Mathias Larsson: Why Innovation in iGaming Is Harder Than You Think

🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #242, Mathias Larsson, Commercial Director in Europe at Awager.

Live slot machines are here: how Awager is changing online casino? Is this the next big leap in real-money gaming?

In this episode, Pierre interviews Mathias Larsson, Commercial Director at Awager, the company turning physical slot machines into live-streamed online games. It's not just innovation it could be the future of online slots, live casino, and omni-channel iGaming.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:43 - Sponsors

02:08 - Welcoming Mathias Larsson

03:20 - The story behind Awager and its evolution

06:16 - Is Awager the next Evolution-style disruptor?

08:25 - Why players prefer live-streamed slot machines

11:33 - Can the model scale if it’s one player per machine?

13:50 - Why FanDuel and U.S. operators backed Awager early

16:07 - Choosing markets with strong land-based culture

18:39 - The real roadblocks to innovation in iGaming

23:26 - The innovator’s dilemma in iGaming

25:15 - Cracking the sales cycle for a product no one knows

29:57 - Biggest challenges: logistics, regulation & timing

32:57 - Awager’s business model explained

36:29 - Superstition, trust & the psychology of land-based play

38:40 - Target markets for 2025–2026 expansion

40:42 - Where Awager will be in 3 years

🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio/podcasts

CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO

✩ Website - https://next.io/

This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:

Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.

https://pragmatic.solutions/

Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.

https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/