“The feedback we have received from ICE gives us hope for 2020”

(Exclusive interview).- Andrea Boratto, CEO of WorldMatch, talked to Focus Gaming News about the company’s performance at ICE London 2020.

The 2020 edition of ICE London took place earlier this month at ExCel, and it was the biggest show to date. Companies take advantage of the benefits that the show offers, and WorldMatch was one of the highlights of this year’s edition.

Andrea Boratto, CEO of WorldMatch, talked to Focus Gaming News in an exclusive interview about the current situation of iGaming, its assessment of the show and future plans.

What’s your assessment on ICE 2020 as a whole and your performance in particular?

ICE remains a unique event in which every top content provider must participate. We have noticed a great participation of visitors, exhibitors, regulators and more. As far as WorldMatch is concerned, we have attended with a large number of staff coming from the various official offices scattered in many different areas of the world and we are very satisfied about the visits received and the outcomes during the three days.

In addition, some of our representatives have been invited to participate in some panels as experts in the field organized by Clarion.

What was the attendance’s feedback to WorldMatch’s display? Which product got the most attention?

We had the opportunity to interact with operators from different parts of the world, moreover we expected a higher Asian participation but the problems related to Coronavirus probably limited these attendees, instead there was a large presence of operators and stakeholders from Central America and LATAM. Our brand in these countries is well-known and we intend once again to emphasize the ability and flexibility we have in adapting our products to each new market through the quality and a deep comprehension of cultural aspects.

Among the products that have received most prominence, in addition to the various products of the casino, is the Dream Set. A unique tool available to operators to increase player retention as well as for players to improve the gaming experience.

You’ve recently struck a partnership with Tain, strengthening your worldwide presence, was ICE 2020 helpful in getting to network and move closer to new deals?

Yes, undoubtedly WorldMatch has been working for years to strengthen its presence in the different markets with the most important operators and platforms in the sector. The feedback we have received from ICE gives us hope for 2020 where we will keep growing and offering our products to the most important operators in the global market.

ICE represents one of the most important networking tools for our sector, therefore not only aimed at new business opportunities but also at consolidating already existing partnerships.

How do you assess the current situation of the iGaming market as it continues to evolve around the globe?

Here we see at least a couple of predominant situations; one related to Brexit and uncertainties about how it will be conducted. In this respect there are not many guarantees until the Brexit strategy is defined, on the other hand the tendency for the various markets to move increasingly towards regulation. For example, in Latin America, Colombia is currently leading the way for other countries on that continent, and from this perspective there will be very interesting developments in the future.
WorldMatch has always been very careful about regulation, so much so that it was one of the first casino game providers to certify its games in Italy and Colombia.

In this regard, the games will soon be certified for the UK and Portuguese markets, thereby adding to the list of regulated markets where we are active in. As far as the games aspect is concerned, the tendency is more and more to produce games linked to the cultural habits of the relevant market, from this point of view the proposal of WorldMatch games takes into account all these aspects realizing its products by cooperating with experts in the field directly in the different areas where we operate.

What’s the next step for WorldMatch in 2020?

The next step is to finalize the certification for the UK and Portuguese markets as well as starting to work with some of the most important operators active in these markets as of Q2. We will participate in some fairs both in Europe and Latin America. In particular Columbia, GATEXPO, which will continue to strengthen our presence in regulated markets.