Anastasios Ioannidis: “Pragmatic Play has fared brilliantly in the crash game genre”

Today, we sit down to chat with ARRISE Affiliate Manager Anastasios Ioannidis, who walked us through some of Pragmatic Play’s most recent successes. Enjoying a bumper year in 2024, Pragmatic Play has released numerous player-favorite games and continues to deliver on well-loved classics.

Our conversation with Ioannidis focuses on iGaming and sportsbook, a vertical in which Pragmatic Play has made strides. From trying to pinpoint the next big thing in the gambling industry to commenting on the success of Pragmatic Play’s crash games, our conversation with Ioannidis is worth reading in its entirety.

Q: We’re coming up to the end of the year – can you reflect on how 2024 has been for Pragmatic Play?

It’s been another bumper year for the brand with hundreds of new games and product updates launching across slots, live casino, and more. 2024 also marks the 5th year of Pragmatic Play’s industry-leading Drops & Wins prize pool, which is awarding €2,000,000 a month in extra prizes across a growing selection of player-favorite slots.

Sweet Bonanza 1000 deserves a special mention, as it became an instant hit when it released in the summer, taking the iconic original and giving it a bigger 1,000x multiplier and increased 25,000x max win. Looking ahead to the festive season, Might of Freya Megaways™ and Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 are ones to watch.

Q: Pragmatic Play recently made its debut in the sportsbook sector. What has the reception to it been like?

The response has been terrific. Sportsbook got off to a great start when it launched via DAZN Bet in Spain last year and recently expanded to Germany and the UK – all important and competitive markets. Pragmatic Play’s partnership with DAZN Bet has been very productive; they’re a top-tier bookmaker and it’s exciting to see that collaboration grow.

The product itself is being constantly developed as well. In the summer, horse racing events in more than 30 global territories were added. More recently, we saw the addition of football player markets, further diversifying betting options. Expect to see even more features and markets in 2025 and beyond.

Q: How has Pragmatic Play fared so far in the crash game genre? Is the vertical a long-term commitment for the company?

Pragmatic Play has fared brilliantly in the crash game genre. It’s been more than two years since the release of Spaceman, Pragmatic Play’s first crash game, which was followed by Big Bass Crash towards the end of last year.

The latest game in the crash portfolio is High Flyer, which has taken off with features like auto-cashout, dual bet spots, and a huge 1,000,000x max multiplier. Pragmatic Play is celebrating the release with its Fly & Win promotion, offering more than €300,000 in daily prize drops. Fly & Win runs throughout November, so there’s still time to take part!

Q: Pragmatic Play has expanded into various sectors of the iGaming industry, including sports betting, crash games, and live game shows. Is there enough demand to sustain such a diverse offering?

Yes, absolutely! There is huge demand for all Pragmatic Play products. Live casino in particular has been an area of considerable growth for the supplier in recent years, as its exciting range of classic titles with a twist and original game shows continues to engage players.

The diversity of Pragmatic Play’s catalogue provides other opportunities too. As already mentioned, Sweet Bonanza 1000 took the slots world by storm in the summer, while Sweet Bonanza CandyLand remains one of the provider’s most popular live game shows. Expanding this popular sweet-themed world across multiple products has generated positive results from a cross-selling perspective.

Q: Bold prediction time – what do you think will be the most transformative or prominent change in the industry next year? And what can we expect from Pragmatic Play?

Part of the excitement of working in iGaming is that it can be difficult to predict the next big thing, but that could be because there are so many little things constantly driving the industry forward.

What can you expect from Pragmatic Play? Thrilling new additions to its range of live casino game shows, for one. The ‘1000’ series of slots could also lead to exciting new releases with even bigger max prizes. I think the supplier will continue to lead in slots and live casino, introducing even more unique themes, features, and mechanics, while doing the same across its wider product portfolio.

Image credit: Casino Guru News