Staying one step ahead of the game

Srdjan Kapor, head of affiliation and acquisition on Bitstarz casinos’ journey

This interview was published in the Autumn edition 2019 of SiGMA magazine, Issue 9. Read similar articles in the digital edition here.

Bitstarz has been recognised through numerous awards as one of the best crypto casino’s in play. Srdjan Kapor, head of affiliation and acquisition at Bitstarz casinos sheds some light on their journey thus far.

You have been recognised as the best crypto casino, and won an askgamblers award for players choice 2018- what is it that makesyou stand out from the crowd?

There’s nothing more humbling and honouring than being voted best casino 2018 by actual players, so first I’d like to thank everyone who voted for us. You guysare amazing! I have to admit, being the first casino in the world to offer crypto alongside FIAT has given us some major advantages. I mean, it always helps to have had a bit more time to perfect the player experience. We also have a “player first” perspective on everything we do, and are quick to implement changes based on feedback from players. This doesn’t just make BitStarz a better casino product, but also make the players feel extra appreciated. To add to that, our promotions, excellent service and fast withdrawals are just some of the major reasons why so many players choose to play here as well.

Since launching back in 2014, you’ve gone on to redefine the online casino industry – 5 years on, where is bitstarz now? What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered along the way?

BitStarz was founded on the notion that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are the future of online gaming. Our conviction of this is as strong as it was when we started, and we’re seeing more and more casinos adopting the use of BTC and Altcoins. I hope that means we’re doing something right. I think the biggest challenges we face (alongside our competitors) is predicting the next big thing. If you do the exact same thing as everyone else, you become like everyone else, so the hard part is to try to stay one step ahead. One other thing worth mentioning as well, is of course the competition among casinos today, as we are all fighting for the same players. With that said, it really serves as a great motivator for us at BitStarz.

What are the advantages for players in being able to place wagers in BTC over regular currencies?

I wouldn’t say there’s a benefits of wagering in BTC as opposed to FIAT currencies, as wagering is wagering. However, there are some major benefits of depositing and withdrawing in BTC as opposed to traditional currencies. When you’re using FIAT options such as e-wallets and cards, there’s a middle man. When you deposit and withdraw Bitcoin, you’re making a direct transaction to and from your casino account (like digital cash in other words), which gives you more control over your own money. One other thing that I personally like about using BTC when playing in a casino, is the withdrawal speed and the transactions being visible in the blockchain. As it’s on public display, I know for sure the money has been sent to me, which gives me, as a player an extra level of security and peace of mind.

Do you have any plans to add any other cryptocurrencies to your offering?

We are always open to offer more cryptocurrencies, especially if there’s a demand from the players. The only challenge we’re facing in regards to offering more, smaller cryptocurrencies is that many of the casino game providers don’t support them for wagering, but they’re getting there! We also offer a fantastic opportunity to convert the BTC into various FIAT currencies on deposit, which enables the BTC depositors to get access to a wider range of games. I mean, they shouldn’t have to suffer because the game providers can’t catch up (hint hint).

Speedy cashouts are a defining part of the Bitstarz service – is this an essential freature for today’s generation of players?

There’s no doubt that fast withdrawals are absolutely vital. It’s not just about people nowadays wanting to get things quickly, but it has a lot to do with trust. I’ve personally experienced casinos stalling my withdrawals, and when it happens I choose to go somewhere else. The players are taking a leap of faith by depositing their own hard-earned money into the casino. Hence, I believe it’s only fair to show them the same respect in return by ensuring they get their winnings out with lightning speed. We have an average processing time of 10 minutes, and plenty of players experience automatic withdrawals as well. On top of that, we don’t have any withdrawal limits, which mean you can withdraw all your winnings in a day, without restriction. As an example, we had a player winning over €2 million in a single spin, and as soon as he requested withdrawals they were processed within 10 minutes or less.

What can we expect to see in 2020, any interesting plans lined up?

Well, we always have a few aces up our sleeves (total pun intended), but we’d like for that to remain a secret!

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