Paata Barbakadze: Slot Launches in a Crowded Market – An Interview with ThunderSpin
In this interview, CasinoRank speaks with Paata Barbakadze, Head of Marketing at ThunderSpin, about how slot launches are evolving in an era of content overload. From building strong operator relationships and defining a clear game identity to aligning marketing with real player behavior, the conversation explores what it truly takes for a new title to stand out and perform inside today’s competitive casino environment.
The global iGaming market is producing more slot games than ever before, making successful implementation in iGaming and long-term performance increasingly difficult in a landscape shaped by content saturation. With operators reviewing dozens of releases each week and players overwhelmed by choice, Paata Barbakadze explains why a strong slot launch now depends on visibility, positioning, and a clearly defined identity from day one.
With so many slot launches every month, how hard is it today to get a new game noticed?
Paata Barbakadze: Today, the industry doesn’t struggle to produce good games – the real challenge is content overload. Attention has become the most valuable currency we’re all competing for.
To stand out, a game needs a clear identity from day one – something players can understand in seconds. But even that won’t be enough without strong, guaranteed visibility through partner operators.
Players need to experience a game in a real environment, and operators are the ones who make that possible. That’s why building strong, open, and genuinely collaborative relationships with our partners is just as important as the game itself.
Industry-wide, similar collaboration efforts are becoming more structured, with recent iGaming compliance partnerships reinforcing the importance of alignment between operators and technology providers.
When you’re planning a launch, what’s the first question your marketing team usually asks before anything else?
Paata Barbakadze: For us, everything starts with the player’s point of view. The main question is very straightforward: would we play this game ourselves?
Not from a marketing angle, but as real users. We believe creators need to personally experience the product they’re building. What matters most to us is what the game makes you feel – the emotions it triggers and the reason you’d want to play again.
If we can’t answer that clearly, no amount of creative work will make it successful.
Visuals, themes, storytelling – what usually comes first when deciding how to market a new ThunderSpin title?
Paata Barbakadze: This is a very interesting question, especially considering where ThunderSpin is right now as a company.
This year marked a major transformation for us. We built a new operational team, and the second and third quarters were focused on assembling a marketing team and defining a new strategy – one that will fully come to life from 2026. You should expect some fundamental changes.
That said, there is still a legacy direction from before this transformation, and it will continue to influence our releases until the end of Q1 2026. Until now, the focus has been on proven mechanics and familiar themes, staying close to what already works.
What’s changing is that we now have a clear plan to create products that truly stand out. I can’t share too much yet, but I can promise some very exciting things ahead.
How do you know when a game’s marketing is working? Are there specific signals you look for early on?
Paata Barbakadze: Yes, and they appear very early.
From the operator side, it’s about engagement – how fast partners react, how many questions they ask, whether they request assets or special placements.
From the player side, we look at click-through behavior, lobby visibility performance, and early retention signals. If players open the game but don’t stay, marketing didn’t do its job properly – it overpromised or miscommunicated.
Operators see dozens of releases every week. What do you think makes them stop, look twice, and say, “This one’s interesting”?
Paata Barbakadze: Operators are looking for confidence and simplicity.
A distinct positioning, a strong visual hook, and an easy-to-understand value proposition go a long way. They don’t want to guess how to sell a game to players – they want a package that’s ready to perform.
If a provider shows they understand operator needs, not just player appeal, that’s when attention really shifts.
This shift reflects broader recent industry developments influencing how operators evaluate new content and distribution partnerships.
From your seat in marketing, what trends are you seeing right now that are changing how slot launches are promoted?
Paata Barbakadze: The biggest shift is toward performance-driven storytelling. Flashy visuals alone are no longer enough. Marketing now needs to be measurable, modular, and adaptable across channels, from operator banners to in-game promotion tools.
Another key trend is closer alignment between product and marketing. The strongest launches happen when marketing is involved early, shaping how features are communicated rather than just decorating them at the end.
A very good example of this is the collectible prize system, which leading casinos are already using successfully in their promotions.
If we look at the Georgian market – which is known for having highly engaged and well-rewarded players – all major online casinos actively use this system, and the results are consistently strong.
I believe it’s only a matter of time before this principle becomes a standard feature inside slot games themselves, not just in promotional campaigns.
These trends highlight how slot launches are increasingly shaped by performance data, operator collaboration, and early player engagement rather than visuals alone.
About Paata Barbakadze
Paata Barbakadze is Head of Marketing at ThunderSpin, specializing in go-to-market strategy, product positioning, and performance optimization within the iGaming sector. His expertise includes launch planning, player lifecycle metrics, and aligning product, commercial, and marketing teams to support operator-led distribution models.
With a data-driven approach to brand and acquisition strategy, Paata focuses on translating product mechanics into clear market propositions that drive engagement, retention, and sustainable growth in competitive regulated markets. He plays a central role in shaping ThunderSpin’s evolving brand direction and product transformation strategy through 2026.