Luis Silva, FBM: “LatAm is increasing its influence in the global casino ecosystem”

Luis Silva, Global Head of People, interaction and brand at FBM, speaks to Focus Gaming News about the evolution of casinos.

Exclusive interview.- It’s been a big year for the land-based casino industry as players in many jurisdictions came back hungry for new and arresting experiences. FBM is well aware of the latest demands and made an impact with the expansion of its slots and video bingo portfolio.

Focus Gaming News caught up with Luis Silva, Global Head of People, interaction and brand for a review of the year, both for FBM and the online gaming brand FBMDS.

What were your highlights of 2022?

The group grew in its different dimensions during these last 12 months. FBM® expanded the slots and video bingo portfolio and consolidated its presence in various markets of operation. In the slots segment, 2022 started with an expansion move in Mexico with Mythic Link® conquering many casino rooms and then continued with the launch of two new games in the Easy$Money Link™ product for this market.

Later, in G2E Las Vegas, the brand displayed FBM Spin & Win e o Jin Qián Link™ – two new multi-game products ready to make a blast in different countries. The video bingo collection also evolved with new games launched in the Progressive Series and Bingo Collection lines. These recent launches conquered Mexican and Filipino fans with new features and bonuses. Online casino players witnessed FBMDS™ affirming itself as a reference in the iGaming industry.

After an impactful debut year, the brand partnered with relevant market players, and expanded its portfolio with more than 20 new games among the slots, video bingo and table games categories. This performance raised the casino industry’s attention, and after a few nominations, FBMDS™ recently conquered the distinction of “Bingo Supplier of the Year” in the 5 Start & Co Starlet Awards 2022.

Have you been pleased with the pace of the evolution of Latin American markets this year?

Yes, this region of the globe is increasing its influence in the global casino ecosystem. FBM® and FBMDS™ continue expanding their footprint in these markets, and we are aware business opportunities keep appearing every month in several markets. We also have high expectations for this region in 2023.

With increased competition, particularly in online gambling, how do you continue to find new
inspiration?

The competition doesn’t define our path for the future in the iGaming industry, it works more as a boost to keep evolving. Our approach doesn’t change for FBMDS™. We focus on bringing innovative, customised, localised and profitable products for our clients that can impact their players with outstanding gaming experiences.

At the same time, we keep providing dedicated customer service. We establish regular contacts with clients and closely follow-up each game’s performance to ensure that our products have the best output possible for FBMDS™ and the online casinos involved. This combination of factors builds the inspiration driving us in the affirmation of FBMDS™ as one of the top references in the iGaming industry.

“FBM® and FBMDS™ continue expanding their footprint in these markets, and we are aware business opportunities keep appearing every month in several markets.”

Luis Silva, Global Head of People, interaction and brand at FBM.

FBMDS made its debut at G2E this year. How was that experience?

It was an incredible experience. G2E Las Vegas is one of the main events on the casino industry’s annual calendar, and it attracts agents from different parts of the globe. Besides the tradeshow dimension, FBM® went to this event with the motto “Lights are on: Play like a champion!”.

This positioning created a lot of curiosity around the booth and uplifted the experience provided to each visitor. It was a big stage for FBMDS™ to showcase its diversified portfolio of online casino games and, for sure, it embodied one of the big achievements in 2022 for the brand.

What do you think operators will be looking for in the year ahead?

In 2023, operators will certainly keep looking for great casino games which are able to combine innovation, profitability and engaging game experiences for their players. Besides that, we will continue seeing coordinated efforts between operators and providers, to offer technological solutions that ensure smooth omnichannel gaming experiences and allow players to fulfil all their entertainment needs.

In terms of emerging trends, we can see a bigger proximity between video games and casino games. There is a growing basis of players searching for game experiences that demand individual skills. This profile of players wants to eliminate predictability from the game’s logic. They keep connected to the
product by knowing that their level of skills can impact the final output of each gaming round.

At the same time, we can expect to see more blockchain and artificial intelligence being applied to different purposes in a casino operation. Accounting and customer relationship management are two
examples of areas that will probably benefit from using these technologies.