GMB – What are Zitro’s goals in being at yet another ICE, especially ICE Barcelona?
Johnny Ortiz - We are super happy because, first, we left London and came to Barcelona, which is practically like being at home. But not only because of that, because of the easy climate, food, price, and because we don’t need to export to England, which left the European Common Market.
So, the plans are obviously for growth. We are launching a new product, CONCEPT, which is already a success in all the countries where we have placed it. We are already present in many countries and growing with it. In the United States, we are in 15 states and growing, with more than 120 licenses already obtained.
The furniture is fantastic, wonderful. It has a lighting system that matches the prizes and makes the player more exciting. But that’s not all. The main thing is the games. We are launching an endless series of titles that are captivating all players. We are actually very happy, and you can see from the movement at the stand that it is also being a success here at ICE Barcelona.
How is the multi-game system and the expanded jackpots for multiple players going? How has this vertical been within Zitro's product line?
We have multi-games, which are wonderful. We are also creating another important thing, aligned with the jackpots: the Mega Lounge and the Super Mega Lounge.
What is this? We combine several machines and offer much larger prizes than normal. We put between 40 and 50 machines in the casinos linked to the same jackpot. This means that there are bigger prizes and in greater quantity, captivating the end user more and more and attracting new customers to the casino.
And, in addition to all this, we have our WAP (Wide Area Progressive). This means that we link different casinos in the same country. There are several casinos with a gigantic jackpot. Depending on the country, regulation and everything else, it can reach one or two million dollars. This is another new feature from Zitro that everyone is loving.
In other words, is Zitro taking up more and more space and becoming an even greater global leader?
Of course, we are not the global leader, but we are among the leaders in gaming. We started out small and have grown. I am proud to have reached this point. Leaving Brazil, starting from scratch outside my country and today being among the global leaders. In addition, my two sons work with me. They are in the online sector. So, I can say that I am the luckiest guy in the world.
And how is Zitro's digital business doing?
It is going very well. We are growing with new blood, which are my sons. I am already a little older for the online sector, and they understand this area quite well. They are young, so it was the perfect combination.
When will we see more Zitro in Brazil?
I hope soon. I think the right time has come. Society has already understood that gambling is necessary. It cannot be that everyone, except Brazil and Cuba, does not have gambling. It is not possible that everyone is wrong and only Brazil is right. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, they are going to open a casino with an investment of 5 billion dollars.
Gambling is necessary, raising more than 30 billion reais per year for the public coffers. Everyone is already aware that it is a necessity. Those who are against legal gambling are in favor of illegal gambling.
Is your dream to have a Zitro campus in Brazil?
Definitely. Zitro would generate many jobs. We could have a factory with more than 20,000 m² in Brazil, hiring thousands of people. I believe that we could generate between 7,000 and 8,000 direct jobs in Brazil, multiplying this by thousands of indirect jobs.
Source: Exclusive GMB
