Oliver Hall, Marketing Manager at Blueprint Gaming, chats to iGaming Expert to open up 2026 by rolling the pitch for tournaments this year. In Hall’s view, tournaments can unlock further player engagement through authentically enjoyable experiences, generating longer session times for operators in the process.
iGaming Expert: Why are tournaments becoming such an important part of Blueprint Gaming’s operator engagement strategy?
Oliver Hall: Tournaments give us a dynamic way to showcase our content in a format that’s far more engaging than a traditional product demo. Rather than simply talking through features or presenting a slide deck, operators and their teams can experience our games first-hand, feeling the difference between a Megaways title and a standard ways game, or seeing how mechanics such as Hold & Win or Rapid Fire Jackpots behave during live play.
They also provide a genuinely risk-free way for people across an operator’s business to engage with the products they build and promote. Slots and gaming may sit at the heart of the industry, but not everyone interacts with them on a daily basis, so tournaments help build familiarity, encourage cross-team engagement and give participants a stronger understanding of the player experience.
As Darryl Bold, Product Manager at Betfred, commented following a previous company event hosted by Blueprint: “Tournaments help get people away from their desks and interact with products in a meaningful way, bridging gaps between teams and fostering a shared understanding of the games on offer.
“The added excitement of real rewards and live competition makes the experience both enjoyable and impactful, while professional delivery ensures the focus remains on gameplay and relationship-building.”
Ultimately, tournaments are fun. They bring people together, create a buzz in the room and foster collaboration in a very natural way, helping us deepen relationships with our operator partners while showcasing our content in the best possible light.
iGX: You mentioned education – how do tournaments help operators better understand Blueprint’s mechanics and features?
OH: Tournaments don’t replace our formal product walkthroughs, but they’re a brilliant supplement. Traditional demo calls are invaluable, but they only reach a small group. Tournaments open up that experience to a much wider audience within the operator’s business.
When someone plays through multiple rounds, they see modifiers, bonus triggers, volatility patterns and different gameplay experiences unfold in real time. They learn without feeling like they’re being taught. It’s an indirect educational tool – immersive rather than instructional.
So, if someone has already attended a Blueprint product demo and then later participates in a tournament, they’re reinforcing what they’ve learned while sharing that knowledge organically with colleagues.
iGX: What does a typical tournament look like, and how do operator objectives shape the format?
OH: No two tournaments are the same because operators come to us with very different goals. Some want something casual to lift morale and support an internal event. Others want a full-scale activation – with branding, screens, knockout rounds and a proper prize ladder.
For those on a larger scale, we can travel with our tournament tech, support multiple venues, and run structured elimination rounds with significant prizes. In contrast, a B2B tournament we might host in an operator’s office is usually lighter-touch – QR code entry, a leaderboard and staff enjoying the competition together.
The learning for us has been that tournaments only succeed when they’re properly planned and fit naturally into the environment. When operators know exactly what they want to achieve, be it product education, cross-selling, team building or a player-facing activation, the results are strong. When the brief is unclear or the setting isn’t right, engagement naturally drops. Every event teaches us something new about how to optimise the format.
iGX: From Blueprint’s perspective, where does the ROI come from?
OH: The ROI is largely indirect, but very real. First, tournaments create positive, memorable experiences with our games. When someone enjoys competing on a title like King Kong Cash or a Fishing Frenzy variant, that familiarity carries over into their everyday role, whether they’re a CRM manager selecting games for a campaign or a retail customer playing on venue machines.
They also help with brand visibility. Taking our tech into bingo halls or casinos means we’re putting Blueprint content directly in front of end players who may not have explored our portfolio before. Even those who drop out early in a tournament often end up playing our games on the floor afterwards.
Most importantly, tournaments strengthen relationships. Sharing food, having fun and celebrating wins with an operator’s staff is a powerful connector. It positions Blueprint not just as a supplier, but as a partner willing to invest time, creativity and resources into joint success.
iGX: How do you decide which games to use for tournaments, and are certain types better suited than others?
OH: We tend to select titles that are already proven performers for the operator involved, simply because their teams and players are more likely to connect with content they recognise. Series like Kong and Fishing Frenzy, as well as our seasonal releases, are always popular choices.
But we also use tournaments as an opportunity to highlight new mechanics or emerging favourites. A fast-paced game with frequent modifiers makes for a more exciting competitive format, while jackpot titles often generate great crowd reactions.
Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance: use familiar brands that draw people in, while giving operators exposure to Blueprint titles they may not yet have fully explored. Tournaments are the perfect environment for that type of discovery.
