EveryMatrix capped off 2024 with a final quarter acquisition of Fantasma Games. Now, according to SlotMatrix’s recently appointed Chief Commercial Officer, Björn Sjöberg, the investment can underpin the brand’s lofty ambitions in the game development and aggregation sectors.
“The ambition is very clear here; we aim to scale up and put the self network brand as a top content provider within the industry,” he told SlotBeats. “The first mission that I have is to build up a strong team with a type of collaboration between the product and the rest of the function within SlotMatrix.
“In short, I would say ambition now is to scale up and penetrate new markets and top-tier clients. On the back of the exclusive content, we have a lot of various products that we can later also extend to the clients.”
As a commercial lead in the iGaming industry, Sjöberg is all too aware of the blistering levels of saturation in the market and the ferocious competition that breeds.
Fully aware that the “market is flooded” with slot content, Sjöberg noted that EveryMatrix’s Fantasma acquisition can be a separator in terms of ramping up in-house development as well as third-party integrations. But perhaps more importantly, Sjöberg puts significant importance on building longevity in the company’s client relationships. He said the content comes first, then the partnership builds from there.
“We make sure that we are backing the clients that are willing to back us,” he explained. “This means we will be able to deepen our cooperation in delivering branded content to them and trying to understand the range of promotional tools to help them grow their business.
“What you get with SlotMatrix, which you don’t get elsewhere, is a suite of tools and opportunities that goes well beyond simply game releases.”
Is this type of customer service typical of the iGaming industry?
“No, not at all,” Sjöberg responded. “Casinos want to differentiate themselves from the competition, and, if I’m honest, they all more or less have the same content. The difference is the brands and marketing; we want to be a partner that can help with that.
“We’re now in a position that we can go a bit further in helping to customise the experience towards our clients with various products and SlotMatrix is the spearhead of that.”
Sjöberg, a Swedish national who relocated to Malta following a stint as a semi-professional footballer in the second tier of his nation’s pyramid, made the transfer to EveryMatrix following an eight-year stint at Evolution. Crucial to this decision, he revealed, was his close relationship with EveryMatrix’s co-founder, Stian Hornsletten.
“It is very important to me that you work with someone that you trust because whatever products you have and whatever you know, you need to have a certain understanding of collaboration, otherwise, things just get messy,” he explained. “I was leaning towards working for an established company who has a great reputation with people that you know.”
As aforementioned, EveryMatrix is not shy in its ambitions for the SlotMatrix unit and this is also something that tempted Sjöberg to the company.
He said: “Essentially, we are one integration that can serve a lot, and we already have a lot of clients on this basis.
“Historically, we’ve had in-house content, but been seen mainly as a core, a top-tier aggregator. What we are achieving now, is being both a top-tier, exclusive content provider, but also providing the back end of that integration, tailoring the offering towards the markets that you are targeting.
“Just this year, we’ve integrated and launched over 20 new vendors across our integration.”
Having had around a decade of experience in the heart of the game development and slots industry, Sjoberg possesses a wealth of knowledge and insight into industry happenings. Taking into account his time out of the industry, there have been plenty of changes.
But what does he think the biggest trends are in the industry across the next 12-18 months? He foresees EveryMatrix’s acquisition of Fantasma to be just one move of many.
“I think we will continue to see consolidations and acquisitions. I think there’s a lot of suppliers out there, and some of them are going to struggle with the introduction of AI and crash games.
“In my opinion, it’s actually easier to launch a studio now because it’s about fast-moving, simple games. But I think promotional tools are something that is of high, high importance, and you need to make it very simple for the clients to use.”
As promo and marketing tools come further into the fray, Sjöberg noted that EveryMatrix is positioning itself to be a leader in the single integration partner.
This is part of the company’s ambition to be the number one supplier for the iGaming industry and, as Sjöberg continues to settle into his new role, he is ready to use his vast experience and expertise to contribute to this task.
Concluding his chat with SlotBeats, he said: “We are after a tighter collaboration and partnership with the tier ones out there, and I think the only way we can do that is to make sure that we can serve them in all of the geographical regions that they operate in because that is core to being a trustworthy and core supplier for them.
“I’m very confident about the content, and we have a lot of confidence in the upcoming roadmap. I’ve seen a lot, and I think the team is doing a fantastic job with the upcoming ideas and content. So I think it’s up to me to deliver now.”
