"We are following a dedicated approach for each market, trying to understand its culture and needs"

FBM decided to give up on its participation at G2E Las Vegas. What were the reasons behind this decision?

Renato Almeida, Director at FBM: We decided to skip this edition of G2E Las Vegas after a careful evaluation of the risks involved for our people. We would have workers and clients travelling from different countries to attend the event and many of them are not fully vaccinated yet. This could be very harmful to them in a context where the Delta variation is still spreading.

One of the FBM main values is caring, so, considering all this information, we decided to skip the participation with a booth. We still had a small group of workers, who are fully vaccinated and already working regularly with this market, attending the event to catch up with the industry novelties and get an update of both land-based and online universes.

One of the recent events FBMDS attended was the SBC Summit Barcelona, which was held as a physical-online activity last September. What was the feedback, learnings and takeaways from that event? Do you plan to attend any other events this year?

Roberto Regianini, CEO at FBM Digital Systems: It was a very positive experience. It was good to discuss relevant matters of the industry in person and feel the atmosphere of a normal event again. The remote connection is perfect in terms of flexibility, but we can extract another kind of know-how from the physical interaction. This particular event allowed us to meet many casino operators and collect precious information from different markets, especially from the LATAM region. In 2021, we are planning to attend more than one or two gaming events, taking close attention to the restriction and rules in place. 

We have covered several announcements from FBM Digital Systems over the past few months, including the appointment of Roberto Regianini as CEO and the launch of a new website, with a special client area for casino managers. How would you assess the effects brought about by these changes? What has been the performance of the new website, considering your initial goals for it?

R.R.: These six months after the launch of the FBMDS website have been great. We have been developing our portfolio, bringing new products in different game types and conquering clients from different regions of the globe. We are following a dedicated and singular approach for each market, trying to understand its culture and needs and bringing solutions that can build win-win relationships between FBMDS and the operators, and as a result of all this good work, we have been shortlisted as Bingo Supplier of the Year for the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2021. We are very happy with the results so far. 

In Mexico, FBM launched its first Multi-Game slots product in December. You have also announced 300 new cabinets at Caliente casinos. Could you share an update on these moves? Why have you decided to bet on multi-game products, and how do new player behaviour and operators’ demands fit with this approach? How would you assess your current partnership with Caliente, and what are your outlooks and next steps on it, for both land-based and online businesses?  

R.A.: We are very proud of the recent deal signed with Caliente Casinos. We have a historical partnership with this client and believe that it will grow with relevant steps for both brands in the future. 

The development of the multi-game product with the Link games was a natural move from FBM in the competitive world of land-based slots. We knew that this product would have demand from our clients because it allows players to enjoy different gaming experiences in the same cabinets, without losing the progressive jackpots. At the same time, it allows casino operators to increase their offers with the same space, serving different profiles of players. 

Now, we are working on the development of Mythic Link multi-game products, and we expect to bring novelties to the market by the end of 2021.

At CasinoBeats Summit, FBM Digital Systems' CEO joined a panel to discuss potential markets in the LatAm region. In Brazil, the brand has recently launched video bing tournaments which drove positive results in GGR, player number and coin growth for local operators. What can we expect from LatAm markets, and from FBMDS’s strategies and approach in the coming months? What are your prospects as Brazil's legal sports betting nears and the authorities keep analyzing further gaming regulations? 

R.R.: Our strategy is to analyse the market data, understand the players desires and adapt our solutions and products to bring them more than what they are looking for. We maintain a regular communication with our clients to obtain powerful feedback that allows us to adjust the product development and bring games that add value to the casinos' offer. This way, all the parties involved win: FBMDS improves the relationship with its client; the online casinos have more players engaged with their offer and the players try new gaming experiences ready to fulfil their entertainment needs.

We are always following the Brazilian market. FBM has a deep connection with this country due to its first steps and we are prepared with a solid plan to explore the potential of Brazil when the gambling activity is fully regulated in this South American market. 

Which markets and expansion plans will you focus on the most in the coming months? Are there any other plans you can share with us for the short-mid term?

R.A.: Besides the novelties that we will reveal during the next weeks concerning the FBMDS brand, we recently started a land-based operation in Norway, and we have ambitious plans for this market including the installation of new cabinets and the development of new products. 

FBM is also working in the development of new European and LATAM markets in a long-term vision, but these projects are still in a negotiation stage. We hope to reveal them by the end of this year or already in the first quarter of 2022.