crefio, Author at Design Works Gaming

Leading games provider and social casino operator, Design Works Gaming Group (DWG) is set to make its debut in online real money gaming after being granted the necessary licences by the Great British Gambling Commission.

The Gambling Commission licensing will allow the company to supply GB facing online casinos with its comprehensive portfolio of already proven slot titles and innovative gamification tools.

The UK- and Arizona-based developer expects several commercial agreements with leading operators to be signed in the coming months.

Andy Harris, CEO of DWG UK, said: “We are delighted to have been granted our GB licence, which marks a very important milestone in our development as an international provider of casino content.

“Being licensed by the Gambling Commission is the start of an exciting period for DWG, and we are confident that with our portfolio of varied and validated content we will hit the ground running as we look to gain serious traction on this side of the Atlantic.”

DWG has a long history as a land-based supplier, providing titles to some of the biggest names in the industry, including Novomatic, Aristocrat, Konami and IGT.

The provider also operates five popular social casinos, including Diamond Sky Casino, Spin Vegas Slots, and Jade Diamond Casino. 100% of DWG’s development is in-house; this includes the creation of over 100 titles a year, to service each of its business verticals.

Troy Zurawski, CEO of Design Works Gaming, addresses the increasingly integral role of data.

We’re living in an age of data and analytics. Whatever industry you’re working in, it’s likely that you have discussed how these things can improve your business in one way or another.

In Las Vegas, casinos have been tracking players through various systems since the mid-80s to better understand their habits and preferences. Using this data, they were able to anticipate what players wanted, offering new features at the perfect time.

If the industry hadn’t evolved with data 40 years ago, the player experience would have suffered. Players play for entertainment and enjoyment, by enhancing their experience you create a good outcome for the player. There has always been concern around the privacy of player data, but when ethically used, the collection of data results in an enhanced experience for the player.

With the emergence of the internet and online gaming, player data collection has become easier and more extensive. Now, suppliers as well as operators are incorporating this information into their business practices.

In September, I was invited to speak on a panel about player-focused game design at the CasinoBeats Summit in London. The focus of the panel aimed to discuss how studios use data to enhance product design. This is a topic at the heart of our business at Design Works Gaming as we’ve found great success from our data-driven approach. We use a unique model that allows us to create validated games.

On my panel were representatives from three other game developers and one operator. During the discussion, it became clear that all industry stakeholders understood how important data is to the bottom line, especially in terms of conducting market research and for responsible gambling purposes.

There are, however, still challenges around how to analyse data in a way that benefits game development. There is no one correct way to collect data for every company within the industry. It’s important that each company leverages data from their business, analyses it to create understanding and works to incorporate it back into the model.

At DWG, our focus is on building compelling math models. We use our data to ensure we are continuously improving the mathematics within games. Practising this allows us to offer operators games that are proven in different verticals and jurisdictions.

The art is important to draw a player in, but we’ve found more statistical significance in the math being the driving force behind the game and the most important factor in player retention.

It’s becoming more apparent that incorporating game data back into design increases a game’s success beyond traditional metrics and standards. Both my fellow panelists at the CasinoBeats Summit and I agreed, data-driven models will continue to become more relevant and crucial to placing games.

The days that games are conceptualised without bias and pitched to operators will be extinct. We have the technology now to validate a game’s success beforehand, rather than waiting to see what happens in live operation.

There is too much at stake with this old method and it’s too expensive. Shipping games that are unproven is too risky to the bottom line of businesses. If suppliers possess data that has been collected over several months from millions of players, they can instead prove they have a successful portfolio and reduce the risk for operators. This is the crux of player-focused design which we discussed.

It is an interesting debate that I’m sure will continue to evolve. It is clear the shift to data-driven operations that can produce a variety of validated games has already begun – and I believe it will be the core strategy for suppliers moving forward.

Supplier heads to Vegas to explore future opportunities.

Arizona, September 2019 – Leading games provider and operator Design Works Gaming (DWG) will be attending G2E next week as it looks to strengthen its global position across its three business verticals.

DWG operates five social casinos, has a strong reputation for creating hit land-based slot games and will soon be entering the real money gaming market in several territories, including Europe and New Jersey.

As an omni-channel supplier, DWG will be attending the show which takes place in Las Vegas between October 15-17, to connect with industry stakeholders and potential clients from multiple verticals and jurisdictions.

Troy Zurawski, President and CEO of DWG, said: “G2E has traditionally been an event for the land-based gaming industry but with the recent regulatory developments in the U.S. we have seen a shift towards online gaming and an increased interest from European operators and suppliers.

“As a company, we have also evolved to become both omni-channel and omni-market which makes G2E the perfect event for us as we look to expand in our own territory in the U.S. as well as across the pond.”

DWG uses data collected from its land-based and social operations to advise partners on which of its games will perform best in key territories around the world. This data is also used to inform the development of its future products.

All of DWG’s games and player-focused promotional tools are created in-house at its Scottsdale headquarters.

To set up a meeting with DWG at G2E, please email hello@designworksgaming.com.

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Design Works Gaming has enjoyed a busy year thus far, as it strives to take the plunge and expand beyond its traditional land-based and social gaming foundation.

The Arizona-based firm, which has also become the latest to align itself with the upcoming CasinoBeats Summit as a premium sponsor, is very much going against the grain by seeking to expand beyond its US base, as numerous entities chase the American gold rush.

Troy Zurawski, DWG’s founder and CEO, who will be flying in from its Scottsdale headquarters to participate as a speaker, commented on the firm’s current approach: “We are new to the online real money gaming market and are currently waiting for our GBGC licence to launch our slots into this space for the first time.

“DWG has a long and successful background in land-based and social gaming, and we’re now looking to use that expertise to help RMG operators in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Adding on it’s ongoing aspirations: “We’ve produced successful land-based titles for the likes of IGT, Novomatic, Aristocrat and Konami since we started in 2005. But we also operate four social casinos that are highly popular.

“Our content has already been validated by millions of users as a result. As we produce a lot of content – over 100 titles last year – we are in a position to offer exclusive content to operators of all sizes, including many that might not get that opportunity from other suppliers because of their size.

“We’re also looking forward to introducing our marketing tools to RMG, such as our wheel spin bonus, piggy bank and prize drop mini games. These tools deliver customisable and flexible promotions and incentives that reward play across all games on the casino – not just ours. They’re not limited to the one vertical either, being available across casino, bingo, sportsbook, etc.

“There is always an element of uncertainty when entering a new business vertical, but we are eager to see how DWG’s slots and promotional tools are received in the RMG market.”

At the Summit, which is to bring together 1,000 delegates, 75 speakers and 30 exhibitors at Olympia London between September 17-20, Zurawski’s participation is to be on a panel entitled: ‘Player focused game design – Leading slots developers share insights into the ways studios use data to inform product design’.

Emphasising the relevance due to DWG’s new approach Zurawski stated: “As a result of our operations in land-based and social gaming, we have an abundance of data and insight that we constantly analyse and refine so that it can be utilised to inform the development of our future products.

“We also use our data to ensure that we turn only our most successful titles into RMG games. And we can share with our partners what games perform best in each of a number of key territories around the world, meaning our offering is tailored and focused for each operator’s requirements. This bespoke validation of the games in strongly related channels is a massive benefit that operators don’t get from most other suppliers.”

Summit delegates will gain access to Betting on Sports, which takes place at Olympia at the same time, alongside the PaymentExpert Forum and the Digital Marketing Forum, delivered in conjunction with AffiliateINSIDER.

Representatives from some of the industry’s largest operators will also be present, including Betsson, Hard Rock, Caesars, Videoslots, Jackpotjoy, Ladbrokes Coral, LeoVegas, Lottoland, Mansion, Olympic, Paf, Pinnacle, Rank, and William Hill, with leading suppliers represented too.

Detailing the decision to align with September’s event it was stated: “The CasinoBeats Summit brings together key industry stakeholders and will be host to a series of informative panels focused on all the hottest industry topics, so it makes sense for us to be involved. As a sponsor, we’re hoping we can introduce ourselves to a whole new audience and bring a little bit of Las Vegas to operators’ casinos.”

Before Zurawski closed by addressing what DWG will bring to the show, and what the company is most looking forward to: “We are looking forward to meeting up with as many delegates as possible, to introduce DWG to them, and explain how our products can help operators stand out in a crowded marketplace.

“We are also excited about attending and participating in the panels to find out more about what challenges the industry is currently facing – as well as what opportunities there are for a fresh take on areas that are currently pertinent to the industry such as regulation, innovation, responsible gambling and player marketing.”

Leading games provider and operator Design Works Gaming (DWG) has expanded its portfolio of social casinos with the launch of Cash River.

This is DWG’s fourth free-to-play brand and comes with a new set of retention and engagement tools inspired by popular social network games such as FarmVille and Island Experiment.

As well as providing entertainment for players, over 3 million of whom have downloaded its social casinos from Facebook, iOS and Android, DWG is using insight from its social casinos to allow them to offer a compelling new range of real money gaming titles.

Set to launch in the UK market later this summer, these games will give operators access to high-quality proven content that has been validated by millions of players in social and land-based casinos.

Like DWG’s existing social casinos, Cash River offers a mix of classic Las Vegas-style slots and video slots. In addition, players also have the option to purchase and plant “money trees” that reward coins in various amounts at different times.

They can also use gems as a secondary currency to buy more trees or upgrade existing trees, or to access the VIP area to unlock games, coins and premium trees.

Different reward levels on the site and its app are designed to encourage players to return to the game and to promote in-play purchases.

Troy Zurawski, President and CEO of DWG, said: “We are thrilled to launch our fourth social casino and are especially proud of our Money Tree retention mechanism, which gives players the possibility to redeem free virtual currency every few minutes instead of the traditional hourly bonus, proving that money really does grow on trees!

“The leveling-up and VIP system is also unique with different paths a player can take to experience the various worlds in the game, creating an engaging and interactive experience.”

This week’s 6 of the Best comes from Melanie Dunmar, Chief Operating Officer at Design Works Gaming.

I was lucky enough to spend my honeymoon on a private island in the Turks and Caicos called Parrot Cay. The island had white sand, turquoise sea, and just the most picture-perfect resort imaginable. It was deserted, we could wander the beach by ourselves, and the hospitality was second to none. A truly magical vacation.

The Shining by Steven King. It’s a cliché about books, but I really couldn’t put it down. Steven King is such a good author, and it is so vividly written it just consumed my imagination. I read it every night, and then couldn’t turn the lights off when it became time to sleep because I was so scared. I think I slept with the lights on for three days straight! The film is great, but it just doesn’t compare to the book. It’s a masterpiece.

ACDC – Back in Black. As a child of the 80s, I was a big fan of Rock and Roll, and it didn’t get much bigger than ACDC. Their Back in Black album featured all the hits, and nearly every track gets me energised and happy. With songs like Shoot to Thrill, Hells Bells and of course, Back in Black, it was an iconic album.

The Masters. With DWG based in Arizona, we are lucky enough to have the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which is a prestigious golfing event. As a keen golfer myself, I attended The Masters in Augusta for the first time in 2015. It is an event I have always watched on TV since I was a little girl, and to experience it live, with all its tradition and ceremony, was incredible. The course is every bit as beautiful as it seems on TV, with such vibrant colours creating a perfect setting for such a famous tournament.

Overboard. With Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell as the leads, you know it is going to be a good film. I love comedy films, and this cracks me up every time I watch it. She’s stuck up, he’s just a common carpenter, and they really don’t like each other. With high jinks galore, it’s a goofy film with a happy ending, which is all you can ask for.

One of America’s land-based and social casino suppliers has announced plans to licence its portfolio of games and customisable tools to real money gaming operators.

Arizona-based Design Works Gaming (DWG) has been creating titles for bricks and mortar heavyweights including Aristocrat, IGT, Konami, Novomatic and Scientific Games since it was founded in 2005 by Las Vegas veteran, Troy Zurawski.

In recent years it has moved into the world of social casino, creating content and a series of unique promotion and retention features for three of its own consumer-facing brands, Diamond Sky Casino, Spin Vegas Slots and Super Scratcher Casino.

Armed with player data and what they feel is an enviable track record, DWG is applying for a GB Gambling Commission licence and has appointed former Realistic Games executive, Andy Harris, as its UK CEO.

Harris is now working with the team to deliver a portfolio of DWG’s top-performing games from land-based and social into the real money market.

“For online real money brands, Design Works Gaming is currently the best slots supplier they’ve never heard of. But from the excitement we are generating among those with whom we’ve already had conversations, we won’t remain a secret for very long,” Harris said.

DWG had a number of successful meetings with leading operators during the annual industry show ICE London in February, with many showing a particular interest in the company’s promotional tools.

“We have a huge selection of proven revenue generators that enjoy an enduring popularity with players from all demographics, in a wide number of markets. Having prospered in the tough social casino environment as an operator ourselves, we have a wealth of player data which we use to perfect our games,” Harris added.

“These and our unique player-focused tools are very attractive to online RMG brands looking for fresh content that stands both the challenges of an increasingly difficult industry and the test of time.”

All of DWG’s games are created in-house at its Scottsdale headquarters. More than 70 percent of its maths models are unique to every single game, with an incredible 110 titles produced during 2018 alone.

However, the supplier has plans to only roll out the best of these. It will also be offering operators of all sizes the opportunity to licence games on an exclusive basis.

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