May 2023
Following the acquisition of bacta’s share in Game Payment Technology by JCM Global last month, Mitsuhiro Ueno, MD of JCM Europe, outlines future plans for the cashless gaming app in this interview with Coinslot magazine.
Coinslot: These are exciting times for GPT with JCM becoming new partners in the cashless project. Talk us through the new vision for the business?
Mitsuhiro Ueno: JCM is known all over the world as a leading payment solutions provider. Our first foray into the world of cashless has been with the Ticket2Go closed-loop solution, which has been a massive success. But our customers have been asking for some time about when we were going to offer a contactless payment option, and this is what has led us to GPT. The Game Payment solution is the perfect match for us and works brilliantly in conjunction with Ticket2Go – we are confident that this will enhance our product portfolio and meet our customers’ needs at a global level.
Coinslot: JCM’s partnership reinforces the huge strides made by GPT since its inception. How did the partnership evolve and develop between the two businesses?
We followed the development of the GPT brand in the UK with great interest. We found that their priorities of player protection and age verification aligned with our thinking. When we met the team, we were certain we would be able to develop a rewarding partnership.
Coinslot: In terms of structure, how will the organisational roles take shape between the GPT and JCM teams?
This is a joint venture between Polar Moment and JCM and it will allow both parties to benefit from taking the product into new markets, which will require significant investment. With our global reach, we are ideally placed to make this strategic next step with GPT.
Coinslot: JCM are both in name and nature a global enterprise. Are we going to see GPT breaking into new territories around the world? And what targets have you set yourself for 2023 and 2024?
Yes, as mentioned above this is definitely one of our main aims, to offer Game Payment as a global wallet solution to our customers around the world. We will announce soon which countries we plan to take the product into.
Coinslot: Both businesses claim an impressive track record for technological innovation. What pioneering developments are we likely to see from the R&D team in the coming months and years?
Our priorities right now are to promote Game Payment throughout our channels and to ensure that our teams and our customers understand the capabilities and how it aligns with our other products, such as Ticket2Go. We see great opportunities for the app, but it is a new direction for us. One exciting direction is to build a bridge between land-based and online gaming through the digital wallet.
Coinslot: This partnership is a major step forward for the GPT brand, which in fairness is still relatively young. It’s not been that long a journey, but it’s certainly seen some twists and turns in the marketplace on its way. Can you offer up a small SWOT analysis of the past three years?
GPT has done great work in the UK and has quickly built up its market share. This is doubly impressive as it has had to be marketed to operators, to pub companies, and directly to players. Users want to play and not lose much time on registration and collecting winnings. Ease of use is a key attribute of the app. Of course, the operator should be able to offer this payment on any machines whether digital or not. The option of adding Game Payment to JCM T2GO in the UK is another great step, which will make it much more attractive to users.
Coinslot: You cannot move forward without recognising the role of former partners Bacta. How important was the trade association’s input in the early years?
The involvement of bacta and bacta members in the development of the app cannot be underestimated. It is the expertise of industry operators that has made the app so relevant and user-friendly. We have known bacta for a long time and always find it a pleasure working alongside them. We would like to thank them for their great cooperation during the last three years.
