The pedigree provider: Tony Singer of High 5 Games reflects upon the opportunities in the US

EGR North America (EGR NA): How has High 5 Games approached the US market?

Tony Singer (TS): We’re in a rather unique position because of our pedigree. High 5 Games is an American company, founded in New York City with headquarters still here. So we’re not coming from across the pond, hoping to capitalize on this new North American gold rush. We got our start in the US and we’ve actually been in the market for 25 years. Go to any land-based casino in the US and we’re on the floor. We’ve been there for decades. That means we have several decades of experience not just serving US customers, but designing games for US players. We know what US slots players respond to. We understand what kind of games and features they want. We’re really tuned into what drives them, what motivates them, and what keeps them coming back. Our experience at home means we can navigate the sometimes complex and ever-changing US igaming landscape with ease, hit the ground running when each state greenlights online casino games, and deliver products players love.

EGR NA: How familiar are players in the US with your online games?

TS: Very familiar. We’re an online casino content provider, but we’re also operators here in the US and around the world. Our B2C business is part of our DNA. For the last eight years, we’ve operated a social casino. We have over 25 million slot players there. And outside of the US, we run an online casino based on our own casino platform technology. We plan on bringing our own online casino to regulated igaming sites in the US We think our social players are going to respond extremely well to what we have to offer in the real-money space.

When you mix our online casino, social casino, and land-based experience all together it’s pretty amazing. Not many companies have this kind of special relationship with US players. Think about it. If you’re in the US, you can go to Las Vegas, play our games on the casino floor, head home, hop onto our social casino, and play the same games. It’s the same experience wherever you go. And soon, you’ll be able to play at our US online casino, or at any of the sites operated by our partners.

EGR NA: What are your aims for 2021 and beyond?

TS: Our goal is pretty simple. We want to be everywhere igaming is regulated in the US. As new states come online, we’re ready to jump in and bring our brand of entertainment to more and more players. And that’s not just true in the US. The landscape in Canada is also changing, and we’re focused on making sure we have a major presence north of the 49th parallel, too. Just like the US, we’ve been on the floor of Canadian casinos for decades, and in social gaming for years. There are lots of similarities between the two markets, so we’re really excited and motivated by what’s ahead.

EGR NA: How does your strategy vary state by state?

TS: There are some nuances in state regulations. But we’ve partnered with GLI and other regulatory bodies for testing and approvals so that we’ll be prepared to launch our games the second we can in each and every state open for igaming. We believe in the importance of partnerships, so we have partnerships with multi-state operators, datacentres, and other infrastructure partners. We’ve had relationships with land-based casinos years before the US opened up the igaming market. That meant that when the US gave the go-ahead for igaming, we were able to just jump right in.

EGR NA: What are the unique opportunities for High 5 in the US?

TS: What sets High 5 Games apart is that we’re focused on B2B and B2C. With our B2C initiative, we’re able to introduce, test, and fine-tune new features with our core player base in a far more efficient way. And then we bring these games to our B2B customers with the confidence that they’re going to be well-received. Our B2C and B2B models co-exist to help serve the player, create better experiences, and ultimately drive revenue to our operators.

At the heart of it all is our Innovation Lab. They’re focused on creating unique offerings and features for the US market. Things like Diamonds, the spendable currency that’s available on High5Casino.com. Another example that the US market will soon get to experience is Rapid Rewards, a new way for operators to monetize players.

And because our platform is extremely robust, we’re able to do some incredible things in the B2B and B2C spaces. One of our big initiatives that we’re focusing on is responsible gaming. Today, our employees are trained to recognize changing gaming patterns and behavior. But we’re taking responsible gaming to the next level with technology that’ll identify betting patterns and encourage responsible gaming. As US igaming evolves and grows, it’s important for content producers and platform providers to play a role in making sure everyone is having fun in a safe, responsible way. We’re excited to take the lead on that.

EGR NA: What’s on the horizon for High 5?

TS: This summer, we’re introducing customized in-game promotions called Rapid Rewards. They’re ready to go so no integration is required on the operator’s end. Players within a segment selected by the operator will be offered rewards randomly with every spin, ranging from cash to Feature Boosts to 3x payouts. We’re rolling Rapid Rewards out soon in Michigan and New Jersey on select games, including The Green Machine Deluxe Racking Up Riches, Valley of Fortunes, Defenders of the Realm, Betti the Yetti, and more. Rapid Rewards is a high retention tool for our operators and partners. It’s an investment in keeping players engaged with real-time responses to how they play.

EGR NA: Tony, you’ve been in igaming in the US and Europe for many years. What’s the difference?

TS: Great question. They’re both very different and very similar. I think my European friends entering the market here are a bit shocked by our regulations. But we’re used to it through our experience in the land-based world. Understanding how everything works here really helped us enter the market on day one in New Jersey.

The other big difference relates to the issues around intellectual property and trademarks. The protections for creators are different in the US, especially in the casino world. We’ve started licensing our IP and game features to new customers who want to enter this market. It’s definitely an interesting and exciting time to be in igaming.

Since the company’s founding in 1995, Anthony Singer has transformed High 5 Games from a land-based content creator into an all-digital powerhouse, spearheading innovations for the land-based, social, and real-money online casino worlds in the B2B and B2C spaces. Under Singer’s leadership, High 5 Games has become a highly respected player in the world’s largest regulated igaming markets.