GMB – How do you evaluate this edition of ICE, now held in Barcelona?
Lucas Lebleu: It has been an excellent experience. On the first day, our stand stood out, especially with the return of the hyperbaric chamber, which has aroused great curiosity. It is an innovative initiative to help professionals in the sector explore ways to maintain good health.
Was the move from London to Barcelona positive?
For us, it was a very beneficial transition. We are “local” here, with our main headquarters in Barcelona. This proximity allowed us to receive clients directly at the office over the last week, where we showed not only the hyperbaric chamber, but also our gym and sauna, recently opened for use by employees.
This week has been intense, both for me and for the Alea team. I am based in the south of Spain, but since last Monday, I have been in Barcelona welcoming clients. On Sunday, we held a special event and, since then, we have continued to organize dinners and daily meetings to strengthen ties with our partners.
What's new at Alea for 2025?
At the end of last year, we launched Alea Pay, our exclusive payment method. Many customers were asking for practical and integrated solutions, and since we already operate as an aggregator, creating a payment platform was a natural step.
This launch gave us a significant competitive advantage, since we have a solid base of established contacts with operators who use our gaming aggregator. We now have a team dedicated exclusively to this product to meet the growing demand.
What about the Brazilian and Latin American markets?
Brazil has been a real test of endurance! It was a race against the clock to meet deadlines, especially with the deadline for submitting documents in December. We are 100% focused on the regulated market, helping operators comply with the established certifications and deadlines.
There are still many questions about the rules, and operators depend on us to move forward. In fact, it is interesting to note that even competitors are looking for content from us, which reinforces the potential of the Brazilian market.
In the coming months, we will be present at crucial events such as SBC Rio and BiS SiGMA São Paulo, consolidating our position in the regulated sector.
Regulations have brought challenges, but also opportunities, right?
Definitely. The beginning of the year was especially challenging due to the implementation of regulations on January 1st. Alea dedicated all of its resources to this process, from technical adjustments to direct monitoring with laboratories and suppliers to ensure full compliance. It was an intense period, but it kept us always up to date and focused on doing the right thing.
Alea was awarded “Employer of the Year.” How did you achieve this recognition?
This award reflects the board’s ongoing commitment to the well-being of our employees and partners. Alex Tomic, our co-founder, has led initiatives that prioritize health, such as the implementation of the hyperbaric chamber, ice baths, awareness workshops and even the creation of wellness spaces in the office, such as a gym, sauna and other facilities.
Many joke that our office looks like that of an American big tech company, and perhaps they are right. But for us, it’s simple: we believe that healthy and motivated employees produce better results.
Source: Exclusive GMB
