JUE 28 DE MARZO DE 2024 - 18:28hs.
GMB One-On-One - Interview with Alexandre Tauszig

"Skilrock is ready to work in Brazil and patiently awaits proper regulation"

Games Magazine Brasil debuts today its GMB One-on-One cycle where Gildo Mazza, one of the most specialized journalists in the gaming sector in the country, conducts one-on-one interviews with great leaders of the local and international industry. In this first edition, he talks with Brazilian engineer Alexandre Tauszig, recently appointed regional manager for Latin America.

Skilrock Technologies is a provider of products and services of the lottery market, games and payment methods and part of the Indian group Sugal & Damani, with 49 years of experience in this sector. According to the executive, the Brazilian market is in the company's sights, one of the reasons for hiring him, but “I have a deep interest in all markets in the region, where I will focus with equal vigor. I will immediately focus on some businesses that Skilrock has been working on for years, and I am open to dialogue with potential customers from all countries on the continent, including Brazil of course,” he said. Check the main excerpts of the interview.

GMB - First of all, I would like you to introduce yourself to our GMB One 1 One channel, and what led you to assume the position of regional manager for Latin America at Skilrock.
Alexandre Tauszig - I am a Brazilian, a trained engineer with almost two decades of experience in technology solutions. I have known Skilrock for many years and I consider its portfolio to be very innovative and relevant to our region, in addition to understanding that the company has the necessary flexibility to serve Latin America. I believe that there is a huge space to modernize business and deal with the post-pandemic new normal.

Your arrival at Skilrock is the result of your specialization in technology applied to the gaming sector and your performance at Cibelae. Does this mean that Skilrock is more involved with state lotteries than the gaming sector in general? Could you talk more about Skilrock and what it has to offer to the global gaming market and especially to the region where you will operate and particularly to Brazil?
First, it is important to emphasize that the code of criminal contravention that prohibits games of chance in Brazil gives us an erroneous view of the gaming market, which is gambling. It is a very rich industry worldwide, generating thousands of jobs, moving the economy and bringing dividends to governments, in the form of taxes. Lottery is just a segmentation of this market. Skilrock' solutions and services are comprehensive enough to serve all the specters of this fantastic business. Skilrock's flagship product is INFINITI - which is a true omni-channel and omni-gaming development, which means that it perfectly supports all types of sales channels and all game genres, from Loto, Keno, Bingo and Sportsbook to Casino, Slots, Scratch Cards, Poker and others.
INFINITI is Skilrock's fourth generation product, which has customization modules that support unique requirements from emerging markets such as those in our continent. The market in our region is still largely based on retail, stores or points of sale through agents and therefore has an enormous opportunity to go digital. Some people think that having a game converted to a mobile or web app is good enough to start a business, but that is not true. The complete transformation in digital business comes with a healthy approach to all elements of the business and, at the center, is CX (Customer Experience). Some of Skilrock's iGaming customers have more than 7 million registered players and this includes marketing, registration, affiliation, customer support, loyalty, bonuses, virtual wallet, ease of payment and withdrawal, attractive gameplay and much more.

Having a flexible line, as Skilrock proposes, brings the company closer to the markets you intend to reach in the region?
I would say that flexibility is one of our main differentials and certainly one of the points that will most attract our potential customers in the region. The design concept of the INFINITI solution was being matured two years before actually going into development and then replacing its predecessor WEAVER. It is highly modular, based on platform and open architecture that offers ample flexibility. Therefore, our product and our company's philosophy are all aligned with flexibility. Most people are unaware of Skilrock's other product line, called PAYKONNECT, which is for payment operators, fintechs and digital wallets. And even in this product the main philosophies remain the same - flexibility. The big message is that we deliver what the customer wants and not what is on our shelf.

The INFINITI platform is the flagship of Skilrock. I would like you to talk a little more about it and its competitive advantages in an increasingly globalized market and specifically in Latin America, a region that needs flexible solutions.
The trademark of the INFINITI platform is in its open, fully modular architecture. I like to treat it as a solution of three large blocks, all flexible and modular. The first one, also called the front-end, is the interface with the customer, in the B2C business or with the agent/reseller, in the B2B business. It supports POS of dozens of models, tablets, PCs, cell phones; to sum up, a whole range of devices. Additionally, several types of self-service terminals that are not common in Brazil, such as VLTs, which are lottery devices where you can play alone; making an analogy, it is similar to a vending machine for soft drinks.
Our second block is the back-end, where the biggest difference can be seen. It supports multilayer organization. In the B2B business, it is possible to manage the agent/dealer as its location on Google Maps and much more. This puts the operator in complete control of all situations in emerging markets such as Latin America. In the B2C business, there are tools for all marketing, registration, loyalty and bonuses, ease of payment and withdrawal, customer service and much more ... the entire activity of the customer can be managed. Additionally, there are a number of controls features, reports and analyzes in real time, history, forecasts etc. As a third block, we come to the games. Skilrock has its own library of more than 70 games and is willing to conduct a search with the local operator to offer some titles designed specifically for its market. Games are simple plug-ins on the platform and can simply be added in real time! This third block also allows the integration of third-party solutions, such as other games from independent developers, sports betting, virtual casinos, ways of payment, SMS and email services, among others.

Speaking specifically about Brazil, the country has been fighting for the regulation of the gaming sector in the country for years. Do you believe that the time has come for this to become reality?
We are almost there. Some aspects have seen rapid movements, while others are moving very slowly, which is natural for such a large country, with continental dimensions, and with so many different ideas and interests.
I particularly, as a Brazilian, hope that progress will be faster than political fights over the topic. With the slowness we only have to lose in relation to the other countries of Latin America that are advancing faster and faster and are already discussing the regulation of online betting in its various modalities. We, at Skilrock, are ready, but we are patient and understand that the entire set of regulations must be drawn up and well defined.

What is your message to the Latin market about Skilrock's arrival on the continent?
Skilrock is part of the Indian group Sugal & Damani, which has been operating in the lottery and gaming sector for 49 years. So, in addition to the vast experience we have in emerging markets, we believe in a long-term commitment. Skilrock has been participating in events in the lottery and gaming sector in Latin America for years. The appointment of a Brazilian as a regional manager for Latin America is a clear sign that the company hopes to rapidly expand its business in our territory.


                                                    

Gildo Mazza, journalist specialized in the gaming sector, editor of Games Magazine since its foundation in 1997, having also been a contributor of the magazine editions in Italy, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina.

Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil