At the beginning of the year we talk to Mr. David Coldea, Sales Manager at BAUM company
Hello Mr. David Codlea and thank you for your time for this interview. On December 10th the company you represent was awarded, once again, the trophy for the BEST ROMANIAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, at the 8th edition of the Casino Life & Business Magazine awards.
What does this trophy mean to you personally and also, what does it mean to the BAUM company?
Every year we try to raise our standards concerning the casino games production, and this trophy brought us the confirmation that our efforts are focused in the right direction.
Regardless of the activity field, it is said that once you reach the first position it is more difficult to keep that no. 1 position than to actually reach it in the first place. What is the secret of the BAUM company? How does the BAUM team manage to maintain this first position, as it has always won the ROMANIAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR award in the last years?
Through our beliefs and our work philosophy we managed to reach the first place, which wasn’t easy at all, and once we got here, it’s a maximum challenge, because with this award comes the great responsibility to not disappoint in the future. We will always exceed the limits of our creativity and we will always trust our very competent team as far as innovation and quality of services are concerned.
The company secret is not… a secret. We behave more like a family than like a company and it is this, I believe, that got us where we are today.
How was the year 2015, which just ended, for the Baum Games company?
2015 was a hectic year, with many national and international events, and this contributed to developing our company. We traveled in Europe and across the ocean, we took part in many gaming fairs, which improved our knowledge in the field of gambling and fuelled our passion for what we do.
We also launched the Dracula’s Games VIII multigame, with three new games which are already very loved and wanted, but also the AVP, Limited Risk Gambling Game.
On our own operation side, we are undergoing continuous development, considering that throughout the year, the Baum Games Jackpots paid on the spot to the winners amounted to over 1 million Euros. We had many special Jackpots, promotions hosted by hostesses, all to the players’ delight.
Can you tell us what was your most pleasant experience in 2015?
It is always nice to see that the products you sell are appreciated both by your direct customers, in our case these are the gambling halls operators and the casino owners, but also by the players themselves.
Last year we were pleasantly surprised by the feedbacks of the clients in our own BAUM GAMES halls, who are very pleased by the services offered by our company, excited by the promotions hosted by beautiful hostesses, feeling appreciated due to the draws with many prizes and also by the Baum Bonus Card loyalty program, which, among others, increases the won Jackpot by 5%, 7% or even 10%. More and more players choose to spend their time in our gaming halls, and in 2016 we will continue to reward them with promotions both in games and in bets.
What were the products and the services launched in 2015?
As our clients are already used to this, we launched the eighth version of the Dracula’s Games Multigame, which includes three new games: Viva Mexico, La Corrida and Dracula on Forty. Also, in order to meet the new legal requirements, we prepared several versions of the multigame in the AVP , Limited Risk Gambling regime.
In 2015 you participated in many fairs and exhibitions in this field, in Romania, England, Latin America, etc… What was the opinion of those who visited the BAUM booths?
Everywhere we were greeted with enthusiasm, the visitors were very interested in the Baum Games games, and our team answered all their curiosities and inquiries.
BAUM will soon participate (again) with its own booth in the most important global event in gambling, ICE 2016. At what booth number and in which area of the exhibition can we find you?
At the international fair in the field of gambling which will take place at the ExCel center in London, we will be at booth N4-230.
Can you tell us what products and services you are going to present at the fair? Please detail.
At ICE 2016 we will have all the Dracula’s Games Multigame versions, and we will present in London the premiere of the Dracula’s Games VIII together with the Dracula’s Jackpot system, which has been improved. One very important thing is that, for the first time, we are going to present to our potential new clients the online games and betting website, BaumBet.ro.
Every year, the BAUM products can be found in international fairs dedicated to gambling. What is you agenda for this year, after participating in ICE?
We are definitely going to check the fairs in Latin America, in Bogota (Colombia), Lima (Peru) and we also won’t miss the participation in the Irish Gaming Show & Conference in Ireland. We will also try to get on new markets in Asia or Africa.
We have to return to our talk about the gambling industry in Romania.
Considering the current situation of the law in our country, do you think there will be important “moves” on the Romanian as far as the operators are concerned?
There will definitely be important events from this point of view, but we can give you a concrete answer after the publishing of the legislative norms.
Does the legislative situation have an influence on the BAUM activity? Were you taken “by surprise” by the new legislation in 2015?
Our company has always adapted to each change that occurred, and due to its versatility, to its creative team and to its market advantage, it managed to meet even the most exigent norms.
Is the BAUM company ready for AVP “limited risk gambling games”? Can you give us some details?
Baum Games has prepared several versions of the Dracula’s Games multigame in this regard. They correspond to the requirements stipulated in the draft of the norms as we know them at this moment and we are convinced that they will be an extraordinary success on the Romanian market.
When we say BAUM, first of all we think about the producer BAUM, about games, cabins, multigames, jackpots, etc… But BAUM means more than that, it also means gambling and bookmaking halls operator. How many locations dedicated to gambling does BAUM own, and we would like you to also tell us about the BAUM bookmaking terminals. How are they different, both the terminals and the halls activating under the BAUM brand?
At the moment we operate in 33 gambling halls which are our own, and for the next period we intend to open more Baum Games halls in other cities and towns and also to refurbish many of our already existing halls. Our locations are the most elegant ones in Transylvania, the atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable, created by Radio Baum, which is very appreciated by our players. By means of this communication medium, the clients listen to good music and are also informed about our many promotions or special events. You can find Baum Bet bookmaking terminals in all our halls, with a very wide range of offers and can satisfy the most demanding tastes of our bettors. In addition, we implemented a customer rewarding system by points which can be used for increasing quotas or for purchasing goods from the Baum store.
Is the Responsible Gambling program present in these locations? How does it work?
We have the Responsible Gambling program implemented in all our own halls, the players are permanently informed about the gambling risks and about the way to ask for help from the organization representatives.
I would like to end this discussion with you with 2 classical questions, but yet very appropriate now, at the beginning of the year. What do you want personally in 2016? And what are your expectations from this year professionally?
This year promises to be a very interesting one, considering that we are waiting for the legislative norms to be published.
We also obtained the temporary license for organizing and operating long distance gambling games (Decision no. 3503 of December 23rd 2015), and the platform can be accessed from April at www.baumbet.ro. Here you will find available both our own best games and sportsbets, as well as games from other renowned companies from the international gambling market. Our company can provide the most popular Baum games to the online operators. We plan to open new gaming halls and to implement other customer loyalty and rewarding methods. All these things can only help us evolve as persons as well, which will lead to the evolution of some of the most important companies on the gambling market in Romania.
Thank you and good luck to the BAUM company in 2016!
