Evoplay CEO Says Game Design Is the Real Engine Behind Online Casino Growth
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Inside the crowded iGaming market, studios are borrowing the language of video games and measuring whether players stay longer when the experience feels tighter and more alive.
In an interview with BonusFinder, Evoplay chief executive Ivan Kravchuk described game design as the driver of retention and product identity. He linked recent award wins to a strategy built on gamification and player feedback, while pointing to Canada as a first step in a wider North American expansion.
Awards That Put Design, Not Just Math, In the Spotlight
Evoplay's title Adrenaline Rush won the Game Design and Art Direction category at SBC Awards Europe 2025, a result that placed the developer among studios that often compete on mechanics, volatility, and distribution reach. The company later received a second recognition at the broader SBC Awards 2025, named Industry Innovation of the Year.
Kravchuk credited the internal team rather than any single breakthrough, framing the trophy as a marker of process and consistency. He also pointed back to earlier recognition, including a 2022 industry award where the studio's flagship title, Star Guardians, received gold for design and art direction and silver for game innovation.
Why "fundamental" became the word he kept returning to
Asked how design influences satisfaction and retention, Kravchuk kept the answer practical. He described design as the point where player expectations meet the logic of a game, and where small mismatches can quickly erode trust.
"Game design is fundamental. It defines how players feel and interact while playing."
In his framing, problems often surface in places that are easy to overlook, such as a reward rhythm that feels off, an interface that requires too many steps, or visuals that do not match the tempo of play. When those elements align, he argued, players settle in and keep exploring, even when outcomes remain random.
"Good design is always about balance: how mechanics work together, the pacing of wins, how visuals and sounds fit the gameplay."
He cited the Hot Triple Sevens series as an example of iteration without losing a core identity. Across multiple releases, the studio added features and themes while trying to preserve what he described as the charm that made the initial version a repeat choice.
Design as a Product Strategy, Not a Cost of Paint
Casino games have leaned harder into the rhythms of mobile entertainment, and that shift shows up beyond surface visuals. Developers increasingly talk about session length, clarity of progression, and the small design cues that keep a player oriented inside a fast-moving experience.
Kravchuk described Evoplay's approach as building the flow first, then dressing it with theme and effects. He grouped mechanics, sound design, and interface decisions as a single system, rather than separate layers applied in sequence.
For readers tracking releases through aggregator coverage and comparison sites like BonusFinder, the subtext is that design choices now double as commercial decisions. A title is expected to be understandable in seconds, yet deep enough to sustain repeat play across different player segments.
Adrenaline Rush and the push toward gamification
Adrenaline Rush was built around a concept that stands apart from most slot releases: a 3D racing format with manual controls. Kravchuk described it as skill-based, with players influencing outcomes rather than watching an automated sequence resolve.
"It's skill-based, with manual controls that allow players to influence the outcome of each race rather than leaving it solely to chance."
He said the title pairs cars and characters with distinct traits and story lines, then adds leaderboards, player statistics, and bonus rewards. The goal was to make sessions feel like progression, not repetition.
The studio extended the concept into a small connected set: a slot titled Adrenaline Rush: Super Boost and a crash title Adrenaline Rush: XCrash. Kravchuk described the trio as a shared narrative that lets players move between formats depending on taste, from racing to crash timing to traditional reel play.
Growth claims, and the feedback loops behind them
Kravchuk pointed to performance in the first half of 2025, saying Evoplay recorded a 47 percent rise in activity and a 24 percent increase in total bets compared with the same period in 2024. He presented the jump as the payoff of work done over several years.
He cited moves into online lottery and bingo formats, new development concepts, and broader partnerships with affiliates, media, and creators. Player interviews and early access tests, he said, fed back into production decisions.
He pointed to Uncrossable Rush as a joint release with an affiliate platform that tracked player preferences, and to an early access campaign for Oath of Steel with SlotsCalendar, where feedback covered visuals, mechanics, and gameplay.
Canada as a First Step Into a Larger North American Plan
The interview also highlighted market access, particularly in Canada. Kravchuk said the company secured a supplier licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and followed it with partnerships that increased distribution in the province.
"Canada is an important market for us as our first step into North America."
He described the market as mature, with experienced players and local studios that value entertainment-driven content. In Ontario, he said, Evoplay titles such as Hot Triple Sevens, Hot Volcano, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy were among the games already available through operator partnerships, with further localisation expected to follow player response.
Kravchuk described Canada as a demanding entry point that required focus and resources. He said the rollout would stay gradual, with more partner deals and promotions aimed at building a long-term presence.
The comments present casino game development as closer to mainstream entertainment production than a simple content pipeline. Awards and growth metrics were framed as outputs of a design-first process, tested in competitive, regulated markets.
In Kravchuk's telling, the next wave is shaped by balance and flow. When those elements hold, players do not need to notice the design for it to work.