2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Belgian-owned DR Gaming Technology™ (DRGT™) and Åland-based Paf’s partnership in delivering casino service and product management excellence to the cruise and ferry sector.
‘Our Company commenced licenced gaming on the 1st of January 1967 with just two part-time employees and 51 slot machines’, starts Paf Chief Operating Officer (COO): Lasse Danielsson, ‘…. and today I can proudly state that we now employ around 320 staff, from 20-odd different countries, out of almost 10 European offices, and on over 26 cruise ships and ferries in the Baltic and North Sea.’
Image: Eckerö Line Finlandia
Image: Paf Tables On-Board Tallink
Whilst Paf was established some time before DRGT™, the two Companies follow a similar growth trajectory with now Executive Chairman: Jurgen De Munck and Chief Technical Officer (CT): Michiel van Dam establishing the casino management system and jackpot technology developer and service provider as an initial ‘two-man show’ in 2003. It too has now grown to more than 150 staff and operates out of offices on all continents apart from Australasia and on more than 80,000 devices across the globe.
Image: Paf Slot Machines On-Board Tallink
‘I truly believe that what has made our relationship so successful is our aligned vision to deliver unparalleled service and technology solutions that literally place the player first.’, stated DRGT™ Chief Executive Officer, Marco Herrera. ‘Paf remains one of the premier slot machine (EGM), gaming table, and arcade game service providers to the cruise and ferry sectors, and our management system has afforded them the ability to not only deliver that service to players even better, but also provides a transparent management and reporting tool.
Image: Jurgen De Munck Executive Chairman, DR Gaming Technology
‘As a key contributor to our customers on-board entertainment offering, we need to always be the best we can be; and that means we need to operate a slick and efficient business, whilst at the same time surprising and delighting players. I have no doubt that DRGT™ has assisted us in delivering on both of those mandates’., noted Paf Head of Products & Partners, Land & Ship: Georg Tsonoulis. ‘We pride ourselves in offering players best of breed tables, slot cabinets and games, the very same products you’d see in Monte-Carlo or Las Vegas, but there’s a lot more to the experience than just the games, and that’s where DRGT™ has made their mark. In addition to cashless technology, jackpots, data integrity, and the robustness of their drSMIB ‘mesh network’, the Company’s multi-currency feature has been a blessing, as has developments that include the likes of the scanning of boarding passes to access EGMs (to manage under age gambling), and GPS tracking that automatically activates or de-activates the casino floor once in legal gaming waters.’
Image: Marco Herrera_CEO, DR Gaming Technology
In addition to the player-centricity noted above, Paf also engages with its Ferry and Cruise ship partners to discuss the outcomes of game play in an effort to actively manage each vessels gaming offering, in so doing delivering a managed casino solution that offers operators like the Tallink Group, Viking Line, Color Line, Eckerö Line, and Finnlines full operational transparency, regulatory compliance, and commercial comfort.
Image: drStaff App
Image: Viking Line Glory Casino
In closing, Danielsson referenced Paf’s intent to continue its growth within both existing and new licensed markets, it’s ongoing efforts in leading responsible gaming innovation, and its unwavering mandate that all profits be used to benefit society at large: ‘Whilst we enjoy considerable market share in the Nordic region, we’re actively pursuing our growth, along with other opportunities, in the broader European region and the United Kingdom’.
Image: Viking Line Grace
If you’d like to add value to your ferry or cruise line passenger entertainment experience, and your bottom line, contact Georg at georg.tsonoulis@paf.com, and find out what Paf’s casino and gaming management expertise can do for you.
