"We've put a lot of work to enter iGaming as a major player, and as a result EGT now offers a full range of products"

Last March, Bulgaria-based gaming provider Euro Games Technology (EGT) launched a rebranding campaign celebrating its 20th birthday in March, debuting a new logo. Two decades working in an industry as competitive and changing as the gaming one is no easy feat, and naturally deserves a proper celebration - especially when a company manages to grow as much as the Sofia-headquartered business has.

"Оur industry is very challenging as a whole because it’s extremely dynamic," EGT VP of Sales and Marketing Nadia Popova says in an interview. "That demands us to be highly responsive to players’ needs and requirements and at the same time to remain competitive in terms of quality/price ratio of our products and services. It’s not easy but it’s very interesting and rewarding."

Despite the recent challenges imposed by the global pandemic and the restrictions it led to, EGT has now bounced back, reporting pre-pandemic numbers in many of its markets while making significant advances in others. In this interview with Yogonet, Popova details how demand is moving forward for the supplier, plans to extend the company's presence to new markets -including new offices in Asia-, and the key features of EGT's current portfolio.

You made a rebranding campaign on the occasion of EGT’s 20th birthday in March. Why did you decide to celebrate the anniversary this way?

Every birthday is an occasion to review and evaluate what we have achieved. 20 years is a long period in the gaming industry and during that time we have really evolved a lot in all verticals – product, human, market, and what better way to show our progress than to embody it in a new logo?

On the one hand, it is an expression of the intransient fundamental values that the company follows from its very beginning: responsibility, respectfulness and honesty in its relations with its partners, as well as the constant pursuit of improvement and innovation. On the other hand, it reflects the new modern vision of EGT as a leader in the global gaming industry with over 2 500 employees, 26 offices and a presence in more than 100 jurisdictions around the world. 

Last but not least, it reflects the completeness that the company has achieved in terms of the production process, which we proudly can say is 360 degrees closed. 

What were the biggest changes and developments EGT has seen during these 20 years?

As I mentioned before, EGT has achieved a lot through this period and a lot more is to come. Оur industry is very challenging as a whole because it’s extremely dynamic. That demands us to be highly responsive to players’ needs and requirements and at the same time to remain competitive in terms of quality/price ratio of our products and services. It’s not easy but it’s very interesting and rewarding.

One of the main reasons why the company has so many long-term employees is the fact that we offer them the opportunity to constantly develop, acquire new knowledge and put their ideas into practice.

In September 2021, EGT announced its products have reached pre-pandemic numbers in many countries. What are the main operators’ demands at the moment and what enabled this recovery to happen? Do you expect demand to further grow this year?

Yes, that’s right, despite the complicated situation EGT’s products have reached pre-pandemic numbers in many countries in 2021 and I’m glad to say that this positive trend continues into the first trimester of 2022 as well. The main reason for this is the removal of some of the COVID restrictions in a number of countries around the world, which creates preconditions for the industry’s recovery.

Thanks to the untiring work of our R&D department now we can offer many brand-new attractive gaming solutions and I believe that we will strengthen our positions even further. Spain is among our most important markets and we have prepared new products for it, which we recently showed at FIJMA in Madrid.  

Italy is another highly-potential market for us. That’s why we focused a lot of efforts on developing new VLTs with special new games, meant exclusively for the Italian market.

EGT also had successful deals in Latin America, which is traditionally among the regions where we have a very solid presence. Even more – not only do we continue to make installations in different casinos, but we also keep on opening EGT Lounges in Mexico – dedicated areas in the gaming establishments, which are equipped only with EGT machines.

Asia is a continent which is of great interest to us as well. In the foreseeable future, we plan to open several offices there, and the first countries we will set foot in are the Philippines and Singapore.

EGT at FIJMA 2022

Each year, new technologies hit gaming floors all over the world, providing operators new opportunities to leverage data and understand consumers, while guests benefit from enhanced gaming experiences. Which new gaming technologies do you expect to gain momentum this year and how does EGT intend to leverage them within its product portfolio? 

We’ve put a lot of work and resources to enter as a major player in the iGaming world with our next-gen subsidiary EGT Digital. Thanks to that, now EGT Group offers a full range of casino products – slot games, multiplayer terminals, casino management system and an all-in-one iGaming platform, consisting of sports betting module, casino, and live casino games, as well as eSports and content from many third-party providers.

To attract new generations, it’s important to consider the technological advances such as improved mobile versions, upgraded design and new games. The millennials are those who have been exposed to digital technologies for the longest part of their lives and conventional slot games are not so attractive for them. Therefore, we invest in innovative options for players, such as betting on Esports, online gaming, etc.

Last year, the company introduced new products, such as its new General Series cabinets with new Jackpots. What has reception been like so far for the latest additions and what new products is EGT working on at the moment? How would you describe the company’s current portfolio and what sets it apart from the competition?

When we launched the new General Series cabinets, we introduced to the industry a product for a full gaming experience with the belief it will turn out to be the top choice for players and operators alike. Every General series cabinet is a superb, tech-forward entertainment machine, complete with impressive visual capabilities, ergonomic design and intuitive controls. We managed to introduce such a product after listening very carefully to what players and operators desired. And the results and feedback showed that we succeeded in that. 

In March EGT took part in FIJMA in Madrid. What’s your evaluation of your performance there? Are you planning to participate in NIGA as well?

Yes, we participated in FIJMA and I’m glad to say that we had a very successful performance. We received a large number of visitors, attracted by our impressive stand and the selection of top-performing gaming products with big potential for the Spanish market, among which Bell Link and Cai Fu Tian Jiang jackpot systems, the latest G 50 J2 St, G 27-27 St and G 32-32 VIP slot cabinets, as well as the new propositions for the B2 Saloon and the digital niche. We met a lot of our current customers, potential clients also came to see our latest developments, and we confirmed many new deals for both casino and B2 Saloon segments.

The next event on our calendar is Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention on 19-22 April. I believe that we will be able to show innovative and interesting products that will attract the local casino operators’ attention and we will continue and even expand our fruitful cooperation with them.