GMB – How do you evaluate SBC Miami 2023?
Angel Rodríguez – I really liked this fair because I think they made a really good effort to customize it for the Latin American market. They have panels, and we have the opportunity to listen to the panel live in Spanish and Portuguese for those who don't speak the language.
I think it was something really cool. As for business, we made a lot of good connections. It was a well-organized fair. Additionally, Miami is very friendly for this type of event, with a central meeting point for many people from Latin America and important operators and providers who are in the United States.
FBMDS has grown a lot in the region. To what do you attribute this company’s impact in Latin America?
We have a lot of focus on Latin America in general and good business in markets like Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and we are growing in the region. We have personalized content and it is adapted to be relevant in this market. We are aware of it, giving us a competitive advantage in relation to this competence. We now have a lot of potential to further penetrate the Latin American market, which is very relevant for FBM's digital unit.
Is location essential?
Yes, it is crucial. As providers, we do research to understand the market, to have that touch of culture. We can't simply apply the same solution that works in all markets, because we have business in Europe, Portugal, Spain. We have to locate and understand how each market works, what the culture is, both for the end customer and for the operator.
In G2E Las Vegas, you launched new games. How has the acceptance of these titles been in the Latin American market?
We launched a new crash game, a new category for FBMDS. We launched our first crash this year, and now it's a much more commercially relevant category for us. In Brazil, we launched the title Champion Tails, an airplane game that has done very well. We also released a Halloween-themed game of the same type and will be releasing a series of games of this type.
I would like to take this opportunity to share firsthand with GMB that we will soon be launching another football-themed crash game. It is very customizable, with new features and will be very relevant for this market.
What is the prospect of regulating sports betting and online gaming in Brazil?
It is obviously a market in the process of regulation, and there is a lot of expectation. Note that Peru is in an advanced regulatory process, as is Mexico, which is already regulated. I think that regulation needs to happen in all markets, regardless of whether it is applied perfectly from the beginning, because often, just having regulation already gives more security to the operator and the end customer. As providers, we have to be at the forefront and understand how it will affect our operation and be able to certify our content.
What are the plans for 2024?
We plan much greater growth. We have many good expectations for 2024, especially as there are many more events, and we see exponential growth in the Latin American market. We are efficiently penetrating markets that are relevant to us. I believe that 2024 will be a very good year for FBMDS.
Source: GMB Exclusive
