Andrew Mclean, Director of Sales at Pariplay
Pariplay entered the US market with Rush Street Interactive earlier this year and your games are now live in New Jersey, what has the experience been as a European supplier making inroads into the US market?
Making our US debut was an exciting milestone for us and the first few months have been a learning curve. We have a fantastic partner in Rush Street Interactive, an operator which has been very successful in the market with its PlaySugarHouse brand. This has given us an excellent platform to introduce our games to US players. Our content has been performing exceptionally well but we are still learning about the specific player demographics and preferences to get a better understanding of the local audience. Being a European supplier in the emerging US market means we are new to the local peculiarities but by working closely with our operator partners we can optimise and improve our offering to better appeal to players. On the other hand, our extensive experience in numerous European markets gives us a unique advantage because we understand the different nuances of player preferences in different regions.
You recently announced a deal with US platform provider GAN which will see you enter Michigan and Pennsylvania and strengthen your position in New Jersey, what is your plan for further expansion in the US market?
After being live in New Jersey for a few months we were excited to announce this expansion into new markets together with GAN and we look forward to introducing our content in more states. The US market presents a massive opportunity for us and we have great plans to explore new states as they open up. We continue to follow developments closely in emerging states such as New York, Florida and California. The deal with GAN is important and highlights the demand for our content in the US.
Other markets outside of the US that we are currently prioritising with exciting new partnerships include Greece and the Netherlands and we are also strengthening our position in the Colombian market with several customer launches planned for Q2, so watch this space.
Why do you believe the time is right for Pariplay to be making moves into the US?
The US online market is finally taking shape and the closure of land-based venues over the last 12 months as a result of the pandemic has prompted state regulators to consider or fast-track regulation. The US market has always had great potential with local and European operators and suppliers long awaiting the legalisation of online gambling. We have been preparing for a market entry for some time and followed the development in New Jersey where there has been robust growth since 2018 before making our debut. With many more states on the verge of legalising online gaming there is no doubt that the US market is the place for us to focus our attention on over the years to come.
What kind of content has been the most popular among the US audience and does it differ much to the typical European player?
From the player data we have collected so far, we have found that the games that are the most popular in European markets are also the top performing titles in the US. Our strategy is therefore to push the same content we develop for European markets in the US. Our proprietary games portfolio contains over 120 titles and offers a diverse mixture of more classic fruit-slots and titles with innovative features and mechanics. The content is suitable for beginners as well as advanced players and land-based connoisseurs will find games that they are familiar with to introduce them to the online experience.
Will you be creating localised content for the US market going forward?
Yes, we have developed targeted content for these markets, such as American Roulette that was recently launched, and we will continue focusing on the localised content. At Pariplay, we are fully data driven. Every game we launch is researched thoroughly via our data and business intelligence system to understand how it performs and what we can learn to improve our offering in the future. We also tailor our content to the specific markets we operate in and use data to better understand which games, features, mechanics and themes local players prefer. Every operator also has specific preferences and needs and we collaborate closely with our clients to develop our game concepts and features. Some of the key needs expressed by our partners and operators are not just about the games, but the need for back-end tools that allow them to create a competitive offering for their players. We will therefore analyse each state that we enter and work closely with our partners to ensure our content is tailored for the specific needs and desires.
As well as your proprietary content you offer an aggregation platform, Fusion, and a studio partnering programme, Ignite, how will that content fit into Pariplay’s US strategy?
Our long-term plan is to enable our full games portfolio to US operators, including aggregated content on our Fusion and Ignite platforms. The Fusion platform features thousands of games from the industry’s leading developers and a suite of back-office conversion and retention tools that enhance player value. Our Ignite programme offers independent game providers a flexible turnkey framework to create and deploy content globally through our Fusion aggregation platform. We already have several studios signed up which now develop exclusive content for us which we plan to offer in the US markets as well. This adds another layer to our offering as we can offer content that is not available through other channels.
How important do you see the US market becoming for Pariplay in the future as more and more states are considering legalising online gaming?
The US will be a key market for Pariplay over the coming years. There is so much untapped potential across the nation and opportunities will continue to develop as regulation is rolled out. We expect this will gradually happen as states realise the potential the industry brings in terms of generating tax revenue. We will of course continue to also focus on the European markets where we operate and have a strong foothold, but the US cannot be ignored.
