Zoe Ebling

Zoe Ebling joined global gaming supplier AGS in March 2023 and has served as vice president of the company’s Interactive Division since that August.

With a focus on diversified product offerings and extensive partnerships, Ebling shares her perspective on the regulatory environment globally and outlines how AGS plans to continue growing its global footprint.

GGB: What is your current strategic vision for the Interactive division of AGS?

Our strategic vision for AGS Interactive is to be a leader in the online space. Our primary goal over the next five years is to secure a top spot as an online provider.

We’ve introduced a diversified product offering that enables us to target niche players in the digital space. We don’t just have video slots—we also offer stepper slots, concatenation, table games and arcade-style content. Because we offer such a wide portfolio, we’re able to identify with a broad player base. Additionally, we have developed creative marketing strategies for cross-selling players across our various product verticals.

What are your key priorities for growth?

The key priority for growth is to continue to offer value to our partners. I would say that AGS Interactive is not a company that just launches games. We work closely with our partners to understand their operations, strategies, and how they aim to differentiate their offerings from those of other casinos. We then apply our range of products to suit their strategy. We’re more of a business partner than just a content provider.

In terms of the tricky European regulatory environment, how does regulation impact your plans?

We grew 45 percent last year across Europe. You won’t find many North American suppliers growing at rates like those in the European market. Due to the sophistication of our game studio, regulation changes aren’t a problem for us. We design our games to facilitate easy adjustments, and we’ve reconfigured our content to comply with new regulations.

Why is the progress of iGaming regulation in the U.S. so slow and will it ever speed up?

If you examine the U.S. government structure, it’s not necessarily known for things happening quickly. We see similar trends outside of iGaming. However, as our economy changes and state budget deficits continue to increase, iGaming will look more and more attractive for state revenue.

The next state to legalize will likely kick off a wave of legalization, so we’re hopeful that new opportunities will soon arise.

Looking at Latin America, how important is it to localize content for each country?

If you’re someone who’s ever spent time in South America or Central America, the cultures and the way of life are so different, and it’s crucial for the people that live there to be met where they’re at.

Localizing content for different regions will make the product more approachable to players. It’s essential that there’s a level of respect for the market. Suppliers targeting specific markets should make the effort to develop content that resonates with the local audience.

Overall, localization is a strategy that we’re considering for every market where we are live, not just in Latin America. It’s crucial as we work closely with our operator partners and get feedback from them on what works locally. We want to ensure we deliver relevant content that engages players. This will ultimately play a part in helping us achieve our goal of becoming a leading provider in the online space.