Exclusive Q&A: Eugene Camilleri on Pateplay's Rise in iGaming

In the fast-moving iGaming world, being creative and adaptable is key. Pateplay is making a name for itself with a variety of games and smart strategies. We talked to Eugene Camilleri, Director - Malta at Pateplay, about the company's unique approach, industry trends, and future plans. With his background in Live Casino operations, Eugene shares what it takes to succeed in this ever-changing field.

Introduction

Q: Can you introduce yourself and your role at Pateplay?
Sure thing! I’m Eugene Camilleri, Malta born and raised. I have spent the lion’s share of my gambling career in Live Casino operations working for companies like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play and Amusnet Interactive. I joined Pateplay Group as the Product Head for the Live Casino division and Business Development Director in the group’s Malta-based companies.

Q: What does Pateplay specialize in, and what sets it apart as a game provider in the iGaming industry?
Pateplay GROUP unites three huge product lines in iGaming industry and land-based casino industry - Slot games, Live casino games and Land-based products (cabinets, equipment, etc.)

In a world of providers claiming they’re going to reinvent the wheel, Pateplay built itself on a portfolio of classic slots with mechanics players know and love. The mechanics and paytables were kept simple, which allowed for higher stakes and longer sessions, and their lightweight nature allowed them to be adopted no problem in practically any market under the sun.

More recently we got more experimental. The classic games mentioned above are still available and loved by their players, but we have also released remastered versions of them with our ‘Sun Link’ mechanic adding an ‘ante bet’ and ‘buy bonus’ features (and in my opinion, a very sleek looking ‘Dark Sun’ animation) to give a new twist on a classic game!

Industry Insights & Trends

Q: How has the iGaming industry evolved in recent years, particularly in the game development space, and what trends are you currently following?
I think this question really depends on the market we are talking about. The Eastern European markets we started and are strongest in have a very strong land-based business, and this spills into the online preferences of their players. More “simplistic” mechanics and 3x3 or 5x3 layouts are more popular there – I would wager due to the prevalence of such games in the land-based slot halls and the comparatively low streamer influence. More modern formats and mechanics are gaining traction in these markets, but it takes time. This is flipped on Western markets, where I feel some studios are actually working with a “Kick-first” approach – making games that will make streamers play them first, and relying on said streamers to convince the general public that they’re good.

In the Live Casino sphere, Game Shows are definitely the meta. As more and more countries move to faster internet, the variety of games one can stream increases exponentially, and players (particularly younger ones) seem to be going for what’s new and different. Just like with slots, this does not mean that classic Blackjack and Roulette games are out, only that flashy shows with side games, a big centerpiece, bright colours and a bubbly host are on the rise. I’ll re-iterate what I said in the previous paragraph – the rapid rise of casino streaming definitely helps with this.

Q: What challenges do game providers face today, and how is Pateplay addressing them?
I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the biggest challenge by far is over-regulation. I have no doubt that the regulatory bodies across the world implement their rules out of a genuine concern for player safety, and this is one most companies in the sphere (ourselves included) very much share. However, over-regulation – particularly the restriction of some features or absurdly low caps on bets, will inevitably drive many to unregulated sites, resulting in the exact opposite of what the regulators set out to achieve. Pateplay remains committed to staying ahead of regulations in every market it enters.

Another thing I’d like to touch up on is an over-saturation, both on the provider and the operator end of the business. For providers, this means you have to stand out – something we do on both a product and a commercial level. A saturation of operators, on the other hand, means many new-to-market brands will go straight to an aggregator rather than deal with the hassle of integrating every provider they want individually. In this regard, we are very happy with our extensive list of platform and aggregator partners, from established giants like Softswiss and Betconstruct to younger, dynamic projects like St8 and Elantil, and the healthy working relationship we have with them.

Company Spotlight

Q: Can you tell us about your latest games or features at Pateplay?
I can go on about this for days but one series I’m really excited about (which might be my favourite thing we’ve released so far) is our Golden Fate series. It features two games so far; Golden Fate 500 and Golden Fate 1000. 

These are high-RTP, high-volatility ways games with an exciting Buy Bonus game that stacks accumulated multipliers, cascading reels and a double feature, all layered over a gorgeous Ancient Egyptian theme and an art style that is uniquely ours. I strongly recommend you pop over to our site and check them out in our free demo section here yourself!

Q: What makes Pateplay’s games stand out compared to others in the market?
Oh, where to begin? Our own art style, a uniquely crafted contributive jackpot with four visible levels and a hidden one, three different types of free spins that can drop, synergies between multiple features in the same game, a unique RTP strategy (sign an NDA and I’ll tell you) that has positive effects on session time and fantastic commercial terms.

The Business Side

Q: Are there any recent partnerships, expansions, or milestones you'd like to share with us?
I’d like to say our growth exceeded even our expectations. Since our launch in Q3 2023, we’ve secured partnerships that work with major companies, taking our games to over 1000 different casino brands! Our performance in our top markets of Ukraine, Brazil, Romania and Georgia improves month by month, and a large chunk of the casinos we’re on currently have us among their Top 5 providers.

On top of that, our compliance team works tirelessly and would be pretty upset with me if I didn’t also mention us securing B2B licenses in Brazil (we were day 1 compliant), Greece, Serbia, and Italy this year, with New Jersey, Ontario, Spain, Denmark, Argentina, Colombia, Czechia, Slovakia and many others well on their way! 

Q: What advice would you give to other game providers or developers looking to succeed in the iGaming industry?
Attend conferences, don’t rush to production and avoid what I call “buzzword marketing”. Your success will ultimately depend on a blend of your product and commercial strategies and your ability to build meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships with people. 

Looking Ahead

Q: What’s next for Pateplay? Any upcoming game launches or exciting plans on the horizon?
In terms of slots, we are committed to our plan of releasing at least 2 new titles every month going forward. I can’t share anything too specific here; but watch this space!

Slots aren’t the only thing we are doing though! Our land-based division has been working hard on our Phenom cabinets (check them out here) which we’ve debuted at ICE Barcelona and are expecting to launch commercially later this year. In other “later this year” news, our Live Casino is expected to launch its’ first game – an automatic roulette, this quarter and other live game titles are expected to follow in time. Finally, I’m very excited to say the crash game we’ve been working on is in the final stages of testing and will go live in the near future!

Q: How do you see the future of game development in the iGaming industry over the next five years?
It’s hard to predict the future, and anyone who tells you they can is trying to sell you something. A very recent trend I’ve noticed at the last expo or two though, is Virtual Reality setups for Live Casinos. Whether they’re going to stick around or not remains to be seen but I’ll personally be watching very closely.

Final Thoughts

Q: What’s one piece of advice or insight that has shaped your career in the iGaming industry?
If I had to pick just one it would be this – a good idea can come from anywhere. From the biggest things like mapping the math for our upcoming Multiplier Roulette to the smallest things like a change in a sales pitch – listen. You never know when inspiration will strike; it could be something as simple as a comment you see on an ex-colleague’s LinkedIn post or a conversation with your office manager over Monday morning coffee. The worst thing you can do for yourself, no matter who you are, is to believe that you always know best.

Q: How can people connect with you or learn more about Pateplay?
You can check out everything Pateplay, as well as play demo versions of all our currently live games at https://pateplay.com/. If you wish to talk business, I am reachable on LinkedIn where I do my best to reply to any messages I receive (yes, even if you’re trying to sell player retention services to a Games Studio). Drop me a message, I’m always up for a chat!