“IGT’s philosophy is customer-centric, we concentrate on what our customers really need”

What do you think of SAGSE trade show this year?
Sabby Gill: This is my first show down here, in the region. I’ve been impressed with the commitment from the local manufacturers, as well as with a few of the international manufacturers, in relation to building some of the required games and content for the local market, which I think is really the key. What impresses me, at least from the IGT perspective, is the presence that we have as a local provider. It’s good to see the commitment of the local team to the show. And, the award that we were given is a testament to our commitment to the region.

What do you think about the quality of the visitors?
Sabby Gill: For the last two or three days, all of the customers that I really needed to see in the region made the effort to be here. SAGSE gives me the great opportunity of being able to spend the morning meeting customers at their premises, where we can tour the operations at their bingo halls and casinos. And then I can use the afternoons to meet here in the booth with customers from Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and all of the different jurisdictions and facilities in the different regions of Latin America.

Is this your first Latin American show?
Sabby Gill: Correct.

Are you planning to be present in another Latin American show next year?
Sabby Gill: Our continuous commitment will always be with SAGSE, but we will also consider any other regional shows based on market opportunities. It is important for us to market and show our products to the widest possible audience, so trade shows that meet our criteria, we will consider attending.

What are the main characteristics of the products that you have presented here?
Sabby Gill: The products that we are showing at SAGSE are available from IGT now. All of our systems are locally attuned; all of the themes, cabinets and games are available for local markets. In addition, we have had great responses to our new market-attuned games for Latin America, which feature customized game play configurations and translated game content all specifically designed to appeal to players throughout the region. For example, our Latin Treasures OnCore Progressives is a Mystery Progressives product that transports players to Argentina, Peru and Mexico. We are also showing some of our newest market-attuned games for the Latin American market with the Carnaval Riches Tango de Oro, Fiesta Chihuahua, Golden Memories and Pyramid of the Sun titles. And of course, our MegaJackpots Premium Products line up at the show brings world-famous and popular movies and television shows right to the casino with titles such as CSI Video Slots, Sex and the City Out on the Town, Ghostbusters Who You Gonna Call and Godzilla on Monster Island.

IGT’s philosophy is customer-centric, we concentrate on what our customers really need. We continue to research and learn about what players enjoy, which allows us to make their experiences as entertaining and exciting as possible. That’s an important aspect for us. Everything we do, at the end of the day, is based on the individual visiting the casino, and everything we are doing now, in relation to our games, development and content, is focused on understanding the needs the operator has to entertain their players. The Company does this by dedicating approximately 1,500 employees worldwide and up to us$ 200 million in annual R&D towards these efforts, this covers multiple engineering and development disciplines, including hardware, electrical, systems and software.

And what has been the performance of regional themes like Huevocartoon and Dia de Muertos?
Esteban Corio: Dia de Muertos, continues to perform well in slot venues in Latin and North America. It’s the combination of the game’s familiar imagery, features and the mathematics of game itself that makes it attractive. Huevocartoon is doing well in certain markets and is just now being introduced here at SAGSE, we have good expectations for this game and our other market-attuned titles.

Do you plan to launch new market-attuned games for Latin America?
Esteban Corio: Definitely, and you can see some of those titles here at SAGSE. For example, we have released two games, Golden Memories and Tango de Oro, which features the mystique of the tango in a new and entertaining way. Then, IGT went a step further by showcasing how banks of the following four games: Fiesta Chihuahua, Dia de Muertos, Golden Memories and Tango de Oro, can be used to form the OnCore Progressive’s Mystery Progressive module Latin Treasures. This Mystery Progressive was first launched at G2E, and now locally, to very positive reviews from the operators. The good news is that some of the operators that had Día de Muertos and had already acquired Tango de Oro, will be able to easily add the Mystery Progressives functionality to their existing banks of games to add new levels of excitement to their slot floor.

What is your opinion about the current import barriers and exchange restrictions in Argentina? How do you think that this situation will evolve? How does it affect the gaming industry?
Esteban Corio: I don’t want to make sweeping assumptions, since the present situation in relation to US dollar restrictions and import restrictions policy is uncertain for any industry in the Argentine market. However, we do have a role as businessmen, which is to interpret governmental needs, understand the underlying reasons why the Administration would take a certain action, and then do our homework. Indeed, we’ve done our homework. We’ve interpreted what the current need is. In instances when the conditions are not that favorable, one (addressed to the Administration) must understand the fact that we, as a company, are not adventurers or occasional players in this market. IGT is an established company that has come here to stay with a long-term plan in place, same as if circumstances were favorable. We understood it was vital to interpret the current governmental needs and we’ve done so.

Which are the main goals for 2013?
Sabby Gill: I think, from a global IGT perspective, we do have several opportunities in 2013, and one of them is our ability to leverage our experience in gaming technology along with our   international expertise, to develop effective and focused returns for our operators in varying markets.  For example, my experience running the EMEA organization for IGT has given me the insight and experience needed to guide our organization through the current regulatory approvals and regulations in Argentina. It is a perfect example of how IGT is seeking more creative ways of doing business throughout the world.

Another opportunity is around IGT’s Interactive business as we deliver mobile solutions through our online platforms. Now with the acquisition of DoubleDown, we have an additional platform that allows us to extend our market presence and our best-in-class game content to even more channels. 
International markets continue to be key growth areas for IGT in 2013 from focusing on new markets for our MegaJackpots products and introducing our line-up of multi-lingual online games to developing new and emerging VLT markets. We have a number of opportunities in North America, as well as in Europe, Asia and Latin America, as we continue to see these markets grow and change in the new year and beyond.

IGT will always continue to look for ways to grow in the gaming markets whether it is working on replacement cycle solutions for casino operators or researching the new operations models and new potential technology investments. And IGT is always focused on creating and delivering best-in-class gaming experiences.

Esteban Corio: We are very pleased with the closure of our fiscal year, and we have the satisfaction that both Uruguay and Chile are still active with the usual transparency. We also note that the Paraguay market has become very active. We are also working with the gaming authority of Bolivia, so as to enter that market, and in Argentina. We have been visited by many operators and through our strong SAGSE lineup and commitment to this region; we have shown them how IGT will continue moving forward.