Why Gamingtec? 5 Questions to Liam Mulvaney

In February 2021 Gamingtec’s commercial team was joined by a new Commercial Director, Liam Mulvaney, an expert in the iGaming industry that spent the last 10 years in product and commercial roles with leading slot providers such as Netent and Quickspin, and is also the Co-founder of Plank Gaming. Liam is always ready for new challenges and has ambitious goals for Gamingtec. In this interview, he outlined how the industry has progressed over the last 10 years and the ways platform providers meet the new demands. He also gives his reasons for joining Gamingtec, and the biggest challenges to face in this position.

How would you describe yourself?

L.M.: I would say curious and persistent are the two words that describe me best. Curiosity drives me most of the time, be it at work, at home or anywhere. Living in the 21st century is brilliant for me as any questions can be instantly googled so knowledge is readily available and I am a firm believer that we will never know everything, so why stop asking questions? Unfortunately, my kids don’t always appreciate this much.

You live in Malta, while the Gamingtec development team’s office is in Ukraine. Have you ever been to this country?

L.M.: Unfortunately, not yet and Covid has further delayed me into being there but I am looking forward to visiting the country and, most importantly, meeting everyone at the office! Everybody has been amazing and welcoming. I have had a lot of questions but at no point did I feel extra, which goes to show the attitude and culture that is fostered. That of inclusion and teamwork. That being said, I look forward to replacing slack and zoom calls for coffee over medovik very soon!

Why not another game studio?

L.M.: During the last 10 years I have always worked on the content provider side, having also co-founded a game studio. I felt there was a need for a challenge and Gamingtec was a great fit. I have known Gamingtec since its inception in 2013, so they of course were not strangers. With the challenges that platforms face, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to continue learning and being a stronger part of the conversation.

How has the industry progressed over the last 10 years and how do platforms fit into the future?

L.M.: One of the main reasons I love this industry is because it is so dynamic. Since I started in 2011, a year hasn’t gone by where I didn’t think to myself “this is going to be a hell of a year!” It never disappoints. The industry has matured and is now no longer a toddler that can get away with anything. It’s being held more and more accountable (although not always in a fair manner) for how it does business which lends to it becoming more professional. It went from an amazingly male-dominated industry to becoming more balanced. This can be seen not only at Gamingtec but throughout. The pity is that it’s still an achievement rather than a norm.

Platforms have also become increasingly popular as they tend to be an easy route to some suppliers. It has become an exception that top suppliers integrate directly with brands. This means that for a new brand to be able to access popular content it will take months if ever. This is the reason why Gamingtec is constantly working with providers to get access to the best content out there, making it accessible to our partners in a timely manner. This means one single integration gets you multiple suppliers which ties neatly into platform providers becoming more permanent.

In regard to the future, we can see regulations becoming more and more commonplace but it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it protects and creates a fair playing field, but on the other, it risks strangling that fabled “innovation” and margins. It does not seem to be changing for the better and it has become more and more common place for platform providers to have a more permanent role with brands. Platform services such as turnkey or white label solutions were most regarded as temporary, but due to declining margins and longer timeframes to go live, this could potentially change in the future.

Why Gamingtec? What are the biggest challenges you will face and your expectations?

L.M.: During 2020, Gamingtec has done a fantastic job in building up its brand and 2021 will see it continue to do so, with a bigger focus on expanding its sales base. So, it was a perfect time for me to join as Commercial Director. Having known Gamingtec since the start, technology has always played a big part in their strategy and they have shown it consistently with one of the most stable platforms on the market. They are laser-focused on their goals for 2021 and I could not be happier to be part of the team achieving these goals.

This industry has never lacked in providing challenges so I am sure there will be many. One of the biggest challenges I will face here is becoming more of an allrounder when it comes to the many products we offer. I spent the last 10 years in product and commercial roles with slot providers such as Netent, Quickspin and Plank so it has been invigorating to start learning something from scratch, like sportsbook, and thanks to my colleagues here it has been a great start.

My biggest expectation whenever I start a new role is to be met by other professionals who are always willing to learn and share their knowledge. I find it is the only way people can help each other grow. Gamingtec has been exceptional at fostering such an internal culture and it was something that I could feel from the first day I started meeting my fellow team members.