VSO News caught up with CPO of Relax Gaming, Shelley Hannah, to chat about upcoming release Money Cart 4.

If you know the slot gaming space, you will be well aware of Relax Gaming. The supplier has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, providing top notch slots to some of the industry’s biggest operators across the globe.

The company will release new game Money Cart 4 on February 6. Its the latest high-volatility addition to the Money Cart series, and chock full of gold and prizes. We liked it so much at VegasSlotsOnline that it made it into our Slots of the Week.

To find out a little more about the game, VSO News spoke to Shelley Hannah. She is the Chief Product Officer for Relax Gaming, so she knows all there is to know about how the company has stayed at the top of the industry for so long.

Thanks for talking to us today. Tell us a bit about yourself and your favourite thing about working for Relax Gaming. 

As Chief Product Officer, my role within the Relax team is product and delivery, including the production of games for our own in-house studios and working closely with our talented supplier partners, bringing a massive range of quality content to the market.   

I’ve loved seeing the business grow and thrive

I’ve been working in the Gaming industry for 12 years now, with more than five years here at Relax. I’ve loved seeing the business grow and thrive into the powerhouse it has become today.

My favourite thing about Relax Gaming will always be the people – they have passion for their work, everyone puts so much in, and it creates an environment which I haven’t experienced in other companies.  

Relax is now a veteran of the industry, having been around since 2010. Can you tell us what attributes a company needs to remain in such a competitive sector for so long? 

We have always had a strong technical foundation and a talented team, a lot of whom have been with us since the start. Everybody shares a passion for bringing high quality games to both player and operator which has really helped us with longevity in a competitive landscape.

Our teams are both technically and operationally savvy which helps ensure our portfolio of content really resonates with players. We’re constantly adapting to a volatile environment with numerous trends and regulatory changes to keep us on our toes. Having that flexibility in the workplace with different markets whilst incorporating any feedback we get helps give us that competitive edge and ability to stay ahead of the curve.

It was in 2015 that you launched casino products. Has your approach to game design changed much since that time? 

Our game design approach has always been to build engaging game mechanics, high entertainment, and excellent visuals. With these foundations in place combined with listening to the market, we keep consistent high quality delivery whilst adapting to the changing regulatory and competitive landscape.

We’re always implementing feedback from both operators and players

We’ve always tried to develop games that stand out and for Casino that’s no different. We’re always implementing feedback from both operators and players and try to adapt our game design based on that and the latest trends.

There’s always a keen balance between following the trend and starting a trend and I think Relax has been great at this over the years.

How would you explain the Money Cart series for someone who has never played the games?

It’s like Money Train, but straight to the action! We designed the series with UK gamblers in mind due to the regulatory restrictions with bonus buy, however, it resonates very well in other markets too.

The Money Cart series takes the player directly to the Bonus game and with it being the final edition to the series we really wanted to make it a success.

If you’re into volatile slots packed with over twenty features and stacked with win potential then Money Cart 4 is the one for you.

How does this edition differ from the previous three? 

It’s hard to make a successful game even better, but with Money Cart 4 we’ve been able to do this in a really powerful way with action from the very first spin.

We’ve gone all out and left no stone unturned on this one

We’ve packed the game with a bunch of exciting new features, new characters, and win combinations similar to those you see on Money Train 4. We’ve also cranked the maximum win to 15,000x which is an increase on the 10,000x seen in previous versions. We’ve gone all out and left no stone unturned on this one.

How does creating a slot game within a series like Money Cart differ to a standard game?

Money Cart is a market specific focus with the main influence coming from Money Train. Therefore, the game is influenced in terms of graphics and similarities with the bonus game but the main goal is to pull the players into the immediate action of the game – so a lot of thought goes into getting that just right.

Finally, what is the primary focus for 2024? 

It promises to be an exciting year ahead for our players and we can’t wait to bring it all to market. We’ve already kicked off the year with the launch of Bill & Coin, which is showing all the signs to be a huge hit.

Our presence in America was also a huge moment for the company towards the end of 2023 and our partnership with BetMGM in New Jersey allows us to flourish and break into key regulated markets. We can’t wait to build our portfolio over there throughout the year.

Essentially, we want to continue to create games with a market focus, including some great gems that will also resonate with UK players. Since launch, Dream Drop has had over €122m ($132.7m) in jackpot winnings. The frequent mega and major drops as well as some great Dream Drop games will continue to make it a success in 2024 and beyond.