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The eagerly anticipated 2013 EGR Operator Awards shortlist includes six nominations for UK-based mobile casino, mFortune. This is significant achievement for the relative new-comer, who will be up against big brand names such as Paddy Power, 888poker.com, bet365, Mecca Bingo, GalaBingo.com, Sky Betting & Gaming, and William Hill.
The prestigious industry awards are judged by a panel of directors, of public companies and major gambling brands, as well as successful entrepreneurs and key industry advisers. They will be seeking evidence of excellence in areas such as gaming products and features, leadership, innovation and customer service.
Despite walking among giants, the team at mFortune are not intimidated; instead drawing confidence from their core successes: pioneering in-house game development and an unwavering commitment to great customer service. It is a strategy that has already earned the online casino around 2.6million players, and seen it make regular monthly payouts of around £24million. Within five years, mFortune has already become the largest mobile casino games provider to be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
Pioneering Development
The fact that mFortune develops all of its own games, enables it to rapidly adapt and innovate, according to technological and market developments – undoubtedly a factor in mFortune’s nominations for Mobile Casino Product of the Year, Mobile Poker Product of the Year and Poker Operator of the Year.
“mFortune was the first mobile gaming company with a mobile-first holistic approach,” says Victor Stinga, Poker Manager at mFortune. “Our poker product demonstrates this well. We are currently the world’s only online casino to offer poker games on all platforms, with real players instead of robots. We enjoy recreating the relaxed, friendly atmosphere you get when a group of mates come together for a poker game. This social aspect really increases game-value for our players. We have always developed our games for all platforms – iOS, Android, Java, Java BlackBerry and HTML. This hasn’t been without significant development challenges but we are fortunate to have an extremely talented and passionate team who have overcome every obstacle.”
Community Spirit
mFortune works hard to ensure that its players have nothing but fun. This is most apparent in its thriving bingo and social media communities; a fact also reflected in its Mobile Bingo Product of the Year and Social Marketing Campaign of the Year nominations.
“Mobile bingo is one of our flagship products, with our chat rooms exchanging 4million messages a year,” says James Goode, mFortune’s Head of Marketing and Strategy. “We genuinely love our bingo community and aim to give them the best possible experience through constant player-centric innovations such as our bingo loyalty shop, in-game slots and bingo-exclusive competitions. We are also rapidly strengthening our relationships with players and peers through social media and online content, and we’re really enjoying these extra opportunities to support and interact with our players.”
Supportive Ethos
Community spirit resonates throughout mFortune, and is particularly obvious at the heart of the business: the Customer Support Team, who were also singled-out for nomination, in the Customer Services Operator of the Year category.
“It’s really fantastic recognition of dedication and enthusiasm of the Customer Support team here at mFortune,” says Diane Smallwood, Head of Customer Service. “We genuinely care about all our customers, and will always go the extra mile to ensure the players have a good experience. We treat every player with respect and empathy, no matter what their issue or state of mind. The team here are well-trained, friendly and highly supportive of each other, as well as the players, which I think is key to creating the great atmosphere enjoyed by both the players and the mFortune team.”
Sheer Dedication
This year’s nominations are evidence that mFortune’s determination to deliver a genuinely unique mobile gaming experience and consistently friendly and helpful customer support is being acknowledged within the gambling industry.
“We’re extremely proud to be shortlisted for these prestigious awards, in such highly competitive sectors,” concludes James Goode, mFortune’s Head of Marketing & Strategy. “We share all of our nominations with our players, partners and all involved at mFortune – it’s a huge team effort. We haven’t had chance to rest on our past successes. It’s been a year of hard work, constant in-house product development and continued customer-centric philosophy. We live and breathe player expectations, values and experiences, and always try to push the boundaries where possible. It’s really encouraging to see our efforts have been recognised within the industry.”
The final award winners will be revealed at the 2013 EGR Operator Awards, at the Roundhouse in London on the 25th November 2013.
