Episode 75·7 min·27 Aug 2026

Are Celebrity IP Games the Next Big Thing? | Simone Bacchin, Kerma Games

with Simone Bacchin, Head of Sales, Kerma Games

Surya Palli

Founder of iGaming Real Talk.·27 Aug 2026

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In episode 75 of iGaming Real Talk, our host Surya Palli was with Simone Bacchin, Head of Sales at Kerma Games.

We discuss what makes a game stand out in an increasingly competitive iGaming market, why player experience matters more than releasing large volumes of titles, and whether celebrity IP games could be the next big thing.

Simone explains why Kerma Games approaches game development more like entertainment, and why using a celebrity in a game needs to go beyond simply putting their face on the product.

What the industry is facing

Game studios competing in an increasingly crowded market
Players expecting more from the overall gaming experience
Celebrity IP becoming a new way for games to differentiate
Simply putting a celebrity's face on a game not being enough
A new generation of players changing expectations
Operators and studios looking for new ways to build player engagement

What this conversation explores

Why Kerma Games focuses on quality over quantity
How celebrity personality can become part of the game experience
How Snoop Dogg's personality is built into the Snoop Dogg Blackjack experience
Why celebrity communities can give games an existing audience and level of trust
Kerma Games' work with artists including Lil Baby
Why differentiation is becoming increasingly important in iGaming
How changing player generations could influence the next decade of the industry
What's next for Kerma Games and its celebrity game roadmap

Notable quotes

We are not like a quantity studio. We just don't ship out 50 new titles per quarter, but we are really, really focusing on quality and especially the quality of the player experience.

We just don't want to put Snoop's face in our game. The game has to hand-body his personality. That's why when we develop the games, we do it with specific songs and specific behaviour.

Nowadays having a competitive advantage and differentiation is the key in our industry. Bring something new to the table, something fresh, because first of all we are in the middle of a generational switch.

Key takeaways

Kerma Games is focusing on quality over quantity
Simone explains that Kerma Games is not trying to release dozens of titles every quarter. Instead, the focus is on the quality of the player experience and creating games that feel more like entertainment. We are not like a quantity studio. We just don't ship out 50 new titles per quarter, but we are really, really focusing on quality and especially the quality of the player experience.
Celebrity IP is about more than putting a famous face on a game
For Kerma Games, the celebrity needs to actually live inside the game. The idea is to bring the personality, music, behaviour and overall character of the celebrity into the experience rather than simply using their image as branding.
A familiar celebrity can bring an existing community with them
Simone believes celebrity IP can give operators an advantage because fans already know and trust the person involved. That means the game can start with an audience that already has a connection to the celebrity instead of having to build that connection from scratch.
Player expectations are changing
Simone points to a generational shift in the industry and says players are increasingly quick to move away when something feels missing from the experience. For him, the companies that understand what the next generation wants and adapt early will be the ones with an advantage. Who will win in this phase is who is gonna get what's before the others and move and switch the focus of the company towards that.
Celebrity IP could become a real point of differentiation
The conversation comes back to one major challenge in iGaming: standing out. For Simone, bringing something new and fresh to the table is becoming increasingly important, especially as the industry moves through a generational change.

About the guest

Simone Bacchin

Head of Sales, Kerma Games

Simone Bacchin is the Sales Manager at Kerma Games, managing global accounts within the iGaming industry. He focuses on sales, partnerships, and business development, helping expand Kerma Games’ presence across global markets.

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