JDB Gaming: “Social engagement will play an increasingly important role in how players discover and experience games”

Live content, creator culture, and real-time interaction are changing how players engage with digital entertainment, and iGaming suppliers are beginning to test what that means for casino content.

In an interview with Yogonet, Jimi Chuang, Head of EMEA at JDB Gaming, discusses the company’s upcoming global debut of Live Fish Shooting at SBC Americas, why the format brings live streaming into one of JDB’s core game categories, and how operators are responding to more social and interactive player expectations.

JDB Gaming has chosen SBC Americas for the global debut of Live Fish Shooting. What made this event the right stage for unveiling the product, and what are you hoping operators and partners will take away from the live demonstration?

SBC Americas is a perfect platform to launch, as many markets in the region are already being shaped by creator culture, live content, and more social forms of entertainment. Players today are no longer passive consumers. They expect to interact with content, respond in real time, and share experiences with others. We are seeing this shift increasingly influence gaming as well.

Live Fish Shooting was developed with this evolution in mind. In addition to gameplay, it introduces elements of live participation, community interaction, and entertainment-led engagement. 

SBC Americas brings together a highly relevant audience of operators and partners who are actively exploring new formats. It provides the right environment to experience the product first-hand and to discuss how these dynamics can translate into practical opportunities.

You’ll be showcasing the game live for the first time in front of an international audience. What kind of feedback or conversations are you most interested in having with operators during the event?

We are particularly interested in how operators see this fitting within their existing player ecosystem. Most operators already have strong portfolios across slots and live casinos. The key question is whether Live Fish Shooting can introduce a new layer of engagement that complements these products rather than competing with them.

We are also keen to discuss its potential impact on player acquisition and retention, particularly how live and interactive formats can strengthen both. Ultimately, we see this as a collaborative dialogue, focused on how the product can be adapted to different markets and integrated into each operator’s broader strategy.

You’ve described Live Fish Shooting as a combination of live streaming and real-time interactive gameplay. What market gap or player demand inspired the development of this product?

Live streaming has become a core part of modern entertainment. Audiences today expect to participate, interact, and share experiences in real time. At the same time, a new generation of players is entering iGaming with expectations shaped by social platforms, creator ecosystems, and interactive digital experiences.

As a game provider, we believe gaming should evolve alongside these habits. Fish shooting has always been one of JDB’s strongest categories, which led us to ask how the format could be reimagined for this new generation.

Live Fish Shooting is the result. It combines the core gameplay of fish shooting with the engagement of live content, creating a more interactive and shared experience.
It also creates new opportunities for partners to explore additional acquisition channels, new engagement models, and more direct connections with their audiences.

Much of today’s digital entertainment is built around creators, communities, and shared experiences. How does Live Fish Shooting reflect those broader trends, and how important do you think social engagement will become in the future of iGaming?

Across digital entertainment, there is a clear shift toward interaction and shared experiences. At the same time, strong gameplay remains fundamental. Not every product needs to become social, but player expectations around engagement are evolving.

What we are seeing is a growing demand for experiences that allow players to connect more deeply with content and with each other. Live Fish Shooting reflects this direction by introducing new forms of participation while maintaining a strong gameplay foundation.

Looking ahead, social engagement will play an increasingly important role in how players discover and experience games, as well as how they remain connected to them over time.

The iGaming industry is constantly searching for new ways to differentiate products and attract players. From your perspective, where does the next wave of innovation come from: game mechanics, technology, content, or entirely new formats?

Innovation in iGaming is rarely driven by a single factor. It is typically the result of how game design, technology, content, and format come together. What is changing now is a greater focus on the overall player experience. The emphasis is shifting from individual features to how the experience feels as a whole.

New formats, particularly those involving live and interactive elements, are a strong example of this. They build on existing mechanics while introducing new layers of engagement shaped by evolving content consumption habits. We believe the next wave of innovation will come from rethinking how players interact with games, not only what they play, but how they engage with and share those experiences.

Player expectations have changed dramatically over the past decade, particularly among younger audiences who are accustomed to interactive and social digital experiences. How is JDB adapting its product strategy to meet those evolving preferences?

Player expectations have evolved significantly, but the core objective remains the same. Players are looking for high-quality entertainment. What has changed is how they engage with it. Younger audiences are influenced by streaming, social platforms, and creator-driven ecosystems where interaction and immediacy are standard.

Our approach at JDB is not to follow trends for their own sake, but to understand these behavioral shifts and translate them into meaningful product development.
We continue to invest across multiple categories, including slots, fish shooting, and arcade, while also exploring new formats such as Live Fish Shooting.

The focus remains on delivering strong gameplay, while ensuring that the overall experience feels relevant and engaging for the next generation of players.

As regulated markets continue to expand across the Americas, what differences are you seeing in player preferences and operator needs from one region to another? What trends do you expect to have a major impact on gaming over the next few years?

The Americas represent a diverse set of markets, each with distinct player preferences and operator priorities. In some regions, players are more familiar with traditional casino formats, while in others there is stronger demand for faster-paced and entertainment-driven experiences.

Localization remains essential, both in content and in gameplay design. From an operator perspective, there is an increasing emphasis on differentiation, player retention, and regulatory alignment as markets continue to mature.

Looking ahead, several trends are likely to shape the industry, including the growth of live and interactive formats, deeper integration of social and community-driven features, and greater demand for localized experiences. Success in the region will depend on the ability to adapt to these differences while delivering consistent value across markets.