Martina Krajčí, SYNOT Games: “In Portugal, we’ve learned that players value experiences that are both exciting and rewarding”
Martina Krajčí, SYNOT Games’ Chief Commercial Officer, discusses the company’s growth in Portugal and its plans for the coming months.
Exclusive interview.- With the upcoming edition of SBC Summit Lisbon from September 16-18, Portugal is firmly in the spotlight as a vibrant igaming market. In an exclusive interview, Martina Krajčí, chief commercial officer at SYNOT Games, shares insights into the company’s expansion in this dynamic European jurisdiction.
Krajčí also provides an update on the impact of their retention tool, PEAK, and teases the highly anticipated Age of Anubis, which will be a central theme at their SBC Summit Lisbon presence.
Portugal has become an increasingly important regulated market in Europe. How do you see SYNOT Games’ role evolving there shortly?
When we first entered the Portuguese market, we saw more than just another regulated jurisdiction; we saw a dynamic and fast-growing ecosystem with players eager for new, high-quality gaming experiences. From the very beginning, our strategy was clear: not only to be present, but to become a trusted, long-term partner for local operators.
Today, that vision is taking shape. We are now integrated with the majority of licensed operators in Portugal, giving them access to our broad portfolio of games. This has allowed us to secure a strong foothold and build excellent brand visibility in one of Europe’s most competitive regulated markets.
Across Europe, igaming markets are constantly evolving, with regulations, player needs, and technology advancing at an unprecedented pace. Portugal, much like other Western European jurisdictions, stands among the frontrunners driving this growth and innovation. Its progressive approach, high player engagement, and openness to fresh content make it a key territory shaping the future of the igaming industry.
“Across Europe, igaming markets are constantly evolving, with regulations, player needs, and technology advancing at an unprecedented pace.”
Martina Krajčí, chief commercial officer at SYNOT Games.
What local players’ or operators’ feedback best reflects SYNOT Games’ value proposition in Portugal?
In Portugal, we’ve learned that players value experiences that are both exciting and rewarding. Free spins remain one of the strongest engagement drivers in the market, which is why we actively collaborate with operators to integrate them across many of our titles and promotional campaigns.
We’ve also brought our SYNOT Progressive Bonus to Portugal, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Operators appreciate the added retention power, while players enjoy the thrill of chasing progressive rewards that can drop at any moment.
Looking ahead, our strategy is to keep diversifying the player experience. By closely analysing local players’ behaviour and maintaining strong partnerships with our operator network, we aim to introduce even more solutions that align with Portuguese preferences and create value for both.
“Looking ahead, our strategy is to keep diversifying the player experience.”
Martina Krajčí, chief commercial officer at SYNOT Games.
Your recent release, Age of Pyramids, has stood out this year and gained strong traction. What was your creative and strategic vision behind these titles?
When creating Age of Pyramids, we set out to reinvent the Egyptian slot experience. The market is full of similar titles, so our goal was to deliver something fresh – a game built around exploration, where every reel offers a unique feature and every spin feels different.
The result is five distinct reel-based mechanics, each designed for different player types, from high-risk thrill seekers to those who prefer steady wins or surprise payouts. With medium-low volatility and strong promotional flexibility, it’s equally appealing for players and operators seeking engaging campaign content.
Since its launch, the game has been performing exceptionally well, exceeding our expectations across key engagement metrics. Feedback from players shows they particularly value the wide variety of features, which not only cater to different play styles but also create a constant sense of discovery.
You are known for PEAK, an innovative retention tool. Is it already shaping global engagement strategies and opening doors for potential expansion into markets like Portugal?
PEAK is SYNOT Games’ all-in-one toolkit designed to help casinos create engaging, gamified promotional campaigns. It has quickly become one of our flagship retention tools, driving stronger player engagement in multiple regulated markets. While it’s not yet live in Portugal, our ambition is to make it available in as many markets as possible. Bringing a tool like PEAK to a new jurisdiction is a complex process that requires careful alignment with local regulations and operator infrastructure. Still, the results we’ve seen globally make the effort worthwhile.
Fully integrated with our entire game portfolio, PEAK enables partners to boost engagement, improve retention, and maximise player lifetime value by combining elements like Tournaments and Prize Drops with an intuitive backend for quick setup, detailed reporting, and real-time monitoring, making promotions easier, more effective, and fully compliant with industry regulations. Its latest innovation, Dream Dial, introduces a Wheel-of-Fortune-style promotion that removes participation barriers – players can simply launch any SYNOT game during an active campaign to spin for an additional prize.
We know that both players and operators appreciate PEAK’s comprehensiveness and automation, as well as the variety of rewards and campaign management. We strongly focus on PEAK as one of our most essential products, but we still have a long way to go to make it available in all markets.
Looking at your roadmap, what games align with SYNOT Games’ broader strategy for the coming months, and what can we expect next?
Encouraged by the success of Age of Pyramids, one of the key titles on our upcoming roadmap is Age of Anubis, which also has a fresh take on the ever-popular ancient Egypt theme. This slot is combining a strong visual identity with unique mechanics designed to keep players engaged and returning for more. However, apart from the Ancient Egyptian theme, it will not be like Age of Pyramids, in which the core gameplay involves five reels with independent features. In Age of Anubis, players play to trigger Free Spins. During this round, the playing field shrinks from 5×5 to 3×3 while the number of ways to win increases from 20 to 27.
Beyond the game itself, Age of Anubis will also take centre stage in our brand presence at the upcoming SBC Summit in Lisbon, where we invite everyone to meet with our team. Guests can expect an immersive stand design built around the game’s theme, turning our exhibition space into a visual and interactive extension of the title. Although Age of Anubis is scheduled for December, we hope it will steal the hearts at the upcoming SBC Summit.
