GMB - The FBM Group is quite comprehensive, with offerings for both the land-based and online segments. Could you please discuss the FBM and FBM Digital's innovations here at the fair?
Rui Francisco - As always, London is an extremely important fair for us, perhaps even more so than Las Vegas. This year, we are bringing some really cool things, some innovations.
As you know, we are strong in the "spin reel" sector, which in Brazil we call "rodilhos." We've brought a lot of new things, including our new Áurea platform. It's totally versatile, with J-type, vertical, flat screen monitors and games with ultra-high definition in 4K. That's our big news, meaning graphics with state-of-the-art animations, following the trend of major companies in the casino sector. Those are our innovations for the land-based sector.
For the online division, we are showing the continuation of the work that has been done, always keeping up with the releases we make in the land-based sector also in the online, through FBMDS, for other providers to whom we supply games in B2B connection. And we remain focused on new developments and have a lot of things planned for this year.
There are countless technologies emerging. Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are mentioned. What does this represent for a manufacturer in its development and then for the operator and, finally, for the end user?
The application of Artificial Intelligence and other technological innovations will revolutionize the market. We believe that with these new technologies, it will be possible to anticipate the tastes of what will be the market trend. I think total knowledge of how the player behaves in front of the machines or even behind their phones will give us the conditions, in the future, to be more up to date with what the trends are and what players expect from the products they will use.
There is a big change in the market, which moves very quickly. The land-based sector today is competing heavily with the online. You can see here at the fair the number of major companies exhibiting products for online, and I think this is a world that has no reversal. That is, it is a change that will happen to all of us, and if we stand still, we will be left behind. So the idea is that FBM also follows these developments and integrates with this new technology or artificial intelligence, as you may want to call it.
From the online perspective, especially now that Brazil is finalizing the regulation process, what are FBMDS's plans for the country?
We do not operate in Brazil because we consider it as a country not yet regulated. FBM complies with all US states and follows the specifications of the regulated industry. We are waiting, and obviously, we are highly interested in both land-based and online operations, and we will also be interested in providing for operators in Brazil and possibly also participating in some casino operation in the country. It's a very interesting future, and we are hopeful, but for compliance reasons, we will do nothing until all laws are regulated.
So you are signaling that FBM, in a possible legalization of land-based casinos, could also enter the operation?
Yes. There is always interest because we know the land-based sector very well, we know how to make machines, develop games, and we have the knowledge in providing online games for both B2B and B2C. Regarding the commercial operation of casinos, it is not something we dominate, but if we enter Brazil in the future, it will be in partnership with a company. We believe we can add value, but not alone, because we think we are not prepared to operate casinos more in the commercial sense of the word.
In other words, is it a major commitment from the FBM group to Brazil?
Certainly. We have always considered Brazil as our birthplace. It was there that we were born and raised. Unfortunately, the laws regulating gambling in Brazil ended, and we went out into the world. We are well and want to go back there. We will be, God willing.
Source: Exclusive GMB
