Case study: CT Interactive’s Win Storm product line expansion

At Slotegrator, we’re always keeping an eye on the industry initiatives and analyzing the effects they have on iGaming businesses. We may offer ready-to-launch solutions and advisory services, but we also believe in providing free education as part of our Academy, too. Why? Because we believe that knowledge is the first step to success — and that should be available for everyone. Let’s take a look at how CT Interactive has diversified their portfolio and improved efficiency at the same time.

Welcome CT Interactive

In the modern day iGaming world, online casinos no longer feel the need to cram as many games as physically possible into their libraries. Customers want variety, yes, but they also value quality and engaging bonus features that encourage them to return and play on the platform; not just mindlessly scroll through the thousands of games available to them.

This is something our client, CT Interactive, understands very well. Founded in 2012, CT Interactive started out as an online provider, before undergoing a transformation in 2021 that saw them become a subsidiary of the first public company from the Bulgarian gaming industry, Telematic Interactive. Now, CT Interactive’s catalog contains over 300 distinct titles.

But for this case study, we are going to focus on one set of games in particular: the Win Storm series. By continuously reinvesting and expanding the Win Storm product line, CT Interactive has compounded player recognition and expanded its appeal across multiple player engagement profiles to become a commercial juggernaut.

But does creating new variants based on the same game create a cannibalization issue? Let’s take a look at the strategy — and then compare it against the results.

What is Win Storm?

• Win Storm: the original 5x3 cascading reels title
• Win Storm Deluxe: includes new features, such as free games, multipliers, higher volatility and a higher top award
• Win Storm Diamond Tree JP: a jackpot variation connected to the Diamond Tree Jackpot concept
• Win Storm Dice: a dice-themed variation with cascading reels

Martin Ivanov, COO at CT Interactive said:

Rather than relying on one standalone game, CT Interactive developed several variations around the Win Storm concept, each offering a different gameplay experience and addressing a slightly different player preference. This makes the case especially relevant for operators: a relatively focused group of titles can generate a disproportionately strong contribution when the games combine recognizable branding, differentiated mechanics and clear player appeal.

How does it affect operator value?

The iGaming industry is very intertwined, meaning that if one company increases its efficiency, then this improvement will be felt — and often reflected — in the clients and partners around it.

As the public-facing part of the industry, eyes are usually on an operator to monitor how a particular development may alter player spend or gross gaming revenue (GGR). An idea may seem good on paper, but it may fall flat with players; equally, they may take an unconventional prospect and transform it into a fan favorite.

The general public are a complicated bunch, and it can be difficult to guess what will be popular with them. But when it comes to launching game variations, there are a few safety nets that make this strategy safer — and more profitable — than launching a brand new standalone title. For operators, this type of content strategy brings several practical advantages:

• Familiarity. Customers are likely already acquainted with the original game, meaning they are more likely to recognise additional titles.
• Promotions. It is easier to plan campaigns and promotions for a family of games, rather than planning individual strategies for different ones.
• Diversity. Stronger player segmentation based on mechanics, volatility and gameplay preference, while also promoting titles to different player groups without moving away from a known brand.
• Foundations. Adds depth to the library without relying only on completely new game concepts and creates stronger lobby flexibility through deluxe, jackpot, themed and classic versions.

Dimitar Nikolov, CPO at CT Interactive shared:

Operators constantly need fresh content, but not every successful release needs to start from a completely new concept. A known title with existing player recognition can be expanded into a broader product line, provided that each new version adds a clear gameplay difference and does not simply duplicate the original experience. The key challenge is to create incremental value without cannibalizing the original title.

How well did the game perform?

Of course, we could sit here all day and describe how well game variants could perform, or how audiences might perceive them, but the cold hard facts will always speak for themselves.

We sat down with our client, CT Interactive, to analyze how well Win Storm was performing — not just against other Win Storm titles, but against the entire portfolio available through our APIgrator solution.

This business model supports providers by onboarding their titles into one centralized location; while also giving operators the chance to integrate an organized and expertly curated selection of games into their system.

Win Storm Deluxe was the standout title, with a 174.7% higher average bet compared to the rest of the CT Interactive portfolio on Slotegrator.

These results demonstrate not only the value of distributing individual games, but scalable content packages integrated into aggregators, such as APIgrator.

An operator no longer needs to keep an eye on which games are performing best with players; a good aggregator keeps everyone in the loop when it comes to developments, updates and new releases.

In the case of Win Storm Deluxe, this new game alone has driven average bet figures through the roof — something that operators, and players, could have missed out on if they relied on slower or individual game integration processes.

These figures are a great indicator, not just for individual provider performance, but also as a testament to the entire business model working. Driving business growth across multiple markets and audiences at once can be a daunting task for any company, but CT Interactive is a perfect case study of how a diverse portfolio can ensure market growth when paired with a professional aggregator product. At Slotegrator, we support ambitious providers by enabling wider product distribution, operator access and portfolio visibility to deliver real results.

— Olga Ivanchik, COO of Slotegrator

What about cannibalization?

Naturally, the biggest concern when launching sequels, variants or even new games altogether is the risk of cannibalization. Will this new product amplify interest in the provider, or will it simply take away sales from existing products? Will it attract a new audience, or burnt out the existing one and cause them to disengage?

Well, no business — in any industry — gets far without a plan. And this is where planning and preparation separates the professionals from the rest.

CT Interactive made sure that each new addition to the product line added depth, new layers of engagement and appealed to new player profiles to ensure that cannibalization would not be an issue.

Not only does the original Win Storm game continue to generate activity and GGR, but it serves as an entry point into the expanded product line.

Instead of forcing operators to choose between old and new content, the Win Storm structure gives them a broader package that can be positioned in different ways across the casino lobby, campaigns and promotional calendar.

Polina Georgieva, CMO at CT Interactive commented:

The results show that the original Win Storm title maintained its strong performance as newer versions expanded player choice through different mechanics, including Free Games, Multiplier, Jackpot variations, a Dice theme, and modified game dynamics. This demonstrates that strategically evolving a recognized title with meaningful new mechanics can attract new audiences, increase player engagement, expand title awareness, and strengthen the commercial success of the overall game family.

How can Slotegrator help?

At Slotegrator, we pride ourselves on working closely with our clients. This means that we stay one step ahead of new releases, industry trends and player preferences.

We provide a range of services so we can step in to help any business, no matter what stage they’re at. Our Turnkey solution is an online, modular platform that enables you to launch — and manage — your own casino project; and for operators who are already set up, our Predictor module allows operators to offer outcome-based interactions through binary contracts.

But perhaps most importantly for this case study into Win Storm, our APIgrator solution offers 20,000+ online casino games from over 150 of the industry’s top providers, such as CT Interactive.