Today we have something special in store for you directly from my German-speaking colleagues on the Casino Plus Bonus Germany, Switzerland and Austrian portal.
My colleague Torsten Sensenschmidt landed an exclusive interview with Thomas Wendt, who was a recent guest of Casinoplusbonus. The one-on-one chat comes after a long break from the German-language portal’s exclusive interview series, which is well-known for covering up-and-coming iGaming companies from German-speaking countries.
Torsten Sensenschmidt, a Casinoplusbonus German-language iGaming journalist, spoke in detail with a special guest and former director of the Bally Wulff software provider, Mr Thomas Wendt. However, this time the topic was not his former company Bally Wulff. He has now found pastures new as the founder and director of the rising star Apparat Gaming to which Mr Wendt kindly answered questions in detail about the rising star in German video slot development.
In our interview, you can now find out why Thomas Wendt decided to start a new iGaming company after his successful time at the helm of Bally Wulff. Plus, he covers exactly what the brand’s meaning is behind the Apparat Gaming tagline “With a German accent“.
Thomas Wendt and his journey from Bally Wulff to Apparat Gaming
CasinoplusBonus: Thank you, Mr. Thomas Wendt, for taking the time to share your experiences and insights with CasinoplusBonus readers and for giving us first-hand information about the new game developer, Apparat Gaming. Before we get into designs and game mechanics in online casinos, there are a few questions about you. Who exactly is Thomas Wendt and how did he actually get into the gambling industry?
Thomas Wendt: How much time do we have? Seriously: It was a long road and not a straight one. However, to this day, every stage is of great importance to me, which is why I’m looking for the new challenge of self-employment after 30 years of professional activity. So, I don’t know what to leave out here.
So how did I get into the gambling industry? As is so often the case in life, there are detours that some are happy to subsequently reinterpret as a straight line. But I don’t want that at all. This is even though I started my career in a not-so-distant industry, namely the development of computer games.
Parallel to my studies, I was part of a founding team that saw an opportunity in the combination of advertising and computer games. That was in 1993. We soon developed an increasing number of complex games with partners like Ubisoft – now often referred to as TripleA Games or AAA Games. Even we were in the seven-figure range. Funnily enough, the path is not so dissimilar to that of the Greentube – just a few years earlier. In the year 2000, we allowed ourselves to be taken over by the television producer Brainpool, which is listed on the Neuer Markt. However, back then the economy’s bubble burst and we had to shut down operations in 2002 after almost ten successful years.
But as is often the case with detours, I learned an incredible amount back then, from which I was able to benefit later and to this day. About software development and game quality, project financing and partners. And about dependencies.
Then, in 2004, I came to the IT subsidiary of the Schmidt Group as Managing Director via a consulting project, one of the largest land-based arcade operators in Germany then and now. And in the course of developing an analysis system for all slot machines operated by the Schmidt Group, I learned a lot that is still valid today. About the games in slot machines and gaming behaviour—for a terrestrial market, mind you.
In the course of the takeover of the traditional manufacturer Bally Wulff by the Schmidt Group, I came to Bally Wulff in Berlin in 2014 as Managing Director, where I was responsible for software and hardware development until May 2020. And Bally Wulff’s online area, which I helped build, so to speak.
The biggest turning point was after years of non-regulated gaming, Germany finally introduced regulation of the online gaming market. Something that was well overdue, and a much-needed addition in the country. From here, one thing led to another, and I left Bally Wulff to work together with a truly unique team at Apparat Gaming. A step that, to this day, I have not regretted for a second.
CasinoplusBonus: With your entry into the Schmidt Group and thus into the gaming industry in 2004, you are already on the verge of your 20th anniversary in this industry. At that time, online casinos were still more or less in their infancy. How much has the industry changed since then, especially here in Germany?
Thomas Wendt: To be honest, I first came into contact with the online market after 2006. At the time, devices consisted of circuit boards, printed symbols on discs and physical reels. However, suddenly video slots found their way into arcades. They were games programmed on computers – and thus more similar to the games I knew from my “first life”, and also like those offered by NetEnt or Microgaming on the Internet at the time. On the initiative of Dietmar Hermjohannes, the founder of Gamomat, I then dealt more intensively with the online gambling market in 2011 over the course of larger market analysis. And since then, it hasn’t let go of me. If I have to sum up the development of German online gambling in one word, then, unfortunately, “nonsense” comes to mind. Opportunities were missed due to late regulation. Explicitly in player protection as an example.
CasinoplusBonus: You have a special relationship with Dietmar Hermjohannes, the founder of the Berlin slot machine manufacturer Gamomat. Is the long-standing success of the Berliner a role model for Apparat Gaming?
Thomas Wendt: I wouldn’t call it a role model, because Gamomat’s undeniable success came from a different environment and a different market phase. I first met Dietmar when he had just left Merkur Gaming. That must have been at the end of 2008. Dietmar not only understood the opportunities the online market offered earlier than others but also used them more courageously. And I look back on the time we shared not only with Bally Wulff but also before that, I would even call him a friend. And Bally Wulff also owes him a great deal: it is not without reason that his games are still an integral part of the range of games in the brand’s slot machines. But as the saying goes: Everything has its time, and the success of Gamomat cannot be copied today. Unlike Gamomat, Apparat Gaming should be independent from the very beginning. Particularly on its own technology platform and with its own MGA license. And our partnerships with Relax Gaming, Everymatrix, Pariplay and many others are proof of the success of this strategy. Furthermore, we also differ in the games’ library offered – and not just visually. In short, Apparat has many role models, and not all of them are in the gambling market.
On to new shores!
After many years as one of the managing directors of Bally Wulff, Thomas Wendt has now founded the developer Apparat Gaming. The company specialises in the development of modern slot machines for online casinos.
How much Bally Wulff is actually in Apparat Gaming?
CasinoplusBonus: In a previous article on Apparat Gaming, we talked about the Bally Wulff DNA that is no doubt found in your new venture. With you and your co-founder Alina Dandörfer as well as Martin Frindt and Tilman Mirschel, we find four high-ranking positions at Apparat Gaming that are occupied by former employees of Bally Wulff. What influence does this time together at Bally Wulff have on the current structures at Apparat Gaming?
Thomas Wendt: The question is less where you come from than where you want to go. Because sometimes looking in the rear-view mirror can be more of a distraction than helping to look into the future.
But without question, our experience at Bally Wulff is a very important part of the foundation of Apparat Gaming. The experiences of the player preferences, the performance of individual games over time and the internal competition of the games, but also the measurable response to changes in the payout ratio – all this is also part of our DNA. As are the learning experiences of what translates to the online world and what doesn’t.
But without wanting to downplay our background, the founding team at Apparat Gaming, of which only half of the ones you have listed, comprises former Bally Wulff comrades-in-arms, distinguishes something else for me that is at least as important as their experience. What distinguishes us is a shared vision. Right from the start, we went a step further than was possible with Bally Wulff. Technically and in terms of content. And although it is often more difficult and time-consuming than we had hoped without the well-known brand behind us, we are very proud of what we have achieved to date. And our journey has only just begun.
CasinoplusBonus: Of course, given your history, we took the opportunity to compare the games from Bally Wulff and Apparat Gaming. We quickly noticed that the slots still rely on the classic elements such as scatters, free spins and wilds, but the graphics and design are much more modern. Will this approach continue for now, or will the game mechanics and bonus features become even more complex in the future?
Thomas Wendt: Our goal was never to reinvent the market from the start. That would be presumptuous. And naïve. In order to get a chance at all as a new provider at online casinos and to be listed, step 1 was about building up a starting portfolio of games that convinces with our experience of successful titles. Proven Winners, as they say in modern German. And as our slogan “iGaming with a German Accent” makes clear: Our starting point is the German online market, which is sometimes a bit more conservative than many others. And that has worked well so far. But: We are talking about ‘step 1’ here, which makes it clear that there is a step 2 and more. However, this does not necessarily have to involve an increase in complexity. Sometimes less is more, and it still has clear added value for the player. With some new features, I don’t feel that the focus is on the player’s experience. What we believe in is mixing proven and successful ingredients into new recipes. As happened in our sixth title, The Warlock’s Book, which has just been released.
CasinoplusBonus: First of all, the title sounds like a game with the classic book game mechanics? Extremely popular, but what’s new about it?
Thomas Wendt: The well-known and – as you rightly say – extremely popular book game mechanics, especially among German players, has been expanded to include a well-known and popular game element. Similar to the upgrade feature known from classics such as “Eye of Horus” or our “Pharaoh Princess”, the player in the book free spins game not only wins another free game with each additional expanding wild but also an additional winning symbol. When I was allowed to test play the game for the first time, I was literally flushed. Despite the high volatility, 500x the stake in the free spins is not uncommon. And definitely an upgrade over the classic books game mechanic. “Book of Ra” meets “Eye of Horus”, and all without Egypt…
CasinoplusBonus: Which titles from Apparat Gaming, Mr. Thomas Wendt, can customers in German online casinos look forward to by the end of the year. Can you give us a little insight here or is it all still top secret?
Thomas Wendt: If I divulge too much here, I actually get in trouble! But I can tell you this much. Our pipeline up to the summer of next year is already set. And we will reliably release a new game every month, whereby we will serve so-called seasonal games, e.g. for the upcoming Halloween, as well as satisfy lovers of fruit games or test the mix of proven ingredients and mechanics already mentioned in “The Warlock’s Book” for new features. For example, in November we have another book game on offer with the extremely popular pirate theme, which combines the book game mechanics with Hold & Respin elements in an exciting way. Another title I’m really looking forward to.
Competition stimulates business
CasinoplusBonus: Even though Apparat Gaming is headquartered in sunny Malta, the company can certainly be considered a German company due to its history and management. After all, it is not without reason that the company motto is “iGaming with a German Accent”. Can you briefly explain to our readers what is meant by this statement and how it is reflected in the games?
Apparat Gaming’s Video Slots Released So Far!
- Pharaoh Princess – Daughter of the Nile
- Fruitstorm
- Total Eclipse
- 40 sevens
- King of the Vikings
- Warlock’s Book
- Plenty pumpkins
Thomas Wendt: Not only is our headquarters in Malta, but the majority of our value creation also takes place there. Although we should have learned not only since Corona that it doesn’t matter where you work from, the main thing is that the result is right.
We came to our slogan “iGaming with a German Accent” a bit like the virgin to the child. During a larger online presentation, we heard one of the account managers say to the other, “I really like this German accent”. She didn’t realise her mic wasn’t muted at that moment. After we all laughed heartily, it became clear to us that it wasn’t just our school English that clearly set us apart from other manufacturers, but also our very German approach overall. This includes to the degree of planning, reliability, quality standards. Things that are still associated with “Made in Germany” all over the world today. And since we don’t take ourselves that seriously, we’ve added “and absolutely no sense of humor” to these attributes, because the German players’ lack of humor is also world famous. We are convinced that games for the German market can only be successfully developed with this knowledge of the market.
CasinoplusBonus: In recent years, the number of new slot machine manufacturers for online casinos has increased rapidly and only a few have managed to establish themselves at the top. How do you rate Apparat Gaming’s chances of surviving against the big manufacturers such as Novomatic, Gauselmann or Gamomat in the long term?
Thomas Wendt: How high are the chances of the others surviving against us? We can only win as we are the challenger – the others have to defend their claims. Alright, now to be serious again, the Gamomat example in particular shows what is possible in a dynamic and highly competitive market. And the market for the so-called “virtual slot machines” continues to grow – not only in Germany. Since we just talked about role models, to be honest, I’m more guided by Pragmatic Play and Play’n GO than by Novomatic and Gauselmann. Admittedly, there is still a long way to go to the first division, but you don’t start a new company if you just want to queue at the end of the line. And to stay in the big picture, we definitely have promotion ambitions.
CasinoplusBonus: With the new regulation of German gambling, there are some great opportunities, especially for smaller new companies with fresh ideas. Hölle Games from Berlin, for example, is one such new video slot software provider that is now also attracting increasing attention outside of Germany. What is Apparat Gaming’s strategy when it comes to gambling markets? Besides the focus on Germany, are other countries included in your own expansion strategy?
Thomas Wendt:I’ll leave the great opportunities of the new German regulation without comment, because I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who wanted the regulation to be a little different. The positive thing is that something has finally started to move, which I don’t think can be stopped or even reversed. In my opinion, the pace leaves a lot to be desired, and it can hardly be explained with German thoroughness alone. In this respect, to answer the question of our plans beyond the German market. Germany is the second largest market in Europe after Great Britain, but limiting ourselves to Germany was never part of our strategy. And already today we are represented with a partner like ComeOn as the first direct integration not only on their German Sunmaker Casino, but also everywhere regular offers are possible via our MGA license. On top of this, our games also work beyond Germany!
CasinoplusBonus: A new investor recently joined you. Can you tell us who it is and what impact this will have on corporate strategy?
Thomas Wendt: The entry of ‘Yolo Invest’ in April of this year was an important milestone for us. And the incredibly quick confirmation from Tim Heath’s team, which also has investments in other game developers such as Green Jade Games or Kalamba and has its own aggregation platform with Hub88, almost shocked us a bit. In any case, she made us proud, because Yolo is a fantastic partner with an incredible network. Now it’s up to us to maintain and deliver this momentum. It doesn’t affect our strategy, but having someone like Yolo behind you gives security and confidence. And that’s not a bad thing in times like these.
CasinoplusBonus: Before we come to the end of this exciting interview, two small questions about the future of Thomas Wendt and Apparat Gaming. Where would you like to see your company in a few years and why should online casino customers not miss out on the slots from this up-and-coming slot developer?
Exciting bonus features from Apparat Gaming!
Whether wilds, free spins, the extremely popular book game mechanics, Apparat Gaming offers a large portfolio of well-known and innovative bonus features in its slot games.
Thomas Wendt: I am convinced that the online casino market will change. When and where exactly, no one can say at the moment. Every casino game manufacturer writes the “next level” on their website, but so far the big leaps in the games are not recognisable, at least not for me. In my opinion, increasing the production costs without offering real added value for the player is not the solution.
Our goal is to be the driver of these changes, not the ones driven. We want to design it. But that can only succeed if we walk the path together with the customers, the players – step by step. Analyse what is accepted and what is not. By evolving, making the good even better. And always trying to make new offers that offer added value, that entertain. And although we’ve only just started, this is already the case. Games from Apparat Gaming offer good entertainment – modern looks and proven game principles remixed.
CasinoplusBonus: Thank you for these interesting insights about Apparat Gaming. The Casinoplusbonus team wishes you personally and your newly founded company every success for the future!
Thomas Wendt: Thank you for the interesting questions and the interview.
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