Adam Wilson, founder of Splash Tech, has shared that RubyPlay’s acquisition of his company signals a new trend within the supplier market. He believes that merging engagement products with content offerings enhances a company's competitiveness in a crowded field.
RubyPlay will integrate Splash Tech's free-to-play games and its jackpot engine, which operates independently of specific suppliers, thus broadening RubyPlay’s capabilities that already include free spins, rewards, missions, and tournaments. This move marks RubyPlay's transition from a purely content-focused company to one that provides more comprehensive engagement solutions for operators, enabling them to incorporate these features with ease across both existing and third-party game portfolios.
Wilson anticipates that this model will attract other companies to follow suit. He emphasizes the pressing need for operators to utilize these engagement tools. Splash Tech was conceived to enhance the effectiveness of existing content offerings, utilizing free-to-play formats and a versatile jackpot engine designed to increase player engagement and retention across casinos, sportsbooks, and third-party providers.
While jackpots and free-to-play experiences serve different purposes, Wilson evaluates both based on their value to operators. Free-to-play formats begin to engage players before they spend money, helping build a connection through achievable incentives and gamification. “It’s about building muscle memory for the players,” he stated. By lowering the entry barrier, free-to-play games encourage initial engagement and promote habitual return visits due to increased familiarity.
However, Wilson notes that a successful approach must be tailored; what works in one market might not translate to another. He cited examples ranging from sumo wrestling themes to the recent hit of ice cage fighting in certain locales. Splash Tech aims to locate experiences that resonate with specific audiences rather than adjusting those audiences to fit a product.
The jackpot engine from Splash Tech serves as a unifying feature across an operator's entire range of games, regardless of their source. Wilson asserts, "A jackpot engine is unique because it can be branded across all content." This allows operators, who might source games from multiple suppliers, to present a consistent jackpot feature across all their offerings. For many operators, this is a key missing piece, as they often possess strong game libraries but lack a flexible jackpot system that integrates seamlessly.
Wilson explains the importance of making the jackpot function available across all games and product types, pointing out that failing to do so would represent a significant missed opportunity. A branded jackpot not only enhances player engagement but also helps operators maintain a consistent brand identity throughout various third-party games.
He is blunt about the challenge operators face when they fail to actively manage the technology. "If I just give you one of our games or our jackpot engine and you just plug it in and leave it there to collect dust, you will come back and tell me in three months that it’s not working,” he warns. Splash Tech emphasizes the need for its partners to view the integration process as collaborative, focusing on clear objectives such as improving player sign-ups or increasing lifetime value.
The development of effective engagement moments is essential, covering the player journey from initial interaction right through to loyalty and retention. Wilson notes the need for operators to balance revenue generation against providing a rewarding experience, ensuring they do not drive players away while still offering compelling opportunities.
Splash Tech is already operational with notable partners like ComeOn, having seen its jackpot engine deliver measurable boosts in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for every brand that launched it. Performance assessments and expectations are jointly developed with partners before a product launch, ensuring preparedness and alignment.
Wilson reiterates that there are no simple solutions in engagement strategies. Successful outcomes are driven by the operators' willingness to invest adequately in the necessary infrastructure.
The integration with RubyPlay is designed to limit disruption for existing Splash Tech partners. Wilson insists that it will remain business as usual, even while the scale of support expands dramatically from a team of 20 to approximately 300, enhancing capabilities across licenses, compliance, finance, technology, and business intelligence. This increased capacity allows Splash Tech to pursue broader opportunities more efficiently than before, capitalizing on RubyPlay’s more extensive licensing and market reach.
The partnership creates unique product opportunities as well. While Splash Tech has focused primarily on sports for its free-to-play products, this new affiliation allows it to engage more deeply with the casino field that RubyPlay dominates. Wilson foresees a merging of engagement strategies that will foster new innovative offerings.
Ultimately, RubyPlay gains a means to expand beyond traditional game offerings while Splash Tech benefits from expanded reach, resulting in a practical advantage for operators looking to streamline operations while increasing player retention and engagement.
Adam Wilson will join the RubyPlay team at the SBC Summit in Lisbon from September 29 to October 1, where attendees can learn more about Splash Tech’s offerings.
