NetEnt scopes out Asia as US entry nears
Chief exec Per Eriksson says promise of new markets will ensure firm stays on upward trajectory
NetEnt chief executive Per Eriksson (pictured) said the supplier was weighing-up moves into the Asian and Latin American markets as it looks to build on strong European growth in 2014.
Speaking to eGaming Review on the back of revealing NetEnt’s full-year profits had grown by 46%, Eriksson was bullish about maintaining the firm’s upward trajectory through entry into new markets such as Spain and the US this year with Asia and Lat Am potential longer-term targets.
“We have all the Asian markets that are laying there and waiting for us and where we see our competitors are doing a lot,” Eriksson said.
“But we are also looking at North America and Mexico is also starting to regulate now while South America is also of interest. We still have a lot to do but long-term I think we’ll continue to have very strong growth with all these big markets we haven’t touched yet,” he added.
Eriksson said the operator was closing in on making its US debut, with the firm set to launch in New Jersey during H2, pending regulatory approval. Last year the firm moved Malta MD Bjorn Krantz across the Atlantic to head up operations and set up a New Jersey base.
“We are about to sign agreements with a few operators there [New Jersey] and we’ll be issuing a press release when that happens,” Eriksson said.
NetEnt is also set to be buoyed by a Spanish launch in the coming months, after the local regulator recently approved the regulation of online slots in the country.
“Spain opens up soon and we don’t have any revenues from Spain today so that will bring nice additional revenues for us this year,” Eriksson said.
The supplier, which boasts most of Europe’s major operators as customers, also plans to increase the number of mid-sized partners on its books while strengthening relationships with current licensees.
“I’m very confident our pipeline looks really strong and there are large numbers of small to medium-sized operators that we have not yet signed yet,” Eriksson said.
“There are also agreements that we have signed in the UK where we have just started working with them so the potential for growth in the UK is really high,” he added.