Insight SPIELO INTERNATIONAL


gaming disciplines. "It's interesting for us," muses Mr. Bugno, "that a lot of our competitors say that it's tough out there right now. Each is having to take a hard look at their cost base, without improving efficiency, to maintain profitability. Our position is completely different. Right now we are a net employer, in the process of recruiting 120 people, increasing SPIELO International by 10 per cent and GTECH G2 by 16 per cent. We are adding to our business and we are profitably growing as a result."


SPIELO International has effectively detached itself from over-reliance on any one market and any one sector, channel or geographic location. The company has isolated itself from the boom and bust trends that epitomise so many market openings and closures, dividing itself across multiple sectors in every legal jurisdiction across the globe. This is a company that isn't desperately scouring the planet for the next big market opening, it's looking across all markets, all sectors and balancing its spectacular growth in some, against patient development in others. "We are continuing to enjoy vertical growth in Italy, Latin America and in the Canadian


and functionality. Where customers are purely focused upon interactive gaming, SPIELO International has a solution that offers a complete suite of services, from content through to maintenance, management functions, marketing, player management, etc. Fundamentally, there's no compromise in selecting a product from SPIELO International, as each of the segments -- AWPs, VLTs, casino slots, interactive solutions etc. -- have all proven themselves as top-performing individual elements. The combination of all these channels working for customers looking to offer their products in multiple sectors, means that the sum of its parts makes a pretty exciting whole. "Online regulation is currently running at 100 miles an hour," stated Mr. Bugno. "In Europe and the US it's a question of 'watch this space.' Our aim is to position ourselves so that we are ready for any outcome, which in turn changes our conversation with operators. We're not just discussing one topic any more. Whether we're in South Africa, Chile, Germany or the US, we're discussing VLTs, lottery products, the expansion of interactive services within their operations, etc. It's a completely different conversation."


SPIELO International's marketing campaign talks about speaking the language of gaming, and within that it's not just about being multi-lingual, it's fitting that with its roots in Italy, this is a truly renaissance company, skilled in all


(Top) William Scott, GTECH G2 and SPIELO


International’s Walter Bugno.


we are a net


employer. we are addinG to our Business


and profitaBly GrowinG as a result.


"We have spent a lot of time


understanding where the big


opportunities lie. To this end, we have


built upon our skill set in Italy, where the SPIELO


International system allowed us


to enter the market quickly and drive resources and


opportunities from a solid base. As a


result, we are now well placed as


momentum for VLTs builds in Europe. Everyone knows


that Greece is a big opportunity, but we know exactly what we can achieve." Walter Bugno,


SPIELO International


It's a plan that's definitely working. Doubling its profitability since December 2010, SPIELO International's pipeline strengthens further into what Mr. Bugno predicts to be a stellar year for the company in 2012. The widening of the company's portfolio builds upon SPIELO International's growth in Latin America, which has also doubled in the last year. Building upon VLT success in Canada, while Italy has been a huge achievement for Lottomatica on its home turf, to the point at which the company is currently helping to support other concessionaires with their roll-out. At the same time, SPIELO International has built a


lottery market," described Mr. Bugno. "We see the EMEA in recovery mode, though unquestionably casino systems are not moving as quickly as we would like. But what we don't need to do is rush a solution to try to quick fix a problem. Nor are we looking to invest in everything at the same time. We are promoting the complete portfolio."


comparable AWP business in Italy from scratch, leveraging the ATRONIC game portfolio into a still hugely profitable Comma 6a sector. "We have spent a lot of time understanding where the big opportunities lie," explained Mr. Bugno. "To this end, we have built upon our skill set in Italy, where the SPIELO International system allowed us to enter the market quickly and drive resources and opportunities from a solid base. As a result, we are now well placed as momentum for VLTs builds in Europe. Everyone knows that Greece is a big opportunity, but we know exactly what we can achieve."


Opportunities are also multiplying in the online sector for a provider with such a broad set of skills. Regulations are changing at lightning speed in a market that's moving many times faster than offline. Asked if he's daunted by the need to keep abreast of so many different sectors and markets, Mr. Bugno is instead clearly relishing the challenge. "We have the same content-driven strategy for each of our channels," states Mr. Bugno. "However, in online we are moving much faster, providing our class-leading solution in key markets such as Italy and in the UK."


The message at G2E was one of business not as usual. SPIELO International is both a complete solution provider and at the same time, a continuous work in progress. As Mr. Bugno describes his philosophy for the business, he uses the term 'BHAGS' - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. It's a term that perfectly sums up the attitude on the stand. "We want to clearly spell out, as customers engage with our business, that there's a real buzz about this company," underlined Mr. Bugno. "We are a company in growth. We are a company that talks growth."


Growth in terms of markets, sectors and products was evident on the stand at G2E, where SPIELO International showed a multitude of new content for Europe and Latin America in particular. The company also had its own closed viewing room, showing concepts unlike anything currently installed on gaming floors. "We are jump starting a series of completely new concepts," described Mr. Bugno. "We are working on the next generation of cabinets and platforms in addition to a jump shift in 3D technology. We have effectively taken the second generation of 3D technology and it's really, really exciting. We are going to be showing a lot of new innovations at ICE show in January, and we are currently hiring 200+ people. There are a host of positive indicators for us right now. We are a sizeable gaming business that's a credible third leg of Lottomatica."


December 2011 Page 33


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