Born in Belarus
Eastern Europe has proven to be a breeding ground for many a talented software house and Belatra Games rank among them. Based in the Belarus capital of Minsk, best known for its Stalinist architecture, Belatra Games’ operations span the globe. The firm maintains a Belarus sales office as well as offices in Moscow, Ukraine, Argentina and the USA.
Amidst coding new games, the company also finds time to maintain Facebook and YouTube accounts that showcase their latest titles as soon as they become available. Recent efforts include Africa Gold, Lucky Drink and The Ghost Walks!… exclamation mark included!
Because English isn’t their first language, understanding Belatra Games’ ethos – identifying what makes them tick – isn’t the easiest task in the world. This much can be gleaned however: the company prides itself on setting the benchmark for games that provide an immersive user experience and which appeal to players and casinos alike.
The Belarus firm is overseen by founder and CEO Yuriy Voinich, with the hands-on leadership provided by director Mikhail Barsukov, while marketing and finance director Dmitriy Bezborodko orchestrates project financing.
All the Games for All the People
With more than 100 games to their name, Belatra Games have certainly been prolific in recent years. While the Russian gambling market, including former Soviet territories, accounts for the bulk of their business, North and South America have also succumbed to their charms and more specifically to their suite of casino games.
Belatra Games provide a dedicated support service, with clients able to get in touch by phone or email the moment they require assistance.
Aside from a few obligatory casino staples including Quadro Roulette and HD Roulette, Belatra Games’ focus is almost exclusively on slots. They have also released a number of video poker games, but thematically and aesthetically, these clearly draw their influences from the slots that are Belatra’s stock in trade. Monkey Tricks, Persian Nights and Octopus’s Empire are just some of the video poker games that the Belarus firm have successfully tackled.
Land-Based Gaming
Land-based casinos and betting shops can avail themselves of Belatra Games’ complete portfolio of slots and table games; anything they’ve made for the web, they can make in machine form for bricks and mortar gambling premises. Because such businesses are typically looking to maximise floor space and thus maximise their revenue per square foot, it’s desirable to cram as many games as possible into a single console – or a good number at least.
Billionaire 2 is a good example of what Belatra Games can offer. HD graphics and an attractively designed console contain a set of 15 games including slots, poker and roulette. Players can set a range of variables including the number of active lines and sound settings. Each of the slot games features a two-tier jackpot.
Of course, they are not the only developers who have games across the land-based and online casino markets. Novomatic slots for example, are found at real and virtual casinos across Europe, while Realtime Gaming slots are found throughout North America and beyond.
The Hardware Behind the Software
While players are constantly demanding new games to hold their interest, casino operators also have the hardware to think of. Physical slot machines periodically have to be refreshed to reflect changing tastes and to incorporate new chipsets, algorithms and cabinets. Following extensive testing, Belatra Games release their latest machines to of the best and fastest paying online casino clients in Europe, North and South America.
Their latest effort, RioGrande, utilises a slanted cabinet design and a large 22 x 27” touchscreen. The touchscreen facility mimics that of Belatra’s video slots that can be played in a similar fashion on tablet and mobile. There’s also a minimalist keypad on the front that’s finished with a leather trim and a drink holder.
Belatra’s flagship roulette machine is another impressive effort, one that mimics the timeless aesthetics of the classic game with a few modern flourishes thrown in to enhance its practicality. The unit’s slender design in particular has been shaped to suit the needs of modern casinos, to whom every last inch of floor space matters. The sound effects and animations faithfully emulate those of the real live dealer Roulette game, right down to the satisfying rattle as the ball is released into the spinning roulette wheel.
Beauty in the Backend
jPot System is Belatra Games’ proprietary software that’s used for linking together various games machines within an establishment. The beauty of jPot System is that it enables wins across all of the casino’s machines to be calculated and displayed as a single leaderboard.
Whether linking up progressive jackpots or simply keeping track of big wins as they happen, jPot System is an extremely useful piece of kit that’s repeatedly proven its worth to land-based casinos.
Fruity Goodness
If you’ve ever wondered how fruit machines came to be called fruit machines, Belatra Games have got the fascinating story for you. According to an article on the Belarus outfit’s website, when the first primitive slot machines came into existence over a century ago, they were swiftly outlawed. To circumvent the ban, enterprising vendors began dispensing chewing gum instead of coins as winnings. Notch a line of cherries and you’d win a stick of cherry gum and so on. Eventually, slots were legalised and licensed but the name and the preponderance of fruit symbols persisted.
Today, Belatra have been responsible for producing more than their fair share of fruit-themed slots, games that, unbeknownst to most players, pay homage to the original slots of the early 20th century.
Fruit Bar is a 5-reel, 50-line video slot in this model, while Crazy Nuts and Golden Lemon continue this dynasty. There’s plenty of scope for innovation amidst Belatra Games’ slots, however.
Try The Moneymania for example, a slot with five tumbling reels modelled on American dollar bills – Benjamins. In addition to dead prez, the game gives a nod and a wink to the illuminati who are purported to be lurking in the background on US bills and pulling the invisible strings that control us all.
Air Mail is a postal-themed game that features a two-stage bonus game with some pretty neat animation, while Family Scandal appears to have been made for the Latin American market with its love of telenovelas. Bright colours and larger than life characters are complemented by a phone symbol that triggers free spins and dinner plates which award additional games. Not surprisingly, the game is available in Spanish.
Action! is an online slot themed around movies, and features a director, cameraman, starlet, and clapperboard on the reels.
Based Belatra
Belatra Games are unusual in being a gaming company who devise both software and hardware. While many traditional casinos are seeking to make the transition from the physical world to the digital one, BG are servicing both, ably catering to the needs of casinos across Europe and the Americas.
Their games are good, with plenty of creativity and regional variations in the mix, and their excellent customer service allows the company to respond quickly to the needs of its clients wherever they may be. Based Belarus. Based Belatra.
