Exclusive Interview with Anastasios Ioannidis: Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino Future

Interview with Anastasios Ioannidis: What’s Next for Pragmatic Play

Known for pushing boundaries with game shows and high-tech enhancements, Pragmatic Play has become a trailblazer in the live gaming vertical. With standout releases like Fortune Roulette and an ambitious roadmap ahead, Anastasios offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep players and affiliates hooked in one of the industry’s fastest-moving sectors.

In this conversation, he breaks down what’s next for Pragmatic Play’s live casino portfolio, how player feedback fuels development, and why merging game mechanics from slots and live titles might just be the future.

Inside Pragmatic Play’s 2025 Live Casino Vision and Game Roadmap

Joshua: Pragmatic Play has been rapidly expanding its live casino offerings. What’s the vision for the coming year, and what new games or features can players and affiliates expect?

Anastasios: The vision for 2025 is simply bigger and better! It’s been an exciting start to the year with a slew of roulette-themed releases, including Fortune Roulette, which adds multipliers, chest symbols, and a slots-inspired bonus game where players can win up to 9,000x.

Double Down After Split launched recently across all Pragmatic Play blackjack titles, allowing players to split their initial pair and double their bet on one or both resulting hands – this offers more gameplay options, better odds, and the potential for bigger wins.

Looking ahead, the most anticipated game show on the roadmap is Money Time. Pragmatic Play showed the first glimpse of Money Time at ICE Barcelona in January, and the teams have been hard at work developing the game to make it another fan favourite. Stay tuned for when it releases later this year.

How Pragmatic Play Elevates Live Casino with 4K and Innovation

Joshua: How does Pragmatic Play leverage cutting-edge technology, such as 4K streaming and HTML5 interfaces, to elevate the live gaming experience?

Anastasios: Technology has certainly come a long way in the world of live casino, and it’s all for the betterment of the player experience. Immersive Roulette Deluxe, which released in February, utilises 4K cameras to capture slow-motion close-ups of the ball falling into place, adding a whole new layer of excitement.

Pragmatic Play is always on the lookout for new ways to engage with players. Bet Behind Pro Blackjack, for example, sees players bet behind seven bots seated at a blackjack table, providing a familiar but ultimately fresh experience.

Blending Slots and Live Casino for Next-Level Gameplay

Joshua: Fortune Roulette introduces exciting new elements to live roulette. How does it fit into Pragmatic Play’s broader live casino strategy?

Anastasios: The aim is to deliver the best gaming experiences in live casino. To achieve this, all kinds of exciting new themes and features are considered.

In the case of Fortune Roulette – a game show packed with exciting features and ways to win – it’s arguably the slots-style bonus game that really stands out. Pragmatic Play is obviously renowned for its slots, and the merging of slots and live casino proved popular in Sweet Bonanza CandyLand.

The Inspiration and Impact of Fortune Roulette’s Multiplier Mechanics

Joshua: The Fortune Multiplier is a standout feature in Fortune Roulette. What inspired its development, and do you see similar mechanics evolving in future titles?

Anastasios: Being one of the leading multi-product providers in the industry, I think what inspired its development is the sheer wealth of experience at Pragmatic Play’s disposal. It may sound simple to just add win multipliers to an existing live casino game, but it's all about creating a fun, exciting, and ultimately rewarding experience for players.

Fortune Multipliers can each award up to 540x, but it’s the Chest symbol that’s key to unlocking bigger prizes, as hitting this awards all Fortune Multipliers on the screen. This is a popular feature which I’m sure will be considered in some form for future titles.

How Feedback on Fortune Roulette Shapes What’s Next

Joshua: Player feedback is crucial in shaping game development. What has been the response to Fortune Roulette, and how might this influence future live casino releases?

Anastasios: Fortune Roulette is hugely popular among players. With its blend of classic roulette gameplay, exciting new features, and wins of up to 9,000x, it appeals to all kinds of players.

Looking ahead, Fortune Roulette will likely influence new titles in the same way that Fortune Roulette itself was inspired by the likes of Mega Roulette, taking live casino classics and adding multipliers, bigger wins, and more.