In the fall of 2020 Gaming Corps engaged Swedish cloud provider Binero for the implementation of the Company’s direct integration distribution model. The implementation was carried out seamlessly thanks to outstanding customer service on behalf of the Binero team. Last week Binero published a case article on the Gaming Corps partnership which we are happy to make available today in English.
Gaming Corps partners with Binero to enable new strategy in record time
The last few years have been a rollercoaster journey for Gaming Corps. But with the arrival of a new management team in 2018, the Swedish online game developer has gone from strength to strength. Today, following a successful move to enable direct integration with casino operators, one of the main challenges is keeping up with demand.
A high-stakes business
Gaming Corps develops original content for Gaming and iGaming. They specialize in online casino games, one of the fastest-growing segments in the gaming industry. The rewards can be handsome, but the competition is fierce, and solid backing by dedicated owners is paramount. While the games may appear simple, you only need to look behind the scenes to realize that the reality is anything but.
Gambling is a heavily regulated industry. The legal exposure can often be prohibitive, forcing smaller developers to distribute their games through aggregator platforms instead of directly to the casinos. But using an intermediary comes at a cost, so when studios have the financial strength and technical infrastructure in place to manage the risks, they can cut out the middleman and integrate their games directly with the casino operators.
Juha Kauppinen, CEO of Gaming Corps, talks about the company’s recent journey, “We spent the last few years developing a strong portfolio of premium games, and we’re now seeing an increase in demand. We’re also receiving more inquiries from casino operators looking to partner with us on exclusive content. It’s a great testament that we’re doing something right.”
Timing is everything
On the back of this newfound momentum, Gaming Corps felt the time was right to explore the possibility of direct integration. Juha explains the importance of this step, “The ability to go directly to the operators is a game-changer for studios. We can increase our share of profits and build stronger partnerships with our end customers. We’re still a relatively small outfit, but we have a strong team with plenty of experience. We just needed a way to manage the risk.”
The risk relates to the technical infrastructure required to connect to the operators and to host and monitor the games. System downtime and errors in transaction logging can have severe repercussions in terms of hefty fines or, even retraction of a company’s gambling license.
Live with Binero in less than 24 hours!
Implementing a direct integration strategy was going to require significantly more server and database capacity. Like most game developers, Gaming Corps used Amazon AWS, the de facto industry standard. However, AWS is by no means the cheapest option out there, so finding the right cloud partner would be essential.
Following a meeting with Binero, the companies agreed to give it a shot. Juha explains, “Binero was a great fit for us. It’s a publicly listed Swedish company with a strong ethos, much like ourselves. It was all very straightforward – we just put our technical guys in touch with theirs. The next thing I hear is that we’re up and running, ready to connect with the first operator. We were live in less than 24 hours!
“This is what happens when you get technical experts talking directly to each other.”
Juha Kauppinen, CEO at Gaming Corps, reflects on the speedy implementation.
Performance and stability
Dealing directly with the operators means there’s a greater onus on Gaming Corps to ensure the stability and performance of the infrastructure.
Vincent Calay Roche, IT and Development Director at Gaming Corps, knows what it takes to succeed. “Players don’t tolerate lagging games. When a casino launches one of our games, the user experience must be perfect. With Binero’s public cloud, I can add new servers and increase or decrease database capacity when needed. It only takes a minute. It’s very flexible.”
Vincent continues, “We wanted a partner that could offer timely, high-quality technical support. I have to say that Binero’s support has been nothing short of outstanding. When we have a question, you get talking to the right person straight away. It is so much faster than with Amazon. I’d urge anyone looking for a cloud provider to look them up.”
“I have to say that Binero’s support is nothing short of outstanding.”
Vincent Calay Roche, IT and Development Director at Gaming Corps, talking about what it’s like to work with a local cloud partner vs. US giants like Amazon
The sky is the limit
Today, three months after the initial setup, Gaming Corps is live with direct integration to several casinos, many of them operating multiple brands. But for CEO Juha Kauppinen, this is only the beginning. “Our new integration model has taken us to the next level. The speed at which we made it happen was incredible, much owed to the team at Binero. With their support and highly scalable and cost-effective solution, we have all the confidence we need to accelerate our growth plans. What else can you ask for? This is what partnership is all about.”
