GMB – The company recently announced a rebranding whereby Spieldev became Vibra Gaming. Why the change? What are you trying to achieve?
FR - The change to Vibra Gaming is due to an expansion of the company that practically implies a new firm from its vision and conception. So, we believed a new name was necessary to reflect this. Our goal is to make the company and the brand become a benchmark for Gaming in the region.
Among other innovations, the firm added "reinforcements" to the team. What can Ramiro Atucha and Marcelo Blanco, the founders of Leander Games, bring to Vibra Gaming?
FR - We were already working for several months with Ramiro and Marcelo expanding the range of products at the same time that we were developing a series of classic casino games for Brazilian players. But continuing with the question, it seems good to me that Ramiro joins in answering and contributes his point of view.
RA - For us LatAm is the next big market for our industry. I think that our greatest contribution comes from the understanding we have of the region added to more than ten years working with the European regulated market. Our experience in these two areas is the great differential that we can offer our current and future partners.
What is the differential of your brand with products designed and thought for Latin America?
FR - One of the strategies of Vibra Gaming is to approach the players through known products and then offer them new content. A clear example of this is having taken classic Brazilian games that have been played for the last twenty years and adapting them as online titles.
RA - In this way, although online is a new platform, the player comes across something that he already identifies and knows. That is the first step of the player learning curve in our region.
How is your market penetration today in Latin America and which products are the most attractive to the bettor in the region?
RA - Although we started developing games for Brazil, we target all the main markets in the region. The attractiveness of the products varies by country and the degree of maturity of the players. What I can tell you is that it takes more than a simple translation into Portuguese or Spanish, adding the corresponding currencies. You have to understand well what product to offer in each market and seriously generate local content. We believe that those who understand this will have a real competitive advantage.
How was 2019 for you? Did you achieve the stated objectives?
FR - 2019 was a very interesting year with everything that has been happening at the regulatory level in different countries. We can say that we have been growing together with LatAm. Our goal is to continue expanding our range of products and position ourselves as leaders in this regard.
The coronavirus pandemic paralyzed all activity practically ... How is Vibra going through this moment and how do you think you will come out? Have the possible damages been dimensioned?
RA - First and obvious as it may be, I want to say that logically it is a very strange and unfortunate situation for everyone and that our greatest wish is that people take care of themselves and get out of this in the best possible way. Regarding Vibra in particular, we have implemented some days of work from home and others in the office for some time. For this reason, remote work systems were already operating and, with the arrival of the quarantine, moving the entire operation to that modality did not reduce productivity or cause us major inconveniences.
From the business side, logically it affects us in the face-to-face aspect in terms of travel, fairs and some meetings, in addition to the reduction of activity in some sectors such as sports betting. But on the other hand, we have been promoting the online and digital path for gaming for years, now focusing on a market that is mostly physical like that of Latin America. Not only because of something as extreme as a pandemic, but in general because of a change in people's habits towards non-face-to-face activities, we believe that many casinos are going to emphasize their online presence, and that is where we can be of help.
In the second quarter of this year, do you plan to offer a White Label solution for operators who want to enter the Latin American market?
RA - The solution we are going to offer is aimed at investors who want to launch a new operation in our markets. One of the Vibra Gaming success stories that we can already talk about is Betsul. Although it is only sports betting, it is a sample of the platform already in operation.
FR - Regarding software, the platform that we are going to offer includes, in addition to sports betting, a casino solution with slots and video games. And at the technical standards level, it complies with the requirements of European markets that handle the highest levels of compliance, such as the UKGC, IOM, Malta and Gib, among others.
What do you observe about the Brazilian market? It will not be long before the announcement of the regulations that generated controversy. Did you analyze the text? Are you planning to invest in Brazil in any way?
FR - Vibra Gaming is a B2B company. The changes that are happening, once they are regulated, fundamentally affect the operation. In any case, we invest in the Brazilian market developing content, platform solutions and participating in all industry events.
What goals are set for 2020? Are you going to participate in fairs and events this year?
RA - Our main objective for 2020 is to establish ourselves as a benchmark in the region. From the product side, we plan to develop a new set of video bingos based on the experience of historical products. We also plan to launch slot games that are highly competitive in the market, combining our knowledge of local preferences with the technical and quality levels that mature markets such as Europe demand.
FR - We also plan to participate in all the important events in the region, including Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Argentina among others, and for Vibra Gaming to position itself in the place we want within the industry.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
