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CEO Imran Bukhari sat down with Gaming International Online to share insight about the company’s mission to expand its presence in the thriving African gaming market

Written by NE GROUP | Aug 5, 2024 12:16:47 PM

NE Group is a premier B2B iGaming software supplier that has built its success on a unique ability to provide innovative and lightweight frontend solutions. Sitting under NE Group are two progressive verticals: NE Games and NE Sportsbook. NE Games specialises in creating unique sports-focused games that seamlessly blend elements from both Sportsbook and Casino platforms. This focus significantly grabs players’ attention and boosts user retention by offering a cohesive gaming experience that bridges the traditional gaps found between these two types of gaming environments. The second part of the business is NE Sportsbook which provides a robust and modular platform that is engineered from the ground up. Thriving in markets like Latin America and Africa requires a lightweight frontend that ensures engaging and dynamic gaming experiences for users. This platform supports a variety of sports content applications, underscoring NE Group’s commitment to innovation and quality in the iGaming sector. NE Group has a dynamic and ambitious plan for the African market that brings great expectations.

A FOCUS ON AFRICA

Our focus in Africa was originally on creating lightweight frontend websites in Kenya, later expanding to more of the regulated markets. The strategy has involved tailoring our products and solutions specifically to meet the diverse needs of this region. This commitment has enabled the business to expand its operation into 12 countries within Africa. Understanding and addressing the specific requirements of our customers in Africa has been a cornerstone of our excellent results. Belief in serving our customers conscientiously will enable us to make even more substantial inroads in the upcoming financial year, further amplifying our reach. Africa is a key market owing to its significant growth that has made it incredibly attractive for international betting operators. Evidence is in the rising revenue figures across the continent, where a considerable portion in fact derives from casino-style games, fixed odds contingencies, accepted under sports betting licences in several African markets. NE Group has figured strongly in many of these success stories working in collaboration with multiple brands where we have leveraged our platform with agility needed to capture customer attention and provide continuous improvements to keep customers happy.

BUILDING ON THE POPULARITY OF CRASH GAMES

Crash games are loved for many factors but the first perhaps is players are attracted to the nature of an instant result. This is supported by players having a sense of control of the game’s outcome - together these make an incredibly appealing game. As long as these game and product developers remain willing to innovate and align their games with what players are looking for, the popularity of crash games will continue to rise. Following the launch of our updated football-inspired crash game, Defender, the response has been overwhelmingly positive from players in Africa. This reaction can be attributed to our strategic focus on creating a game that instantly connects with football fans within our user base. Since kick-off, t’s been clear there’s been a major spike in engagement rates, seeing playtimes jump from 2.5x to 4x longer across the various brands we collaborate with. NE Group will continue to reimagine and bring new elements to the gaming experience based on player feedback. One example is the recent introduction of new features such as missions within the game. These are aligned to platform bonuses and rewards, giving players a more immersive and rewarding experience.

THE MISSION CONTINUES

Our first mission is sustaining and then growing our growth forecast for the company’s tier one customers, ensuring we continue to deliver premier service and innovation. Further work will be on maximising the results from a recently announced Joint Venture specifically designed to accelerate our expansion efforts across Africa. This progressive project will broaden our reach and deepen our market presence significantly. Other work will be enhancing the offerings and distribution capabilities of NE Games. We are passionate about continuously improving the platform offering with gamification features that enrich the user experience and boost player engagement. There will also be a steady stream of new user engagement content launched through our app, which will help create more immersive and engaging gaming experiences.