SuperSport Casino 2006
The Casino That Never Was
From unfulfilled dreams to uncharted success: A remarkable journey from a simple casino game to the biggest online casino in Croatia.
The First Inception
Somewhere back at the start of 2006, I was approached by my good friend and fellow game enthusiast, Damjan Mravunac. Damjan, who always had a keen eye for opportunity, had been in talks with SuperSport, a sports betting giant that was looking to expand its horizons into the casino world. At that time, I was working as a game developer in Croteam (Serious Sam games) and was excited by the prospect of exploring a completely different sector.
Damjan asked me to join forces with him to make casino applications for SuperSport, a proposition that intrigued me. This would be a chance not only to learn and grow professionally but also to pioneer a new avenue of gaming for SuperSport.
Humble Beginnings
Black Jack first
And so, I found myself in the heart of the sports betting industry, a world that was vastly different from the realm of game development I was accustomed to. SuperSport had a vision of branching into the casino world, but the technology of the time was a limiting factor. The idea was to create an immersive casino experience for the users, but due to technological constraints, the only viable option was to have users download a desktop application for each game.
The initial project was to develop two casino games, Black Jack and Roulette. These were classics and a good starting point for our venture and to test out the experience we could give to the players.
I immediately started designing the applications, which included everything from the 2D and 3D graphics to the animations. For the player applications, we chose C++, a language we knew would be performant and easy to distribute at the time.
SuperSport Casino 2006 // Black Jack
We initiated our project with Black Jack, considering it a more manageable project to undertake initially. This approach allowed us to establish a generalist production pipeline that we could then apply to all other SuperSport Casino products.
To the smallest detail
As time passed while working on the SuperSport Casino project, I found myself deeply involved in the development process. I worked on the intricate design details of each application, perfecting the graphics and animations while ensuring the user interface was intuitive. I strove to make the games as realistic as possible, to capture the essence of a physical casino within the constraints of a downloadable desktop application.
SuperSport Casino 2006 // Roulette
Finalized Roulette scene. This is actual in-game screen back then in 2006.
Every scene within the game was meticulously modeled, textured, and embellished with realistic materials. After this, I dedicated a substantial amount of time to identifying the optimal camera angles. The culmination of this process was the production of a final sprite-sheet for 2D in-game animations.
Not the time yet
The products were quite good-looking for the time. They were fully functional, engaging, and visually appealing. But, despite our best efforts, it was clear that the overall experience was not as seamless as we had envisioned. Downloading a compiled desktop application for each game was not the most user-friendly experience.
Guys at SuperSport, too, was aware of this issue. They understood that this was not a sustainable model or a good experience for the players in the long run.
So, we collectively decided to pause the project until we could provide a better, more user-friendly solution.
Later.. Today
The pause on the project was not the end but rather the beginning of a new chapter. The rise of the internet and advancements in technology was calling to revisit the project with a fresh perspective.
Several years later, Tugomil Cerovecki from SuperSport revived the project. This time focus was on Casino as a web application. The world had changed dramatically by then, and technology had finally caught up with the vision we had then.
SuperSport Casino today is a complete gaming application running in a web browser and as a mobile app. With tons of games and with a far better experience for the users than we could do back then.
The original vision is brought to fruition but in another way and better way.
Web SuperSport Casino Today
The SuperSport Casino, as we see it today, is the result of exceptional work by Tugomil Cerovecki and his dedicated casino team.
Experience is never wasted
This journey into the world of sports betting and casino games was an enriching experience. It opened doors to new opportunities, such as the creation of the Horse Shoe Virtual Races. This Horse Betting game was a big hit and was set up in numerous shops and betting terminals across Croatia, further solidifying our foothold in the industry.
Reflecting upon it, my experience with SuperSport casino games wasn't merely a project—it was a profound learning curve. It was an extraordinary opportunity to broaden my horizons, leaving an indelible imprint in an unfamiliar domain.
This remarkable expedition has steered me towards my current role with the illustrious minus5 company, a 17 year long journey in sports betting and gaming that I hold dear and treasure.
It was an experience that has profoundly shaped my personal and professional growth, molding me in ways that were beyond my wildest dreams at the outset.
Life's experiences, regardless of their nature, are valuable lessons. Even experiences that may seem unfavorable or culminate in unforeseen ways equip you with a treasure trove of wisdom and superior tools of knowledge to tackle similar situations in the future with increased confidence and competence.
And sometimes, like this extraordinary journey, they may seem daunting at first, but in the grand scheme of life, they may alter your path, guiding you towards something truly transformative and life-changing.
— experience is never wasted
