“IGT has a very strong commitment to the Latin American market”

When taking up his new position, Gharegozlou reported that all markets in the region would be the focus of the company, either directly or through partnerships. Following this line, about a month ago the firm added a new member to its team, Esteban Corio, who was appointed as new Sales Director for the Southern Region of Latin America.

In addition, the company decided to divide Latin America into four sub-regions in order to be closer to its customers and to provide more local support. The new sub-regions are: South of Latin America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia), Mexico, Brazil and Multicountry (rest of Latin America).

Prior to the appointment of Gharegozlou, IGT didn’t have a specific executive position for the whole area, but had local executives in Argentina and Mexico. Currently, the office in Miami works as the company’s headquarters for Latin America and the Caribbean. And they will also incorporate more executives and will open new positions.
Gharegozlou said that since his arrival, IGT opened an office in Panama with the purpose of covering Central American territories.  "The company has a strong commitment to the Latin American market. We will have more local presence and we will localize more games," he said.

Regarding potential partnerships, the firm is negotiating with two or three companies, but have not signed any contracts yet. However, they are currently working in Uruguay in association with ICM from Boldt Group. Besides partners for sales, the company is seeking alliances with specialized firms in after-sales services. About this, they estimate to have news in two months’ time.

How are you following the present situation of the game industry in Ecuador and Venezuela? What can you say about Brazil?
Matt Gharegozlou: About Ecuador and Venezuela, we are waiting expectantly just like the operators. We are waiting for positive signs in order to move forward with them. Although there is no betting and gaming activities in Brazil, we are working on other segments. We are developing all the games in Spanish and Portuguese to anticipate the market opening.

Can you tell more about the agreement just signed with Caribbean CAGE?
MG: CAGE is an excellent partner that knows the Caribbean very well. For months we have worked together and we have concluded this agreement that represents an opportunity to get into the Dominican Republic’s bancas market (sports betting). For us, it is a pleasure to work with them. And, in turn, they chose IGT because we are the only company able to provide a solution at this level and of such magnitude. The association of IGT and CAGE will provide local operators and bancas the best available products.

You have also recently announced an agreement with Enjoy...
MG: Yes, this agreement is very important to our business because it will let us install our sbX server-based applications. It is the first of its kind in Chile, and we are excited about it because server-based gaming is the future.

Lately, have you signed any major agreements for the Southern Region of Latin America?
Esteban Corio: In a few months, we will install for the first time sbX in Uruguay. It will take place in the city of Rivera, where we work with our partner (ICM / Boldt). In Argentina, we continue to be the preferred provider for Casino Club, Codere and Boldt.
Argentina is a really vast territory. I think many operators used to see IGT as very inaccesible or maybe we didn’t have the capacity to reach them. But that situation will change quickly. The idea is to reach across the whole country. Therefore, we are reinforcing the number of members of our sales team and training executives so they can interpret the local realities.

Considering all Latin American markets, which is the one with more potential? What country has not exploited their full possibilities yet?
MG: Peru has enormous potential with approximately 75,000 machines. Other potential markets are Colombia, Chile and the Caribbean. Of course, we're hoping Brazil to open up.

This year IGT decided to participate in fewer trade shows and to organize its own events locally. What is the reason behind this initiative?
MG: The best show for us is G2E Las Vegas. There, we exhibit our best products and solutions to customers and prospects. With the aim of following up with contacts made in Las Vegas, we want to gather industry experts to speak not only about the company but also about what is happening in the industry. This is something that we usually do in the US, and now we want to replicate it here. We hope to reach every country monthly, generating greater value for the operators. It will be something interactive that will allow us to share experiences.

Do you have any dates confirmed?
EC: We are offering two types of seminars:
-The first of the first category will be held on May Tuesday 17 and will target Slots Managers. The second seminar, aimed at middle and senior management, will be held in late June and will feature international speakers. This will be given also in Chile and Peru.
-We are organizing other seminars related to the technical and service areas as well.
We hope to quickly complete the construction of the show room, located at our facility in Martinez, Buenos Aires, to organize these events there.

What is the main challenge that you want to achieve in a year’s time?
MG: The biggest challenge is to carry out everything that we have propose to ourselves well and fast. We want to provide the best support and the best games. Our goal is to help customers. We also need to conduct more seminars to enhance the values of IGT. We are not just a company that provides games. We are more than that: we are a company that brings entertainment.