GMB - FBM, with a huge range of games for the land-based market and FBMDS for the digital universe, are increasingly present at international fairs. I would like you to talk a little about the evolution of the FBM Group.
Rui Francisco - This year, especially, we had a big change. This fair used to be held in London, England, and with the Brexit decision, when England left the European Community, it started being held here in Barcelona, which is more pleasant for us.
FBM has been growing a lot over the last few years. There were some market changes after Covid, as everyone already knows, and this boosted the online gaming segment. So, we adapted to this new moment and launched many products online. We carefully evaluated this change in player behavior and, in the end, everything stabilized. We believe that land-based gaming remains strong and will continue to do so for many years, I hope.
We invested well, created new products, and were very successful in Mexico with our latest launches. Now we are going to expand to the United States, the Philippines, and other markets. FBM took a step forward and we are moving online, but we continue to believe in what we started with in Brazil: gaming based on land-based games, large rooms, the glamour of personal interaction and interaction between people.
I think that online is very strong. We are in it, but we are betting heavily on land-based games.
Will this social interaction that land-based gaming promotes continue to be the cherry on the cake of the iGaming sector?
Exactly. We recently conducted a study, we have an online operation and a land-based operation, and we were able to assess it well. We concluded that the players are not, in fact, the same. The player who likes online gaming usually has a slightly different profile than the land-based player. There is a part that mixes the two sectors. This analysis gave us more strength to invest in both markets.
I believe that the land-based market will continue to be strong because players who go to casinos want to socialize, talk to other players and interact. This socialization ceases to exist when you play at home, sitting on the couch.
In any case, FBM has launched a series of games for land-based gaming that are also migrating to digital. Was this also a group strategy?
Yes, all the companies started out that way. The most interesting thing is that, since the player profile is very different, we have acquired a lot of knowledge in recent years and this made us realize that we needed to change a little.
Games designed for desktops are quite different from games designed for online play, especially on mobile devices. For example, games on phones are played in portrait mode, while on desktops they are played in landscape mode. This makes a difference.
In addition, phones do not have physical buttons like desktops, so the game needs to be adapted for touchscreens. At first, land-based games were simply ported online, but now we know that games need to be completely redesigned for the digital experience.
Online requires a different interaction between the player and the game. Does this demonstrate the need to focus on specific developments?
Exactly. The platforms are different, and even the way games reward players is different. In-person casino players generally have a higher social status than younger people, those in their 20s or 30s who are just starting out in life and do not have the same purchasing power as older people, who have already settled down and go to casinos.
The glamour of physical casinos is different. Although online prizes are more frequent, the highest prizes are still in physical casinos. The payout for games is the same, but the distribution of prizes is adjusted to maintain excitement, whether in person or on the couch at home.
With this expansion of online and land-based casinos, what are FBM's plans for 2025?
Well, this is something broader. In 2025, we will expand more in the digital area and try to equalize some points that were not so well resolved in the land-based.
For example, we will update older games and invest more in technology. In 2024, we will continue this trend, but now the emphasis will be on improving products that needed redesign, such as our games.
You have a fantastic history in the Brazilian market. What do you expect from Brazil in 2025 regarding physical casinos and FBMDS's presence online?
Brazil took a step forward a few years ago when it regulated sports betting and then online, including casinos. Now, we hope that this instability will be resolved. We hope that the government knows how to deal with the situation and regulates everything. We also intend to enter the Brazilian online market, either with a partnership or alone.
But our greatest ambition is to see a law that authorizes the return of bingo and physical casinos in Brazil. We have been following the progress of the projects in the National Congress and we are anxious for the law to be approved.
All that is missing is the vote in the Senate and the presidential sanction. We want to see in Brazil what we had in the 90s and 2000s, a very good time, and the population needs more fun and less war.
In addition to seeing FBM machines in Brazil, will we see an FBM factory in the country?
Yes, without a doubt. The project is already ready, we have the structured business plan. As soon as the law is approved, the first thing FBM will do will be to set up a factory in Brazil. There is no doubt about that.
Source: Exclusive GMB
