‘All Decisions Should Lead To Better User Experience’ – Mickael Shahinyan, Co-Founder of One.Fun: Travel and Play

How important is technology to improve the player experience? Mickael Shahinyan, co-founder and co-CEO at One.Fun: Travel and Play spoke about this in an exclusive interview with Ukrainian Gaming Week 2022.

Mickael is an experienced iGaming expert. In the past, he held senior positions in the leading companies specializing in the development and supply of gambling solutions: BetConstruct, Parimatch, Optima Gaming, BETLAB.

In an interview, he spoke about the key characteristics of iGaming platforms and technologies that can add value to a gambling product in the eyes of players. He also explained in detail what One.Fun: Travel and Play platform and app is all about.

The conversation turned out to be interesting and informative – enjoy!

The interviewer: Ukrainian Gaming Week (UGW)

The respondent: Mikael Shahinyan (M.S.)

UGW: In your opinion, what role does the adoption of technology play in improving the user experience in the gambling industry?

M.S.: I think that all decisions about the implementation and use of certain technological solutions should lead to better user experience. After all, we are talking about the entertainment and gambling industry. At its simplest, this could be the integration of a land-based and online casino into a single seamless experience. Further, such types of interaction as Metaverse or something else can be introduced.

In this format of perception, it seems to me, there will be no use of technology for the sake of using it. But rather, technologies will serve the implementation of a single goal of providing a single integral user experience.

UGW: How a proper iGaming platform should look like?

M.S.: This is a very complex issue. To begin with, it must satisfy the regulatory requirements of the region of operation. This can be either a technical set of requirements (for example, storing user data on servers certified by a given jurisdiction), or specific functional requirements for the compliance with responsible gaming.

The platform must contain product functionality that makes the product competitive: the availability of the necessary payment solutions, content, etc. Much depends on the requirements and expertise of the owner. Some prefer to take a White Label solution, others – turnkey, and some prefer to create their own platform. It all depends on the initial conditions for launching: expertise, budget, etc.

UGW: What are the main features of blockchain and Telegram casinos?

M.S.: Telegram casino is most often used as an additional channel for conversion to the main product or as an independent solution – the emphasis is on anonymity, accessibility and platform independence.

In the case of a blockchain casino, we are dealing with a full-fledged platform with data stored in the blockchain, which provides an additional level of security for users' gaming data.

UGW: You are the co-founder and co-CEO at One.Fun: Travel and Play. Tell us about the features of the application.

M.S.: One.Fun: Travel and Play is a platform and application that allows land-based gambling establishments and gaming industry event producers to publish information about themselves and the events that may take place there, such as poker tournaments or specialized exhibitions.

On the other hand, the app users have access to events (which are displayed based on the user's geographic location) and can schedule event attendance by creating their own event calendar within the app. Moreover, depending on the location of the user, the application automatically creates a travel package that includes air travel for the dates of the event and hotel offers, sorted from closest to the venue to more distant. Thus, the user can immediately book his presence at a particular event.

UGW: What technological solutions may lose relevance in the coming years?

M.S.: It’s hard to say what will lose relevance, since trends that cease to be relevant in one territory can be very relevant in another. For example, we have already forgotten about working with Opera Mini browser, but if you operate in Africa and “forget” it there, this would be a big mistake.

UGW: According to your forecasts, what technologies will improve the value of a gambling product for users in the near future?

M.S.: From the point of view of technology, the main thing is to always remember that their use should not be a value in itself, but should add value to the user. We must consider the entertainment industry as a holistic user experience, and from this perspective, I can hope that the development of the Internet of Things will add new experiences through AR/VR technologies.

UGW: What do you expect from Ukrainian Gaming Week 2022?

M.S.: As a product-focused person, I really hope to see innovations in the product area, as well as meet colleagues and friends.

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On June 23, at UGW 2022 conference, Mickael will join a discussion on new solutions and formats for online casinos. Together with other experts, he will analyze the trends in the development of iGaming platforms.

Join to meet Mickael and ask him your questions.

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