Exclusive Interview: SPRIBE CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze on Aviator’s Crash Game of the Year Recognition
SPRIBE’s commercial chief on the reach behind Aviator, why he thinks operator trust beats game mechanics, and where crash gaming heads next.
SPRIBE says its crash title Aviator has been named Crash Game of the Year, and the company is already looking past the recognition to the next phase of growth. In this exclusive interview with iGaming News Today, Chief Commercial Officer Giorgi Tsutskiridze discusses what built Aviator’s lead, how SPRIBE intends to defend it, and where the crash-game category is heading.
By the company’s own figures, Aviator reaches more than 77 million monthly active players and runs across partnerships with over 6,000 operators, putting it at the front of a category that is getting more crowded by the month. What follows is the full conversation.
Q1. Aviator has been recognised with the Crash Game of the Year award. Beyond the recognition, what do you believe has been the biggest factor in making Aviator a category leader, and how does SPRIBE plan to build on that position?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
The biggest factor behind Aviator’s success has been our ability to create a product that is incredibly simple to understand but consistently engaging. From the beginning, we focused on delivering an experience that combines accessibility, excitement, and social interaction. Aviator is not just another casino game; it has helped establish an entirely new category of online entertainment
Another important factor has been our commitment to building a recognisable global brand. Through strategic partnerships with organisations such as UFC , we have taken Aviator beyond traditional iGaming audiences and established a presence in mainstream entertainment.
Looking ahead, our priority is to strengthen this position through continued innovation, deeper operator partnerships, and expansion into new markets. We are also exploring new ways for players to experience the Aviator brand. For us, category leadership is not simply about maintaining market share; it is about continuing to set the standard for what crash gaming can become.
Q2. As more providers enter the crash-game market, what gives Aviator a lasting competitive advantage? From your perspective, what makes operators continue to prioritise the game when so many alternatives are available?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
Competition is a natural consequence of a successful category, and we welcome it because it encourages innovation. However, there is a significant difference between launching a crash game and building a globally recognised product that players actively seek out.
Aviator’s competitive advantage comes from the combination of its brand recognition, established player community, proven performance, and the trust we have built with operators. With more than 77 million monthly active players and partnerships with over 6,000 operators, Aviator has achieved a level of global reach that is difficult to replicate.
From an operator’s perspective, Aviator is more than an additional title in their portfolio. It is a proven product with strong player recognition, supported by our ongoing marketing activities, promotional initiatives, and commercial partnerships.
We also understand that long-term success depends on supporting our partners beyond the initial integration. Our teams work closely with operators to identify opportunities for growth, improve visibility, and develop market-specific promotional strategies. Ultimately, operators prioritise products that deliver consistent value, and that is exactly what we aim to provide.
Q3. Player engagement is central to the success of crash games. How does SPRIBE use player behaviour and operator feedback to improve Aviator, and can you share an example of an insight that influenced a product decision?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
Player behaviour and operator feedback are fundamental to our product development strategy. We continuously analyse how players interact with Aviator across different markets, looking at engagement patterns, feature adoption, and the overall user experience. At the same time, our operator partners provide valuable insights into local player preferences and commercial performance.
One important area of learning has been the role of social interaction. Aviator’s multiplayer environment, live chat, and ability to observe other players’ activity have demonstrated that the experience goes beyond the individual game round. Players value the sense of participating in something alongside a wider community.
This understanding has helped shape our broader approach to innovation, including the development of Aviator Live in partnership with Imagine Live. The project explores how we can bring Aviator’s familiar mechanics into a live casino environment while introducing a different dimension of entertainment.
Our philosophy is to innovate based on genuine player needs rather than simply adding features for the sake of novelty. Every development should enhance the experience while preserving the simplicity that made Aviator successful.
Q4. Aviator has achieved global recognition across markets with different player preferences. How does SPRIBE maintain a consistent product identity while adapting its commercial approach to local audiences and operator needs?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
One of Aviator’s greatest strengths is that its core gameplay is universally accessible. The mechanics are intuitive, the experience is easy to understand, and the product does not rely on complicated rules or cultural references. This allows us to maintain a consistent identity across very different markets.
Where we adapt is in our commercial and marketing strategies. Player preferences, acquisition channels, payment ecosystems, and operator requirements can vary significantly between regions. Our approach is to understand these differences and work with local partners to develop strategies that resonate with their audiences. For example, in India, our partnerships with cricket stars Suresh Raina and Yuzvendra Chahal have helped connect the Aviator brand with a sport that has enormous cultural significance. In Latin America, football-related partnerships and locally relevant promotional activities play an important role in building awareness.
We also work closely with operators to tailor promotional campaigns and engagement initiatives to their specific audiences.
The key is to remain consistent in what Aviator represents while being flexible in how we communicate and deliver that experience commercially.
Q5. From a commercial perspective, where do you see the biggest opportunity for SPRIBE’s next phase of growth: entering new markets, deepening operator partnerships, or expanding its gaming portfolio? What makes that opportunity particularly important now?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
I believe the biggest opportunity lies in deepening our relationships with existing operators while continuing to expand strategically into new markets. These two priorities are closely connected, but strengthening our existing partnerships offers particularly significant potential.
Aviator already has an extensive global footprint, yet there are still opportunities to increase its visibility, reach new player segments, and develop more effective promotional strategies within established operator networks.
Our focus is increasingly on becoming a long-term growth partner rather than simply a content supplier. This means supporting operators with tailored marketing campaigns, promotional mechanics, and insights that help them maximise the value of our products.
At the same time, geographic expansion remains an important part of our strategy, particularly in regulated markets where we see strong demand for innovative, accessible gaming experiences.
Ultimately, our next phase of growth will come from combining these opportunities rather than treating them as separate objectives. The strength of the Aviator brand gives us an excellent foundation to pursue all three.
Q6. Looking ahead three years, how do you expect the crash-game category to evolve? What will separate the next generation of successful products from those that struggle to gain traction?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
I expect the crash-game category to become more competitive, more sophisticated, and increasingly focused on delivering distinctive player experiences.
When crash games first gained popularity, the simplicity and excitement of the format were enough to attract significant attention. Today, players have many more options, and simply reproducing familiar mechanics is unlikely to create lasting success.
Over the next three years, I believe we will see greater emphasis on social interaction, new entertainment formats, and experiences that connect different areas of online gaming. The boundaries between traditional casino content, multiplayer entertainment, and live gaming will continue to evolve.
Our collaboration with Imagine Live is one example of how we see this development taking shape. It reflects our belief that established gaming concepts can be reimagined without losing the qualities that made them popular.
However, innovation must always serve a clear purpose. Successful products will be those that combine intuitive gameplay, strong technical performance, recognisable branding, and meaningful differentiation.
I also believe that distribution, operator relationships, and brand trust will become increasingly important. In a crowded market, a good game is only the starting point. Building a product that players recognise and operators consistently support is what creates sustainable leadership.
Q7. As crash games attract greater regulatory scrutiny, how can providers build responsible gaming measures into the product experience while maintaining player trust and meeting the needs of operators and regulators?
Giorgi Tsutskiridze:
Responsible gaming must be a fundamental part of product development rather than something addressed after a game has launched. As the crash-game category continues to mature, providers have a responsibility to ensure that innovation is accompanied by transparency, appropriate safeguards, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
At SPRIBE, we recognise that maintaining player trust is essential to the long-term success of Aviator and the wider category. This means prioritising clear game mechanics, transparent rules, and a user experience that allows players to understand how the product works.
It also means working closely with our operator partners, who play a central role in implementing responsible gaming frameworks, including player protection tools, account limits, and monitoring systems in accordance with local regulations.
Different jurisdictions have different requirements, so providers need to be flexible and proactive in supporting operators’ compliance obligations.
Importantly, I do not see responsible gaming and commercial success as competing priorities. Sustainable growth depends on creating an environment where players feel confident in the products they use and operators can rely on their suppliers to meet high standards.
As the industry evolves, the providers that prioritise transparency, compliance, and long-term player trust will be best positioned to succeed.
The caveat operators should keep in mind
Two things are worth naming plainly. First, the reach figures in this interview, the 77 million monthly players and the 6,000-plus operator partnerships, are supplied by SPRIBE and have not been independently verified. Second, the Crash Game of the Year recognition is referenced by the CCO without a named awarding body, event or year, so it should be read as the company’s stated position rather than a confirmed industry result. None of that undercuts the strategy on show, but operators assessing the pitch should treat the numbers as vendor-stated.
What SPRIBE’s strategy signals for operators
Strip away the award and the throughline is a repositioning. SPRIBE is presenting itself less as a crash-game supplier and more as a long-term commercial partner, with distribution and operator trust framed as the real moat rather than the gameplay. For operators, the quieter signal sits behind the headline: in a category where the mechanic is easy to copy, the provider betting on recognition, support and responsible-gaming credibility is the one planning to still be here in three years.
