Steven Valentine: “iCore offers all the tools to ensure an operator has the best possible chance of retaining that player”

Steven Valentine, CCO at Comtrade Gaming, sat down with Focus Gaming News to talk about the company’s igaming platform and its plans to expand access to smaller operations.

Exclusive interview.- Comtrade Gaming, a leading technology supplier to the gaming industry, continues expanding access to its iCore igaming platform. To better understand the company’s strategy, Focus Gaming News spoke with Steven Valentine, chief commercial officer at Comtrade Gaming, who also explained what are the company’s plans for the future.

Comtrade is expanding access to the iCore igaming platform to smaller operators. Could you first tell us a little about the platform and who uses it?

We have been building our iGaming platform for 8 years and it is probably one of the most comprehensive player account management systems available. There are a team of over 300 developers who are constantly adding features, making improvements and ensuring we are delivering specific customisations for each one of our clients. We have some very big names using our platforms such as Dafabet, Superbet, Mansion88 and others in many different regions and jurisdictions. 

We recently added G3 Esports which will be going live in three states in the US combined with their own proprietary esports product. Our most recent client is Stanleybet in Romania.

Why have you decided to expand access to smaller operators?

The main reason is demand for what we have and the way we work. Small and mid-size operators simply don’t have access to the same levels of technology that the larger operators do. Many operators have outgrown their current supplier and what is more, their current platform limits the growth of the business; they require specific customisations for their operation but most providers struggle to cater to their needs.

On a one size fits all solution with a vendor that has 100s of clients they can’t cater for individual requirements or specific customisations for an operator’s needs. We are not looking to move to the mass market with our platform but instead help operators whose growth is being held back by their current technology.

What kinds of operators do you have in mind with this expansion, and what benefits does iCore offer them?

We are targeting any operator that has an established operation and would like to take more control of their destiny. We integrate any 3rd party provider such as sportsbook, casino or any other content, and we also have a very rich set of APIs to integrate with propriety software such as frontend, apps, specific BI tools or a clients’ existing middleware.

“We are very flexible and let our clients decide on how they want to work.”

Steven Valentine, chief commercial officer at Comtrade Gaming.

The main benefit for the operator is they get a state-of-the-art, feature-rich platform and then get to choose how much extra customisation they want in the future. We provide a retained team of developers that work on the specific needs of each individual client with all updates released on a no downtime basis. The cost of player acquisition is increasing all the time, iCore offers all the tools to ensure an operator has the best possible chance of retaining that player.

How does the decision affect things in terms of Comtrade’s target markets?

Our platform has always been market agnostic and we use a plugin for individual jurisdictional requirements that we call a “country adapter”. When it comes to player retention the needs of the operators don’t change by market, they just need the best tools available today and the ability to adapt quickly to either create new features or respond to market competition. 

With our history of working with some of the largest operators in some of the mature markets, it’s our experience that counts, and ultimately makes the difference in the operators’ success.

What our Comtrade’s plans for the future?

Comtrade Gaming has nearly 20 years of experience in gaming right across landbased and online; I have been here for 13 years myself and there are not actually that many companies that have that kind of history. This isn’t one of those gaming companies that has been hastily built with a growth at whatever cost attitude and a quick exit in mind. 

We have always been focused on long-term partnerships with our clients and delivering above and beyond their expectations. Integrity has always been one of the main reasons for our success. 

The ongoing strategy remains the same: sustainable growth, focussing on delivering the best technology so our clients can concentrate on marketing and operations and ultimately ensuring we have very satisfied clients.