GMB - Once again you are participating at ICE. What will the company showcase this year in London to the market?
Marzia Turrini - Founded in 1981, BMM is the original test lab and we look forward to reintroducing BMM’s ‘The Original’ branding at our booth this year. The ICE show has continued to grow over the past few years and is now one of the most important shows on the gaming calendar, specifically in Europe.
BMM will have many global executives and subject matter experts at ICE to talk about testing, compliance, new markets, regulatory issues, and what’s next in the industry including cybersecurity, iGaming and sports betting.
What themes or topics do you imagine will be the most relevant in this edition of this traditional expo?
Sports betting, new markets and cyber security are sure to be the hot topics at this year’s show. BMM is looking forward to a very exciting year in 2019, with key industry trends expected to favorably impact our business. One major, long-term trend is the continued growth of regulated gaming markets and associated requirements for product certification and post-implementation audits.
Another important trend is the increased awareness of existing cyber security risks in the gaming industry and willingness to address those risks, especially in the new post-GDPR era. Our industry is becoming more familiar with the scary statistics relating to losses from cyber breaches, and many understand that it is not a matter of “if” but of “when” they are breached.
BMM’s solutions are designed to help companies implement a pro-active cyber defense to minimize the probability of a cyber breach and, even more importantly, to minimize any damage if such a breach occurs. Expect to hear a lot more about BMM’s cyber defense offerings in 2019.
How did BMM do in 2018?
2018 has been a year of significant growth for BMM around the world. We grew substantially in our core certification business across all key markets, achieved significant growth in our specialized QA business in Canada, re-launched our iGaming business in Europe, opened a new lab in Romania and a branch office in Poland, as well as launched a new world-class cyber defense offering.
2018 was especially important for the development and growth of our European business. We moved our European headquarters to our Barcelona office and expanded our regional executive and management team. We also achieved a dominant market position in the Italian VLT market with an estimated 75%+ market share. After launching commercial operations in Romania in June 2018, BMM was named as the Best Lab in Romania by Casino Life and Business Magazine.
Can you give some insight into BMM’s iGaming operations?
This has been our first full year of dedicated iGaming coverage. Notable achievements include building dedicated iGaming sales and service delivery teams, rapid market share gains across major European B2B suppliers and operators as well as achieving #1 market share in Colombia and in Spain for new licensees.
As we enter 2019 with a larger and more experienced service delivery team, I am confident that we will continue to successfully meet any challenges of rapid growth.
How do you see the processes of legalization and regulation in Brazil specifically? Especially after the recent legalization of sporting betting.
The recent legalization of Sports Betting is to be seen as the first step into the legalization of gaming and gambling as a whole. The Brazilian Government, as well the country, will appreciate the economic as well the social benefit of this important measure and this will automatically lead to a broader legalization process. This legalization of sports betting is just the first phase but also the foundation of a solid framework for the future. Brazil is unique, as is any other country, but can benefit from a large and rich international experience making sure the most successful regulations are adopted and adapted to the idiosyncrasy of Brazil.
Have you been contacted by companies interested in work at Brazil, after last December legalization?
BMM has been working and partnering with Brazilian companies long before the recent events. Brazilian entrepreneurs understand the importance of being ahead and anticipating future regulations. For this reason, they have chosen to partner with BMM Testlabs.
Source: Exclusive GMB
