“ICE London is a great place to network”

(Exclusive interview).- Georg Washington, CEO of Synergy Blue, talked with Focus Gaming News ahead of ICE London’s upcoming edition.

2019 is an exciting year in terms of opportunities for companies in the gambling industry, and in order to kick it off with the right foot, a good performance at ICE London is a must. Synergy Blue, leading provider of entertainment gaming solutions, bringing arcade style, skill-based games, platforms and applications to the casino market, is ready to showcase its products at the London show. Georg Washington, CEO of Synergy Blue, talked with Focus Gaming News and explained what visitors can expect from the company’s booth, as well as future plans for this year.

How are you preparing for ICE London 2019?

Our team has been busy preparing chance-based versions of our arcade-style games in order to suit all dynamics of the European market. So, we’re really excited to showcase our robust library of skill and chance-based gambling options at this year’s show. 

We recently surveyed over 100 casinos about the state of skill-based games and we plan on issuing the report with the findings while at ICE. Some of the highlights from that report found that of those who have adopted games with skill or arcade components, 81 percent say that they’ve provided a different player experience and 38 percent say it has added a unique marketing element for their property.

We’re really excited to showcase our robust library of skill and chance-based gambling options at this year’s ICE London.

At ICE, we plan to show a variety of gaming styles, including driving styles, touch screens, joysticks and arcade gun play, in order to demonstrate the diversity of our game library. We’re also working with Spirit Gaming in central Europe to broaden awareness and continue our expansion efforts. With new titles, distribution agreements, partnerships and placements under our belts from 2018, we’re excited to kick off this new year with a successful time at ICE. 

What trends do you expect to see at ICE this year?

The online casino and games industry in Europe is expanding at its fastest rate in history. More favourable regulations and technological advances are going to make ICE a very interesting show this year. Growing demand by the next generation of gamblers — those who grew up on video games — has sparked additional growth in new styles of gambling, such as arcade-style games, skill-based games, eSports, and online gambling.

The online casino and games industry in Europe is expanding at its fastest rate in history. 

We believe these new entertainment trends will continue to drive the industry at ICE. And as the next generation of gamblers continue to demand new ways to play, shifting regulations will open the doors for new options along the way. ICE is a great place to network, sell and connect with the industry.  

We’re excited about all the expansions we have planned throughout 2019.

How do you assess the global gaming market as it continuously evolves and new trends take over? How do these changes impact on your business?

The current generation of gamblers and gamers have different entertainment expectations than their predecessors. Contemporary baby boomers and tech-savvy digital natives alike are looking for more engaging, fun and social gambling experiences. We work closely with our casino and industry partners to develop solutions and game offerings that stay ahead of these changing expectations. By utilising valuable, real world feedback and incorporating it into our games, we’re able to stay nimble and deeply involved with our end user’s experience — helping us to continually improve the way we create fun you can bet on. 

Do you plan (or would like) to expand into new markets in 2019?

As you know, we’ve partnered with Spirit Gaming to bring our unique games to the European market. We also recently signed a distribution agreement with Reel Games, Inc., bringing our games to Florida, the Caribbean, and cruise ship industries based out of Fort Lauderdale, Miami and the Bahamas. 

We’re excited about all the expansions we have planned throughout 2019. We built our HAWGⓇ platform, as well as a library of games, to support skill-based and chance-based gambling. This really opens up the market for us as Synergy Blue games can be placed in nearly any jurisdiction where skill or traditional slots are legal.

You’ve accomplished some major milestones in 2018. Do you see Synergy Blue performing as well during this year?

2018 was a stellar year for Synergy Blue and the gambling industry as a whole. We’re in the midst of a huge shift, where innovative game processes and new solutions are critical. Our team made huge leaps in technology development, substantially grew our game library, secured strategic partnerships and significantly increased game placements last year. Moving into 2019, we plan to keep the same pace, as far as innovation and growth are concerned. We have some amazing things slated and are very excited about the rest of the year.