Player Focus
For Mark Barrath, the key to exercising his role as the overseer of retention and monetization efforts revolves around understanding what makes his players love Golden Hearts Games.
This means taking a player-first approach to every interaction, whether that’s the new games they can play, the promotions that get them excited to log in that day, or the customized offers and communications they are part of, says Barrath, a Midwest lad raised in St. Louis.
“If our players are happy and feel valued, then I’m doing my job,” he says.
Golden Hearts Games is a free social casino website where players 18 and up from across the United States can play their favorite casino or casino-style games for fun and entertainment with a chance to purchase virtual currency packages referred to as Gold Coins.
“Ultimately, it boils down to knowing and focusing on your players,” says Barrath, who joined the company in late 2022.
When you understand what motivates them, what drives them and what they care about, it becomes much easier to give them a reason to stick around as a paying player, he says.
Barrath has a good handle on who he is now and what he represents. But it wasn’t where he expected to be, necessarily.
A political science major at the University of Kansas, Barrath envisioned a career practicing law after graduation from law school. “That allowed me to debate various points of view and solve critical issues through reasoning and analysis.”
But he learned he could still realize those same interests within the business world and obtained an MBA from Kansas.
His success in a career shift depended on a couple of mentors along the way, in the brick-and-mortar world as well as social play.
“I have been fortunate to have some great ones,” he says. He joined a team at Harrah’s Kansas City managed by Charley Puhr, a key to understanding the industry. “He was a role model and mentor who approached his work and his team with unmatched positivity and enthusiasm. He made it easy to be excited about working in gaming.”
Barrath transitioned into the online casino space in 2014. “This would be a turning point in my gaming career, and where I met Melanie Gross,” he says. Gross was the head of online casino for Caesars Interactive Entertainment.
“She was instrumental in the development of my knowledge of the online, real-money casino industry as well as a key part of my future successes, providing me with countless opportunities to learn and push myself out of my comfort zone.”
Barrath left in 2016 for the world of social casinos with SciPlay. “I found myself with the opportunity to, again, work with Melanie at Golden Hearts Games in 2022.”
The industry has evolved during the past 10 years, but the future looks bright if unpredictable. “I look forward to the opportunities that will present themselves in the coming years, and am excited to continue working with some of the most impressive minds in the space,” he says.
If he had to sum up the past decade-plus, it’s that the lights are on 24/7.
“Weekends and holidays are some of the most active days for our players,” Barrath says. “We’re fortunate to have the tools and technology to pivot, even intraday, on a promotion or sale, but it can make it difficult to relax, too.”
That said, all work and no play is not healthy for anyone, even those involved in the play business.
“I am a firm believer in staying active and pushing myself physically and mentally. And, perhaps, it’s my time in gaming that has led me to things like CrossFit and golf—always needing to be on your toes, thinking, analyzing, working if you want to be the best.”
