Exclusive Chat with Pierangelo Raffini of Capecod Gaming

Games “100% made in Italy” identifies this provider and differentiates it from the others. The care taken to deliver a quality product shines through and we had the privilege of chatting with Pierangelo Raffini, Head of Marketing, Communication and Business Development at Capecod. The majority of the products are slot games, however, there are plans to expand the table games offering and move into international markets. As a company born in the late 80’s, it’s about time! Read on for an overview of the history, portfolio and the next phase.

Q: Initially founded as a software house in 1987, what can you tell us about the software you working on back then?

A: We have always worked with medium–sized and large companies on a variety of software projects and products. Over time we made use of a great number of technologies and programming languages until, in 1996, we started to develop online tools and software for the internet.

Q. Give us a summary of the products you’re producing now.

A: We entered the iGaming industry back in 2007 with BIGPoker, the first online poker platform ever released in Italy. It was a big success and it proved very popular with Italian poker players. Today our core business is the development of omni-channel casino games. We currently have 40 online slots available on desktop and mobile plus some classic table games (roulette and blackjack). Some of our products come from land-based casino games (AWP), we brought these titles online for the first time and we found the players really appreciate them.

Q: The quality that “100% made in Italy” represents is an important aspect of your branding. Describe your approach and the process for game development.

A: To us, “Made in Italy” has a two-fold meaning: on one side it stands for the quality of our products, which are realized to the highest standards with an eye on innovation and creativity; on the other it is a source of pride to us, something that makes us instantly recognizable and we strive to carry on in the future.

Q: Is there a patent on any of your in-game features?

A: Each individual feature in our games is unique and realized in-house by a team of highly skilled professionals. We are in the process of filing for a patent for most of them.

Q: How have Italian gambling regulations and licensing affected business? Which region is currently your strongest market?

A: As of today, Online Gaming Legislation in Italy is recognized as one of the world’s most complete and many countries draw upon it to legislate in the area. We work on regulated markets in compliance with the laws in effect on each country and our products are very popular with Italian and international operators alike. At present we operate on the Italian market and we are also in the process of licensing all our games for the UK and Spanish markets.

Q: What prompted the company to enter into online poker and how are you associated with Microgame?

A: We released BIGPoker when online poker was all the rage and there was a strong demand for this type of products. Things are very different now. Players’ interest in online poker has halved year after year and we discontinued BIGPoker in 2013, when we decided to focus on casino games instead.

Q: Table games are fairly new to your portfolio. Do you plan to introduce any more titles?

A: Absolutely, we aim to double our table games in the foreseeable future. I would like to stress, though, that each of our products has original built-in features and there is no two alike. We want to create games that are unique and enjoyable in their distinctiveness. We are not planning to start mass-producing standardized titles so our portfolio will remain quite exclusive.

Q: Finally, after 30 years in the business, what direction is the company headed in?

A: It is time for Capecod to enter international markets. After many years in the industry, we have the experience, the know-how and the technology to position our products abroad. We have already received positive comments and reviews from international operators, which is a great start. We are set to become competitive on new, challenging markets in the year ahead.