Anastasios Ioannidis, Head of Affiliate at Pragmatic Play, takes us behind the curtain of two very different yet equally inventive releases: Sweet Rush Bonanza and Money Time. From the candy-coloured chaos of a multiplies-filled slot to the fast-paced thrill of a live game show, he explains how familiar worlds can be reshaped to surprise players. The focus is on clever mechanics, player-driven design, and finding new ways to keep engagement fresh without losing the essence of what makes each game memorable.
Sweet Rush Bonanza and Money Time are two of the biggest new releases from Pragmatic Play. How do these games create experiences that go beyond traditional slots or live casino gameplay?
Anastasios Ioannidis: Sweet Rush Bonanza combines pays-anywhere prizes and multiplier spots to deliver an exhilarating, action-packed experience. Winning symbols mark their positions on the grid with a 1x multiplier, doubling each time another symbol hits on that spot on the same spin, up to 128x. And if more than one multiplier features in a winning combination, their values are added together. Pragmatic Play has a strong collection of candy-themed games, and Sweet Rush Bonanza adds a new flavour to the mix.
Money Time, meanwhile, takes the popular prize wheel format and adds bet spot boosters, bonus boosters, and four bonus games – not to mention an enormous 40,000x max win! The bonus games combine bingo ball mechanics, wheel spins, player interactivity, and more for an action-packed experience.
How did player behaviour factor into the development of Sweet Rush Bonanza?
Anastasios Ioannidis: The candyland theme is an all-time classic at Pragmatic Play, hosting some of the supplier’s best and most iconic slots. Sweet Rush Bonanza invites players back with another sugar-filled slot, filled with popular mechanics like multiplier spots and pays-anywhere prizes. While set in a familiar world with player-favourite features, this is an original new slot that brings something unique to Pragmatic Play’s sweet range.
What are the key features of Money Time?
Anastasios Ioannidis: Money Time is a thrilling live game show set in a custom-built studio. Taking centre stage is a 54-segment wheel offering four cash prizes and entry to the four bonus games. On every spin, a booster is applied to one of the bet spots, multiplying prizes by up to 50x.
The Cash Roll, Coin Rush, and Money Time bonus games each come with their own bonus booster, while the Bank Heist bonus game offers the chance to win the maximum prize of 40,000x. The fast-paced action, exciting and interactive bonus games, and huge win potential are the main features of Money Time – it’s a lot of fun to play and has plenty of rewards to unlock.
Money Time and Sweet Rush Bonanza are rounding out a bumper year for Pragmatic Play. What else is coming in 2025?
Anastasios Ioannidis: In live casino, Pragmatic Play has already released three game shows this year – Fortune Roulette, Dice City, and Money Time. A fourth is coming at the end of October, with Mega Roulette 3000 taking one of Pragmatic Play’s most popular game shows and introducing more Mega Lucky Numbers and bigger Mega Multipliers of up to 3,000x on straight-up bets. In slots, there so many great games yet to launch in 2025 – Oracle of Gold, Wisdom of Athena 1000 Xmas, Big Bass Splash 1000. The big one is Fortune of Olympus in December. This will take the Gates of Olympus universe in a fresh direction.
How does Pragmatic Play plan upcoming releases? How does it decide which new trends to include?
Anastasios Ioannidis: Feedback is important, whether it’s from operators, players or within the business. The performance of games also influences the roadmap to a large extent, especially when there is such appetite among players for sequels, special editions, and new gaming experiences inspired by hit releases. All trends will be considered on their merits, but Pragmatic Play remains focused on delivering a diverse selection of new games, themes, and features designed for a range of players and markets.
With a background in digital media and a keen eye for emerging technologies, Ronaldo bridges the gap between players and platforms through clear, insightful reporting to the iGaming industry.
