Inside Pragmatic Play: An Exclusive Interview with Head of B2C Marketing Daniel Hansen
In this interview, Daniel Hansen, Head of B2C Marketing at ARRISE, the company behind Pragmatic Play, discusses the factors he sees behind the supplier’s growth in online casino gaming. His comments touch on its approach to developing titles and responding to a changing market.
The conversation ranges from Pragmatic Play’s expansion and game development process to its stated focus on player satisfaction. For readers interested in its catalogue, Hansen describes how Pragmatic Play titles are designed and positioned for online casinos.
Q1. Can you share Pragmatic Play's journey since it first started? What would you say has really made the company stand out and succeed in this competitive industry?
Hansen describes Pragmatic Play as a comparatively young supplier that has grown quickly. He says the team’s drive stands out, alongside a history of learning and development from modest beginnings. In his view, the company has benefited from responding to shifts in the industry and aiming to create games that help define their genres. That combination, he suggests, has supported its fast rise and continued profile in the sector.
Hansen says there is no single formula that guarantees success in gaming. He points instead to Pragmatic Play’s practice of starting with what casino players may want from a title, then shaping features, themes and graphics around that idea. He also highlights mechanical design intended to encourage players to return across the catalogue.
He points to John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways™, as an example of those design choices. Special expanding symbols can cover the reels and help unlock further wins, set within an adventure associated with the John Hunter series. The game also uses the familiar Megaways™ mechanic as part of its format.
In Hansen’s account, players have come to connect Pragmatic Play slots with a consistent standard, a principle he says informs the supplier’s catalogue. He attributes the company’s progress in part to its ongoing aim of producing what it considers high-quality slots for the market.
Q2. What does Pragmatic Play do differently from other iGaming companies to make its games more engaging and entertaining for players?
Hansen says Pragmatic Play releases a substantial range of premium games each month, serving different tastes and markets. A broad release schedule, he explains, gives the company material to review and refine against audience response. Sequels, new themes and mechanics can arrive in parallel, helping the team learn which features players favour in its online slots.
That process, he says, gives the studio room to test concepts and shape later releases around what it learns. He cites Wisdom of Athena™, released in June, as a blend of mechanics and features also found in Gates of Olympus™. Its design includes pay-anywhere wins, multipliers and a tumble feature after each win. Consecutive wins can reveal mystery symbols above the board, which may improve the chance of a further result. The game draws on elements that Hansen says audiences have responded to elsewhere in the supplier’s catalogue.
Q3. Pragmatic Play has a very diverse gaming portfolio, spanning from slots to live casino games. Can you walk us through how new titles are developed when created by Pragmatic Play?
Hansen says work on new slot formats and Live Casino games begins with ideation. Team members discuss possible concepts, themes and features, and their contributions help establish a direction for each title. He says customer input from different jurisdictions also informs the process. Once an initial concept is in place, teams develop the artwork, music, animations, mathematics and other components. Compliance staff are involved throughout, he adds, so titles can be adapted to the requirements of each jurisdiction and player safeguards considered. In his view, bringing different disciplines and perspectives together helps shape the finished game.
Q4. Can you tell us a little bit about your Live Casino operation and its top games?
Hansen characterises the Live Casino portfolio through three aims: adding a twist, transforming and elevating the experience. He points to Snakes & Ladders Live™, which reworks the well-known board game as a Live Casino title, as an example of the approach.
The supplier also gives familiar Live Casino formats a different presentation, Hansen says. In Vegas Ball Bonanza™, players buy tickets tied to numbered balls drawn at random from a tumbling device. Lucky Numbers and Bonus Multiplier features add variations while retaining a recognisable game-show structure.
Sweet Bonanza CandyLand™ combines ideas from the Sweet Bonanza™ slot with Live Casino presentation, and offers six bet types during play. Hansen also names Blackjack and Baccarat as popular classics, noting that these titles use 4k cameras and low latency streaming. Cinematic effects and newer technology are used to give the games a more immersive presentation.
Q5. As of 2023, which games from Pragmatic Play's portfolio are most popular, and why do you think they've won players' hearts?
Hansen says some established titles continue to draw returning players and have become regular choices for slot fans. Among them is the award-winning Gates of Olympus™, whose Greek setting, pay-anywhere format and rising multipliers remain appealing two years after release. He singles out the prospect of multipliers reaching 500x in both the base game and free spins as a feature that can substantially change a win and add suspense to a spin.
He also describes Zeus vs Hades Gods of War™ as a newer release that attracted attention with its portrayal of two battling titans. Players can choose a volatility level, which affects the graphics, symbols and bonus mechanics, creating two distinct play styles. Hansen says that flexibility has helped support replay interest since launch. Sugar Rush™ has also earned multiple Game of the Year awards since its release; he credits its straightforward rules, sweet theme and gradually rising multipliers for its appeal.
Hansen adds that Wisdom of Athena™ has become a favourite for some players through its mystery reel and familiar tumble feature, also used in Gates of Olympus™. Beyond slots, he points to Sweet Bonanza CandyLand™ and Spaceman™ as popular titles that combine elements from different game categories, broadening the kinds of entertainment available in a play session.
Q6. In recent years, there's been an increasing emphasis on responsible gaming. How is Pragmatic Play addressing this in its games and overall strategy?
Hansen says player protection is the company’s leading priority and part of its stated aim to create enjoyable games. He describes responsible gaming considerations as part of the development and release process, beginning with the concept for a title and continuing into decisions about how it is marketed.
Because Pragmatic Play supplies games across markets with different regulatory frameworks, Hansen says compliance with each regulated market’s requirements is a central consideration in how titles are prepared for release.
Q7. Could you share some of Pragmatic Play's future plans or projects? What can fans of your games expect in the next year or two?
Hansen said players could look forward to more polished games built around entertainment and engaging play. He also pointed to a pipeline of upcoming titles for audiences to explore.
Starlight Princess 1000™ was scheduled to launch on the 26th of October, with multipliers up to 1000 times. The planned entry in the Starlight Princess™ series was presented as a release for fans of anime-themed games.
The interview also previewed Sugar Rush Xmas™. Pragmatic Play’s sweet-themed slot was due in November, with a festive treatment of its 7x7 classic Slot format.
Alongside those new slots, Hansen highlighted Treasure Island™ as an anticipated Live Casino release. It was described as using cinematic technology to set a mystery-and-treasure adventure on a deserted island. The launch was set for the 29th of November.
Another title in the interview’s release preview was Lucky 6™, planned for December. The game show was described as a Roulette variation featuring Lucky Numbers and other additions, with more chances to win framed as part of its format. Hansen presented it as another example of the supplier’s effort to add twists to its Live Casino games and reshape the player experience.
With 12+ years of experience in the iGaming industry, Evan specializes in reviewing online casinos, analyzing slot games, and evaluating player safety. Their expertise covers casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus conditions, and withdrawal policies. Through hands-on testing and independent research, Evan delivers transparent, fact-based reviews to help players better understand gambling platforms, their features, and potential risks.
