Michał Imiołek, Chief Executive Officer at Wazdan, reflects on a landmark 2024, sharing key achievements and exciting plans for the year ahead. Imiołek tells SlotBeats about the developer’s new games throughout the year and its progress on key strategic objectives.
2024 has been a busy year for Wazdan – could you give us an overview of some of your biggest achievements throughout the year?
With 26 new releases and over 700 integrations across 2024, it’s been a year to remember for the Wazdan team as we continue to identify new ways of providing players with exceptional gaming experiences. Outside of our ever-expanding slot offering, our network promotions continued to grow in size. Following the Christmas chapter of our €6,000,000 Mystery Drop, our total prize pool 2024 will have exceeded a staggering €10,000,000, underlining our continued intent of offering players an array of ways to win big across entertaining verticals. A testament to our considerable growth over the last 12 months has been our sweep of eight prestigious industry awards across 2024, and the Wazdan family is strengthening by 25%.
Expansion seems to be a significant theme for you this year. What can you tell us about some of the new products you have launched throughout 2024? Are there any specific best performers?
While we are proud of all new launches, it has been a huge year for our beloved Coins series. Notably, 25 Coins and 36 Coins, featuring an improved Cluster Collector, Chance Level, and Grand Jackpots, are worthy successors to the 9 Coins release and have consistently topped our performance charts since their launches.
As for One Coin, the October release revolutionised the Coins family. Slot enthusiasts were instantly drawn to the unique development of landing coins and bonus symbols in the centre of a single reel format in their entirety. It has been a breath of fresh air for the industry. As for our Mighty Wild offering, titles within the series continue to perform strongly and our Gold, Platinum and Diamond Editions of Mighty Wild: Panther have resonated strongly with player pools globally.
Wazdan is expanding its global presence with a particular focus on Latin America. How would you assess the company’s progress with regard to achieving strategic objectives in new markets?
Wazdan has continued to gain ground throughout 2024, solidifying our market position in already established territories as well as the commencing of new ventures. We are proud to have entered four new markets, including Croatia, via one of the nation’s leading operators, PSK, while also debuting in the Philippines with SG8. September also marked our successful entry into the Pennsylvania market, enhancing our presence in North America with our offerings that players across New Jersey, Michigan, and West Virginia already enjoy.
Focusing on our LatAm push, we are firmly underway with our licensing progresses in Brazil and Peru, developing a robust, well-defined legal framework for operators in both regions and we look forward to establishing our brand in 2025 as we have done in Argentina and Colombia. We take pride in our customisable approach to iGaming, which emphasises adapting to player preferences while analysing their needs and expectations. We are confident that our industry-renowned portfolio will strongly resonate with players in Brazil and Peru.
What are the main ways in which Wazdan has helped add value to customers this year? Are there any particular stats that demonstrate your effectiveness?
Despite an impressive set of releases in 2024, a Wazdan title does not reach the market unless it has gone through a meticulous development process that incorporates player feedback and builds on real-time data. Every offering has elevated the player experience through captivating mechanics, innovative gameplay and advanced graphics and visuals. Our ever-expanding network promotions also offer an alternative way for slot enthusiasts to enjoy their favourite titles, adding an extra thrill by providing a varied way of securing lavish wins. A 54% increase in our Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) from 2023 underlines our growth as a supplier, as well as a 25% rise in staff capacity, with an increased amount of industry experts showing an interest in becoming a part of our mission to elevate the iGaming experience for partners and players.
After a successful year in 2024, what can our readers expect from Wazdan in 2025? What are your ambitions for the next 12 months, and what is your strategy to achieve these goals?
As always, our prime focus will be delivering more. More game releases, attending more tradeshows, and, in turn, delivering more gains for players and partners. Wazdan’s Q1 2025 roadmap includes thrilling additions to our Coins series with 15 Coins: Grand Platinum Edition, 20 Coins: Grand Gold Edition and 12 Coins: Grand Diamond Edition. Our Mighty Wild series is also set for a shake-up with the highly anticipated Mighty Wild: Jaguar. A staggering €15,000,000 promotion budget has been set for 2025, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our global brand with the LatAm market as a top priority. So, be sure to watch this space, exciting times await!
