“R. Franco Digital has built a strong set of products”

(Exclusive interview).- R. Franco Digital’s new managing director spoke with Focus Gaming News.

R. Franco Digital is establishing itself as a leading company both in the Spanish market as well as in Latin America. The online branch of successful Spanish group R. Franco is further investing and participating in international conferences to expand its presence around the world. Miguel Ángel Lázaro, managing director at R. Franco Digital, spoke with Focus Gaming News about his recent appointment and the company’s future plans.

Congratulations on your appointment as MD of R. Franco Digital. Could you tell us a little about your background?

I have worked at the R. Franco Group for more than 18 years across a number of different management positions in the Group’s technology division, including the digital area. As a result, I have witnessed first-hand the evolution of the company from a land-based supplier to a truly omni-channel company serving gaming solutions globally.

My personal focus has been across technology and digital, and I look forward to leveraging this experience to lead R. Franco Group’s digital division and build upon its already strong growth.

What will be the focus for R. Franco Digital over the coming months?

R. Franco Digital has built a strong set of products, but we appreciate that we need to continue moving forward or risk being left behind. Over the coming months, we will continue to develop our market-leading IRIS omni-channel platform with new features and functionality, so it remains the platform of choice for operators looking to extend their global reach.

We are also in discussions over some exciting commercial deals, and we will have more news on these later in the year. And as ever, you can catch up with the R. Franco team at conferences and trade shows around the world.

You are exhibiting at FADJA next month. Have you been encouraged by the development of Colombia’s online market?

Since the Colombian regulator began issuing licences last year, the market has performed strongly. This is a result of a sensible regulatory framework which both protects consumers and encourages growth of the sector.

R. Franco Digital has already enjoyed significant growth in Colombia via a deal last year with Corredor Empresarial S.A. The operator integrated our IRIS platform as it gave them control to customize their product offering to meet the demands of the market, while also remaining compliant.

How are R. Franco Digital products well suited for Latin American markets?

R. Franco Digital offers a full range of global gaming solutions, and our products are already proven to succeed in Latin American markets including Colombia.

At the heart of our offering is IRIS, a powerful open architecture platform. A flexible platform is critical to succeed in newly-regulating jurisdictions such as Colombia. IRIS integrates everything an operator requires: player management, payment gateways, content, promotions, alerts and responsible gaming tools. It is certified in Colombia, Spain and Malta, giving full regulatory control to the operator.

We also offer a wide range of HTML5 games, so operators can pick those which hold most appeal in each jurisdiction. Our regulatory expertise is unparalleled, and our IRIS Power Vault is the best application for data monitoring in regulated environments, including Colombia.

Finally, the RF OnMix Terminal, a multigame machine with touchscreen that can integrate content from different providers, is a powerful tool for LatAm operators with a land-based heritage who are now entering the online space.

How do you see the outlook for further online regulation in Latin America?

We are optimistic about the outlook. Peru looks to be taking steps in the right direction, and we hope to see concrete progress in that market over the coming months. Meanwhile other jurisdictions in the region continue to explore the possibilities of introducing online regulation, including Brazil. I believe Latam will offer major opportunities for the igaming industry over the next two years.