2026 iGaming Trends: Gamification, Platform Value & Regulatory Challenges | Andres Galan, Senior Partnership Manager at Octavian Lab | Episode 27

On Episode 27 of the Evoplay Podcast, Andres Galan, Senior Partnership Manager at Octavian Lab, discusses gamification trends 2026 and how innovations are transforming the iGaming industry, with a focus on the Italian market, alongside regulations, operator strategies, and the role of AI. Explore insights drawn from real-world experience in a candid and approachable conversation.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

People are coming from the dig two casinos now. The player himself is changing a little bit and the requests are digging. The change is small, consistent, instant, becoming popular all around the world.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

The more content you give to the player, you give more choice.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

People somehow understand that they are created by AI.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Artificial intelligence is helpful for everything nowadays.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Welcome to the new episode of the Evil Play podcast. I'm happy to introduce our guest, Andres Galan, who is the senior partnership manager at Octavenan Lab. It's an Italian platform offering tailor-made gaming solutions. Today we'll talk about the Italian gaming market and main industry trends. So welcome to our podcast. Hi Andres. Hi Olga. I'm super happy to see you here, actually. You know, you know, you always know. I always happy to see you.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

It's always a pleasure to be with you.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Thank you very much. I would like to start with the first question, of course. And for me, actually, this is the most interesting question, my per personal favorite question. So, how did you come to this industry?

SPEAKER_01 1:22

It's really curious because I I didn't even know that I was coming into this industry. When I uh got to the job interview, I thought it was just a video games maker or whatever. So I thought I was applying for a sales place, sales uh position in a video games uh creator. So then I realized I was in a software house and uh I started to work with Octaven Lab. It was a good experience, and I think uh I'm so happy with that.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

That's great, very interesting actually. But when you understood what is this, what was your reaction?

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Yeah, it was like uh we were still in the job interview, and uh Emanuel M ICO told me, Do you know where you are entering in the A gaming? I said, I didn't know, but I'm good with that. Then it was uh an unknown uh world for me, so it was uh the start of uh uh journey that we are still in, and uh yeah, I didn't have any problem. I started to know so many things that I just ignored because it was like uh something that was hiding to my world. I was never in a casino before or uh betting uh whatever. So I didn't know anything.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

It's very similar for me, I feel, yeah, because I remember that when I just came to this uh industry, I knew where I'm going, but I never knew exactly what it is. And when I just started getting into like deep inside, I was like, it's nothing what I thought it is. It's so different and so interesting, right? So I love it. Like cool, it's really cool, and I like the diversity of different people, different ages, different cultures. It's amazing. I think you feel something special.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

We're still in the same company, the first our first company. It's a good thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

It's my family, yeah. And by the way, about the families. I know that Italy is known for family values. And actually, I remember that when I just came to Anada, that was I guess the biggest uh first impression I've got. Because everybody treats you like you are the member of the family. So my question is do you think it reflects in the industry as well? Like I mean in the business industry, not after, but inside the business.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

So so on one side, uh so companies are made from people, and people are what they are in Italy, they are so familiar, they take care of their people and the and the persons that uh who they love. So uh when you go to Rimini, it's a small city, it's a small event, and I think that this spirit is created based uh on one side on the industry that at the beginning it was a small one, and everybody knows with uh everybody, so it's like a small family, even if you enter to the companies, unless it is an international enterprise or company, a big company or whatever, and even in the big companies, there's a little bit this kind of uh familiar uh relationship between all the members of the of the staff, and uh this is something I love so from uh this uh industry.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

I love it as well. Now nowadays one of my favorite conferences because you really feel different, and it's something amazing inside. So you leave the conference not with this tiring feeling, you feel it like you visited your family, your friends, and now you're going home.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

The best part, yeah, is uh the after-event because in during the show you have the time to make your meetings or whatever, but then you have uh quality time to spend with people just to have dinner, to relax, and even to talk about business, but more in a relaxed way, so that you can feel comfortable also with with what you're doing, not just business.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

And yeah, I've heard a lot from different countries, cuisineers of course, and managers, they said that our days um the industry is changing how exactly with women in industry. So uh women um became more active players, and that's interesting because before they said that even when I just came to the industry, they said that 70% of 80% it's men. Now women play more, and I've heard that even some special content is being done for women. So I'm curious how do you feel it in Italy?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Does it uh feel that women play more, or there is no difference between what we can see from our data is uh that there are more women playing, maybe the percentage has been uh growing uh during the years, but still it's a traditional market where there are more men interested in uh playing gaming and betting rather than women. It's uh I think it's also due to the character of uh men, it's more impulsive, more like uh I want to play, I want to maybe uh win or whatever, rather than uh mentality from women, it's more consciousness, so they think more about the things rather than just acting impulsively.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

And I guess this is another reason for Italy why the betting is so popular, right? Yeah, that's it's also one of the biggest worries in betting. And what do you think? Betting becoming more and more popular and casino less, or people are coming from betting to casinos now, and casino online casino is becoming more popular.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Percentage in uh betting and casino is uh more or less remaining constant. It's been like a proportion like a one to five. So betting is one and casino is five. This is more or less a proportion that we could consider in a normal casino operator. I have to say that uh betting is so interesting for Italians as they're so football lovers and they love so much the competition, the uh culture, and so serious. They love the the game. So they're so interested in betting, but at the same time they are so much interested in the uh casino slot games.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

But isn't mixed players who bet they come to casino as well, and if yes, they choose games the same with casino players, like only casino players, or they love more betting games, like for example, crash games where it's similar, something similar for betting.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

It's an interesting thing uh because uh you can make uh crossing uh uh marketing uh in the page where you have your sports, so you can maybe set a part where you can introduce uh games uh related uh to sports uh like uh I don't know, crash games or even those games where you're going through the going to make a goal uh and going step by step, it's a crash uh mechanism uh at the same time. So it's uh interesting, and they usually are more exclusive from betting rather than casino, but they also are mixed. Uh there are there's everything, each kind of player in this uh in this way, but uh I think that there are more pure players from betting and casino.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

That's interesting. And how do you think the industry um changes exactly in Italy? Fast or not so fast on other markets?

SPEAKER_01 9:23

I don't think that fast. I think that they are traditional still because there are so many players from old players, you know, the slot games they played, they were in the land-based or whatever. So many providers from the land-based are moving their operations to the online so that they can uh have both of them. And uh I think they are more traditional. There are also junk players entering, and maybe they are more interested to new contents like phishing, uh, crash games or other types of uh contents like when we're talking about uh live games, the show games are so interesting uh for junk players. Uh I think that they're changing as much as new players are entering to the market and they're getting a higher percentage in the in the Italian market.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

But you see this change, right? That uh the player himself is changing a little bit and the requests are defined.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

The change is small and consistent, so during the time the percentage is uh is maybe going higher. Also because it's uh so normal to find the crash games rather than before, before there were just maybe say the the game with the plane. We don't want uh to say any names, but uh there was uh just one. Now there's a variety with the old kind of themes, so it's more frequent and more easy to find rather than before.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Do you think it will be growing? This uh instant themed, let's say demand, because I see that uh instance became becoming popular all around the world. Of course, maybe in Italy it might be a little bit slower, but still the demand is growing, right? So do you think it will be growing, or at some point it will stop and still slots gonna be the classic slots and nothing else?

SPEAKER_01 11:26

You know, from this point of view, I'm always uh I always uh think that uh you have to leave it in the market and see what happens. Now they're growing. In Italy, as as you said, the the growth hasn't been that consistent, so just slow but consistently. Uh but I don't know what will happen. Let's see what uh the players uh decide.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Yeah, uh let's let's give them this idea. It's just you know, sometimes I think that the player himself maybe doesn't know what they want. And casinos want to attract players, they want to entertain them, they want somehow make this retention and acquisition. So what they're trying to do, they're trying to offer more and more options, right? To be uh different from other casinos and so on. And the content is one of things you can offer, right? So if you are giving something new, you will get some audience uh which loves this new. So it looks like sometimes we are pushing uh this content to them and give them opportunity to love it. Sometimes they do, sometimes not. But I think that's what happened with some crash games, right? And it might happen with instant games. It's interesting for me here. Do you think that if we would uh more localize those games, they would be more popular, where it doesn't matter what is the theme and what is inside, it's just the mechanic itself important for them.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

I wouldn't be sure because uh sometimes uh and the stock provider make so much effort in creating new contents with uh these themes, maybe dedicated football or I don't know, Italian themes, uh, Inca, Maya, Egyptian. There are so many slots uh with so many themes, and uh players uh keep on loving them and they decide. So I don't know. The best thing each time I get uh asked about the which kind of slots love Italy. In Italy, in Italy they love so much uh chicken, everybody knows. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Really?

SPEAKER_01 13:40

It's like that. I have seen so many, let's say, ugly slots that uh I don't know how they success, but instead they success. So it's uh so difficult. I always think uh, as you said, the more content you give to the player, you give more choice so that he can choose uh what uh he likes the more. So obviously, that needs also the consistency of having those products uh in the main place and with visibility so that they can try it, or maybe with bonus or with some kind of motivation to the player to test it.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Bonuses, just you mentioned. So I'm curious. Uh in bonus system, does something change? Like uh we are giving bonuses all the time, right? Yeah, and we are trying to create uh some new approaches in giving bonuses, but the bonuses itself they're the same, right? Are there any new maybe tools, mechanics in bonuses which you see are coming, are growing, let's say that they attract players more? Or let's say if uh we come to you and we say, like, we want this campaign to be successful, and you say, like, then you definitely need to do this. Is there something like this, like 100% okay, but not 100%, but 90% successful case with some tournaments or any other tools you use or type of bonuses, or it's always something different?

SPEAKER_01 15:12

It's always something different. From my point of view, it depends on the provider, it depends on the kind of player that plays to that provider because sometimes uh the content that uh provides uh slot provider for older people maybe doesn't work, and that tournament couldn't work as for a younger type of uh slot provider. So it depends. Each case uh you have to see it uh case by case, but I have to say now we have uh good uh tools uh to motivate the the player to keep on playing like uh the gamification. So there are like missions you can set uh uh daily missions, weekly missions, monthly missions so that uh they can keep on and having like a goal to reach and having some kind of reward. Then you have your shop inside uh the side, we have everything of this, we have developed it uh so that uh the players can find some kind of uh uh attractive in uh playing, apart from just uh pushing, spinning, so it's uh so simple. We have also, you know, uh the Italy, the fan bonus. It's uh just like free spins, but with a gamification proposals, just uh with a rate conversion, it's a defined uh it's a good thing also to promote the games.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Gamification, it's an interesting thing where and I think all game providers are moving that way right now. Maybe not all, but those who want to develop their product like for 100% and give something more interesting. Uh gamification, it's like giving the opportunity to players to win something without competition. Because most of other tools they are competition, right? Tournaments, competition, ropes mostly competition, anything else, it's competition. And here you have your own way. If you want, you play and you get more, if you don't, you don't. It's like in all these apps with when you are learning new language, right? And you have this inside some kind of gamification. I think it's cool because it's also one of steps to personalization. And uh what are you saying? Uh AI is helping here or not, and from the regulatory point of view, is it allowed to use AI now in um your operational work with players or it's forbidden?

SPEAKER_01 17:49

As far as I know, there's no any restriction for using uh IEA. In any case, uh, it can be used also to analyze so many data that can give you also another point of view. Because uh uh even if you have dedicated uh staff to analyze more or less uh the data that you get from your platform, from your site, uh, traffic, times, or whatever, it will be always helpful to have somebody that makes you just a report, a global vision of what you you can see in your platform or with your data. So I think it could be so useful as everything in intelligence, artificial intelligence is helpful for everything nowadays. So I think that could help also the overall operators to analyze and to see what could be best uh the best product for the their players.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

But do you see that operators already using that?

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Or just not to begin. I think we're in the start of a process of the introduction of the of the artificial intelligence uh in the gaming, but still it's uh so so so recent, so not uh so extended.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

You think the future for it is big, right? Or I think part part.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

I think it will be integrated in our systems for sure. Overall, with uh when analyzing uh data.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

I've heard interesting opinion from one of our partners. Uh they said that uh they tried to use um AI in creating games. And they also said that people somehow understand that they are created by AI and they don't like it. And I was curious how they understand that. And he said somehow they do, um, maybe they are testing, maybe I don't know. But he said, like players who play a lot, they somehow understand that this is AI and it works only in the beginning, let's say when you release the game, but then it doesn't. Interesting, because uh I said that they won't understand the difference. So if you write correct prompt, who will understand? But I also hear from him that um it's forbidden to use it in some specific uh markets, and you have to show that this is AI, and that's why they want to you need a special procedure to implement it inside the game. So I think that for some it's gonna be a little bit longer, but inside your, let's say inside your kitchen, your kitchen at home, at work, you can definitely use it for analytics and it will help uh just make it faster for you.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

So even maybe if they can help with graphics, but maybe they can just create a frame or some picture or whatever. But as when you're going to the internet, uh can't uh you detect when there's an image, you you can see it, you can feel it. There's something that uh doesn't taste like uh original.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Yeah, I think that our generation uh we can do that, but again, yet because it's only beginning, and they're improving for sure. Yeah, so in a year, I don't think that's gonna be possible for but for example, my mom she doesn't see the difference. So for her, it's all just a picture, and and that's it, and she thinks that it's all real, and I think that in a little bit, uh in a while for us it's gonna be the same because they're gonna be better, we're gonna be older, and we won't just notice this.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

So it's gonna be everywhere, most probably. And of course, I have to ask you about regulations. I know that sometimes it's painful. I guess it's yeah, it's always uh let's say a complex question, but I've heard that uh a lot changed, right? Latest changes they significant. So So, how do you feel about it and how do you see the impact for the industry now, like on this stage? As I understand, not everything is confirmed, like not all points in your regulations, right? But something already confirmed.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

So yeah, there are so many things still to clarify regarding uh certifications. I get uh I guess uh you're interested over all the for the certification uh about the slot provider. On one side it could be better because it could improve the uh uh effort in certification because it won't be needed, as far as we know, it won't be needed anymore to certify operator by operator, but uh there will be just uh one certification game by game. Once the game is uh certified, it could be delivered, and that has a logic. Obviously, you don't need uh to certify the same game with all the operators, so it's maybe more simple, maybe easier on that side. And uh let's see. On the other hand, there have been so many changes uh uh regarding regulation, it's complex. Uh, they have still to clarify so many things because there are so many adapt coming from operators and all the actors in the industry in Italy. So hoping the the best.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

We'll see. It's anyway, all the world is coming to upgrade in regulations or some parts of the world becoming more regulated, let's say. I think actually this is the right direction, it's safer for players, it's more controlled for governments, authorities, and so on. So there should be something like that. So we definitely need to learn how to work with it fast and efficient, yeah, and not to be so painful for us.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

Regulation is good, absolutely. I agree with you. Over-regulation, uh not that much. Let's see if we can define it as regulation or over-regulation. When there is a change, there's an adaptation that improves everything. So let's see.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

And I have a question about the platform. You have an amazing platform product, and uh, I've noticed that um platforms now are changing as well. How what I mean before it was more like resell, just classic resell. So you buy games, you sell games, that's it. Now I see that the request from casinos is higher. Maybe it's just my opinion, but it looks like it is. So, what do you think about it? Do you see that the demand is higher from casino side to platforms and you need to improve the product a lot, or it's nothing like that?

SPEAKER_01 24:56

I think so. There's so much competition between uh aggregators. So, if we are talking just about uh to integrate a new slot providers and just get this provider and distribute it to the other person. So I'm making the same job as all the other actors are making. We think that we need to put above an added value, like it can be the gamification. As I told you, we have developed it to insert it inside our aggregator as well as in the platform. We are we have also developed a back office where to download the assets or download the certifications or download any material needed from the operator. So we're trying to create uh added value because otherwise, as you're saying, so there are so many aggregators and just uh acquiring, reselling, that's not uh the the way, otherwise, we wouldn't make any difference with the biggest ones that uh have maybe more clients and could be even stronger with uh fees or whatever. So the only way it's to offer added value.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

I see, thank you. And the next question, it's not the question, it's more an interactive round. So since we are talking about games mostly, I would like to play with you a small game. You need to choose this or that, okay? To make it fast. So cappuccino or espresso, espresso.

SPEAKER_01 26:30

Should I motivate it?

SPEAKER_00 26:32

No, I'm just counting how how I will football or formula one, football, or pizza night or fine dining, pizza night, let's make it some beer. Yeah, red wine or white wine, white wine, white wine, yeah. Okay, it's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

Pressure.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Oh, it's yes, Italian music or international playlist, international playlist, international. We are worldwide people, right? I'm a Spanish and exploring the city or resting in the hotel, exploring the city, yeah. Text messages or voice notes? Text messages, YouTube or TikTok? YouTube, I'm older pasta or pizza? Pizza. Pizza.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

Always.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

So I'm almost there, almost 100% same as you. That's good.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

We're in the same page.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Thank you. Thank you. That was amazing. I think that this for me, it's just a pleasure always, and I'm sure that for the people who watch us and listen to us, there are gonna be some insights which are gonna be useful for them.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

I hope they will enjoy just a little bit of what we enjoyed here. It was so funny.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you.