Olga Ivanchik, Slotegrator: “We’re always looking to create updates that help operators adapt to the needs of their audience”
Focus Gaming News conducted an exclusive interview with Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator, to discuss iGB L!VE and the industry impact of prediction markets.
Exclusive interview.- As the igaming industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, operators are increasingly looking for technologies that can help them stay ahead of changing player preferences, emerging trends, and new forms of competition. One of the most talked-about developments in recent months has been the rise of prediction markets, a concept that is attracting attention far beyond traditional sports betting and prompting discussions about how operators can adapt to a shifting landscape.
In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator, shares her perspective on the trends expected to dominate conversations at iGB L!VE, the growing influence of prediction markets, and how Slotegrator is responding through its new Predictor solution. She also discusses the company’s latest platform developments, including enhancements to Casino Builder and its turnkey offering, and explains how greater flexibility, faster customisation, and data-driven experimentation can help operators improve player engagement, retention, and long-term business performance.
What can we expect to see at Slotegrator’s stand at iGB L!VE?
The biggest highlight of Slotegrator’s stand at iGB L!VE, S44, will certainly be Predictor by Slotegrator, our prediction market engine for igaming platforms.
Visitors at our stand can find a video demo of the solution and see for themselves how it works. We’ll also be bringing demos of our turnkey platform solution, especially the Casino Builder module, and our APIgrator game aggregator solution.
How do you think the topics of conversation at this year’s event will differ from last year?
Some topics come up every year, things like regulatory changes and emerging markets. People will always be talking about the latest country to regulate igaming or tighten advertising restrictions. One big difference this year will be how many people will be talking about prediction markets.
They’re a huge story, not just in igaming but everywhere, and they have tremendous potential to disrupt the industry. What will the regulatory future look like? What odds or pricing models will they take? Why are players so drawn to them, and how much market share will they capture from sportsbooks?
Crypto and Web3 will also be on everyone’s lips; that’s just the nature of igaming, everyone is always focused on new technology. And on the business side of things, I think a lot of people will be talking about the challenges operators currently face when expanding into new markets — the struggle to find solutions that are fast and flexible enough to get their platforms up and running effectively.
“One big difference this year [at iGB L!VE] will be how many people will be talking about prediction markets.”
Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator.
How do you see the impact of prediction markets on the igaming sector, and how does Slotegrator’s Predictor address that?
We can already see them competing with sportsbooks. They offer such a wide variety of bets, on not just sports but everything else, from politics to culture and the price of crypto, that it’s not hard to see why players are drawn to them, and in some cases prefer them to sportsbooks.
Another reason players are so interested is the difference in pricing between sportsbooks and prediction markets. Sportsbooks work in an overround, or a house edge, on every bet to protect their margin. With the peer-to-peer exchange model, however, which is used in real prediction markets, players buy binary contracts with each other, and the platform acts as a market maker, collecting a commission on winnings.
Operators who don’t want to lose their audience to prediction markets can integrate Predictor as a complement to their existing sportsbook platform. Offering a prediction market alongside your sports betting offer is, to me, the perfect way to make sure your players have everything they’re looking for.
“Offering a prediction market alongside your sports betting offer is, to me, the perfect way to make sure your players have everything they’re looking for.”
Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator.
What other updates to Slotegrator’s platform are helping to drive retention and engagement?
I’m glad you asked. We’re always looking to create updates that help operators adapt to the needs of their audience.
Casino Builder is a perfect example. Using preset templates, operators can adjust their frontend instantly, without the need to go through a development team. This includes the ability to surface frontend elements we all know are linked to increased retention, like bonuses, quests, loyalty tiers, wheels of fortune, loot boxes.
It’s a much faster and easier way to find out exactly what your players are responding to. You can even develop multiple versions of the frontend, split traffic, and carry out A/B testing in order to find the configuration that resonates best with your audience.
