our drive to create something fresh and new is stronger than ever. More players are enjoying our games, and they are playing more than before, which underlines that we are giving users the fun and entertaining time they are looking for.

We had further success to celebrate before the end of 2023 also. December was our most successful month in history as a company- record GGR, active players, and rounds played. To still be breaking these kinds of records is a testament to our commitment to non-stop growth, and we’re already excited to establish new records in the very near future.

But don’t think we’re resting on our laurels. We know our track record is unmatched, but that isn’t enough for us. We genuinely feel like we’re just getting started, and 2024 is going to be another hugely exciting year.