In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, the Sales Leader for LatAm and Southern Europe at the company explained the plans for the upcoming SBC Summit 2024, the impact of the company's latest releases, and future plans.
Exclusive interview.- Michele Stefanelli, Sales Leader for LatAm and Southern Europe at Play’n GO, gave an exclusive interview to Focus Gaming News where he previewed the company's plans for SBC Summit 2024. Additionally, he delved into the public reception of the launch of “Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity”, the growth of Play’n GO Music, and the next steps the company will take.
How is the company preparing for SBC Summit 2024 and what are the expectations for the event?
This year we will send a small, focused team to SBC Lisbon. We are excited about the show! As always, we look forward to meeting clients, both old and new, and exploring ways to work together. We are always looking to acquire new business and are trying to catch up with our clients.
One of the company's latest releases, “Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity”, has become a huge success. Did you expect this? What do you think are the keys that made this game so special?
We had high hopes for “Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity”, and it's good to see those hopes come to fruition. The game has been a massive success and, in the first week of its release, had the best metrics of any game we've launched in nearly 10 years.
What makes a game successful is not so easy to understand; if it were, our job would be much easier! However, at Play’n GO we believe that certain elements make up the general formula for a successful game. With Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity, we had the model for a strong game that already existed in its predecessor, Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness. For this sequel, we wanted to honor the original game while also developing the story to keep players interested. We are proud of the mechanics, graphics, soundtrack, and everything that goes into creating a game like Tome of Insanity. It’s nice when it pays off!
Play’n GO has recently presented its Sustainability Report. How important is it for the company to have a sustainable approach in the gaming industry?
We believe that the only realistic future for our industry is a sustainable one. On a macro level, we only have one planet, so we are exploring ways to reduce our carbon emissions and aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. We are on track to achieve this goal, which is important to everyone at Play’n GO.
On a more micro-industrial level, we believe in the need to first sell ourselves as an entertainment industry. We are aware that we want bonus buy games to be completely banned, believing they are a predatory product harmful to players. We actively call for regulation and taxes in all markets. We firmly believe this is the best path to a solid future for our industry.
Is Play’n GO working on new deals to continue growing in different markets?
We have the publicly stated goal of wanting to be active in all regulated markets worldwide. Recently, we launched Betway in South Africa and are looking for opportunities to grow across the continent. We are always open to new business in all the regulated markets we operate in.
See also: Play’n GO adds a new chapter to the “Joker” slot series with “Mirror Joker”
Play’n GO Music was launched in December. What has been its reception so far?
Excellent! Collaborating with everyone on the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team has been fun, and earlier this month we collaborated with Canadian EDM artist Humansion to produce a single for that team that has been very well received. Of course, as with any new brand, it takes time to establish, but we have a very strong parent brand in Play’n GO and are excited about what Play’n GO Music will produce next.
What are the main challenges for the rest of the year?
The federation rejects the interconnection plan to the monitoring system of the Ministry of Finance.
Dominican Republic.- More than two years have passed since the Dominican government decreed the start of the regularization process for lottery banks in the territory, however, there are still a large number of banks that have not been able to join the process.
In a public act, the National Federation of Lottery Banks (Fenabanca) demanded that the authorities fully complete the National Regularization Plan for banks as established by decree 63-22 and Resolution 061-22 of the Ministry of Finance.
Fenabanca denounces that the Ministry of Finance and the Directorate of Casinos and Gambling continue violating the rights of betting bank owners, jeopardizing the economic stability and livelihood of thousands of people who depend on this sector.
“We are requesting and demanding from the Ministry of Finance, the Deputy Minister of the Treasury, the director of Casinos and Gambling, the general director of Internal Taxes, and the administrator of the National Lottery and coordinator of the Regularization Plan and any other authority that by law, has the responsibility to regulate and organize the gaming sector,” stated the guild.
According to Decree 63-22, it is established that the Regularization Plan for the Lottery Banks sector should be satisfactorily concluded, establishing the protocols to determine the banks, sales points, or agencies that qualify to grant operating licenses. This respecting the 200 meters of distance that must exist between one legal bank and another.
It is also established that the authorities must implement an aggressive plan for the inspection and closure of illegal banks that do not meet the stipulated requirements.
See also: ASONABIL denounces obstacles that prevent the regularization of lottery banks
Facing these irregularities by the authorities, the members of Fenabanca “reject the arbitrary and improvised manner by officials, who without the slightest preparation or orientation demand the effective implementation of an interconnection plan”.
“In Fenabanca and the Lottery Associations of different provinces, we do not reject the interconnection, our opposition is focused on the arbitrary, uninformed, disorganized manner and without clear criteria in which an interconnection plan is being imposed when there is not even control of the banks that operate irregularly in the country,” argues the guild.
