Exclusive Mr. Gamble Interview With Catie Di Stefano, Marketing Director Of Smartico

In this exclusive Mr. Gamble interview, we sit down with Catie Di Stefano, the Marketing Director at Smartico, to discuss her remarkable journey in the iGaming industry. With over a decade of experience, Catie has climbed the ranks, starting from customer support and advancing through roles in VIP management, CRM, and affiliation. In this exclusive Mr. Gamble interview, she shares with us the pivotal moments that shaped her career and led to her current leadership role at Smartico.

Join us for an insightful conversation as Catie provides a unique look into her professional evolution and the dynamic iGaming sector.

Catie, could you share a bit about your background and how you ended up in the iGaming industry? What have been the most significant turning points in your career, and why were they so impactful for you?

Thanks, Paul! I’ve been in the gambling industry since 2011, starting in customer support for an operator with various gaming verticals. From there, I moved up through roles in VIP management, CRM, and affiliation.

Originally, I moved to Malta at 19 for a temporary job but ended up falling in love with the industry—and Malta itself—where I lived for eight years. A major career shift happened in 2018 when I joined Hard Rock and helped launch their online products in New Jersey after PASPA was repealed. That experience opened doors for me, and when I was let go shortly after moving to Spain, it pushed me to start my consultancy.

A few months later, Hard Rock rehired me as a consultant, which proved to be an invaluable experience, especially during the pandemic when they were fully reliant on online operations.

Afterward, I ran an affiliate website, helping get it licensed in 16 states. It was a challenging but rewarding experience, teaching me a lot about acquisitions and responsible gambling, and I carry all that experience into my work now.

You’ve recently joined Smartico. What attracted you to the company, and what has been your experience so far working with such an innovative product?

Smartico appealed to me because they focus on everything I’m passionate about: CRM, gamification, loyalty, and affiliation.

Features like Jackpot and Quiz tools have been game-changers, and I only wish I had access to these tools back in my CRM days. Back then, I had to work daily with so many CSV files and manually calculate and approve VIP bonuses, cross-check email send-outs and responsible gambling lists, spend hours creating player tournaments, and check deposit lists each morning to find new VIPs

It’s great to represent a product that I truly believe in, and I’m excited to showcase Smartico’s capabilities to the gambling industry.

Can you start by telling us what Smartico is and how it stands out in the market of Gamification, Loyalty, and CRM automation platforms?

Smartico is an engagement hub tailored for the gambling industry, built by industry veterans. It combines CRM and gamification tools into one platform, giving operators complete control to improve user journeys, prevent churn, and increase loyalty.

Smartico also integrates with TAP, our affiliate platform, to offer even more tools for engaging affiliates. With a strong focus on value for money, Smartico offers a comprehensive solution that helps operators stay competitive.

Who are Smartico’s primary customers? Are there specific industries or types of businesses that benefit the most from your platform?

Smartico is designed for iGaming operators looking for seamless CRM and gamification solutions. The platform is ideal for casinos and sports betting companies that want to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

Built by a team with diverse technical and business backgrounds, Smartico addresses many of the pain points operators face, making it a valuable tool for improving player engagement and loyalty.

I’m proud to serve as marketing director and help my team build the most innovative tool.

Smartico was founded by a team with over 50 years of combined experience in the gaming industry. How has this wealth of experience shaped the development of the platform?

Smartico’s platform boosts customer engagement and revenue by combining real-time CRM automation, personalised marketing, and gamification. Features like leaderboards, missions, and rewards keep users engaged, while behaviour-based targeting ensures personalised offers that drive conversions.

What makes it unique is that the CRM and gamification tools are all available in one platform. Smartico makes building user journeys much easier, and operators can quickly take action via email, push, WhatsApp, notifications, and SMS to prevent churn or help users stay engaged and come back to their brand for F2P games, quiz games, jackpots, etc. The opportunities are endless!

How does Smartico’s platform specifically help companies drive customer engagement and increase revenue? Can you share any success stories or metrics?

Smartico drives customer engagement by offering real-time CRM automation and personalised marketing with gamification tools. Operators can respond instantly to player actions, helping retain users and boost loyalty.

For example, one client saw a 15% increase in player retention within three months, while another achieved a 20% revenue increase with personalised campaigns. From my experience working in CRM and VIP, where everything was manual and time-consuming back in the day, the efficiency is on another level with Smartico in 2024.

Couple that with some of our other features, like our bonus engine, where you can build formulas for automatic approvals for VIP rewards.

Gamification and loyalty programs are becoming increasingly popular. What unique features does Smartico offer that differentiate it from other platforms in this space?

Smartico stands out by offering a fully integrated gamification engine with CRM tools. Operators can create custom loyalty programs using features like points, levels, and marketplaces where players can buy spins or free bets.

The platform also supports tournaments and customisable jackpots, giving operators endless possibilities to engage their players. What sets us apart is that everything was designed to work together from the start, making integration seamless.

The platform emphasises real-time CRM automation. Can you explain how this capability benefits businesses and enhances customer experiences?

Smartico’s real-time CRM automation allows businesses to engage with players at the right moment, delivering personalised offers and rewards instantly based on their actions.

We try to avoid the usual buzzwords and focus on practical outcomes: operators can respond immediately to player behaviours, like offering bonuses via pop-up straight after wins or retention offers during inactivity. This gives operators ultimate control to increase LTV and prevent churn. For players, this means a more engaging, relevant experience where they feel valued, leading to increased loyalty and satisfaction.

Given the platform’s versatility, do you see any emerging markets or industries where Smartico could play a significant role in the future?

We’re seeing high demand for Smartico in LATAM, and I believe North American operators will soon need better engagement tools as competition grows. The focus in the U.S. has been on acquisition, but retention will become increasingly important, and Smartico is well-positioned to meet that need.

With Smartico’s customer-driven development approach, how do you gather and incorporate feedback from your clients to tailor the platform to their needs?

We have a very close relationship with our clients, and we have a dedicated customer success team that works closely with clients to gather feedback. Our client success managers are all superstars with a deep understanding of the software and industry, so they know the markets and can also give suggestions to help improve our clients' revenue.

This allows us to quickly adapt the platform to meet evolving needs. If a development can benefit multiple clients, we’re happy to invest in it to improve the overall platform.

Looking ahead, what are some of the exciting developments or innovations that Smartico is working on to continue evolving and staying ahead of industry trends?

We’ve just launched our jackpot product with flexible options, including a mutual contribution to the pot.

We’ve also introduced a dynamic quiz feature that offers both custom questions and an automated sports quiz, seamlessly integrating live sports feeds for real-time updates. Looking ahead, we’re working on a range of projects, including raffles, unique collectible-style experiences, and much, much more.

As for what we have in store for you, without giving too much away, let’s just say we’re focused on delivering even more exciting ways for operators to engage their audiences and keep them coming back.

Lastly, on a more personal note, what is your favourite slot game, and what do you enjoy most about it?

My favourite is Twin Spin by NetEnt. It’s an old classic, but I love the music, graphics, and the fact that you can win both ways. I once won big on it, enough to buy a vacation to New York, and it’s been my go-to ever since!