Evgeny Prozorov: "Players see large prizes on the screen and want to win them"

Today we sit down with Mancala Gaming's Chief Technology Officer, Evgeny Prozorov, to discuss the importance of progressive network jackpots and their impact on consumers and businesses. Prozorov highlights how Mancala Gaming has developed a unique system where the progressive network jackpot is integrated into the game's math, offering a distinctive experience. This experience is further enhanced by the fact that these jackpots are linked across operators, providing better prizes for players.

Prozorov delves into the technical details, explaining that having a large bonus system isn't enough if it suffers from load issues. However, he notes that with proper mathematical integration, a progressive network jackpot can boost player retention and satisfaction while helping businesses stand out. Read our full interview with Prozorov below.

Q: Evgeny, can we start by talking briefly about progressive network jackpots? How important are they for a business to stand out?

I'll probably start by explaining what kind of jackpots we're talking about. Many operators know that, in addition to our unique bonus system, we have had a system of progressive jackpots for about three years now that can be used in any of our slots. This isn't a part of a specific game; it's part of our promotional tools. Many providers have similar systems. But this is not the system we're talking about now.

We're talking about progressive jackpots that are part of the game's math! A player can win it not just randomly, but by hitting a specific combination in the game! A player wins a bonus game, and in it, they collect 2 to 5 jackpot symbols – they win one of the 4 jackpots with all its accumulations! Moreover, these jackpots work across all operators simultaneously. Imagine that!

In response to your question, this type of jackpot is very important for business. Not many providers have such jackpots, and of course, ours are the best!

Q: We talk about the potential of production disruption. Are progressive network jackpots really that challenging for a company to implement?

Any major task can break production if you don't think about proper implementation. Something can always go wrong. With progressive jackpots, there are several issues:

• Simultaneous bets: If multiple players place bets at the same time, the system must correctly process each bet and update the jackpot amount. Without proper synchronization, there can be situations where multiple processes try to update the jackpot value simultaneously, leading to incorrect results.
• Simultaneous wins: If several players win the jackpot almost simultaneously, the system must correctly record each win. Without proper synchronization, this can lead to incorrect distribution of the jackpot amount.

Now multiply this by a number of players who are playing in this minute across all operators, because these are network jackpots, meaning all players in all casinos contribute to a single pot.

Additionally, you must always consider the load. If the game becomes popular, how can you ensure that the production jackpot database is not overloaded? I can tell you that we found a very serious issue during load testing. If we had missed it, the release wouldn't have been as successful.

But still, I can say that we did everything right. The game performs really well under heavy load, which, of course, has a positive impact on the business.

Q: What are the main benefits to businesses and players when they encounter progressive in-game network jackpots?

Jackpots themselves are quite an attractive tool for players. When players see large numbers on the screen, they understand that they can win it, they want to win it! When you add a "progressive", players see those numbers growing every second! And when you add a "network", players see the jackpot growing faster and faster because more players are contributing.

Often, winning a jackpot is completely random, and players don't believe they can actually win it. But when they see they can win the jackpot with a specific combination inside the game, they will try harder and harder.

For the business, and I think this is obvious, if the game attracts more players, revenue increases. Moreover, since this is part of the game's mathematics, there are no significant risks involved.

Q: At the very beginning, you mentioned your system of progressive jackpots. Is this something similar?

Yes and no.

It's a tool. An operator can create any number of progressive jackpots in one or several of our slot games and launch them at any time. There are several types, and the setup is very straightforward. Additionally, the operator can use the API to retrieve the list of current jackpots to update the numbers on their website, as well as the list of winners for a specific period.

Q: How is Mancala Gaming navigating this particular segment and what are your major milestones?

First of all, we plan to release several games a year with in-game network progressive jackpots. Currently, we have the "Hold and Earn Progressive" mechanic, but in the future, we plan to expand the list of mechanics. For example, this could include the "DualXtend Progressive"!

Q: What are your immediate plans for this particular product at Mancala Gaming over the coming months?

Very soon, we will release a new game with in-game progressive jackpots! (The name is still a secret for now). Based on the data from Majestic Wolf, we want to improve every aspect of the game!

As for the Jackpot tool, within 3 weeks, this tool will become network progressive! We will be able to launch a jackpot campaign across all interested operators simultaneously!

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