From Idea to Impact: Creating a VR Casino Game at the Innovation Hackathon with Playtika

By Airan Fu, Merav Mauhnoom, Mateo Waisse, and Ilii Mizrahi

We recently had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Innovation Hackathon organized by the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with Playtika.
It all began with a moment of excitement and curiosity—none of us had ever taken part in a hackathon before. We were randomly assigned to diverse teams, made up of students from different countries and backgrounds. Our team included Airan from China, Merav from Brazil, Mateo from Argentina, and Ilii from Israel. Despite just meeting, we quickly found a strong and collaborative team dynamic.
Our challenge was to develop an entrepreneurial concept for a new mobile game that would appeal to the next generation of players. We began by discussing what makes a game truly engaging—elements like luck, short and competitive gameplay, strong storytelling, and emotional connection. One genre that stood out to us in this context was casino games.
We chose this genre because of its proven commercial appeal and high engagement rates. To bring a fresh twist to the concept, we proposed integrating VR technology to create a more immersive and motion-sensing experience. Our vision was to allow users to open their phones and instantly enter a rich, virtual casino world—anytime, anywhere.
Mateo brought up Playtika’s existing game portfolio, which led us to brainstorm ways to create something innovative while still aligning with the company’s strengths. We conducted market research, explored new technologies, and leveraged tools like AI and ChatGPT to refine our value proposition and improve customer experience.
We also evaluated our potential market using TAM, SAM, and SOM models, and outlined how our innovations and simplifications could offer a competitive edge within the mobile gaming space.
We are deeply grateful to the organizers, instructors, and the entire Adelson School of Entrepreneurship for this incredible opportunity. It was a truly enriching experience—not only in terms of the entrepreneurial and analytical skills we gained, but also in learning how to work creatively and effectively in a multicultural team under tight time constraints.
Thank you for this unforgettable journey. We’re excited to carry the lessons from this experience forward into future challenges!