company

28.08.2026

Dorota Gruszka: “Global Quality, Local Understanding. That’s the Model That Works”

In a new interview with iGaming Express, Dorota Gruszka discusses Booming Games’ global growth, local strategy and approach to innovation. Read the complete interview on iGaming Express.

Booming Games continues to expand across regulated markets while strengthening its position as a global B2B slot supplier. In this interview, we speak with Dorota Gruszka, Head of Marketing at Booming Games, about building a distinctive brand in an increasingly crowded market, localisation, partnerships, product launches, innovation and the company’s international growth strategy. We also discuss LivePlay™ Slots, the upcoming SBC Summit in Lisbon and how marketing can translate product performance into long-term brand value.

Grzegorz Kempiński: It has been almost a year and a half since you became Head of Marketing at Booming Games. Looking back, what has been the biggest strategic challenge for you, and what would you consider the most important success in developing the brand?

Dorota Gruszka: The biggest strategic challenge for me was moving from thinking about marketing primarily as a function that supports sales and product towards building the brand in a much more long-term and consistent way.

In such a dynamic industry, it is very easy to focus on what is happening right now: the next game launch, event or partnership. The challenge was finding the right balance between that pace and building a distinctive identity for Booming Games, defining what we want to be associated with and what should differentiate us in a highly competitive market.

When it comes to achievements, there have genuinely been many. We made a very strong move into the US sweepstakes segment, particularly through our cooperation with Alea. We also continued to develop our partnership with Ronaldinho, which has taken on even greater significance in the context of the 2026 World Cup. Our cooperation with Hollywoodbets has also developed significantly. At the same time, we entered new markets and partnered with more operators, systematically expanding Booming Games’ reach and brand awareness.

Has external industry recognition also played a role in confirming that the strategy is working?

Absolutely. I am also very pleased that our work is being recognised by the industry. Over the past year, Booming Games received as many as 103 industry award nominations, including eight in marketing categories.

Personally, being nominated for the Individual Achievement Award at the EGR Europe Awards 2026 was particularly meaningful to me, as was being shortlisted for Marketer of the Year, Individual at the EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025. I am very proud of those recognitions, but I also see them as validation of the quality of the work delivered by the entire team.

The most important thing for me, however, is that behind all of these successes there is a stronger and more coherent brand. It is not only about the number of partnerships, new markets or nominations. It is about Booming Games having a more distinctive identity today and consistently strengthening its position in the global market.

The B2B slots market is extremely crowded. What is the main strength of Booming Games’ marketing that allows you to cut through the noise and attract operators effectively?

The main strength of Booming Games’ marketing is definitely creativity and our willingness to take a less conventional approach. In such a saturated industry, simply being visible is not enough. You need to find a way to be remembered.

That is why we try not to copy what the rest of the market is doing. Instead, we look for our own communication style, interesting formats and ideas that can genuinely capture operators’ attention.

At the same time, there is a huge amount of consistent work behind that creativity. We work closely with industry media and affiliates, we are present at the most important events, and we also organise our own events for clients. We invest in different sponsorships and partnerships that allow us to reach new audiences and build relationships with the brand on multiple levels.

Another major advantage is the product itself. We release four games every month, so we always have something new to offer operators and players. Most importantly, we have a product that sells very well. Marketing can generate interest and open doors, but ultimately the product has to stand on its own, and in our case, those two elements work very well together.

And of course, behind all of this is a fantastic team. We can have the most creative ideas in the world, but without people who can execute them quickly and effectively, they would not mean very much. I think it is precisely this combination of creativity, a very strong product, strong industry relationships, consistent market presence and a great team that allows us to cut through the noise.

There has been a lot of attention around your global expansion recently, with the strategic partnership with QTech Games on one hand and a strong focus on the maturing South African market on the other. How do you adapt your marketing message to regions that are so different culturally and from a regulatory perspective?

That is a very good question. The most important thing for us is to understand each individual market properly. Slots are not tomato soup. Not everyone has to like the same thing.

What works extremely well in Brazil will not necessarily work equally well in South Africa or in European markets. That is why localisation means much more to us than simply translating a game or marketing materials.

Booming Games currently employs more than 200 people representing 45 different nationalities, and that diversity is a very important part of our approach to creating local content and driving international expansion.

We also have local account managers and sales representatives in individual markets. These are people who not only understand the specifics of a particular region very well, but also speak the local language and understand the business culture. This allows us to build much closer relationships with operators. Human relationships are absolutely crucial in every business, and iGaming is no exception.

Can you give an example where that local approach translated directly into commercial success?

Brazil is a very good example. Our partnership with Ronaldinho opened many doors for us there and translated into major commercial success that went far beyond the branded games themselves.

We were also one of the first slot suppliers to achieve certification in Brazil’s regulated market. The Ronaldinho collaboration was recognised by the industry as well. We won Best Influencer Collaboration at SiGMA Europe 2024.

Another excellent example is South Africa and our very successful cooperation with Hollywoodbets. For the second year in a row, we were present as a sponsor at one of the most important events in the South African horse racing calendar in Durban.

Events like this have enormous significance not only from a sporting perspective, but also socially and in terms of entertainment. They give a brand a completely different opportunity to establish itself compared with a traditional B2B campaign. This year, we are expanding that cooperation to include further sporting events in Durban and Johannesburg.

That is particularly important for us because, as a B2B supplier, our day-to-day communication is primarily with operators. Through partnerships like these, however, we can also reach players directly, see their reactions and build awareness of Booming Games at a consumer level.

Ultimately, our global expansion strategy is therefore highly local: a global brand, but local people, local relationships, the right product and communication adapted to the specific market.

To what extent does marketing in the slots industry today need to be tailored to individual markets through local content, and to what extent can one global standard of quality still work?

We have already touched on this to some extent in the previous question. Localisation is extremely important to us, but at the same time we can clearly see that there are games we would describe as top performers, titles that perform very well across most markets, regardless of geography or culture.

That happens because certain elements of a good game are simply universal. The right mathematics, compelling mechanics, game pace, production quality and the excitement associated with winning do not really have borders. If a product is genuinely strong, it can find an audience in Europe, Latin America, Africa and other parts of the world.

We have titles in the Booming Games portfolio that consistently deliver very strong results across many different markets.

That does not mean, however, that a one-size-fits-all approach works. Player preferences can differ significantly, from themes and visual styles to mechanics and even the way the product is communicated. That is why we look very closely at data and game performance, but feedback from our local teams, operators and partners is equally important.

I would say that the standard of quality should be global, while the understanding of the player should be local. The best model combines both worlds: creating games that are strong enough to compete globally while retaining enough knowledge and flexibility to respond to the specifics of each individual market.

You have just launched the promotion for Blazing Bullets: Hold and Win. From a marketing perspective, what does the lifecycle of a new game look like, from the first teaser through to the moment the slot reaches players through operators?

From a marketing perspective, the lifecycle of a new game begins long before its official launch.

With four new titles every month, strong planning is essential because every game needs the right place and timing within our communications, while at the same time we do not want to treat every launch according to exactly the same formula.

We start by understanding the product itself: its mechanics, strongest features, target audience and the markets where we see the greatest potential. Based on that, we build a story around the game and prepare the full package of materials, from teasers, trailers and social media assets, through PR communications and work with media and affiliates, to materials supporting our sales and account management teams in conversations with operators.

The launch is obviously a very important moment, but for us it is absolutely not the end of the campaign.

So what happens once the game is already live in operator lobbies?

That is when the next stage begins: visibility, positioning and, above all, performance analysis.

We work with operators on additional activations and promotions, monitor performance across individual markets and use those results to decide which titles deserve even stronger support.

Blazing Bullets: Hold and Win is a good example of this process. The launch itself is meant to generate interest, but the real objective is to build momentum that lasts much longer than the few days around release.

In our industry, you can run an excellent campaign and generate enormous buzz, but ultimately players validate the product. If the game performs well, marketing can then take that organic success and scale it further.

That is why I would say that a game launch is not a single moment. It is a complete process, from building anticipation before release, through making a strong entrance with operators, to working with data and sustaining interest in the title over time.

You received SBC Awards nominations for LivePlay™ Slots in innovation categories. From a marketing perspective, what is easier to “sell” to the industry: a proven classic with a new theme, or a completely new mechanic that changes the way people play?

I would say that today neither classics nor innovation sell themselves.

Classic mechanics have the advantage of being familiar to both players and operators, but competition in that segment is enormous. Lobbies are packed with similar titles, so even a very good classic game needs something that allows it to stand out, whether through design, theme, mathematics, production quality or the right marketing support.

With a completely new concept, the challenge is different. You are not only competing for visibility among hundreds of similar products. You first have to show both the operator and the player why they should try something they have never experienced before.

That requires more education, but at the same time it gives marketing much more room to create an interesting story and a genuine “wow” effect.

LivePlay™ Slots are an excellent example of that second category because we are not simply talking about a new mechanic or another feature within a slot. We are changing an experience that has traditionally been very individual into something much more social.

We combine classic video slots with live-hosted entertainment. Players can experience wins together, react in real time, interact with the host and feel that they are part of a larger event. On top of that, there is the involvement of recognisable personalities such as Bruce Buffer, which opens up completely new marketing opportunities in terms of communication and player engagement.

Does that mean innovation gives marketing more to work with, even if it is more difficult to explain?

Exactly. Products like this are very exciting for marketing because we are not simply communicating another game. We are building and explaining a new product category to the industry.

That obviously creates an additional challenge because we have to explain very clearly to operators where the value of the innovation lies and why it can change the way players engage with slots.

Ultimately, however, the best marketing for innovation is performance. If a new format leads to higher engagement, more frequent and longer sessions, and stronger monetisation, then you no longer have only an interesting marketing story. You have a very strong business argument.

That is why the nominations for LivePlay™ Slots in innovation-related categories are particularly valuable to us. They show that the market recognises the potential of the concept.

So I would not say that one is easier to sell than the other. A classic title is primarily fighting to stand out in a very crowded lobby, while an innovation is fighting for understanding, adoption and a change in player habits. From a marketing perspective, both are challenging, just at completely different levels.

SBC Summit in Lisbon is approaching. What can the industry and your partners expect from Booming Games at the show this year?

They can definitely expect a lot of fantastic games and a very exciting roadmap that we are working intensively on.

For us, SBC Summit is first and foremost a great opportunity to show our partners what we are preparing for the coming months, discuss new cooperation opportunities and, of course, meet face to face. Even though we are a global business, personal relationships still matter enormously.

From a marketing perspective, we are also preparing a strong presence. There will be distinctive branding, new merchandise, a raffle with attractive prizes and a few elements that I do not want to reveal just yet.

We want our booth to be more than simply a place for business meetings. We want it to have the energy of Booming Games and be a space people genuinely want to visit, stay for a while and enjoy themselves.

SBC Summit is also important to us because of the scale of our international expansion. In one place, we can meet partners from many different markets, gather direct feedback and talk both about current projects and what we might be able to build together in the future.

In short: great games, a strong roadmap, plenty of meetings, strong branding, a few surprises and, hopefully, one of those spaces at the show that people will remember.

You have reached the final shortlist for the SBC Awards in two categories, Innovation in Mobile and Industry Innovation of the Year. What do nominations like these mean for your team when it comes to building the brand’s position?

As I mentioned earlier, we have received as many as 103 industry award nominations over the past year, so participation in the most important awards and industry competitions is a very important part of building the position of Booming Games.

We value this recognition highly because it confirms that the direction we have chosen, as well as the quality of our products, innovation and broader work, is being noticed and appreciated by the industry.

We are particularly pleased with nominations in categories such as Innovation in Mobile and Industry Innovation of the Year. They show that Booming Games is perceived not only as a provider of high-quality games, but also as a company that is willing to experiment, introduce new solutions and develop the way players experience our products.

From a marketing perspective, such recognition also has considerable value. It builds credibility and prestige around the brand, increases awareness and strengthens our position in conversations with both existing and potential partners. In such a competitive industry, independent recognition from experts and judging panels is another factor that helps us differentiate ourselves.

There is also another aspect that is personally very important to me: the people behind these successes. Every nomination is the result of work across many teams, including product, development, account management, sales, marketing and many others.

That is why I see those 103 shortlistings first and foremost as tremendous recognition for the entire Booming Games team and confirmation of how much we have achieved together.

And of course, every nomination also brings a little sporting excitement. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that as many of those shortlistings as possible turn into trophies.

What are the key marketing milestones and objectives for Booming Games over the coming months?

From a marketing perspective, we want to invest even more heavily in local campaigns and partnerships.

As I mentioned earlier, I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We want to be a global brand, but communicate in a way that feels appropriate and authentic in each individual market. That means working even more closely with our local teams, operators, media and affiliates.

Our product roadmap will also be extremely important. With four releases every month, we have a huge number of stories we could tell, but our job is not to communicate everything with the same level of intensity.

We want to become even better at identifying the titles with the greatest potential, building strong campaigns around them and working with operators to maximise their visibility and performance.

Innovation is another major area. LivePlay™ Slots demonstrate that we do not simply want to respond to trends. We also want to experiment with formats that could change the way players consume iGaming entertainment.

From a marketing perspective, that is a very exciting direction because it gives us the opportunity to build completely new narratives around the brand.

Then, of course, there are the most important industry events, sponsorships, PR, media, affiliates and activations aimed directly at players. We want to be even more visible, but above all we want that visibility to translate into tangible business results.

If I had to summarise our objectives in one sentence, I would say: greater global reach, an even stronger brand, more local activations, a strong product and marketing that genuinely supports further business growth.

company

15.01.2026

Booming Games strengthens C-suite to deliver on ambitious growth plans

At Booming Games, we continue to strengthen our leadership team in line with our ambitious growth plans and long-term strategy. Recent C-suite updates reflect our commitment to operational excellence and expansion across regulated markets.

The full article was originally published by Focus Gaming News and can be read on the Focus Gaming website.

Booming Games has promoted Dan Paleu to Chief Operating Officer and Ramona Petrina to Chief of Staff with immediate effect.

Press release.- Booming Games has today expanded its C-suite, appointing a new chief operating officer and creating a new chief of staff role. The appointments reflect Booming Games’ commitment to attracting and nurturing top talent, as the business plans ambitious growth in the coming years and ramps up its global presence.

Dan Paleu, who initially joined the business as director of technical operations, has been promoted to chief operating officer with immediate effect. Prior to joining Booming Games, Dan spent 16 years at IGT PlayDigital, previously iSoftBet, where he held various roles, most recently serving as head of games. In this position, Dan developed the firm’s overall games strategy and oversaw the production process for new games, from concept through to launch. He is regarded as a visionary with a strong track record in the industry.

With extensive industry experience, Dan is well-positioned to strengthen Booming Games’ proposition. His focus will be on driving operational excellence across game delivery, technology and commercial operations, ensuring regulatory compliance in all markets. He will also be supporting continued expansion into new regulated markets, with entries into Switzerland, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic planned for 2026.

Alongside this, Ramona Petrina has been appointed chief of staff, a newly created position, effective immediately. Ramona joined Booming Games in November 2022 as director of HR and now has over 15 years of industry experience. Her promotion comes at a time when the business has clear plans to bolster its ranks and recruit top talent to improve customer experience.

In her new role, Ramona will act as a strategic partner, supporting executive planning and decision-making. Her immediate focus will be to devise a clear set of objectives, aligned with the overall leadership strategy, and support with the delivery of key growth initiatives. Alongside this, Ramona will continue to shape the company’s people strategy, ensuring the organisation is well-structured and prepared for its next phase of growth.

Dan and Ramona will both be in attendance at ICE Barcelona later this month, along with a number of C-suite colleagues, to showcase Booming Games’ latest games and discuss plans for the year ahead.

Max Niehusen, founder of Booming Games, said: “We are pleased to announce these two promotions at a key moment in our growth journey. With extensive experience in their fields, Dan and Ramona have already made a significant contribution to the business, providing invaluable expertise. Their promotions reflect our longstanding commitment to retain and nurture top talent, in order to better serve our rapidly expanding customer base.”

Dan Paleu, chief operating officer at Booming Games, said: “After joining Booming Games I quickly understood why the business has an unrivalled reputation in the industry for innovation. The business has set out ambitious growth plans and I am proud to be taking up the position of Chief Operating Officer to help deliver these. I look forward to continuing working closely with Max in the role, providing a market leading experience for our customers and players.”

Ramona Petrina, chief of staff at Booming Games, said: “Booming Games has built a powerful foundation, from its product vision and people to its ambition and execution. The scale we’ve achieved is the result of clear direction and strong leadership, and I’m excited to help shape the next phase of the company’s growth as we continue to expand and evolve.”