Casino operators are facing a unique challenge as they attempt to attract a new generation of gamers. These potential customers have grown up in a digital era characterized by speed, simplicity, and instant satisfaction, contrasting sharply with the more complex world of traditional betting and gaming. Sports betting can introduce newcomers to a maze of odds, markets, and jargon, while traditional casino games seem far removed from the quick, dynamic content prevalent on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
George Yashin, the founder of Swipe Games, experienced this disconnect firsthand during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After 15 years in various industries including fashion technology and retail, Yashin struggled to navigate an online betting interface, ultimately seeking help from a betting shop. Upon exploring casino games, he noticed little had changed since he first encountered slot machines years earlier.
Inspired by this realization, Yashin pondered, "What if you could bet on the result of a short video or a TikTok?" This sparked the creation of Swipe Games, a Cyprus-based venture aiming to carve out a new category in casino gaming.
Swipe Games has shifted the gaming experience away from traditional lobby options, instead mimicking the format of social media feeds. Players are presented with a continuous stream of short videos, where they have just a few seconds to choose from three possible outcomes in a game. For instance, a football penalty shootout could end in a goal, a miss, or a save. If a player isn’t interested in a particular clip, they can simply swipe to view the next one.
According to Yashin, "We are as quick as crash games, but the pattern and the feel are more like betting." Currently, Swipe Games offers ten titles themed around popular subjects, aligning with the interests that thrive on social media.
Yashin believes the familiarity of this interface is key, allowing social media users to engage in gaming without having to learn a new digital lexicon. "The video itself is the game," he explains. "We are combining two different worlds – betting and quick games."
The industry's early response to Swipe Games has been rapid, despite the company only beginning sales at the end of 2025. Yashin noted they have signed approximately 30 to 40 contracts with partners including BGaming, SoftSwiss, 1xBet, 01.tech, and Broadway. The enthusiastic reception from the industry has been surprising, with one business development manager, who has over 20 years of experience, stating that he had never seen a new product easier to pitch.
Only one out of 50 leads generated through events and the company’s network opted against integration, leaving Swipe Games with a backlog of potential partners. To describe their promising product, Yashin says they refer to it internally as a "hot pie" – an appealing new offering that is easy to sell.
Early player data also indicates that Swipe Games has created more than just an attractive design. Comparisons with crash games show that, while a round of Swipe Games lasts around eight to ten seconds, betting behavior leans more towards traditional sports betting. In some markets, the average bet for Swipe Games has been reported to be 20 times higher than that of crash games.
Retention rates have also proven encouraging, with day-one, day-seven, and day-30 retention varying between crash game benchmarks to five or ten times higher. Players reportedly engage in significantly more rounds in a single session, as the dynamic nature of swipe gaming better satisfies their desire for novelty.
Generating such variety, however, poses a challenge: how to keep players engaged without predictability. Swipe Games tackled this through the use of generative AI, which they've implemented to develop a library of over 20,000 videos, allowing them to stay relevant with fresh content every two weeks.
Yashin describes the development team as being bolstered by AI, making their relatively small team feel larger due to AI assistance in coding and other tasks.
Integrations also occur at lightning speed, with some partners managing to integrate Swipe Games into their platforms within 24 hours. Yashin states that even reverse integrations can be accomplished in as little as three weeks, including testing and going live.
Swipe Games’ immediate ambition is substantial, with a goal of achieving €600 million in bet volume each month. However, Yashin envisions a longer-term aspiration where Swipe becomes a feature on par with games, live casinos, and sports betting. He imagines a dedicated Swipe button that delivers a continuous feed of personalized gaming content.
Yashin believes that the implications of generative AI could extend into areas like live casinos, where AI-generated characters might one day replace physical presenters. He anticipates rapid adoption of these technologies across the industry.
Should swipe gaming succeed, Yashin expects competitors to emerge quickly, though he is confident that any rival will struggle to replicate the culture of speed, creativity, and responsiveness that underpins Swipe Games.
Yashin concludes, "Every era of iGaming has had a breakthrough format. Swipe Games sees itself as leading the next major evolution in how players engage with casino entertainment."
