GMB – What assessment do you make of G2E 2022?
Rui Manuel Mendes Francisco – It's the big fair after the pandemic. We had a difficult period, where we were practically isolated by covid-19. This has been the most, shall we say, normal year. Today the fair is complete and practically the entire industry is here. Las Vegas is the gaming mecca and this is the most important fair in the world. For everyone, this edition of the show is the post resurrection of the post-pandemic.
What are the news from FBM and FBMDS at the event?
FBM, as you know, is the company that manufactures casino machines and our market is land-based. We continue as before, investing and expanding our operations. And FBMDS is the company of the group that is now specifically focused on the digital market, supplying our games to other companies, the so-called B2B market. Both continue to grow, but the digital world has had a great boom, caused by the pandemic itself. With that, we turn to develop new opportunities, create new games and new systems. For us, the growth we are achieving is a source of great pride.
And a demonstration of a lot of technological strength for you that produced machines and realized the importance of a new market. The speed of reaction is important!
Clear. Identifying the opportunity was the first step. The world turns to the digital age and the online market and we couldn't help but notice it. So, we invested heavily in hiring engineers, we formed a strong team and we are very hopeful with our growth and with the quality of the products that are being distributed to hundreds of casinos around the world.
Is it a complete ecosystem, with land-based and online?
The truth is that we replicate all products from land-based to online. Each machine that we launch for the casino we automatically deliver the same product to be used in online casinos, of course with the necessary adaptations. But the dynamism is automatic and very fast.
This detail is important as many customers who are used to going to land-based casinos see a FBM machine and when they enter an online casino they find the same option with FBMDS.
Yes, and that's important, because we managed to have a customer who was loyal to our product on land-based and we brought them other game options. Many would love to be at home on the couch, playing games, and now they have that opportunity. What do we offer? Exactly the same games, obviously adapted to the phone or ipad, because the ways to play are different, but which include the same mathematics, graphics and systems that involve the game. This is offered in a completely different environment from what it was used to, but without having to leave home.
How is the market globally for FBM and FBMDS?
The market is excellent. Waiting to return to normal was a big challenge. We kept our operational body 100% functional during the pandemic. We managed to keep all employees within the company, without having to cut costs. It was a great challenge, because there are more than a thousand people and in the end we managed to come back with full force and with innovative products. What advantage did that bring us? We don't have to waste time now on training new people and new technicians to develop new things. We have been doing this during the pandemic and the opportunities are there, and we intend to reach them.
Speaking of opportunities, how do you see Brazil's prospects for FBM, which has an indisputable Brazilian DNA, in terms of opening up the market for gambling?
What we see is that the gaming industry in the world is looking at Brazil as if it were the undiscovered oasis of gaming. The potential of Brazil is enormous and Brazilians are people who like to play and have fun. For us, it would be extremely important. We started there and learned to make games there.
At the same time, we believe we have a lot of knowledge of the culture and the way Brazilian players think. Then, we would be able to supply Brazil with products that are already properly adapted to the local culture. This is a great advantage, which gives us a great opportunity to arrive first and with a very strong force.
Do you see regulation and legalization as close?
This is difficult to say. We have been hearing for years that it is near, that it is now, that it will happen. I say that perhaps the topic, today, is no longer the seven-headed animal it used to be. We see Brazilians not seeing the gaming word, bingo or casino, as something evil, coming from the darkness. There is already an awareness in the population that this is a normal thing and that gaming sooner or later will have to be regulated. I hope it's close, but guessing what will happen is difficult. What is happening today in Congress is something positive and we no longer have that obscure vision of what the gaming world is like in the past.
Source: Exclusive GMB
