Interview with Jan Urbanec, CEO of Endorphina: Streamers, Big Wins and Favourite Slots

Endorphina is a slot developer known for high-volatility games, bold graphics and memorable expo shows. CasinoBonusTips author Daniel Velasquez spoke with Jan Urbanec, CEO of Endorphina, about the company's philosophy, its relationship with the streaming community and its most successful slots.

Key takeaways:

• The name Endorphina stands for the reward and the feeling of victory players expect from a game – and for Lady Luck.
• The studio's streamer partnerships grew organically after Minotaur and Book of Santa became popular on Twitch and YouTube.
• Lucky Streak and Chance Machine are among the company's best-performing series.
• Reliability, solid payouts and immersion are the three reasons Jan Urbanec gives for choosing Endorphina slots.

The interview was conducted in June 2021; plans and release dates reflect that time.

Interviewer: Daniel Velasquez (DV). Respondent: Jan Urbanec (JU).

DV: Mr. Urbanec, thank you very much for accepting this interview. Please introduce yourself to our readers.

JU: I am currently working as the CEO of Endorphina, a company I have been sharing my journey with for the past seven years.

I enjoy improving myself personally and professionally. It is one of my main drivers – to be a better version of myself today than I was yesterday. And I would like to work in a better version of this company today than it was yesterday.

DV: The name of the company is very original. Where did the idea come from?

JU: The name came about as a result of a long conversation with a professor of genetics, during which we tried to find out whether gambling addiction exists in nature or is just a myth. There are incentives and rewards in human behaviour, and Endorphina symbolises exactly the reward – the victory you expect from the game. She is also feminine, because we consider her Lady Luck! This is exactly what we wish for all the players who play and love our games, and it is this attitude that we convey through our name.

DV: What are your strategies for inspiring players to play your slots?

JU: On the one hand, the strategy is about development quality based on our players' interests, experiences and best practices.

Talking about Endorphina's game portfolio, I can easily say that the variety of mechanics we use, develop and show to our players helps us reach different people all over the world. We pay a lot of attention to the sound and graphics of each game, so that players feel the full range of emotions.

On the other hand, there is the golden rule – don't be deceptive. We strive to be clear and transparent in the paytable and in the gameplay itself.

DV: Endorphina is very passionate about working with streamers on YouTube and Twitch. Why did you choose this model?

JU: You probably won't believe me, but this all started with organic growth. After we signed with the first major operators and started delivering our games to their players, we noticed that some games gained huge popularity within the streaming community, with Minotaur and Book of Santa leading that group.

At that moment, we tried to support the streamers' channels by providing them with incentives – exclusive live interviews and some gifts. We strongly believe that there is no better way to show a player the mechanics, potential and beauty of a game than through another player's recorded reaction and experience.

DV: Which is your favourite slot? And which slots have brought the company the most profit?

JU: My favourite slot has to be Minotaur, one of our early releases. It is crazy volatile and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. First you want to get a nice combination, and once you are in the feature, you pray for no combination to arrive for as long as possible.

As for performance, I can give you the example of the Lucky Streak series, which performed and still continues to perform everywhere. Next is a strong release, our Chance Machine series. Both series are topping the casino lobbies of our partners as we speak.

And the favourite slot all year long is Book of Santa – a slot that performs well no matter what season it is.

DV: Endorphina is famous for its shows at exhibitions such as ICE London. Tell us about the most unusual show the company has put on.

JU: Each year, we look forward to presenting our latest games at expos, along with our new achievements and, most importantly, lots of fun and pure entertainment.

Last year, we brought a real 17-tonne tank to ICE for the premiere of our new slot, Cash Tank. Visitors could take photos with the tank and chill inside it with some tasty drinks. But that's not all – we wanted to make it unforgettable, so the tank shot out real cash every single hour! Yes, real cash: hundreds of US dollars were fired from the cannon for our visitors to grab and take home.

We are eagerly waiting for expos and conferences to resume. The marketing team has some aces up their sleeves and can't wait to show their cards.

DV: Can you give us a little spoiler? What slot is Endorphina working on now?

JU: Sure! I'm happy to announce an upcoming release that will go live on 7 July 2021 – Fruletta.

Fruletta will be a juicy, fruit-themed slot with an exciting wheel of fortune mechanic that incorporates a unique twist. Players will have to match the wheel's symbol with one of three other symbols in a mini-slot. It will be a fast-paced game, and players will see the features again and again. Stay tuned!

DV: Which slot providers do you admire the most?

JU: It is hard to choose, since so many major and historical providers and manufacturers have shaped our industry. There are a lot of innovators in the current iGaming market, but it was the land-based, old-school machine manufacturers who created the market and the players.

However, I like what Evolution is doing now with its live games, for example.

DV: Please give three reasons why players around the world should choose Endorphina's slots.

JU: 1) Reliability. Our games need to remove every obstacle that may appear between the player and an enjoyable experience. The delivery of the game to the player's device has to be flawless, and the player should have no doubts about the reliability of our games. At the end of the day, we always have to keep in mind that players are betting with their own money, which they may spend as they please.

2) Solid payouts. We want players to understand the winning potential of our games – that if the game did not pay out this session, there is still a chance to experience a win that could seriously change their life. Our paytable and symbol values show that we do not shy away from high multipliers, not even in the base game. What other providers usually call a "big win", where the multiplier does not even reach three digits, Endorphina calls a Monday. You are welcome to visit our YouTube channel to check out some of those big wins.

3) Immersion. The graphics and animations are just gorgeous – you can check for yourself. Sound creates the atmosphere, so if a game has a strong story, like Rooster Fury, we focus on the music and how it enhances the experience. But if a game is meant to be a "new classic", like Hell Hot 100, we don't want to distract the player from the spins, so we let the sound of the reels create the atmosphere itself.

Find out more in our full Endorphina provider review.