In The Media - CasinoBeats: The customer at the centre of our universe

CasinoBeats has caught up with Mark Taffler, Commercial Director of Live88 and Hub88, to get the lowdown on a latest venture that is described as a “social phenomenon where the player is a part of the action”.

In addition to elaborating on how the player helped to shape the newly launched products’ overall make-up and the importance of fostering a real sense of community, Taffler also goes into detail about a simultaneously launched Multiplier Roulette title that comprises an “industry-first” collection style bonus game.

CasinoBeats: Live88 represents a further foray in the burgeoning live casino space for yourselves. To begin, how will this compete with, or even exceed, the wave of offerings already on the market?

Mark Taffler: As with any new product or live casino vertical, Live88 can compete against more established ones by prioritising innovation, localisation and personalised experiences for our operators.

By offering unique game variations, fully customisable lobbies, green screen technology throughout our tables (as well as uniquely branded tables) and providing seamless integration, operators can attract players seeking a more modern take on the tables.

Additional to the level of differentiation, customisation and flexibility we offer, Live88 is committed to entering into strategic partnerships with established operators looking to expand into jurisdictions we hold licenses in. Increasingly, we’re hearing the demand for operators to move into LatAm.

By giving them a gateway product that is flexible to precisely how they want to use it, we allow them to reach players and more effectively establish their presence in emerging markets.

CB: You speak of a reaction to the gaming community, as well as Live88 being born out of feedback gained, what processes did you undertake before, and while continuing, this development phase?

MT: Our customer is always, long after the consultation phase, at the centre of our universe. Consulting with customers early on during the development of Live88 allowed us to ensure our operators’ needs (and the needs of their players) and preferences are accurately captured.

Surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc helped us gather direct feedback and insights. However, the common theme among these audits was that we were listening.

Unlike other more conservative propositions we see on the market today, Live88’s development did not come out of a didactic experience where we told our operators what they could expect, it was very much the other way around. We asked them that if they were to create a product from scratch, what would that product look like? The answer was Live88.

Furthermore, as the product began to take shape, prototype testing allowed us to make improvements based on operators’ experiences. The continual feedback cycle facilitated both an ongoing dialogue and idea generation.

Maintaining transparency and responsiveness to our customers’ input throughout the development fostered trust and ultimately enhanced their satisfaction with the final product.

CB: Live88 is labelled as a “social phenomenon where the player is part of the product”. What facets have been included to ensure that is the case? And how will this be enhanced moving forward?

MT: To infuse a live casino product with a sense of community, it’s been in our minds since day one that Live88 must foster open communication and collaboration among our players.

Implementing chat tools and social media in the mix encourages interaction and idea sharing. We feel the sense of collaboration over competition strengthens bonds among users and promotes a shared sense of belonging.

That’s Live88 at its core, but it’s poised to get so much more interactive! Later this year, Live88 will be providing opportunities for some incredible user-generated content to be shared.

Players incurring big wins on our tables will be able to use a facility to immediately cut and share the clip of their victory on their favourite social media platforms.

It empowers the player and reinforces their involvement, but moreover it’s a great chance for operators to get more ‘citizen coverage’ of their brand! By recognising and rewarding active community members, we’re encouraging ongoing participation.

CB: Alongside this, the Royal Riches Roulette multiplayer title will officially be unveiled. Why did your data driven strategy direct you towards this being the correct approach regarding the title itself?

MT: Game shows are very en vogue right now and it would be foolish of a company with our attuned level of innovation to not take our slice of the market share.

Multiplier Roulette, as we’ve seen from other studios in this space, adds a healthy dose of excitement by introducing elements of unpredictability and potential for even big wins. Unlike traditional roulette, where payouts are fixed, multiplier roulette offers dynamic multipliers that amplify winnings and suspense with each spin. It injects a fresh and exhilarating twist to the classic game, making it a captivating and entertaining experience for players seeking excitement and big wins.

But that’s really only half of the story. Our data shows that players today spend 20-30x in wage more on live game shows than standard live dealer games.

When asking ourselves why this is, we’ve come to acknowledge that these games’ graspable mechanics produce a low barrier to entry; the presence of a live presenter offers a considerable acquisition tool. Simply put, they’re more engaging.

CB: In keeping with the aforementioned social focus, could you elaborate on what has been included in RRR to keep players engaged, entertained and returning for more? How will the collection style bonus game help to facilitate this?

MT: One of the best retention tools is the base game’s multipliers. Four multipliers randomly land among the 37 standard numbers, with each multiplier worth up to 1,000x when landing on straight up wins.

We think operators will keenly feel the benefit of this one. Meanwhile, eight coloured suits; two each in green, orange, blue and pink; will land during every game round, again on random numbers.

A win on one of these numbers will add the suit to the player’s collection, with the collection in question remaining active on the account without expiration (ipso facto, an incomplete collection will not expire at the end of the game session).

This feature we feel will be especially attractive to players since they’ll be able to keep netting some great multiplier wins whilst they hunt down the remainder of their collections. It’s fun and it’s engaging with its no limits attitude, we can’t wait for the network to get their hands on this one.

CB: What further titles can we expect to witness as developments continue?

MT: That card, unfortunately, we will need to play close to our chest for now! We’re currently scheming some incredible content including our scintillating social sharing features as well as more unique games in the vein of Royal Riches Roulette that players are really going to love.

We’d hate to get ahead of ourselves but we really are doubling down on this proposition redefining live casino for now and for always.