SYNOT: “We are proud to say that we are among the top five suppliers of gaming machines and games in Europe”
Focus Gaming News sat down with SYNOT’s Sales Director, Miroslav Valenta Jr., and International Business Development Director, Stanislav Stanev, to discuss the company’s recent success and plans for the remainder of the year.
Exclusive interview.- In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Miroslav Valenta Jr., sales director, and Stanislav Stanev, international business development director at SYNOT, discuss the company’s post-Covid-19 success, their innovative product launches, and strategic plans for 2024.
As we move further into 2024, can you tell us how SYNOT has been performing recently, especially in the post-Covid-19 era? And what plans and projects do you have for the remainder of the year?
From the perspective of the SYNOT Group’s profits, the first year after Covid-19 was the most successful in the company’s history to date. In 2023 we achieved even better results than in 2022. This shows that our strategy of retaining all employees and investing in product development during the challenging Covid-19 period, despite significantly reduced revenues in 2020 and 2021, was a good approach. The positive impact on the SYNOT Group’s performance was evident as soon as the pandemic ended.
Thanks to the above-mentioned development of the products and the people in the company this growth continues also in 2024.
It may be surprising to someone that this success is not only due to a boost in our online presence as an operator and supplier of gaming content, platforms and online solutions.
Our land-based operations and distribution also showed a strong increase almost immediately after the Covid-19 period. In 2022, when operators were keen to buy new products for their floors, we experienced a significant boost. Our growth is therefore being driven not only by the boom in the online sector but also by the resurgence of our land-based operations, as well as production and supply.
“From the perspective of the SYNOT Group’s profits, the first year after Covid-19 was the most successful in the company’s history to date.”
Miroslav Valenta Jr., sales director at SYNOT.
Of course, we haven’t stopped, we are now not only in a phase of preparing more new products, but we are also targeting new and new territories with our products that we have never discovered before.
To support our goal of further expansion this year and in the years to come, we are shaping the company and our team to be fully prepared. We are currently in the process of increasing the headcount in existing departments as well as creating entirely new ones.
The company has participated in some of the most important industry events in Europe, showcasing its latest products. Which products have garnered the most attention recently?
SYNOT participates in numerous prestigious gaming exhibitions each year. In the first half of this year, we already attended shows such as ICE London, FIJMA in Madrid, Belgrade Future Gaming as well as the Casino Operations Summit. These events provide us with excellent opportunities to showcase our comprehensive product portfolio and a wide range of innovations.
And at this year’s ICE London we for the first time revealed the latest version of our multi-game progressive jackpot system, MAGIC BALL LINK. This new version offers more game content and an upgraded jackpot. Players can look forward to captivating games with stunning graphics and exciting bonuses.
The latest linked games that have been added to the system include titles such as Legend of Medusa, Big Mystery, The Wild Job and the Asian themed 88 Pearls. In total, MAGIC BALL LINK now offers eight exclusive linked titles. MAGIC BALL LINK is one of our flagship products and has been very popular in various markets, achieving record-breaking installations in recent months.
Speaking of products, what are you currently working on and what new launches can we expect in the future?
SYNOT is currently preparing to launch our second linked product, SUPER LINK, in several markets. This multi-game progressive jackpot system is available for both VLTs and now newly also for slot machines. The slot version of this product is expected to be key in most of our markets.
Currently, 20 exciting linked game titles are available for this platform. The selection includes a mix of highly successful games that are already performing well in various markets, together with brand new games with completely new concepts to offer something fresh to markets and players.
Each game is unique, not only in its stunning graphics but also in the features it offers players. All of these linked games come with a Linked Bonus function that offers instant prizes, linked jackpots, bonus wins and more. In addition, each game has a unique, brand new Pay to Win feature that allows players to purchase the linked bonus directly.
In addition to our machines, we are also working on other products such as the SYNOT Live Stream Studio and the brand-new SYNCO Casino Management System. We will be revealing more information about these exciting additions to our portfolio later this year.
“SYNOT is currently preparing to launch our second linked product, SUPER LINK, in several markets.”
Stanislav Stanev, international business development director at SYNOT.
In an increasingly digital world where online gaming is gaining prominence, what is SYNOT W’s strategy to stay at the forefront of the land-based segment?
We have never seen the online boom as competition for our land-based operations. From the very beginning, we saw it as an additional market that, if properly managed from both a product and an operational perspective, could create good synergies.
Years ago, we set out a strategy of omni-channel solutions and providing the same user experience for players, so we offer game titles for both land-based and online worlds.
We have never seen online as competing with land-based, but rather as complementary and working in harmony. This focus on both operations and product development is a key reason for our success in markets where we have a strong presence in both land-based and online segments. The synergies in these markets are remarkable.
Globally, both channels are growing, although online is expanding faster, but both continue to grow and we can see, that in most territories where games are successful in the land-based sector, they are also among the top 10 online slots. We continue to pursue this strategy because, in markets where we have both a land-based and an online presence, our performance is even better because of the strong connection between these two sectors.
An example of this strategy can be seen in our game titles in the Firebird gaming system or MAGIC BALL LINK. Titles from these systems are also available online, so this omnichannel strategy provides our customers with excellent opportunities to cross-sell and cross-market our products in both their online and land-based operations.
In addition, our company SYNOT Interactive provides online gaming platforms and solutions.
“We have never seen online as competing with land-based, but rather as complementary and working in harmony.”
Miroslav Valenta Jr., sales director at SYNOT.
SYNOT W stands out for its strong presence in the European market. What is your analysis of the current situation and SYNOT W’s role there?
We consider our current position in most European markets to be very successful. We can highlight, for example, our strong presence in the Greek market, the Balkan region and, of course, our local markets, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In recent years, we have focused on expanding into Western Europe and these efforts continue. Following our successful entry into the German market in recent years, a few weeks ago we launched a couple of first installations in the prestigious Swiss casino market and have received very positive feedback on our products. Our ambitions continue to grow.
Based on our presence in these various markets and the recognition of our brand across Europe, we are proud to say that we are among the top five suppliers of gaming machines and games in Europe. Our growing presence in these markets is proof of our success.
Do you have plans to expand into other markets?
Of course. We are currently taking specific steps to achieve this, such as obtaining the necessary product and company licences for targeted markets and preparing new products tailored to these regions.
More specifically, we aim to increase our presence in Western Europe and Africa, enter multiple markets in Latin America and strengthen our footprint in the Balkan region, especially by adding the Bulgarian market to the map.
“we aim to increase our presence in Western Europe and Africa, enter multiple markets in Latin America and strengthen our footprint in the Balkan region.”
Stanislav Stanev, international business development director at SYNOT.
