Last updated on November 1st, 2024
Christina Muratkina, the dynamic CEO of Onlyplay, recently shared her insights and vision in an engaging interview with Gamblers Connect. Renowned for her innovative leadership, Chris is instrumental in steering Onlyplay’s path and igniting its creative potential. Her forward-thinking approach is pivotal in defining the brand’s current strategies and future aspirations, ensuring Onlyplay remains at the forefront of the industry.
It is a pleasure to have you, Christina. Your reputation in the iGaming realm precedes you and we are very excited to have you as our guest.
Christina: Thank you so much for having me. I’m delighted to be here and share insights about Onlyplay and our journey in the iGaming industry.
Christina, you are the CEO and Co-Founder of one of the leading and most innovative iGaming studios, Onlyplay. Tell us, how did your journey in the iGaming industry start? What inspired you to launch Onlyplay?
Christina: My journey in the iGaming industry began out of a fascination with digital entertainment and a passion for creating unique, engaging experiences. Before founding Onlyplay, I was involved in various tech and gaming ventures, which provided me with a broad perspective on the industry. The idea to launch Onlyplay was inspired by a desire to push the boundaries of traditional gaming. We saw an opportunity to blend innovative technology with captivating game design to create something truly special. This vision, combined with our team’s extensive experience, fueled the birth of Onlyplay.
Onlyplay is known for having extensive experience in the game development vertical prior to creating its first slot, having delved into lottery, social games, and crypto. How did this help Onlyplay? Does it make creating casino entertainment easier or do you find it more challenging?
Christina: Our diverse background in lottery, social games, and crypto has been incredibly beneficial. Each segment taught us valuable lessons about user engagement, monetization, and technological innovation. This multifaceted experience allows us to approach casino game development with a well-rounded perspective. While it does make certain aspects of creating casino entertainment easier, such as understanding player psychology and integrating advanced tech, it also presents unique challenges. We constantly strive to balance innovation with user-friendliness, ensuring our games are both cutting-edge and accessible.
Onlyplay is known for creating diverse casino entertainment that includes everything from social games to cryptocurrency games. What types of games that you produce are the most popular?
Christina: With a portfolio of over 72 captivating games, we are dedicated to delivering unforgettable experiences to players worldwide. Our diverse game offerings include Tap Games, Crash, Instant Win, and Slots, catering to every gaming preference.
Our portfolio is quite varied, catering to different player preferences. However, our crypto games and social slots have garnered significant popularity. Crypto games attract tech-savvy players who appreciate the added layers of security and anonymity, while social slots appeal to those who enjoy interactive and community-based gaming experiences. These types of games embody our commitment to innovation and player engagement, making them stand out in the market.
While we are on the subject of casino entertainment, what are three of the most successful games by Onlyplay? Can you name their most interesting features?
Christina: Certainly! Three of our most successful games are Piggy Tap, Hot and Spicy Jackpot and F777 Fighter.
Piggy Tap is a unique game that combines elements of TapGame mechanics with exciting multiplayer. It delivers a thrilling and immersive gaming experience with its super-fast clicker mechanic. Piggy Tap is a one-button game, ensuring that players remain fully engaged. We’ve managed to blend the thrill of gambling with the simplicity of tapping your way to victory. It has become a hit not only among the usual casino game fans, but also among the new audience that is not interested in slots. I believe that we should look at general trends. Now the trend is fast content: Instagram stories, short tweets, TikTok. Everyone wants to get results quickly. This is what we were aiming for when we launched Piggy Tap and we succeeded. Out of 70 of our games at the moment Piggy Tap brings 30% GGR and 62.5% return of players within 5 days. That’s why we definitely consider it a success. It is far away from slots and its development did not end there.
Piggy Tap combines the thrill of fast-paced tapping with the excitement of online casino rewards. Its seamless and straightforward gameplay, combined with strategic elements and multiplayer interaction, ensures an engaging and rewarding experience for all players. Easy to play with tapping actions. Ideal for casual gaming.
Hot and Spicy Jackpot is a slot that brings the heat with a fiery theme inspired by spicy cuisine. The game’s visuals and sounds create an exciting atmosphere that keeps players engaged. Hot and Spicy Jackpot is perfect for players looking for the thrill of chasing big jackpots. With its unique dual-slot setup, exhilarating Chilly Multiplier, and five exclusive jackpots, this game is perfect for players who crave excitement and big wins.
F777 Fighter is a crash game with an aviation theme. Players place bets and watch their potential winnings grow as the plane flies higher, with the challenge of cashing out before the plane crashes. This game is all about timing and risk assessment, offering a thrilling experience where players can win big or lose it all in an instant. The F777 Fighter game offers unlimited wins from 1x to infinity. F777 Fighter is an exhilarating game that blends high stakes with simple mechanics, making it a favourite for thrill-seekers.
One of the specialties of Onlyplay is crypto games, where the first such game was launched way back in 2016. What is your opinion about cryptocurrency gambling and crypto in general? What trends should we expect?
Christina: Cryptocurrency gambling is an exciting frontier. It offers enhanced security, anonymity, and faster transactions, which are highly valued by modern players. As the adoption of cryptocurrencies continues to grow, we can expect more mainstream acceptance and integration within the iGaming industry. Future trends may include the development of decentralized gaming platforms and more games that leverage blockchain technology for transparent and fair play.
What separates Onlyplay from the competition in such a competitive field as game development?
Christina: Our commitment to innovation and player-centric design sets us apart. We constantly strive to incorporate the latest technologies and create unique, immersive experiences. Our diverse background in different gaming verticals allows us to blend various elements creatively, resulting in games that are not only entertaining but also distinctive. Additionally, our focus on quality and player engagement ensures that our games provide lasting value and enjoyment.
Can you name some of the pros and cons of using AI in the development of games? Also, what is your stance on the use of AI?
Christina: AI is becoming a part of our everyday lives and work, and we can’t ignore it. We need to learn to work with it because those who smartly implement AI in their business can gain big advantages. For example, at Onlyplay, we use GPT chat, which provides fast and quality results, speeds up certain processes, and frees employees from routine tasks.
For art, we sometimes use AI, but it’s harder because the human eye can detect something off. Even if the image is perfect, it can still feel wrong. People who don’t know what AI is will rely on their emotions, which might reject the image. AI-created images can have a WOW effect at first but then start to feel soulless. That’s why we avoid using AI widely in our games because AI art lacks soul.
However, using AI for analytics, predictions, analysis, and statistics is the future. Those who ignore these tools will fall behind because AI lets you leap forward and achieve great results.
In an industry that is known for tricky gambling laws, it can be quite hard for an operator to navigate. What are some of the biggest regulatory challenges that Onlyplay encounters? Are there any particular geos where you find it tricky to conduct your operations?
Christina: For us, it is very important to comply with applicable regulations. We are waiting for the new National Ordinance for Games of Chance (LOK) in Curacao to come into force. It will have quite a huge impact on licenses, namely for B2B sector operations, the one we operate in.
I suppose, we are not an exception and as well as a huge part of the market players, we look at local regulations in South American jurisdictions.
Probably, one of the biggest challenges we face are the tech requirements that differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It takes some time to develop new solutions that comply with local requirements and save the mood and vibe of the game. We understand the importance of such requirements and are eager to deliver the best tech solutions for local players.
Onlyplay has gone through a major rebranding. What inspired you to change the design? What message do you want to convey with the rebranding?
Christina: The rebranding was inspired by our growth and evolution as a company. We wanted our brand to reflect our innovative spirit, our commitment to quality, and our forward-thinking approach. The new design is more dynamic and modern, symbolizing our readiness to embrace the future of gaming. Through this rebranding, we aim to convey a message of continuous improvement, creativity, and our dedication to providing exceptional gaming experiences.
Lastly, where do you see Onlyplay in 5 years from now, Christina? How do you envision the company’s future?
Christina: Our goal in the next 5 years is to become one of the top 10 providers in the iGaming market and I am sure we will get there. My vision is simple: innovation and stable earning projects. We experiment a lot, we are visible on the market with our unconventional and bold solutions. Each of our new innovative projects is better than the previous one, as you can easily see from the success of Piggy Tap. We develop our games based on numbers and intuition, because a game is always about more than just a software release.
Thank you for your time, Christina. We enjoyed picking your brain on such gripping topics!
Christina: Thank you! It was a pleasure discussing these exciting aspects of our industry. I look forward to what the future holds for Onlyplay and the iGaming world.
