Mark Dieckmann, founder and CEO of WINFELLAS, is a man on a mission
WINFELLAS has developed a solution that transforms solo game sessions into thrilling multiplayer entertainment. One of the Malta-based company’s first clients is Whow GmbH in Germany, operator of the social casino brand, Jackpot.de. With more than four million registered users, this is the leading brand in the EU social casino community.
The WINFELLAS technology allows players to engage in social rooms, share the excitement of games and interact with fellow enthusiasts through a range of social features. It is visionary, it is disruptive, it is rapidly gaining traction and it is the brainchild of serial industry entrepreneur, Mark Dieckmann.
MBA-educated, Mark’s CV reveals beginnings in banking business, leading to a clear specialisation in digital start-ups. He says it was a “no-brainer” for him to enter the iGaming sector. Eight years heading up Gauselmann Group subsidiary edict egaming in Hamburg, and several years as a joint venture partner with ORYX Gaming was the ideal apprenticeship.
The dream of playing together
Three years ago, Mark recognised that the iGaming industry wasn’t moving forward with certain breakthroughs in the way that he had hoped. Mark is a pioneer, 20 years ago he was Germany’s first holder of an online licence from a regulated land-based casino.
What played on his mind was the notion of friends playing together, as generations have done forever with other games and activities.
“Watching people watching other people playing slots on Twitch seemed so stupid to me,” says Mark.
“Even today, when viewers only chat with gaming streamers, it is not smart. My thinking was that the crowds should be able to play together with these guys.”
At that time, there were no technologies available to support multiple gameplay at such a heightened level of gamification. And this was Mark’s founding trigger for WINFELLAS.
Enhancing engagement and driving revenues
The WINFELLAS Multiplayer Gaming Solution not only enhances player engagement but also holds the potential to drive increased revenues and higher lifetime values of players. By creating a more social atmosphere in online gaming sites, players can now enjoy a sense of community and camaraderie while playing their favourite games.
Standing out from the crowd
“Today’s operator is heavily focused on following regulatory requirements,” says Mark. “There is so little time or budget for creativity and innovation to expand the ecosystem of an online gaming operator.”
“The WINFELLAS system is a plug-and-play platform. It introduces multiplayer gamification as a service to their operations, with all features focused on entertainment for players. It is an add-on solution, developed to bring greater revenues and liquidity into the operation.”
In simple terms, WINFELLAS manages a network of social rooms, with Room Owners and Managers. Players join and engage, but these rooms need to be managed, which is a challenge in itself. Not all players will be granted access all rooms.
Delivering social features
WINFELLAS will soon announce a series of events where players can play together, including Video Chat with the Room Owners and sharing game sessions. There will also be tournaments and battles between different rooms and celebrity streamers.
Mark Dieckmann says: “I have always followed my entrepreneurial instincts, and the future of iGaming depends upon increased player engagement and interaction between cohorts of player groups.”
He accepts that solo game sessions are still the principal money-maker for the industry, but operators need look beyond this, “Operators are always trying to understand the mindset of players. This coming generation of players is all about social interaction and the constant sharing of experiences. Failing to embrace this will be a mistake.”
How simple is simple?
“WINFELLAS has a very easy APU integration into the ecosystem of the operation, and our revenue sharing model is industry standard,” says Mark. “There are no obstacles other than a reluctance to embrace change.
“The foundations for any successful development are perfect preparation and plenty of perseverance. We have achieved this with WINFELLAS, and we are excited for the future.”
Common challenges to overcome
With the entire industry permanently keeping its eyes on the challenges of regulation and constant currency evolution.
“For all operators, meticulously following the legislation and regulations in any market where they wish to offer their services is beyond essential,” asserts a man with two decades of real-world experience under his belt.
“And for international operations it is standard to offer digital currencies because for some, this is the only way to get liquidity into their operation. How the numerous global regulators, legislators and licensors move forwards in respect of these currencies is something to see in the future.”
WINFELLAS is going places
Mark Dieckmann, who enjoys sailing and ski-ing with his family and lists John Jahr, shareholder of the land-based casinos Hamburg and Wiesbaden, and Paul Gauselmann as the greatest influences on his career to date, sees WINFELLAS quickly expanding its client partner base into the USA, South America and Asia.
Never afraid to put his plans front and centre, Mark adds: “In the short-term, we will be adding more social features to the product, such as battles and moderation, as well as constantly updating some internal game features.
“In the medium term, the goal is to make a powerful entry into the sports betting sector and, longer term, the objective is to be acknowledged as delivering a strong product to our own German market, and similar highly regulated gambling markets around the world.”
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