Exclusive interview with Air Dice, the market leader of Belgian Dice games

Air Dice, founded in 2005, is known in the Belgian market as a leading developer of innovative Dice games. Dice games are the Belgian version of slots. You have to place dice on a 3×3 grid to create winning combinations. These games have become extremely popular with the rise of the Belgian Gaming Halls (B-Licenses).

We had coffee with Mark Maes, Director of Air Dice, and discussed their vision and ambitions. Mark, could you please introduce yourself to our readers?

I am director of Air Dice Services Benelux BV, a subsidiary of the Air Dice Group, and we guarantee the distribution of the Air Dice games to the Belgian and Dutch markets. I have been active in the Belgian casino world since 2011, first I worked offline for Blitz casino, and after several years of building up offline experience I became manager for the online casinos Blitz and Supergame. During this period, which lasted until early 2017, I gained a lot of experience in Dice type games. This experience brought me to Air Dice. We had already worked together in 2014 on the co-development of Super Wheels Progressive and Wheel of Antwerp. As director at Air Dice Benelux, I co-developed the games Mega Wheels, Infinity Dice and Spirit Sisters, which are till this day still among the top Dice games in Belgium!

What is Air Dice?

Founded in 2005 in Helsinki, Air Dice Group is a leading developer of innovative gambling, aiming to redefine the gaming experience. Our group includes several game studios including Dice Crafter, which consists of visual experts who provide a deep gaming experience for players. With them we have also launched additional games for the Belgian market!

We also have other game studios in the group such as Probability Jones and Bingo Booster Nordics that are focused on other verticals such as Scratch cards, slots, instant win games and bingo. Finally, with Boomerang Digital, which has been around since 1994, we have a studio that specializes in the UK and other international markets.

The Gambling club saw that you were present at SBC Latino America in Miami 2023. How important are those type of exhibitions for Air Dice.

Yes indeed! Attending trade shows like SBC Latino America in Miami is crucial for Air Dice. It’s always nice to be able to network, where you can delve deeper into regional market trends and present your latest offering.

In 2024, we will be present at more than 20 trade fairs with the Air Dice Group, ranging from Japan to Chile, but we will also be present at local exhibitions in Europe, such as IGB in Amsterdam, for example.

How important is the Belgian market for Air Dice?

Belgium was, is, and will always remain the most important market for Air Dice. Ultimately, it is the foundation of our success. Over the years, the relationship we have created with our players and casino operators is something we always want to build on.

Product and innovation

What sets Air Dice games apart from the rest?

Of course every game provider will say that it is innovation or better quality, but as a market leader it is important to keep innovating since the competition is actively trying to keep up. For us, this translates into coming up with new concepts and features for Dice games or adding tactical elements to slot games.

Without quality you cannot survive in this competitive market. For us, this means that we put a lot of energy into various aspects, such as the technical operation of the games, to quality in gameplay, graphics and sounds.

Will you delve deeper into the dice slots or will you remain a dice game first supplier?

Of course, Dice games remain a top priority for us, especially for the Belgian market. We are expanding very quickly into other international markets where slot games are still king for the time being. That is why in recent years there has been much more betting on slot games than before. Adding the game studio Dice Crafter to the Air Dice Group has accelerated this.

Which Air Dice games are the most popular?

When we talk about the Belgian market, Mega Wheels, Infinity Dice, Mystery Deal and Spirit Sisters are our most popular Dice games, and for the slots these are Wild Cash Spins and Fire Lion, creations of our studio Dice Crafter, a real hit in the Rose!

Regulatory compliance and expansion

Air Dice has obtained several licenses, such as the B2B license from the Hellenic Gaming Commission. How complex is managing all these markets separately?

Of course, managing all the different markets is complex. Every market is a living organism, legislation is constantly changing and we sometimes have to make adjustments. Fortunately, we have colleagues with in-depth expertise in the markets for which they are responsible and we have a very professional company structure, all of which makes it easily manageable.

Which markets are still planned for you?

That question is not new! (laughs) A better question would probably be, which ones are not on the schedule? Currently, the Air Dice Group is already present in 20+ regulated markets in the EU, North America, Africa, Latin America, the Nordics, etc., and we have no plans of stopping anytime soon!

Corporate culture and community involvement

What kind of corporate culture do you have at Air Dice?

This is actually the nice thing about my job. Air Dice fosters a corporate culture in which innovation, teamwork and integrity are central. The way in which we work together across different departments produces so many great results. For me, creativity and collaboration is really something that makes me proud.

Are there also social causes that you support as a company?

Yes, Air Dice supports various social causes. We are committed to community engagement and contribute to initiatives that promote education, environmental sustainability and social well-being.

How does Air Dice contribute to responsible gaming?

As a games supplier, it is also important for us to actively participate in the fight for responsible gaming. Our games are designed to encourage safe and responsible participation in gambling, comply with regulations and promote transparency.

Future perspective

Is there any hint of the veil that you can shed on some new releases?

777 win spinner just released. It is a Dice game with a very classic look and which I think has the potential to become a new ‘Classic’. Especially for Gambling Club, I can already tell you that 2 more (dice) slot games will be added later in May and June via Dice Crafter that are hard at work.

What is your personal ambition for the next 5 years with Air dice?

Since I am responsible for the Benelux markets, I continue to guarantee quality service and games to both our B2B partners and our players who have been loyal to us for many years.

My personal goal is to at least maintain our market share in Belgium with our Dice games, and to raise our (dice) slots to a similar level.

Things are different for the Netherlands as it is a new market for Air Dice. Yet, with the quality of our games and service, I want to have the same trust with our stakeholders within 5 years as we now have in Belgium.

Finally, I am driven to make the Dice games popular outside Belgium. We are also working on something new that I cannot say much about at the moment. So there is plenty of work ahead of us, but we do it with passion!

Thanks for the conversation Mark. Good luck!