Redefining live casino

In an interview with IGF, our recently-appointed PlayMatrix Commercial Director, Neil Howells, discusses how the product is rewriting the rules and removing barriers to live casino.

Delivering a new and unparalleled level of brand customisation–which empowers operators to offer a bespoke range of live games that drive brand loyalty and increase engagement–and best-in-class technology, PlayMatrix makes it easy for operators to win the iGame.

Neil’s distinguished career includes key roles at The Rank Group, Caesars Entertainment EMEA, OlyBet and Vivo Gaming, to name but a few.

So hold tight as Neil shares his expertise and introduces us to the new generation of live gaming technology.

Can you tell us more about its purpose and why you believe it’s so important for operators to adopt this latest tech solution?

We launched PlayMatrix at the end of 2023 with the clear intention of redefining live casino and offering a new, next-generation product.

The launch of the new division, with our state-of-the-art studio in Batumi, Georgia, marks a new era in immersive gaming, offering players unparalleled live casino experiences and operators the most advanced technology available with seamless gameplay, customisation and control.

PlayMatrix was two-years in the making with extensive research and technology development, including eight-months to build and finalise the studio that boasts 21 physical tables, the facility for more than 100 virtual tables and the capacity for significant future expansion.

Leveraging the latest in chroma key technology, operators can craft bespoke virtual casino environments, from feature configurations to logo and UI colours, enhancing gameplay with additional layers of excitement.

From multiple 4K camera angles, minimal latency and high-quality streaming to seamless integration and promotional tools, PlayMatrix resets the standards for live casino excellence. The adaptive video quality ensures a superior experience tailored to the player’s internet speed, delivering unrivalled and uninterrupted gameplay.”

When attempting to launch new product verticals such as live casino, operators are often faced with challenges with speed to market and, of course, cost. How can PlayMatrix help operators streamline these issues?

We know speed to market and cost are among the top pain points for operators, so we’ve addressed that by ensuring simple, rapid integration. Crucially, we’re part of the larger EveryMatrix ecosystem, so we can provide live casino products at a very competitive rate, avoiding many of the unnecessary fees that our competitors charge, while customers can also choose to add our modular casino, sports, affiliate platform and payment solutions, or opt for a full turnkey solution.

It’s also worth remembering that EveryMatrix is the world’s largest casino aggregator with a library of more than 29,000 online slots, table games, and instant win games, with integrations to hundreds of the globe’s best studios. As we’re already plugged into every one of the world’s most important vendors, our live customers can gain immediate access to any content to ensure their localised offerings are an instant success.”

Smaller operators, in particular, often struggle with the cost and resources needed to build their own branded Live Dealer tables/rooms. How can the PlayMatrix product help with this?

All our products, from Roulette, Auto Roulette and Blackjack, use Chroma Key, or Green Screen, technology. This means we can brand tables using any brand logo(s) and image(s).

For smaller operators, this is the ideal solution because, from a player perspective, their tables appear to be their own dedicated area.

In reality, one table serves multiple brands, all enabled by Chroma Key. They can use any event, location, theme or image and employ fully animated or static backgrounds to deliver their own distinctive experience.

Chroma Key technology effectively substitutes a real-world backdrop with any visual environment of your preference. Our presenters blend into any scene, be it a picturesque location, animated sequence, a brand, recognisable logo, or seasonal event.”

What does the next six months in the run-up to ICE 2025 look like?

Progress has been non-stop since launch. We have a new website (www.playmatrix.com), and we’re constantly ramping up operations with new languages, markets, brands and products.

We will have English-language dealers and products by year-end, followed by Spanish and Portuguese, with a view to launching in LatAm as soon as possible, in line with upcoming regulation in markets such as Brazil.

By the end of 2024, we’ll also have 15 Blackjack, six Roulette, and Auto Roulette tables. In the first half of 2025, we will add Baccarat to the product mix, giving our customers access to all the classic table games.

The road to ICE is very clear, and we’re looking forward to meeting as many prospective customers as possible during that period. Keep an eye on us as we’re looking to make a serious impression on the market, providing our customers with products and services they simply can’t access elsewhere and that make an immediate impact on their revenues and their customers’ gaming experiences.

The original version of this article was published by iGamingFuture.