Joker Lanterns

About Joker Lanterns

SmartSoft maintains an established and growing presence in Africa, having also co-hosted the iGB L!VE Africa Summit in July.

Through its membership with AiA, SmartSoft will participate in events such as regulatory discussions, strategic roundtables and research initiatives, alongside other operators and suppliers in the market.

SmartSoft CEO Guram Gotsadze said the company’s decision to join the AiA reflected its growing focus on the continent and its commitment to supporting the development of regulated and sustainable gaming markets.

About Joker Lanterns

“The industry has a content problem,” he says. “There are thousands of games being released and too many of them are variations of something that already exists.

“Part of the reason is economics. When games take months and significant money to develop, people naturally become risk-averse. Building on something that already works becomes the safer option.”

For Curwen, tackling the problem therefore means changing the risk-reward equation behind game creation. If creators can develop and test ideas more quickly and at significantly lower cost, an unsuccessful experiment becomes less consequential – and taking a chance on something genuinely different becomes easier to justify.

About Joker Lanterns

“We’re not just competing with other operators; we’re competing with fintech, gaming, technology and consumer brands that often have stronger employer recognition and, in some cases, fewer misconceptions associated with their industry.

“As a result, we can miss out on talented individuals who simply don’t consider our sector.”

While representation remains important, Yaxley warns that many companies still mistake headcount for inclusion.