Following two wins for LeoVegas at December’s SBC Awards, CasinoBeats spoke to Hans Uhrus, communications director at the newly crowned Operator of the Year.
CasinoBeats: You triumphed in two categories at the SBC Awards. Let’s begin with Innovation in Casino Entertainment, what do you believe is was about the LeoVegas nomination that stood out?
ans Uhrus: “This year has been a feast far superior. Simple but smart innovations to the product, a swathe of new exclusives – including our very own LeoVegas MegaWays slot – and new markets with record new-depositing customers have certainly made this a year to remember!
“Apart from the industry-first introduction of a multiplay feature on mobile whereby players can enjoy two games simultaneously, content search has also undergone improvement.
“One permits players to enjoy both table games and slots at the same time, while the other lets them find the titles they know and love more easily. And let’s not forget either our Live Casino or the technology.
“The introduction of dynamic positioning has pushed closed tables down the screen so that live-casino lovers are always welcomed by a top selection of their favourite open tables to join. Then, on arrival at the table, basic blackjack strategy is one touch away thanks to an industry premiere of in-game strategy cards.”
“EUROPEAN CONSOLIDATION AND REGULATED MARKETS HAVE BEEN CORE TO GROWTH”
LeoVegas held onto its title as Operator of the Year for a second year – how pleasing was it to retain your crown?
“We are the King Of Casino! We do deserve to retain the award after a challenging year. To date, LeoVegas has been proud to offer an industry-leading product portfolio of quality casino slots and live table games.
“With approximately 1,500 titles on offer, thanks to extensive relationships with both big and upcoming providers, our patrons have been treated from lobby to last spin.
“European consolidation and regulated markets have been core to growth; with Spain the seventh locally regulated market to grant LeoVegas a licence, Schleswig-Holstein renewed for Germany and a successful transition to SGA [in Sweden] at the turn of the year. Now LatAm awaits with pawprints already made in Chile, Peru and Brazil.
“Launched across Sweden in March of 2019, GoGo Casino – a branded offshoot – has seen speed, security and the senses take centre stage. A user-friendly interface, new ID protocols and the leverage of LeoVegas knowledge are all set to lead the way.”
“THE CHALLENGE IS TO REBUILD WITH LOWER CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUES, SPIRALLING COMPLIANCE COSTS AND GROWING SCRUTINY”
Looking back across the last 12 months, what have been the most important developments for the company?
“LeoVegas bounced back from its most challenging year ever. The challenge for the firm now, as it is for many others, is to rebuild in a brave new world with lower customer lifetime values, spiralling compliance costs and growing scrutiny from regulators and the media alike.
“LeoVegas has built a brand that has become synonymous with perhaps the most profitable of the online gambling verticals and has paired that with an agile and efficient operations teams.
“It is quietly building share in regulated markets like Sweden and Spain, while enjoying rapid growth further afield in regions like LatAm.”
Entering a new year, what targets does LeoVegas have for 2020? How can the company build on such momentum?
“We are taking market shares both in existing and in new markets and furthermore cementing our role as ‘King of Casino’.
“We anticipate 2020 to follow on from 2019 with even more focus on compliance and regulation in addition to a competitive focus on player engagement features from both providers and operators alike.
“We will see more Megaways variants, new jackpots, multiplayer and syndicate initiatives and greater gamification developments within the online casino space in 2020.”
