Behind the Games
An Interview with Odds On Inc.
by J. Phillip Vogel

Behind the scenes of every online casino are companies dedicated to creating the software that makes it all possible. Gambling Times recently spoke with Pierre Gagnon, president of Odds On Inc., to get his insights into this ever-expanding industry.

GT: Why and how did you get interested in gaming software?

PG: We started this business in February 1998 but we weren’t interested in gaming software originally. We were asked to develop software for a commerce engine for the Net. Our client wanted to use it in gambling context. Later, we wrote back-office software and improved on what was already out there. As we looked at it, we thought, “Why not write front end?” That was how we started this venture into gaming software.

GT: What makes your software better than your competitors?

PG: It’snot as straightforward as that. There are many good pieces of software out there now—as many as seventy to eighty. But I feel that there are two things that give our software the edge. First, we offer a very stable platform. The software doesn’t crash or have outages and players know that they will always get a consistent product from us. Secondly, we are not operators. As such, this gives us the opportunity to listen to our clients. I am there to serve our clients. Finally, with our software, you are fully in control. You can choose the games, graphics, languages, and currency—whatever you want. That, I think, is the biggest edge we have over our competition.

GT: The land-based operators will soon be allowed to get into your business. What will happen to all of the online operators?

PG: New Jersey and Nevada have tentatively approved online casinos, and before long land-based casinos will be in action. Players will gravitate toward these casinos and the purely online operators that succeed will be the ones that offer players the best support. A number of people will have you believe that this is an easy business, and that’s just naive. The client may be in New York or Tokyo and to operate an online casino successfully you need 24/7 support, as well as people who speak the language. In short, the days of a handful of employees are gone. You now need a lot of bodies just to be in this business.

GT: How do you as a software provider make sure that your licensee is responsible?

PG: By making sure that operators go into this business with their eyes open and are properly funded. Years ago, $100,000 would make you successful. Today, it takes a couple of million to do the same thing. Also, to be successful in this business you have to take care of the players, and that means paying them. That is one of the most important aspects of successfully running an online casino. If you don’t pay your players on time, you run the risk of developing a bad reputation and losing your players.

GT: Players are looking for other payment options other than VISA and MasterCard. What do you do to accommodate other payment options?

PG: When new payment mechanisms are developed (such as PayPal) we immediately develop the software to work with them. For example, right now we have a client asking to be able to accept debit cards in Europe. We will work with the financial institutions and e-cash providers to make it happen.

GT: We hear a lot about new delivery models like Shock, WAP, and no-download type of software. Where are you going with your software and why?

PG: We are staying where we are, with the downloadable software. We are making it brighter, faster, and more interesting. With these upgrades, we hope to increase stickiness to the sites. Remember, a player that downloads the software is making a commitment. With products like Shock and WAP, players may play the software once and then never return. Also, a lot of the world doesn’t have the bandwidth for those types of software to operate well. With a low bandwidth, you have poor quality. By having a player download the software, they are just receiving a simple signal to turn the card or roll the dice or spin the wheel. So, for the time being at least, we are sticking with what’s tried and true.

GT: There have been rumors that some of the software suppliers are also operators. Are you one of them and what do you think of that?

PG: We are not an operator. I personally don’t think that it is right for a software provider to be an operator. If they have their own casino, other operators will wonder if information is not passed to the house brand.

GT: Thank you Mr. Gagnon; we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us.


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