Inside iGaming with Alexandre Tomic: Leadership, Trends & What’s Next

Alexandre’s Journey in the iGaming Industry

The session begins with Alexandre describing how Alea transitioned from a company that used to buy and sell games to an award-winning casino game aggregator. He entered the iGaming industry by chance, similar to how the actors in LOST found themselves on an island. As a search engine optimiser, a friend asked him to rank a website. They were convinced that he had the skills to run a casino site for a 50% share of the profits, and that’s how it all started.

Alexandre remembers when online casinos powered by Microgaming and Playtech used their own gaming software. However, things changed when casinos started using software from various software providers.

He launched a VR casino in 2015, but it was not easy. “VR stores are not going to accept gambling companies because VR stores are mainly full of kids,” he says. Although he was not making money, affiliates and casino game providers were interested in working with a small company creating innovative products. Based on his experience, he believes it will take about 5 more years for gaming companies to fully embrace VR.

Supporting Alexandre’s argument, Faruk says that “being first is not always the best” experience. You will face the biggest hurdles in terms of regulation, knowledge, and technology.

Inspiration to Join the iGaming Industry: Advice for Entrepreneurs

Alexandre was initially motivated by the thrill of running a profitable business with good gross gaming revenue. However, he realised that building the best product and taking care of his team was the most effective approach. Innovation is also in his DNA, which is why he’s focused on new products and investing in companies that offer innovative solutions. From the conversation, we identified the following helpful tips for entrepreneurs in the iGaming industry.

Consider a Humanist Approach to Shape Company Culture and Values

For Alexandre, it’s important to prioritise your human resources, and it’s “a terrible thing to aim for money” and happiness. He recommends keeping employees in good shape to improve their performance. This can be as easy as offering a coffee break, playing, and having fun together.

Faruk embraces this idea, arguing that having “fun and making money in the organisation is something that a lot of companies and a lot of leaders are seeking nowadays” but it’s not easy. Moreover, they both recommend getting rid of psychopaths who may potentially harm your employees or customers.

Aim for the Best Product with a Clear Objective

Being “here to deliver the best gambling experience” is not enough according to Alexandre. You must have a clear goal and focus on creating the best product. He describes gambling as a playground with many opportunities. Moreover, he says that having a good team that’s passionate about your product can make players feel more inspired. According to Faruk, it’s all about personalisation, good timing, and helping players instead of using a sales approach.

Focus on Player Retention and Use CRM Tools

Alexandre and Faruk agree that player retention is a key driver of success for gambling brands. Faruk explains how brands tend to focus on acquisition forgetting the importance of implementing retention strategies. The most effective methods include using CRM tools and providing quality customer service. According to Alexandre, calling players while they are playing is better than telling them to “put some more money” to play. This strategy has helped him achieve better GGR rates.

Smart Investment Strategies for Long-term Success

Alexandre is a great source of inspiration for investors in the gambling sector. He has invested in many gaming projects and companies, including BlueRibbon and Truelab. Moreover, he has partnered with industry leaders like Bilyan Balinoff, co-founder of Felix Gaming, to create powerful brands.

He realised that some casinos have great conversion rates, but their retention rate is poor and vice versa. Others are only good in some markets. Creating an affiliate program allows him to test conversion rates and identify the best online casinos. For a casino platform to thrive, Alexandre says you should “analyse a full scope of their strength and weakness” to understand what works, trends, GEO, types of players, and the best CRM and affiliate tools.

Running a casino is also one of Alexandre’s interests, and he doesn’t believe in B2Bs succeeding without being or having been operators. He thinks that those who start without being operators have difficulty understanding their customers’ problems. For him, “running a casino is like driving a Ferrari ” because you can tweak casino bonuses and see changes in one day.

Key Highlights and Challenges of 2024

Alexandre believes that regulation is “an inspiration killer” and will always be the “number one challenge” for operators in the iGaming industry. He recalls how this problem contributed to him switching from B2C to B2B. Innovation was difficult after building a VR casino because of the need to develop anti-money laundering (AML) and responsible gambling features.

The resources, people, and technology needed to develop a product are also a major challenge. Additionally, some countries have ridiculous rules that don’t protect players and mostly benefit the biggest companies. For him, white-label casinos are a great option because there’s no need to acquire your own licence. While hackers pose a challenge, creating products that cannot be hacked is a smaller problem, unlike dealing with regulatory issues.