“I Have Always Been Fascinated by the Inner Workings of Software and How It Can Be Used to Solve Problems and Improve People’s Lives” — Interview With Sales Director at Flows Domenico Mazzola
We continue our series of interviews with prominent figures in the world of gambling, and our guest today is Domenico Mazzola, Sales Director at Flows. We’ll learn about Flows — a platform that helps make life easier for gambling operators. We will also know in what situations AI can answer players’ questions and whether it is possible to replace live support staff with virtual assistants. We’ll even explore why the bonuses the platform has picked up work better than the standard loyalty program. Our readers will also learn about this and many other exciting topics in today’s interview.
— Please introduce yourself and tell a little about yourself.
— Hello, everyone, and thank you for providing me with this opportunity. My name is Domenico Mazzola, and I am the Sales Director at Flows. I have been working in the iGaming industry for the last nine years and have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in this field. Before embarking on my career in sales, I spent almost a decade working as a software developer. My background is technical, and I have always been fascinated by the inner workings of software and how it can be used to solve problems and improve people’s lives.
— You worked as a developer for a long time, then moved to iGaming. Tell us how you got into the industry and how your career developed.
— My journey in the iGaming industry began when I made the decision to leave Italy and relocate to Malta. It was there that I first discovered the industry and landed my first job as an Account Manager for a slot provider. In this role, I utilized my technical skills to assist customers in resolving issues and worked to improve the positioning of the games. During this time, I discovered my passion for sales and decided to pivot my career towards a more commercial position. Everything started with that move to Malta, and the rest is history.
— You are now the Sales Director of Flows. Tell us about how it is connected to casinos and how it is useful for operators.
— Flows is a no-code automation platform that allows operators to efficiently automate various tasks and processes, freeing up time and resources for other important aspects of their business. With Flows, operators can easily create and customize workflow automation, doing away with manual processes and increasing overall efficiency. Furthermore, Flows is connected to various casino systems, enabling smooth integration and the ability to automate actions across different platforms. Overall, Flows is a useful tool for casino operators seeking to boost productivity and streamline their operations.
— Is it true that a robot will answer players’ questions instead of real support agents? Or will the messages come only in certain situations?
— It is possible to use Flows to integrate an AI tool that can answer players’ questions in place of real support agents. Actually, we have already completed the integration with OpenAI. However, it is also possible to use Flows to send messages from real support agents or to have the AI tool assist the support agents in answering questions. It really depends on how the casino operator decides to set up and use the Flows platform. In certain situations, an AI tool might be used to answer questions, while real support agents might handle the inquiries in other situations. It is also possible to use a combination of both approaches, with the AI tool handling simple or frequently asked questions and real support agents handling more complex or specialized inquiries.
— Do you think it will be possible to replace support staff with similar technology in the future? How will the players react to it?
— It is possible that support staff could be replaced by technology in the future, but it is difficult to predict exactly how this would play out. Some players may prefer to have their questions and concerns addressed by a human support agent, while others may not mind interacting with a virtual assistant or AI-powered chatbot. It would likely depend on the quality and effectiveness of the technology, as well as the individual preferences of the players.
It is worth noting that even if technology were to become advanced enough to fully replace human support staff, there might still be a need for human oversight and intervention in some instances. There may also be regulatory or legal considerations that prevent complete automation in specific industries. Ultimately, it is difficult to predict exactly how this scenario would play out and what the impact on players and support staff would be.
— With Flows, players can get personalized bonuses because their spending, favorite games, and session length will be taken into account. But how is this better than the regular loyalty program that almost every casino has?
— Using Flows to personalize bonuses for players may be more effective than a traditional loyalty program for several reasons.
First, personalizing bonuses based on players’ spending, favorite games, and session length allows for a more targeted and customized approach to rewards. This can be more effective in engaging and retaining players, as the bonuses are tailored to their interests and behavior. In contrast, a traditional loyalty program may offer generic rewards that are not necessarily aligned with individual players’ preferences and may be less effective at retaining their loyalty.
Second, using Flows to automate the process of personalizing bonuses can save time and resources for the casino. Rather than manually tracking and managing a loyalty program, the process can be automated, allowing the casino to focus on other areas of the business.
Overall, personalizing bonuses using Flows may be a more effective way for casinos to engage and retain players, as well as streamline their rewards program.
— Tell us how much you have to lose in the casino for players to get a bonus. Or does each operator determine this amount independently?
— The amount that players need to lose in order to qualify for a bonus at a casino would depend on the specific terms and conditions of the bonus program. Each casino operator is free to set their own terms for bonus eligibility, including the amount that players need to lose in order to qualify. Some casinos may offer bonuses to players who have lost a certain amount within a specific timeframe, while others may have different criteria for eligibility. It is important for players to carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of any bonus program they are interested in and participating in, as the requirements for eligibility can vary from one casino to another.
— The Flows blog says, ” Gamification is the key to long-term purchases from users”. Do you agree with this statement? If so, how does your technology help gamify players’ time in casinos?
— Gamification, which refers to using game elements and mechanics in non-game contexts to engage and motivate users, can be a powerful tool for increasing customer loyalty and encouraging long-term purchases. It is certainly possible that gamification could be a key factor in driving long-term purchases from users in the casino industry.
Flows can help casinos gamify players’ experiences in several ways. For example, the platform can be used to create customized loyalty programs that offer rewards and incentives to players based on their activity and progress. This can help to keep players engaged and motivated to continue playing and spending at the casino. Additionally, Flows can be used to automate and manage events and promotions that incorporate game-like elements, such as leaderboards, challenges, and tournaments. These types of activities can help to make the casino experience more engaging and fun for players, potentially leading to increased loyalty and long-term purchases.
— The Linkedin page says that Flows allows automating time-consuming manual promotions such as cashback and loyalty bonuses or building your own with Flows. Tell us how this process works in a casino and what the procedure is if the bonus is not credited correctly.
— Using Flows, casino operators can automate the process of offering promotions such as cashback and loyalty bonuses. This can save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on manually tracking and distributing these types of rewards.
To use Flows to automate promotions in a casino, the operator would first need to set up the necessary rules and triggers within the platform. For example, they might set up a rule that automatically awards a cashback bonus to players who have lost a certain amount within a specific timeframe. They could also set up triggers that are tied to specific player actions, such as playing a particular game or making a certain number of purchases.
Once the rules and triggers are set up, the Flows platform will automatically track player activity and award bonuses as appropriate. The casino operator can then monitor the system to ensure that it is functioning correctly and that rewards are being credited correctly.
If a bonus is not credited correctly, the casino operator can investigate the issue and take appropriate action to resolve it. This might involve manually crediting the bonus to the player’s account or making adjustments to the rules and triggers within the Flows platform. It is essential for the casino to have a system in place for handling issues with bonus credits in order to maintain player trust and satisfaction.
— It is easy to track RTP with Flows. How do operators use this data?
— RTP, or Return to Player, is a measure of the percentage of wagers that a game is expected to pay back to players over time. Tracking RTP can be useful for casino operators, as it can provide insights into the performance of different games and help them make informed decisions about which games to offer to players.
Flows makes it easy for operators to track RTP, as the platform can be configured to automatically gather data on the performance of different games. This data can then be used in a variety of ways. For example, operators might use it to:
- Identify which games are most popular with players and generate the most revenue.
- Determine which games have the highest RTP and may be more attractive to players.
- Monitor the performance of new games to see how they compare to existing ones.
- Make informed decisions about which games to remove or add to their selection.
Overall, tracking RTP with Flows can be a valuable tool for casino operators, helping them to optimize their game selection and maximize revenue.
— Flows will also help set up jackpots. How often do operators use this service, or are they greedy and don’t want to create new ones?
— Some operators may choose to offer regular jackpots as a way to keep players engaged and attract new players, while others may only offer them on an occasional basis or not at all.
There are many factors that can influence a casino operator’s decision to set up jackpots, including the size and type of the jackpot, the target audience, and the overall goals of the casino. Some operators may be more interested in offering smaller, more frequent jackpots as a way to keep players engaged. In contrast, others may focus on larger, less frequent jackpots that can generate more excitement and attract a wider audience.
It is also important to note that offering jackpots is not necessarily an indicator of greed on the part of the casino operator. Jackpots can be a valuable tool for engaging players and driving revenue and can be offered as part of a wider range of promotions and incentives. Ultimately, the decision to set up jackpots and the frequency with which they are offered will depend on the specific goals and strategy of the individual casino.
— With Flows, it is possible to automatically block the account, block withdrawals, and set restrictions. Without Flows, does it happen manually? How likely is it that Flows will mistakenly block a player’s account or prohibit withdrawals, and what to do in this situation?
— Without Flows, casino operators may need to manually handle tasks such as blocking accounts, blocking withdrawals, and setting restrictions. This can be time-consuming and prone to errors, as it requires manual tracking and intervention.
Flows allows operators to automate these processes, making it easier and more efficient to manage player accounts and enforce any necessary restrictions. By setting up rules and triggers within the platform, operators can automatically block accounts or prohibit withdrawals based on specific criteria, such as suspicious activity or violation of terms and conditions.
There is always a risk that Flows or any other automated system may mistakenly block a player’s account or prohibit withdrawals. However, the likelihood of this occurring can be minimized through careful setup and monitoring of the system. It is important for casino operators to have a process in place for handling such errors and addressing any issues that may arise. This might involve manually unblocking the player’s account or reversing the restriction, as well as reviewing and adjusting the rules and triggers within the Flows platform to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.
— We’ve talked a lot about bonuses and loyalty programs. Let’s imagine that all jurisdictions in the world suddenly made bonuses illegal, and no casino can offer them. How many players do you think would stop betting at all? What are some of the ways casinos would have retained players?
— If bonuses were no longer an option, casinos could use Flows to automate and streamline various processes and strategies in order to retain players. For example, they might use the platform to:
- Easily track and analyze player behavior and preferences in order to identify the types of games that are most popular and offer a personalized selection of games to each player.
- Automate customer service processes, such as handling inquiries and complaints, in order to provide a high level of support to players and make it easier for them to get help when they need it.
- Streamline payment processing and security by using Flows to automate the verification and approval of transactions in order to create a more convenient and secure experience for players.
- Create and manage events and promotions that are designed to keep players engaged and entertained, such as tournaments or leaderboards, using Flows to automate the tracking and management of these activities.
- Overall, Flows can be a valuable tool for casinos looking to retain players in the absence of bonuses by helping to streamline and automate various processes and strategies.
— Tell us about your company’s plans for the future.
— In the future, our company plans to continue expanding our marketplace by constantly integrating more and more apps and third parties. We also want to open the marketplace to Flows creators, giving them the opportunity to create libraries and monetize on them. This will allow us to tap into the expertise and creativity of the Flows community, and we believe it will be a win-win situation for everyone involved. In addition to this, we are working to increase the number of partners and partnerships, as well as grow in terms of the number of employees. These efforts are aimed at furthering our reach and impact in the industry, and we are committed to building a strong and dynamic company that can continue to evolve and adapt to the needs of our customers.
— Do you gamble, or are you only interested in the code? If you gamble, what do you play?
— I personally don’t like to gamble. When I rarely do it, I prefer sports betting or blackjack. I personally don’t like to gamble. As the French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal once said, “Gambling is a way of buying hope on credit.” But when I rarely do it, I prefer sports betting or blackjack.
