Salsa Technology: ´The challenges have to do with optimizing our online technology platforms´

Which are the products offered by the firm?

We have a portfolio of products, depending on the need of the operator, the customer. We started with a wallet, which is the heart of any online operation. Our platform is omnichannel, and basically adapts to the needs depending on the market of any operator that wants to enter the online industry.

We also have a content aggregation platform, it is a single API that can be integrated to any other platform, and what it offers the operator is the possibility of having, through integration, a range of segmented products, depending on the type of provider. We have slots, multi-player bingo, video-bingo, scratch cards, virtual bets, lottery, basically the operator integrates the solution and he chooses, from the entire portfolio of products that we have available, which are 30, and we are integrating another 35 approximately, what he wants. So, from this decision, we activate one by one what you want. If we integrate more over time, that operator will have availability of that new product and can activate it when required.

We also have two game studios, one that would be the Salsa games studio, where we have a portfolio of 16 video-bingos, which are basically bingo-themed slots. They are certified for Colombia, the Philippines, Spain, and are present today throughout Latin America. We are also about to start operations in Africa and we are already entering the European market. According to a study called Wild Rabbit, we have already started developing the games. We will focus on localized slots, which will be emphasized according to the target market. Our focus has always been Latin America, but diversifying and globalizing, so today our titles, although they are made with a theme according to a market, a country, could be games that can also be marketed in other markets.

As for e-gaming, we have solutions for both the operator interested in venturing online, where from our omnichannel platform we can offer sports betting and also the aggregator with which it has a platform of more than 2000 games available to be marketed. Similarly, to that operator seeking diversification, we can also offer the aggregator.

Which are the most important markets for the company?

Salsa is born as Patagonia Entertainment, taking Brazil as the base market, but gradually we have expanded to other markets. Today we are present throughout Latin America, but where we have the focus or the greatest amount of activity are Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Which are the main challenges you face, within the current pandemic?

Logically, the pandemic came to change the plans and strategies of all companies, including ours. This has forced us to be creative, to seek opportunity in the midst of the crisis, both as a company and as a technology provider for the industry. Although it is true that we have 90%, 95% fewer sports events at the moment, but there is a need for many groups to have a technological platform that offers entertainment. And note that I use the word entertainment and not play, a word that can be conflictive when we talk about a crisis. We identified an opportunity to offer these groups the possibility of a vastly wider range by offering entertainment. And offer entertainment for those, and I include myself, who are currently in isolation, with this quarantine issue. Sometimes possibilities and opportunities to entertain ourselves in addition to working day to day.

The challenges have to do with optimizing our online technology platforms to offer the end user the best experience. For me that is one of the greatest challenges and we also know that Latin America is still an immature region with respect to access to entertainment and games of chance; So another challenge is educating the player, the user, how to use our platforms to access entertainment.

Another major challenge for the operator is having the largest and best variety of gaming content for the end user. How do I identify that I actually have what the player wants? And if you do not have it, go out and look for it and proceed to a technological integration to have it available as soon as possible. This is where the flexibility and adaptability part of the technology comes in, both from what we offer and from the operator in this case, because when we integrate, there has to be a "marriage" between both technology platforms. Another challenge we face is working from home, not being in an office, and the topic of changing corporate habits to continue working and being productive from home.

What are the firm's future plans?

We as a company had a plan from before the start of the year; an expansion, growth and diversification plan, and while it is true that we are in this pandemic situation, but we are continuing. Today we have 30 providers integrated into our technology, and we are integrating 35 more, and I am closing contracts with another 25, 30 approximately, so one of our goals is to become the most important content aggregator in Latin America. Today we are one of the most important and we are in the process of becoming the largest aggregator with the largest variety of content on the market.

Regarding expansion and growth, we are fully implementing a B2B license in Malta. We plan to have it available by the end of the year, and with this we will serve and thereby serve all those operators or platforms licensed in Malta. It is also a great door to continue penetrating the European market. Our plans remain the same, but what the pandemic is doing is recalculating, but we continue along the same lines of expansion, growth, diversification and innovation.
My plan includes approximately 20 events for this year, worldwide, but logically this came to cancel these plans. Participation in fairs, exhibitions and conferences is extremely important for us, both in Latin America and in the rest of the world, since it gives us the opportunity to interact with new partners and clients, as well as having a coffee with our current clients. , since at the end of the day the personal relationship ends up being more important than just a commercial one.

What is your opinion about the webinars?

They invited me to a couple. It seems to me an excellent initiative, since as an industry we have to keep informed, related, exchanging ideas, as well as the different experiences that we live on a daily basis with this new situation.

From my point of view is that knowledge is super important. I love to learn and exchange anecdotes, experiences and my knowledge, and logically listen and learn from others. That is why for me the implementation of webinars is one of the most important actions to keep us informed regarding the market and the industry.