By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
Almost one year ago, you started working at Barbara Bang. What is it that makes you passionate about the company and the industry in general?
In fact, my relationship with Barbara Bang is very recent. However, I have been working in the gaming industry for four years. My main role for the company is to connect incredible operators with extraordinary and creative games produced by this dynamic start-up called Barbara Bang. I am very happy with what I do because I enjoy seeing the movement of business and how different players occupy an important role in the overall market. We work in a fun industry; it is creative and challenging, and I live for that. A good advice I received was the following: “Be able to develop a Business Plan from scratch and come up with strategies to make it happen on a successful manner.” This idea encouraged me to keep on moving and to continue creating products for the company.
What advantages does the company provide to operators?
Barbara Bang is a young company (three years in the business). This factor is also a big advantage. We come with a fresh outlook and always try to innovate in the production of our games. We do not outsource content production and, for example, everyone in the company influences the creation of slots. In addition, we can easily develop games based on suggestions from our operators. The average is 2-3 games per month being released. Apart from our simplified contracts, with no extra fees, Barbara Bang has numerous licenses, so we usually have one proper solution for each operator. On top of that, we have an incredible program for player engagement: Drop and Wheels. Basically, with all the costs covered by us, our loyalty program keeps players connected for longer and engaged to the operators who decide to join our games. It is always a good deal for both.
Which of your products are more attractive to LatAm players?
When we analyze the numbers for Latin America, we see those players like classic slots. Our best sellers there are Sweet Dream Bonanza and Hit Coins 2 Hold and Spin. However, games like Blackjack have been gaining more and more fans every day. Games related to themes that we are passionate about are always a success. For example, we launched a slot game with a soccer theme (Football Champions BB), and the response could not have been better. Culturally, we love soccer, and players ended up making this connection. For the Brazilian market, the game Brazilian Carnival, with vibrant colors and an upbeat soundtrack, has been captivating players from the first days of its launch. Besides, I can mention that some titles similar to those that are successful in Asia, such as Tiger Luck and Neko Cat Fortune, are also quite popular in LatAm, so we decided to invest more in themes that are culturally linked to the imagination of this customer. The Drop and Wheels program -which gives the player a double chance of winning- is reminiscent of traditional lotteries, and it’s also part of our numerous engagement and loyalty tools.
How has Barbara Bang’s presence in Latin America evolved in the last year? What is your vision of the region’s business potential?
We started our Business Map in Europe and have been in Latin America since early 2024. After we started receiving requests from operators around the world, we saw an opportunity to expand the brand globally, and it worked out well. So we are making lots of progress in the expansion process in Latin America. We were certified and are ready to operate in this market. I personally think opportunities here are countless. When I look at the general gaming conferences, I see more and more Latin friends and that makes me immensely happy.
In this sense, what are your expectations for next G&M Events Argentina, where Barbara Bang will be Gold Sponsors?
Expectations for the event are very high. Firstly, because we opened the Latin American market in style and with incredible partners, and the region was and is a big part of our Business Map. Since this market is difficult to understand and enter, Barbara Bang decided to invest in someone who could also navigate this region, and then the opportunity presented to me, as a Brazilian, and it was a great gift. Our goal in Neuquen is to solidify Barbara Bang’s position and increase the number of potential clients. I am convinced that we will succeed since we are an efficient and flexible games provider, young and open to integrating with serious companies that want to expand content to new and different games. Reaching the Argentine audience, which is mature and consistent, brought us here and G&M Events Argentina 2024 will help us achieve our goal and make friends in the industry.