Raluca Elena Lazăr about the evolution of the Power Bet and Las Vegas Games brands
We want to keep up with market demands and achieve a higher standard of service.
By Mihnea Popescu-Grisogono
➤ How has PowerBet evolved since the last interview?
This year PowerBet has expanded with 250 locations, we are present throughout the country, and at the moment we are talking about over 1000 locations, both our own and in a franchise system.
Expectations for PowerBet development for this year have been much higher. But the whole uncertain situation in the social context, the pandemic, the restrictions, the changes made the development in retail in this industry stagnate. I say that these aspects had a direct consequence to the development of retail, because in the last year there were situations in which, due to the pandemic situation, potential partners refused to conclude the contract, choosing to open a business in which the restrictions were not so limited. activity. Even in this context, PowerBet has grown by 250 agencies, thus creating at least as many jobs.
However, this stagnation was not perceived entirely negatively, because we, the PowerBet team, focused both on improving the already existing organizational structure and on the most important project we started this year – the platform PowerBet online betting, which we want to complete in the coming months.
Also from the last interview, we started to be much more active in the sports community, thus getting involved in the sponsorship campaigns of the basketball team of Argeș County, as well as in the sponsorship of the drivers who participate in the rally races.
➤ What does PowerBet offer?
PowerBet offers bettors, in addition to the possibility of classic betting, in agencies, a number of 300 betting terminals, so they can bet in an innovative, fast and intuitive way.
In PowerBet agencies, bettors have the possibility of live betting, these being the most popular among them, as the dynamism of the game gives bettors the adrenaline they want. Another way of betting is pre-match betting, which is less risky, and bettors have the opportunity to analyze in advance the team or players they are betting on.
On the platform of the agencies we prepared for bettors some of the most popular virtual games: Power 6, Power Keno and Dog Racing. And because we want to create promotional offers that will satisfy bettors, we have developed a PowerBet promotion program. Daily promotions – Power and extra Power odds that offer increased odds to events, Chance Bet which is the most attractive on the market, giving PowerBet customers the chance to win, even when an event on the ticket is non-winning, an amount equal to 15 % of the total potential win, divided by the share of the lost event (minimum 10 events per ticket) and PowerBet Bonus which starts from 2% and can reach up to 100%. Bettors can also find in our agencies a diverse range of competitions and sports, hundreds of predictions and all sporting events around the world.
➤ What do you expect from the PowerBet project?
PowerBet is a new brand, we created it from scratch, we managed to make a place among the top competitors and stay there. The first step in our plan was to expand the market and create a network – the PowerBet network. The next step is to develop the product and services we offer.
We want to keep up with market demands and achieve a higher standard of service because we are in competition with the biggest brands in this industry. This was also the reason that led us to develop the PowerBet project, so that it has a complete coverage of the needs of the industry. Therefore, we want to implement the PowerBet online betting platform in the coming months, but also to improve the retail platform.
➤ What’s new in the Las Vegas project and what development strategies have you prepared for Las Vegas?
Since the last interview, Las Vegas has increased by 8 game rooms, currently having 15 game rooms located in Argeș, Bucharest, Olt, Timiș, Suceava, Vâlcea and Arad. In Las Vegas we have all the variety of slots, from the latest generation such as those from EGT, to the classic “Seventh”, slots where players can experience their favorite games. Las Vegas offers players daily Happy Hour winnings, free bar and weekly and monthly raffles with various winnings.
Las Vegas is recognized as the place of fun, always what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. The raffles organized by us are some of the most unique, and the fun is high. We have themed parties, free bars, appetizers, DJs, entertainers and these are just some of the surprises that we constantly prepare for the players.
Regarding the brand development, in the future we intend to open another 5 game rooms. And in terms of the Las Vegas gaming experience, regardless of whether the location is its own or is in a franchise system, the offers as well as the way of awarding prizes or the development of raffles remain the same everywhere.
➤ What is the secret in the world of gambling that facilitates player loyalty?
When we refer to the gambling industry, in reality we are talking about the following aspects: entertainment, technology, challenge and attention to quality, aspects that in my opinion are exactly the factors that facilitate loyalty.
Why is it an entertainment activity? Because when players enter the game rooms, they enter primarily for fun, relaxation and experience during the game, not to create a way of income.
The gambling industry is dominated by technology. Whether we are talking about the hard technology that developed the slot machine, starting from the first versions that were mechanical and reaching until now futuristic models with many functions meant to create a unique experience, or we are talking about the soft technology that went in the direction The development of gaming platforms, technology remains one of the major themes of this industry.
The challenge of winning always awakens the adrenaline of the players, and the element that provides the framework for the above mentioned aspects is the attention that we, the organizers, give to both the players and the gaming experience.
We want the Las Vegas gaming experience to be unique, that’s why we pay attention to each element and this can be seen from the moment we enter our halls. Everything is carefully chosen, from the atmosphere in the room, the perfume, the music, the services we offer, to the way the awards are given or the development of Las Vegas promotions.
All this, entertainment, technology, challenge and attention make the customer return to our rooms.
➤ Given the scale of the two PowerBet and Las Vegas projects, what changes have occurred to the team?
The fact that Las Vegas and PowerBet grew in a relatively short time made our team grow. At this moment we are much more organized, the team works on departments, each of us knows for sure what he has to do, which makes the situations that arise to be managed much more efficiently.
Because the activity in the gambling industry requires a high level of quality, we place great emphasis on training employees, especially those who are in direct contact with customers.
Thus, we offer employees a training program through which they learn how to relate to the customer, how to communicate with him, what attitude to have, but also about the promotions, events and other services that Las Vegas and PowerBet offer.
Also related to our team, from the very beginning we took the necessary measures for the current social context, currently having a vaccination rate of 85% within the team.
➤ How was the relationship with PowerBet/Las Vegas customers during this period?
This period was and still is a period of challenges for us, the organizers of the gambling industry, because in a short time we had to adapt to many changes that, in many cases, led to lower revenues, a phenomenon what was felt throughout the industry. But even during this period, customers understood why it is important to follow certain rules and complied.
Finally, I mention that Las Vegas supports the “Responsible Gaming” campaign, with Telverde in each location.
