"We are building a significant presence in the United States."
Less than a year after the start of the company's commercial expansion and operations in the United States, Sebastián Salat, CEO of Zitro, gave an exclusive interview to CASINO Magazine to talk about the manufacturer's plans for the country and the reason for not participating in this year's G2E in Las Vegas.
With COVID-19 vaccination progressing in the United States, what are Zitro USA's expectations for the gaming market in the country?
Sebastián Salat – Vaccines have proven to work. Governments in all countries face the challenge of making the population understand the need for vaccination, as well as the logistical challenge of ensuring vaccination programs reach all citizens. With the advancement of vaccines, we anticipate an acceleration in the recovery of economic activity in general and the entertainment and gaming industry in particular. Our industry in the United States has already shown unequivocal signs of beginning to grow, and we are confident that everything will improve. Zitro will be there to help operators in this recovery, making our high-performance products available to them.
With the confirmation of the return of in-person trade shows in the Americas, such as G2E in the United States, what are the company's plans for the United States? Conversely, what are the company's plans for this year's G2E?
Over the past year, Zitro has been building a strong presence in Florida, Oklahoma, and most recently, California, while simultaneously investing in obtaining various licenses nationwide. Conversely, the success of our games in the states where we operate has reached operators in other states. This year, the multiple health restrictions hindering attendance at G2E, and the uncertain and ever-changing landscape, led us to cancel our participation in this event. As soon as the health situation allows, we will seek opportunities to showcase our new range of spectacular cabinets and games, ready for international markets, including the American market, to our customers.
In commercial terms, what was the company's performance in the country during the first half of 2021?
The first half of 2021 wasn't easy, but the progressive recovery of markets in Latin America, the United States, and, to a lesser extent, Europe, helped us. In any case, we know it's a long-distance race, and we're sure, as I said, that we'll see a progressive improvement that will compensate companies that, like Zitro, are betting on recovery, even if it happens less quickly than we'd like.
How did the company innovate its products during this period?
Anyone visiting our booth at G2E will find a satisfactory answer to that question. Zitro has never had such a wide range of cabinets, or such fantastic video slot game libraries as those we will be showcasing in Las Vegas. And all this while continuing to present innovative video bingo games, a market segment in which we remain leaders.
What are the company's main projects in the country for the second half of the year?
Our new product range will allow us to enter new markets and further develop those in which we already have a significant presence.
What trends (in terms of technology or consumer habits) do you think will start to appear in casinos in the coming years?
In land-based gaming, cashless gaming is perhaps the trend that accelerated the most during the pandemic, and in general, the rise of e-commerce greatly boosted online gaming.
What lessons do you think the pandemic has taught the gaming industry?
Geographic and digital business diversification, the ability to work flexibly and in a distributed manner, and resilience are imperative qualities for any organization that no one can ignore anymore. ( CASINO Magazine )
