BMM's Martin Storm: “Species that collaborate survive. High-performance teams do too”

For more than four decades, BMM Testlabs has supported regulators, suppliers, and operators in bringing safe, compliant gaming products to market across more than 700 jurisdictions worldwide.

Under the leadership of Martin Storm, the company has evolved from a small regional lab into a global compliance organization and respected challenger brand, now recognized as one of the world’s most trusted independent testing and certification partners.

In this exclusive Yogonet interview, Storm reflects on entrepreneurship, resilience, responsible gaming, and the ideas and hard work that have shaped BMM’s global growth. 

What makes a CEO different?

A CEO knows this year will be harder than last year, but easier than next year. 

You built BMM from a very small company into a global business. What makes an entrepreneur different?

An entrepreneur is willing to roll the dice on everything they own to make a point. It’s better to start early when you don’t own much.

How do you feel about BMM now that you are not the 100% owner?

We have a great partner in The Visualize Group (the private equity group that acquired a portion of BMM Testlabs earlier this year) that will help us make one slice of our future pie bigger than the whole of our past pie. And importantly, we speak “per curiam”, i.e., with one voice.

Do you think your business decisions are more right than wrong?

More right than wrong because I spent more than 50 years of my life being wrong.

What makes a life of achievement?

A life of achievement is a life of suffering, but meaningful suffering if you choose correctly for yourself.

Do you have a success formula?

Here’s my formula. You must remain charmingly relentless in pursuit of your goal; you must build emotional endurance to cope with the disappointments of which there will be many; and you must try to create serendipity around you, a sense of fate, of destiny, and expectation of success.

But how should we handle the inevitable disappointment and failure?

There is a Japanese proverb that says, “I fell down seven times, but I got up eight.” You can do that if you allow yourself to be humbled, not humiliated. Gratitude for the opportunity is the access key.

Do you think you have good luck or bad luck?

If I didn’t have bad luck, I would have had no luck at all.

Leading a global compliance organization requires extraordinary commitment. How hard do you work?

I work six half-days per week: from 5am to 5pm, plus half that again on Sundays with calls in between.

How do you think about your BMM executive team?

Storm: When hiring executives, if it isn’t a “hell yes”, it is a “no”. We have a lot of 'yes', but if, over time, a yes becomes no, act quickly.

How should people in a company operate together? Or is it survival of the fittest?

Species that collaborate survive. High-performance teams, too.

How do you approach trust?

I trust nearly everybody, but I still cut the cards.

Do you believe in wisdom?

Beware the old soldier. He’s old for a reason.

Do you believe in God?

(Smiling) That’s getting deep. Yes, in the same way, I believe in love. You can’t see it, touch it, or hear it, but you can feel it, deeply sometimes.

What is our future with AI?

AI won’t take your job, but the person who knows how to use AI probably will.

You’ve mentioned in past interviews that your father was an addicted gambler and that impacted your family when you were growing up. How do you feel about gambling today, given your role at BMM?

The brilliant George F. Will said: “… gambling is not a degenerate quest for wealth without labor; it is a lust for limited risk without serious danger.” In a free society, we must have the right to choose to gamble. My only goal is that we are better educated and better protected in that decision – hence, BMM and the company we founded to provide responsible gaming education and much more, RG24seven Virtual Training. 

BMM certainly has a lot of momentum. How do you take on a goliath in an industry as a challenger brand?

I love that BMM is the challenger brand. We will always retain that mindset. We have great people, have great focus, and have had great execution over time. I think clients around the world have been more impressed by the power of our example, not the example of our power. And you can either be the biggest or the best, so we’ve focused on being the best.

Do you have a competitive strategy that you could share?

Sure. (laughing) Make seals bark at waves! 

Which emerging markets are you most excited about right now, and why?

We are investing everywhere gaming is growing. Regulated gaming will continue to grow as more governments realize that regulating activity is better for its citizenry and their communities than illegal activity.

As BMM grows, what does it mean to you?

We have built an enterprise more valuable than the sum of its many parts. That I am proud of.

After more than four decades of building BMM, what do you want the company to be known for in the future?

Caring and excellence.