Pragmatic Play, one of the world’s leading iGaming developers, is revolutionising the live gaming landscape by moving away from traditional, physical-first studios toward software-defined environments. In the past, creating a branded experience for a partner required building a literal wooden set with physical signage. It was, understandably, a slow and expensive process.
Today, through Pragmatic’s Smart Studio solution, the company uses Chroma Key technology (the same “green screen” tech used by weather forecasters and Hollywood filmmakers) to digitally skin a room in real-time. This allows a single physical space to be transformed into an infinite variety of digital worlds, where branding and local aesthetics are layered over the video feed like a high-tech filter.
The shift is driven by the need for speed and hyper-localisation. By moving the environment into the realm of software, Pragmatic Play can bypass the overhead of physical construction. As Chief Revenue Officer Mark Maislish noted in a recent interview, this mindset allows the team to “move faster” and “go further” when entering new markets.
In 2025 alone, this digital-first approach enabled the company to launch over 55 localised tables – for games like poker and roulette – across well-established markets as well as more diverse regions like Colombia and Serbia. Because the background is digitally rendered rather than physically built, Pragmatic can adapt its product to fit the cultural and branding needs of any market almost instantly.
Ultimately, this innovation provides a level of scalability that physical studios simply cannot match. Instead of managing a massive real estate footprint of static sets, Pragmatic Play uses a unified digital pipeline to offer flexible customisation options that make every game feel unique to the player.
As Maislish emphasised, staying focused on this type of innovation is what keeps the company at the forefront of the industry. Indeed, the last 12 months have seen Pragmatic win multiple awards for its live casino technology. It has also launched successful new slots like Gates of Olympus Super Scatter and Sweet Rush Bonanza. These complement well-established favourites like Big Bass Splash and Big Bass Amazon Extreme, which have proven to be popular, particularly at UK slot sites.
Yet, Maislish is keen to single out the company’s disruption of live casino gaming environments. By decoupling the human presenter from a fixed physical location, Pragmatic has turned the studio into a versatile software asset that can evolve as quickly as the market does.
Bespoke Gaming Environments Launched at Speed
The real-world application of this innovative approach is best seen in how it empowers operators to launch bespoke gaming suites with unprecedented speed. By utilising the Smart Studio solution, providers can now offer a fully branded environment for classic games like blackjack, roulette, and poker without the traditional barriers of high cost and long setup times.
And crucially, this technology allows a single live table to serve multiple brands simultaneously. Through digital customisation, each operator can tailor the visual elements to create a cohesive and integrated branded experience that feels unique to their specific audience.
Pragmatic’s strategy is particularly effective for tech-forward disruptors looking to stand out in competitive regulated markets. By shifting the focus from physical construction to digital agility, the platform ensures that design, quality and functionality remain consistent, while giving partners the tools to engage players with an authentic, localised feel.
Foundation Laid for Further Market Disruption
By prioritising software-driven agility over physical limitations, Pragmatic has effectively future-proofed its production pipeline. This transition from bricks and mortar to digital bits allows the iGaming platform to scale across global markets rapidly. Pragmatic’s continued innovation in the sector continues to lay the foundation for further market disruption throughout 2026 and beyond.
