GMB - What trends in technological advances do you think we will see this year in the industry?
Anna Shahbazyan - Brick and mortar will see advancements in cashless transactions and digital wallets. We will see more operators trading in crypto. Touching that, many ventures into the realm of AI are expected too, pushed by the excitement for the concept of metaverse. The demand of games streamed live with dealers will still grow. Finally, we will also see regulators and anti-gaming groups start to flex their muscles and voice their opinions as a result of what they perceive as lax self-regulation. More countries will be regulated and establish market rules using the experiences of the existing jurisdictions.
Where do you see the gambler's customs and demands to satisfy in 2022?
The gamblers will want to see enhanced and superior customer service. The operator that tailors their offers to players' needs to bring a "human touch" to the business. That’s the winning formula. Loyalty is a two-way street!
How do you think the pandemic will affect business results in 2022?
The pandemic has shown regulators and operators the importance of having an online presence. Online and land-based is a necessary and symbiotic relationship. We see this now with our Live Streaming Dealer Studios and how it solves many of the problems caused by the pandemic. One studio can serve thousands of players and the operators who chooses to go with us and with this solution doesn’t have to worrying about hiring additional staff.
What markets and / or countries do you see more attractive, with more possibilities to progress and growth opportunity?
LatAm and North America will continue to grow right now there is a "Gold Rush", but soon this will subside and the strong and niche players will survive. Africa is an emerging market too.
Do you think that the advertising restrictions to the gaming sector be deepened globally?
Yes, and this is something that the industry has brought on itself. Over-zealous marketing leads to greater oversight and restriction. We have seen this move before, but we haven’t learnt from the previous mistakes and end up with bad laws aimed at "protecting the public".
What do you imagine for the Brazilian market in terms of gambling legislation and regulation?
It has been a long wait for the final regulation of this market, but we strongly believe that it will happen this year. Essential improvements in regulation have been introduced last year and they started to be very open in hearing the international gambling companies' suggestions. Still, we are waiting for the boom of the Brazilian market as it is the biggest market in Latin America.
What are the main goals of your company for the year? Are you planning more launches than in 2021?
We are a company that owns its own technology with many verticals and offers products and scalability that is superior to many of our competitors. To surprise and amaze our clients with the unique technology is definitely a part of our plan.
To achieve your goals in 2022, do you plan to make more investments and hires than last year?
We already employ over 3000 team members globally, however we are always looking for new talent in various sectors to keep our competitive edge and nurture the best specialists in the sphere.
According to your vision of the global market, do you consider that 2022 aims to be a year with more mergers or purchases of companies than the previous one?
It is the Wild West in North America. You will continue to see more mergers and acquisitions, people paying way more than they should and you will see others take a hard look at the harsh realities and competitive nature of the market and just drop out. Regarding Latin America, they are more conservative and mergers can be possible, but more to enter North America.
Could you mention 3 events within your industry that will be key in 2022? Why did you choose them? (They can be sports tournaments, poker events, fairs, etc.)
We are looking forward to a few in fact. Namely SBC International, GAT Local, SAGSE, PGS and other local events.
Source: Exclusive GMB
