Yaroslav Klymenko, PIN-UP Global: “You can’t survive without fresh marketing, strong antifraud and an excellent operational process”

Yaroslav Klymenko, chief product & marketing officer at PIN-UP Global, speaks about innovations in product development in igaming.

Exclusive interview.- Yaroslav Klymenko, chief product & marketing officer at PIN-UP Global, sat down with Focus Gaming News to discuss AI, product innovation, and the future of the igaming industry.

Yaroslav, you’ve been part of the ever-evolving igaming industry for over two decades, witnessing the rise and fall of some of its biggest players. In your view, how many of these shifts have been driven by successful product innovation?

Here, in the igaming industry, product innovation has been a huge driver of the changes. Better UX design, personalised gaming experiences, brand new features and payment solutions can make your platform more attractive for the players. But you can’t survive without fresh marketing, strong antifraud and an excellent operational process. So, as for me, the best recipe is to combine innovative features with strong execution.

“Better UX design, personalised gaming experiences, brand new features and payment solutions can make your platform more attractive for the players.”

Yaroslav Klymenko, chief product & marketing officer at PIN-UP Global.

The core concept of igaming products has remained surprisingly consistent, with slots and table games still dominating casino lobbies. Yet, there have been standout innovations in the past decade. What developments do you think have been true milestones for the industry?

I agree. On the one hand, it seems like these are the same old mechanics, but have a look at social casinos that you can deposit with bitcoins 🙂  If we talk about the milestones of the last decade, then, first of all, we need to mention mobile gaming. Today, you can have a small version of Las Vegas just in your pocket. Of course, your “pocket Las Vegas” will be boring without the development of live dealer games with their real-life casino experience. One more thing is the advanced loyalty programs with gamification, progressive jackpots, personalised rewards, etc.

Smaller boutique studios have gained traction in recent years, focusing on fewer, more unique titles. How do you think they compare to larger studios that churn out multiple games each month?

Usually, employees of small boutique studios are former developers of large ones who have outgrown themselves there and want to do something unique. That’s why the quality of both the first and the second is at an equally good level and differs only in the number of games released, because small boutique studios are limited by budget and human resources. Small studios can afford more experiments when creating games, they are always in search of their unicorn, which will suddenly start laying golden eggs. Most of these experiments are failures, but there are also quite interesting cases. At the same time, large studios provide stable content and arouse stable interest among users. We try to combine and promote both the first and the second on our platform.

Maintaining a high volume of game releases is no small feat. What are the biggest challenges in sustaining this level of production, and do you believe it’s a meaningful approach for the industry?

It’s important to strike a balance between quantity and quality. While a high volume of releases can satisfy different player tastes and keep the market dynamic, it can also lead to an emphasis on quantity over quality, which may hurt the industry’s reputation in the long run. Releasing too many games can oversaturate the market, making it harder for personalisation in promotions and potentially leading to consumer fatigue. Of course, each game meets a high standard of quality, which is difficult when releasing many titles. Rushed integrations can lead to bugs, poor gameplay, and unsatisfied customers.

“Releasing too many games can oversaturate the market, making it harder for personalisation in promotions and potentially leading to consumer fatigue.”

Yaroslav Klymenko, chief product & marketing officer at PIN-UP Global.

With AI and big data reaching new heights, how do you see these technologies shaping product innovation in igaming?

First of all, this is, of course, the personalisation of promotions and recommendations. AI can help us predict player churn and identify the most effective drivers to keep players engaged. Also, in the field of fraud detection and security, AI can be used to detect and prevent fraudulent activities by analysing patterns and anomalies in player behavior. Last but not least for us is the responsible gaming factor. With the help of AI, we can identify patterns indicative of problem gambling.

There’s been a lot of talk about cost-cutting in the industry lately, with AI often being leveraged to boost output. Do you see this as a sustainable strategy? And what concerns do you have about relying on AI primarily to increase production without a broader vision in place?

That’s right; the use of AI is a new sustainable trend. Now, everyone wants to catch this train. But on the other hand, it is a very multifunctional tool, the use of which requires different settings for different tasks. I agree that there is a great temptation to use AI only to increase production because there are almost ready-made solutions on the market for this. However, if you invest in organising the correct collection and storage of the necessary data, then over time, you can get a powerful tool for a qualitative change in operating in the gambling market.

Beyond product development and innovation, how crucial is effective marketing in ensuring success? In your experience, have you encountered innovative products that failed to gain traction simply because of shortcomings in their marketing strategies?

This is a philosophical question 🙂 We live in an era of identical products: phones, cars, software, and gaming platforms are practically no different from each other. You can easily close all your functional needs with any product of your choice. Generally speaking, successful products are distinguished by perfect service and quality marketing. Just because of bright marketing, you choose this or that product and only thanks to impeccable service you stay with it as long as possible. In my experience, or rather, there have been many cases when innovative products did not gain momentum due to shortcomings in their marketing strategies and with your permission, I will not specify the names of companies.

Looking ahead to 2025, what’s one bold prediction you have for the igaming industry and its products? Should we expect groundbreaking innovations, or do you think the industry will continue moving along its current path?

I don’t like making predictions and bets because I’ve been working in this business too long 🙂 However, I can assume that in 2025, on gaming platforms, we will increasingly meet an AI assistant-friend/girlfriend who will self-learn and adapt to the user, help him with onboarding, offering both communication and entertainment. This will be another breakthrough that will bring the experience of using online and offline casinos one step closer