David Flynn, CEO of Swintt enters the spotlight for this week’s provider interview

Hi David! We’re very happy that you’ve taken the time to have a chat with us at SlotCatalog, I’m sure our readers will appreciate it! Could you please give us an intro to how and why Swinnt was founded?

Swintt was founded in May 2019 by myself and some industry colleagues with many years experience in the industry. We noticed there was a lack of game providers focused on delivering the right content for the right markets, so we wanted to leverage our knowledge of player preferences across the world and build a strong, diverse portfolio.

We have quickly grown a name for ourselves as an exciting young company with a rich product suite that delivers a varied catalogue of games, localised content for growth markets to help our partners offer relevant games - from land-based classics to regional favourites - all enhanced with gamification tools to deliver more engaging experiences via SwinttGamify.

The main focus of the company however is to make a positive difference in the world. We are developing our product SwinttPlay-it-back, which through our gamification system enables players to select a charity of their choice and see their gameplay contribute to their chosen charity.

Our SwinttPlay-it-back tool enable every player to become a philanthropist while not hampering the game experience in any way.

That’s interesting. This type of feature feels very relevant today, given the situation the world is in right now. How did the SwinttPlay-it-back idea take place?

As an industry, I always felt we could do more to benefit the greater world around us and leave the planet in a better condition for our children than how we found it. The idea for SwinttPlay-it-back was developed after researching how people treat and react to charitable donations.

Typically, donors tend to give money in a fixed monthly payment and tend not to deviate from their charitable donation structure - the main reason being that they do not know the real-life impact their donation makes. We want to have a tangible impact made from SwinttPlay-it-back, with the aim to provide the opportunity for every player to become a philanthropist while enjoying our games.

Certain charities might resonate more to the player base, whether it be something close to home, or further afield. We want players to be able to see how many books they have sent to rural schools in Africa, or how many kilograms of trash they have collected from the sea. We hope this will foster a positive effect from how our games are received and played, and through our gamification features we can reward players (in certain jurisdictions) for reaching milestones in their philanthropic efforts.

Are there any specific markets you’re focusing on?

We don’t choose core markets to focus on; we listen to the needs and demands of our partners and make sure we are offering the right content to keep their players happy. Certain markets have specific tastes and trends that will always remain popular, so it makes sense for us - and thus our partners - to have a thoughtful approach and serve the right products.

We have a strategic partnership in place with a prominent land-based provider who have a strong presence in land-based halls across Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. We have exclusivity to bring these games online, where permitted, and the response and anticipation for these well-known games has been tremendous.

The most popular of the games we’re bringing online include Heart of Earth, Perseus, Fresh Fruit and Master of Books. The games are quintessentially land-based and will definitely appeal directly to players across Germany and many other countries. Many emerging markets have a longer history of land-based play than online, which should see such games prove popular through their familiar style.

Indian players worldwide will be interested to hear about our upcoming Bollywood Billions slot, which takes players to the set of the eponymous entertainment industry, and later in the year we will launch our take on Andar Bahar.

Japanese-style games are also incredibly popular worldwide, so keep an eye out for our major release Hana Bana, which we are creating with a Japanese game studio to provide a truly authentic experience, from the graphics to the math all the way to the sound.

What’s your personal outlook regarding the Gaming industry future?

It is clear that while there are many challenges in the Gaming Industry, there are also opportunities. If one considers the travel market, ABTA performed a UK survey in 2016 which showed that 75% of all travel bookings were made online. In 2019, according to H2 Gambling Capital, only 12.2% of the Global Gambling Market is derived online. So the potential for further growth is obvious.

With the world going through a turbulent time at the moment, many industries will be impacted that rely on physical footfall for their revenues, which of course includes the gaming industry.

It is anticipated that many of the land-based players who are looking to enjoy their favourite games will shift to the online space, provided they can still enjoy the same selection.

Across Europe over the past few years the shift between land-based dominance to online recognition is particularly apparent, especially in the UK and Nordic countries. But some countries, like Germany, are lagging behind where there is a legacy of playing slots in gaming halls.

The same research from H2 Gambling Capital shows that in 2019 the online sector had 50% market share in the UK, and over 55% market share in the Nordic countries, just over 15% market share was for the online sector in Germany. Forecasting shows this to gradually increase, but recent events might well shape a new path for the gaming industry not just in Germany but worldwide. Land-based brands which have built up loyalty over many years are thus in a prime position to aid the transition for players to online. Trust and familiarity are key elements in our business so being a reputable brand that the market identifies with will be a component of success during the revolutionary change in how players gamble.