"BMM's growth during the pandemic was more than we anticipated"

The reopening of venues worldwide and the continuing momentum of online gaming led to a busy 2022 for gambling, marked by a buoyant mood taking over the industry. Throughout the year, gaming companies and operators met again in person at global summits, pushed the boundaries of entertainment with new, exciting products, and started navigating a post-Covid landscape driven by pent-up demand.

For gaming laboratories such as BMM Testlabs, this implied keeping with the latest in compliance and testing needs, helping its partners navigate the current gambling market. "BMM has continued to service more than 700 customers worldwide from our 15 locations, and our growth during the pandemic was more than we anticipated," CEO Martin Storm tells Yogonet in an exclusive interview.

In this recap, the executive reflects on the state of the gaming sector and the post-pandemic scene; discusses new markets and opportunities in the industry; and shares with us what to expect from the company in 2023.

What is your assessment of how the gaming sector – and its compliance and testing needs – developed in 2022, a year in which most gaming jurisdictions started leaving the pandemic behind? What role did BMM play within this context?

The open and active performance throughout the gaming industry has been nothing short of extraordinary during the pandemic. This is evidenced by the amazing growth of the iGaming business in Europe, and the many opportunities in the sports betting and casino industries in the United States. However, with some COVID restrictions still in place, Asia has been cautious and thus slower to open its land-based businesses. We are optimistic that 2023 will bring a full recovery globally. 

BMM has continued to service more than 700 customers worldwide from our 15 locations, and our growth during the pandemic was more than we anticipated. BMM is growing about ten percent above the average industry sector growth rates for gaming labs and has become a major force for companies wishing to take any gaming product to any gaming market.

In addition to the general reopening of land-based casinos, this year also marked a general return of in-person industry events all over the world. What are your main takeaways from the events scheduled in 2022?

After a very quiet 2020 and 2021, our BMM team was very pleased to participate in the return of global gaming events in 2022. Remaining cautious of the pandemic, many past shows were domestic or regional in nature due to travel restrictions, but 2022 saw the return of international attendance. BMM attended all major and many strategically selected shows across the world this year, and we were impressed by the strong attendance overall and the many key decision-makers who visited our global teams.

BMM at ICE London

Many European iGaming businesses have shown interest in taking their products to North America as new markets open across the states and provinces. Given our strong North American market position, we have been able to help all customers manage risk with real-world knowledge and experience, regardless of immediate access. BMM can take any gaming products to every gaming market, especially in the United States and Canada. 

What should we expect from BMM in 2023? Are there any new plans or announcements you could share with us?

We have more exciting announcements from the BMM Innovation Group “BIG,” which provides support in the key areas of cybersecurity and defense, and vital education and training services for the gaming industry. BIG Cyber provides protection to the gaming industry by helping commercial and Tribal casinos improve the security and integrity of their network infrastructure and understanding their cyber vulnerabilities. RG24seven provides world-class, virtual gaming training presented by industry experts on key topics, including responsible gaming, anti-money laundering, corporate social responsibility, Tribal gaming, sports betting, and more.

In 2023 BMM will also expand its new businesses in Slovenia and India while continuing to monitor potential new markets in Brazil and Japan. Additionally, BMM will largely focus on our investment in digital markets globally and the growing historical horse racing (HHR) segment in the United States. 2023 is going to be a great year!