GMB - How was your participation at 5th ADTP Meeting? What was your theme and some of the key aspects of the event?
Gabriel Castro - First of all it is important to highlight the importance of an event like this because it gives the guidelines of the national poker. Everything that is discussed here spreads all over Brazil since we have professionals, directors, from all over the country. It is very gratifying to be able to contribute directly to them, since both Real Poker and Pokerweb also serve the whole country and we are working hard for the growth of the activity. So, share with them a bit of management, a more strategic view of poker as a business, because a lot of people confuse the passion for poker with having poker as a business, it is very valuable, the tournament that they organize, give sure that poker will continue to grow.
And how did you notice the audience interacting at the event? Do you believe that everyone has the same goal of making the sport grow even more?
I was amazed at how everyone got very connected with what I was talking about and I believe this happened because no one before, not in this magnitude, gave the importance of stopping and sharing a little experience related to this . It's only ten years of a career, but it's been a very intense business year and I've tried to summarize it in a way that was very valid for everyone. And I considered the return I had from the looks, the questions and the interest of each one very good.
During the talk you presented the PokerWeb management system. Can you explain a little more about how it works and its importance for clubs and poker tournaments?
Pokerweb is software that manages the complete operation of a poker club. It manages tournaments, cashgame, bar, hankings, control of satellites, and general finances, ending with the complete DRE of the poker club. So, a club or poker event that uses Pokerweb, it does not need an aditional software, it manages all the operation and gives a 360 degree view of the person's business. And it is software that is not stopped. Just as poker is evolving, just as today we are discussing the evolution of poker rules here, Pokerweb is evolving every day as the market needs.
And what are the business expansion plans for Pokerweb? Do you intend to attend clubs outside the country, since you had the chance to meet tournament directors from all over Latin America during the event?
Today we already have clients in Uruguay and we are opening up our operation to the world. The software is already in English and Spanish; and the language is per user, ie the same poker club may have people operating the system in several languages. As the person logs in, you can see the information in English, Spanish, and choose. This allows, for example, casinos or poker clubs that have mixed border operations, with mixed professionals, working with cleaner, more direct information. An example is a tournament that may be happening in Uruguay, where the cashiers are from there, and they speak Spanish, but may well receive qualified professionals from Brazil, as tournament directors, and you will not have information noise because the software allows that. Today we are prepared to serve a club in Europe or in the other side of the world.
In our last interview you told us about the development of Real Poker. Can you tell us a bit more about the company, how much it has grown from that conversation and which are its new projects and plans?
Real Poker still has the same goals and objectives, what has changed is the market that we have been winning. What we had on the market a few months ago was a little less than we have today and slowly we are moving forward. Recently we have another step that was to give a little more attention to other table games, besides poker. So the project that we have been developing with the blakjack tables, roulette, craps and all the others, is what we have een working on for the market.
Speaking of ganing more market, a measure that will help in the expansion of the sector is the legalization of gaming in Brazil. What is your assessment of this process?
I believe a lot in this step, especially when you talk about the world, you look outside and see that Brazil does not have it, it's a bit pointless. But it's something that does not depend on me directly, what I can contribute, I try to contribute. Recently, we published a video breaking some prejudices, some paradigms of the Brazilian culture in relation to gaming. I come from a creation that both religiously and familyly do not look favorably at the activity. My father does not see it well, but, he plays the lottery and participates in church bingo, and that makes a lot of sense. So I recorded this video sharing a bit of it. Prejudices that are taken and are not rethought, that do not make any sense anymore.
It has not changed many things recently, but, I still believe that I will participate in this change, it is not something that I think will stay for a next generation, it is something that we will experience.
In your opinion, what is the missing step to achieve regulation of the activity in Brazil? Do you think that it can be solved during this government?
The main step is in legislation and it will happen because the market needs so much that people play. It really depends on the government and they will do it one way or another.
I am not a person from within politics, but I see several things that President Temer did that hardly another politician would do. Speaking of labor reform, for example, he does some things that are not to please, but, because he thinks it is right. And I'm not saying whether it's right or not; but that it is not just politicking. So if he thinks that gaming is good, he might do it. It's a possibility.
Returning to Real Poker, a new step that you have taken is the partnership with Games Magazine Brasil. What is the importance of this union for you?
When I talk about going out for the market, that's exactly what I say. Until now, we did not have a relevant media, a partnership that could deliver this information of what we are doing to so many people and so quickly. Real Poker believes that Games Magazine Brasil will help us show the entire market how good our products are, how our team is responsible and how serious Real Poker is at what it does.
Source: Exclusive GMB
