RubyPlay: "We are continually refining our approach to stay ahead of trends"

In an exclusive Q&A with Yogonet, Linda Villa, Sales Operations Manager at RubyPlay, delves into the company's strategic entry into the US iGaming market, marking a pivotal milestone with its launch in New Jersey. She highlights the unique challenges faced during this expansion and the collaborative efforts that ensured a successful adaptation to the region’s stringent regulatory landscape.

With ICE on the horizon, to take place January 20 - 22 in Barcelona, Villa reveals how RubyPlay plans to leverage its new US presence to showcase its game offerings and broader company growth. 

RubyPlay has made significant strides in 2024 with its entry into the US iGaming market, starting in New Jersey. Can you share what makes this milestone so important for the company and what players can expect from RubyPlay's games in this region?

The US market has been an objective for RubyPlay since day one, so it’s definitely a core milestone. Although I must admit, it is just the beginning. While the US is indeed a very important market for RubyPlay, it is what this entrance represents for our product and team’s contribution that means a lot to us.

We are committed to delivering quality games that reach various niches of players. But these niches are border-agnostic and part of our grand plan is to reach all markets, one license (or game certificate) at a time. So, our entrance into the US is a product of both these goals. 

The US market is known for its unique player base and regulations. What challenges has RubyPlay faced during this launch, and how has the company adapted its approach to meet these challenges?

Coordination was crucial in this market. Every department played a critical role in our readiness for our New Jersey entrance and such timing and delivery per department was a group effort that required weekly meetings, accountability per task, and transparency. The US is not our first market, but on a requirement level, our entry into New Jersey showcased our ability to adapt and innovate to meet regulatory and market demands from each department.

It was a flex for the company as a whole and we adapted by sticking to our principles of holding ourselves accountable, asking for help when needed, and upholding the overall goal. No man was an island for this project, as we know very well from previous projects, and we applied this same philosophy to New Jersey. 

RubyPlay's stand at SBC Lisbon

With ICE just around the corner, how does RubyPlay plan to leverage its recent US expansion to make an impact at the event? What can delegates and partners expect at your stand this year?

It will definitely be mentioned a lot at our booth at ICE (stop by 2B44!), so the news will spread quite well. Our expansion into the US is kind of a trojan horse because it’s not just about the US but rather our expansion as a company on a product, service, and commercial level. So, we will definitely be using the news about our US entrance to support this expansion and the kind of games and promotional tools that our team has pushed to develop and succeed in.

This year at ICE, we’re excited to showcase three of our standout titles: Giga Match® North Pole, Giga Match® Fruits, and Immortal Ways® Cleopatra. Each of these games represents a unique blend of innovative mechanics and captivating design, tailored to resonate with players in both established and emerging markets. These titles not only highlight the creativity and agility of our team but also demonstrate our commitment to delivering games that excel in engagement and retention globally.

Can you provide insights into how RubyPlay’s game design philosophy is evolving to cater to players in the US while staying competitive globally?

We focus on building the capability to have a fast time to market. Then we use this capability to iterate on mechanics and art. Artists are given more freedom to be more interpretative, which gives us many new innovative designs. We are able to innovate on mechanics and math models we see working in the market. Time to market means we need not compromise how personalized our products are for our global client pool.

We are continually refining our approach to stay ahead of trends, but it’s the fact that we have a shorter delivery time and a wider range of artistic interpretations that gives us the flexibility to try various concepts and quickly pivot toward the mechanics and themes that perform. 

As we look ahead to 2025, what trends or developments do you anticipate will shape the US iGaming market, and how is RubyPlay preparing to lead in this rapidly growing space? 

Instant games may be something worth having a look at for the US market. Slots are dominating the market; we can’t ignore it. But I think U.S. players will be curious to try more verticals of entertainment. It’s a pretty young market for online gaming, but the players are being exposed to record-breaking content releases and I believe that also means record-breaking shifts in audience preference and curiosities.

Trends move in waves on a global level, and what is often starting in one continent will eventually make its way to the next one.