Gianluca Crimaldi, Booming Games: “We are working to evolve the industry a bit and be a bit different”
Shows & conferences - 24 November, 2025
During the latest edition of SiGMA Central Europe 2025, Focus Gaming News spoke with Gianluca Crimaldi, Head of Account Management at Booming Games, about the company’s relationship‑driven approach to growth, its strong position in regulated markets, product localisation strategies, new developments for Latin America, and how it is (and is not) using AI in game creation.
Crimaldi explained that the company’s main objective at SiGMA Central Europe was to reconnect in person with existing partners and customers, as well as meet new ones, in a sector where communication is increasingly digital. “We live in an era where everything is done through computers,” he said. “So the main scope for us is to be here to meet face to face our customers, our partners, show our presence, and potentially get a new customer as well.” He underlined that, as a company, Booming Games believes “personal relationships go first above everything”, making industry events and informal moments such as dinners and drinks an essential part of building long‑term business.
With many team members based in Italy, Crimaldi described SiGMA Central Europe in Rome as something of a home event. “We feel like home, and it’s very good when we host events,” he noted. Familiarity with the city, language and local culture helps Booming Games make guests feel comfortable and strengthen ties with partners visiting from abroad.
On the regulatory side, Crimaldi highlighted Booming Games’ broad footprint. “We are live at the moment in about 18 regulated markets,” he said, pointing to a rapid expansion over recent years. The company’s strategy has been to secure entry into as many regulated jurisdictions as possible and then deepen its presence in each one. To do that, Booming Games relies on local expertise: “We have people specialised, they actually live in these countries and they expand the relationship and expand in these markets,” he explained.
Product localisation is central to that strategy. While many of Booming Games’ strongest markets are outside Europe, Crimaldi said the team has identified specific themes and mechanics that perform particularly well in European jurisdictions. “There are certain themes, certain mechanics that do extremely well,” he noted, citing “all‑the‑win” mechanics and popular animal‑driven concepts, such as pig‑themed games, as strong performers. These titles deliver “very interactive games” and “stronger retention of players”. He credited a “strong product team” that travels extensively – including recent trips to Las Vegas – to research new ideas and fine‑tune slot localisation for each region.
Turning to Latin America, Crimaldi said Booming Games currently focuses on slots but has already built a notable presence, especially in Brazil. “We are live only with slots,” he said. “We have a strong presence, especially in Brazil. We have a strong ambassador, which is Ronaldo. So we have some news coming up with him as well.” Over the past two years, the company has also been working on a new product line that will become its “horse running” product for next year, to be launched across its customer base as part of a push to “evolve a bit the industry and be a bit different” in what he described as a crowded provider landscape.
Beyond new verticals, Booming Games is investing heavily in the quality of its existing slot portfolio. Crimaldi stressed that the product team has “been evolving a lot the quality of our slots” in recent months, with significant improvements in design, visual effects, sound design and animation. The aim, he said, is to develop market‑specific titles “with specific themes and specific games that fit what the player wants, what the people request for that specific region”.
Asked about the role of artificial intelligence in game development, Crimaldi said Booming Games already uses AI at the concept stage, but deliberately keeps production itself in human hands. “I believe somehow it’s already involved,” he said. “Not during the production, but when we get ideas, when we want to sketch ideas… it’s very easy to sketch ideas with AI.” The team uses AI tools to generate story options and early concepts, then evolves the product from there. However, he made clear that “at the moment we don’t have any involvement with AI on the production of the game itself… we just [keep] the human factor.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the show, Crimaldi said his personal goal is to further strengthen long‑standing relationships and underscore Booming Games’ growing profile. “It’s always good to see people that have been friends from the last 15 years,” he commented, noting his own long trajectory in the industry. At the same time, he wants to “spread that message across customers and other competitors as well that we are more present now in the industry and we are here as well to represent our company… with a bang.”