Episode 98·11:10·10 Nov 2026

How to Create Games That Make Sense | Salome Lomtadze, ThunderSpin

with Salome Lomtadze, Brand Marketing Lead, ThunderSpin

Surya Palli

Founder of iGaming Real Talk.·10 Nov 2026

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There are hundreds of game providers in iGaming. For a newer brand like ThunderSpin, simply having games is not enough.

In Episode 98, Surya speaks with Salome Lomtadze, Brand Marketing Lead at ThunderSpin, about how the company is trying to build a brand that looks and feels different while still keeping the product at the centre.

Salome explains the thinking behind the ThunderSpin name, its use of energy, metal and natural textures, and why the company wanted its visual identity to feel less like a typical digital-only iGaming brand.

But the conversation goes beyond design. ThunderSpin’s main message is that it wants to build “games that really make sense.” Salome says that means looking at game quality, creative concepts, retention, session duration and direct player feedback.

They also discuss how the whole team gets involved in product ideas, why the company designed its Lisbon stand like a game market, which channels could matter most for Gen Z, and why trust still beats bonuses, influencers and product features when a player chooses a brand.

“Thunder represents the pure energy and the power, and spin is all about slots and gambling. Together, it represents the power of gaming and that gambling energy.”

“Our main tagline is that we produce games that really make sense. The first thing is quality and creative concepts, and we measure that through retention and direct feedback.”

“We are not a big corporation, and that is why everybody’s opinion matters. Every member of each team is involved when we are creating a product.”

“The idea was a game market because we are game producers and we sell games. Everyone who comes to our stand enters our market and also experiences what our brand stands for.”

“If you want to build high awareness, you have to be direct with your customer. You need to break some of the borders and gaps between the brand and the customer.”

“I think better product first, then faster payout, and finally a brand they can trust. Between trust and influencers, I would still choose the brand they can trust.”

Key takeaways

ThunderSpin wants the brand to feel like the product
Salome says the name itself combines energy with gaming.
The branding uses thunder, natural textures and physical metal elements to create something more distinctive than a standard digital logo system.
The product still has to make sense
ThunderSpin’s core line is simple: “games that really make sense.”
For Salome, that means quality and creative concepts, but also being able to measure whether players actually stay, play longer and respond positively.
Creativity is being measured, not just admired
Salome does not describe creativity as something subjective only.
She says ThunderSpin looks at retention rates, duration and direct feedback to understand whether the ideas behind a game are actually working.
The stand itself was built around the product story
At Lisbon, ThunderSpin created a “game market” concept.
The idea was simple: the company produces and sells games, so people entering the stand are effectively entering its own market.
Gen Z is changing where brands need to communicate
Salome believes Instagram and TikTok will become increasingly important because younger players are spending more time there.
Her wider point is that brands need to communicate in the channels and language their audience already uses.

About the guest

Salome Lomtadze

Brand Marketing Lead, ThunderSpin

LinkedIn profile

Extended summary

Published by the podcast, not written by our newsroom.

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(00:00 - 01:18) Surya: Seven in ten leave if the payment fails. The website, the way it is structured, is very Thunder. It has that electrifying effect. Salome: Thunder represents the pure energy and the power, and spin is all about slots and gambling. You have to be direct with your customer and break some borders and gaps between you and the customer. Surya: When I look at your stand, it's a little bit different. It has some kind of concept.

Salome: We produce games that really make sense. Surya: Which marketing channel do you think will dominate iGaming B2C marketing next year in 2027? Salome: We're trying to be a little bit fun but at the same time not lose the users. Surya: 88% say trust is the most important factor when choosing a brand to play with. Salome: I think it's more Instagram and TikTok because Gen Z is becoming more of a priority for everybody.

Surya: You seem to be coming from a lot of creative space. Salome: We measure that through user retention rates and direct feedback. (01:18 - 02:03) Surya: We are here in Lisbon. iGaming Real Talk is launching the seventh edition of Real Roadshow, where we spoke to 24 leaders and experts covering insights and conversations from the expo floor, but also from the sky. Stay tuned for more on that.

This series is brought to you by the SOFTSWISS 2027 iGaming Trends Report, featuring five years of insights and trusted by 32,000 readers. Introduction (02:03 - 02:56) Surya: Hello and welcome back to another episode of iGaming Real Talk. We are here in Lisbon and I have Salome, Brand Marketing Lead at ThunderSpin. Salome, welcome to the show. Salome: Nice to have you today. Surya: It's great to meet you after such a long time talking and knowing the brand as well.

Your brand is fairly new in the market. The other day I came across your website, and the way it's structured feels very “Thunder.” It has this electrifying effect. I've also worked in B2B marketing for a long time, so I know those details take a lot of time and effort. Since you work on the brand side, I want to start there. How did you come up with the name, and what's the intention behind it?

(02:56 - 04:21) Salome: First of all, I can say we were very lucky because the name wasn't taken. Thunder represents pure energy and power, and spin is all about slots and gambling. Together, it represents the power of gaming and that gambling energy. Surya: I like that. You can feel it from the website as well. Salome: It also helps our branding because we can use heavy details around thunder. We're also concentrated on natural textures.

I think it's quite new for iGaming branding. We don't only have digital assets. We also use different kinds of metal. Surya: What kind? Salome: Pure metal elements. That's quite new because mostly we see digital assets and logos. We have more physical metal in our branding. While working on it, we felt it could be something new and attractive for users and operators. We wanted the branding to bring something different into this field.

(04:21 - 05:00) Surya: When I talk to newer brands in the space, one question usually comes to my mind. There are hundreds of game providers. Why should an operator or partner come to ThunderSpin? What makes them want to work with you? Salome: Our main tagline is that we produce games that really make sense. The first thing is quality and creative concepts. We measure that through user retention rates, duration and also direct feedback.

(05:00 - 05:41) Surya: You seem to come from a very creative space. Can we talk a little about your background and how these concepts are made? Salome: For the slot concepts we're creating for next year, we have some new ideas that are also familiar to users. We're trying to be a little bit fun but at the same time not lose users who are already used to certain concepts and slots. We're trying to say something new through the concepts and mechanics.

(05:41 - 06:34) Surya: I saw a recent article where one of your team members said every department is involved in building the product. Can you explain what that means and how you've implemented it? Salome: We're not a big corporation. That's why, in smaller companies, everybody's opinion matters. When we're creating any kind of product, every member of each team is involved. It really matters what they think.

It doesn't matter whether it's marketing, development or partnership managers. We have mini brainstorming sessions and think through things together. Every team is involved in that process. (06:34 - 07:30) Surya: Right now at SBC Lisbon, what are you primarily showcasing? Salome: We're showcasing our newest games and also the brand itself, what we're doing. Surya: Is this the first time you're exhibiting? Salome: It's our first time exhibiting in Lisbon.

Last time we were only visitors. Surya: So the first stand ever? Salome: No. SiGMA Rome was our first one last year. But for SBC, this is our first time as an exhibitor. We have high hopes to meet new partners, make new deals and also increase awareness among operators and partners. (07:30 - 08:13) Surya: When I look at your stand, it's a little bit different. It has some kind of concept. Can you explain what it means?

Salome: We had many options, but one of them was the game market. This is the game market. We're game producers. We produce and sell games. So every person who comes to our stand enters our market. They can take our merch, but we're not only selling games. We're also showing a brand that really makes sense, cares about its partners and is trying to do its best. (08:13 - 10:01) Surya: Which marketing channel do you think will dominate iGaming B2C marketing next year in 2027?

Salome: I think more Instagram and TikTok because Gen Z is becoming more of a priority for everybody. They're growing up and becoming a main customer group. Those are the main channels they're using. That's why brands need to communicate with customers in their language. If you want to create high awareness, you have to be direct with your customer. You have to break some of the borders and gaps between you and the customer. You need to use several channels.

Surya: So not just one channel. Salome: Exactly. Not only email marketing. We're using many channels. But if we're concentrating on customers today, we need to concentrate on the channels Gen Z is using. Surya: According to the SOFTSWISS 2027 iGaming Trends Report, streamers and influencers are at 16.8%. SEO is still number one at 18%. Affiliates are around 16% and paid social is around 15%. So it's close.

But I understand what you're saying about younger generations moving toward those channels. I think streamers and influencers are becoming an increasingly important B2C marketing channel. (10:01 - 10:34) Salome: If you want to communicate with partners, it's different. But if you really want to be direct with your customer, you have to be very open. That's why I think social media channels are really important.

Email marketing and direct marketing are okay, but that's more about business. It's not really about brand awareness in the same way. (10:34 - 11:26) Surya: I have some fun questions as well. I'll give you two things and you choose what you think wins in the end. Better bonus or better product? Salome: Better product. Surya: Better product or faster payout? Salome: Faster payout. Surya: Faster payout or a brand they can trust? Salome: A brand they can trust.

Surya: A brand they can trust or influencers? Salome: A brand they can trust. Surya: That's interesting. According to the report, 88% say trust is the most important factor when choosing a brand to play with. Payments come next. 82% say they need to receive payments on time, and seven in ten leave if the payment fails. (11:26 - 11:44) Surya: Thank you for joining me, sharing your insights and taking part in this little fun interview. I'll see you at the next one in Rome.

Salome: See you soon. Thank you. Surya: That's it, guys, for today. Thank you for watching. Do share your thoughts in the comments below and I'll see you on the next one. Salome: Thank you.

(00:00 - 01:18) Surya: Seven in ten leave if the payment fails. The website, the way it is structured, is very Thunder. It has that electrifying effect. Salome: Thunder represents the pure energy and the power, and spin is all about slots and gambling. You have to be direct with your customer and break some borders and gaps between you and the customer. Surya: When I look at your stand, it's a little bit different. It has some kind of concept.
Salome: We produce games that really make sense. Surya: Which marketing channel do you think will dominate iGaming B2C marketing next year in 2027? Salome: We're trying to be a little bit fun but at the same time not lose the users. Surya: 88% say trust is the most important factor when choosing a brand to play with. Salome: I think it's more Instagram and TikTok because Gen Z is becoming more of a priority for everybody.
Surya: You seem to be coming from a lot of creative space. Salome: We measure that through user retention rates and direct feedback. (01:18 - 02:03) Surya: We are here in Lisbon. iGaming Real Talk is launching the seventh edition of Real Roadshow, where we spoke to 24 leaders and experts covering insights and conversations from the expo floor, but also from the sky. Stay tuned for more on that.
This series is brought to you by the SOFTSWISS 2027 iGaming Trends Report, featuring five years of insights and trusted by 32,000 readers. Introduction (02:03 - 02:56) Surya: Hello and welcome back to another episode of iGaming Real Talk. We are here in Lisbon and I have Salome, Brand Marketing Lead at ThunderSpin. Salome, welcome to the show. Salome: Nice to have you today. Surya: It's great to meet you after such a long time talking and knowing the brand as well.
Your brand is fairly new in the market. The other day I came across your website, and the way it's structured feels very “Thunder.” It has this electrifying effect. I've also worked in B2B marketing for a long time, so I know those details take a lot of time and effort. Since you work on the brand side, I want to start there. How did you come up with the name, and what's the intention behind it?
(02:56 - 04:21) Salome: First of all, I can say we were very lucky because the name wasn't taken. Thunder represents pure energy and power, and spin is all about slots and gambling. Together, it represents the power of gaming and that gambling energy. Surya: I like that. You can feel it from the website as well. Salome: It also helps our branding because we can use heavy details around thunder. We're also concentrated on natural textures.
I think it's quite new for iGaming branding. We don't only have digital assets. We also use different kinds of metal. Surya: What kind? Salome: Pure metal elements. That's quite new because mostly we see digital assets and logos. We have more physical metal in our branding. While working on it, we felt it could be something new and attractive for users and operators. We wanted the branding to bring something different into this field.
(04:21 - 05:00) Surya: When I talk to newer brands in the space, one question usually comes to my mind. There are hundreds of game providers. Why should an operator or partner come to ThunderSpin? What makes them want to work with you? Salome: Our main tagline is that we produce games that really make sense. The first thing is quality and creative concepts. We measure that through user retention rates, duration and also direct feedback.
(05:00 - 05:41) Surya: You seem to come from a very creative space. Can we talk a little about your background and how these concepts are made? Salome: For the slot concepts we're creating for next year, we have some new ideas that are also familiar to users. We're trying to be a little bit fun but at the same time not lose users who are already used to certain concepts and slots. We're trying to say something new through the concepts and mechanics.
(05:41 - 06:34) Surya: I saw a recent article where one of your team members said every department is involved in building the product. Can you explain what that means and how you've implemented it? Salome: We're not a big corporation. That's why, in smaller companies, everybody's opinion matters. When we're creating any kind of product, every member of each team is involved. It really matters what they think.
It doesn't matter whether it's marketing, development or partnership managers. We have mini brainstorming sessions and think through things together. Every team is involved in that process. (06:34 - 07:30) Surya: Right now at SBC Lisbon, what are you primarily showcasing? Salome: We're showcasing our newest games and also the brand itself, what we're doing. Surya: Is this the first time you're exhibiting? Salome: It's our first time exhibiting in Lisbon.
Last time we were only visitors. Surya: So the first stand ever? Salome: No. SiGMA Rome was our first one last year. But for SBC, this is our first time as an exhibitor. We have high hopes to meet new partners, make new deals and also increase awareness among operators and partners. (07:30 - 08:13) Surya: When I look at your stand, it's a little bit different. It has some kind of concept. Can you explain what it means?
Salome: We had many options, but one of them was the game market. This is the game market. We're game producers. We produce and sell games. So every person who comes to our stand enters our market. They can take our merch, but we're not only selling games. We're also showing a brand that really makes sense, cares about its partners and is trying to do its best. (08:13 - 10:01) Surya: Which marketing channel do you think will dominate iGaming B2C marketing next year in 2027?
Salome: I think more Instagram and TikTok because Gen Z is becoming more of a priority for everybody. They're growing up and becoming a main customer group. Those are the main channels they're using. That's why brands need to communicate with customers in their language. If you want to create high awareness, you have to be direct with your customer. You have to break some of the borders and gaps between you and the customer. You need to use several channels.
Surya: So not just one channel. Salome: Exactly. Not only email marketing. We're using many channels. But if we're concentrating on customers today, we need to concentrate on the channels Gen Z is using. Surya: According to the SOFTSWISS 2027 iGaming Trends Report, streamers and influencers are at 16.8%. SEO is still number one at 18%. Affiliates are around 16% and paid social is around 15%. So it's close.
But I understand what you're saying about younger generations moving toward those channels. I think streamers and influencers are becoming an increasingly important B2C marketing channel. (10:01 - 10:34) Salome: If you want to communicate with partners, it's different. But if you really want to be direct with your customer, you have to be very open. That's why I think social media channels are really important.
Email marketing and direct marketing are okay, but that's more about business. It's not really about brand awareness in the same way. (10:34 - 11:26) Surya: I have some fun questions as well. I'll give you two things and you choose what you think wins in the end. Better bonus or better product? Salome: Better product. Surya: Better product or faster payout? Salome: Faster payout. Surya: Faster payout or a brand they can trust? Salome: A brand they can trust.
Surya: A brand they can trust or influencers? Salome: A brand they can trust. Surya: That's interesting. According to the report, 88% say trust is the most important factor when choosing a brand to play with. Payments come next. 82% say they need to receive payments on time, and seven in ten leave if the payment fails. (11:26 - 11:44) Surya: Thank you for joining me, sharing your insights and taking part in this little fun interview. I'll see you at the next one in Rome.
Salome: See you soon. Thank you. Surya: That's it, guys, for today. Thank you for watching. Do share your thoughts in the comments below and I'll see you on the next one. Salome: Thank you.