Photography by Dilian Markov Makeup: Milena Tumangelova
Mr Dokov, congratulations on the Gaming Industry 2021 Company Management award! And happy anniversary to EGT! Are 20 years a long or a short time for a company to develop with such success not only in Bulgaria but also on the global market?
Thank you very much on behalf of everybody at EGT for the recognition as well as for the congratulations on our 20th birthday. It is difficult to give a definitive answer to your question since we at EGT believe that we can always further develop and improve. So I’d rather say that for 20 years we have traveled part of the road we have outlined. For those years we realized that we are a company of huge potential, and our successes, both in Bulgaria and on the global market, are due to the combination of great perseverance, enthusiasm and strong belief in the abilities of every member of our team.
How did EGТ start and how much time did it take for you to become leaders? How has the gaming industry changed for those 20 years?
EGT started from great ambition and terrific enthusiasm that are still inherent to every member of our team. We can even dare say we have built up EGT based on pure enthusiasm. The fact that we have preserved that attitude to this day helps the company to have an organic growth for 20 years now. Over the years, we have been facing a lot of challenges, but we have always come out stronger and more successful because we have adhered to our policy towards re-investment of profits in innovation. In particular, regarding the 2011 crisis, EGT made the brave decision to continue to invest in the development of technologies, and now when I look back, I believe that was one of the most important decisions we have made over the years. Unconditionally, it helped us a lot to become one of the tech leaders in the gaming industry. The industry itself changes every day as digitization is necessarily part of that change, and that’s why we are working for all we are worth not only to be in step with the changes but also to initiate and lead a major part of innovation. I am exceptionally proud that we are a Bulgarian company that has become synonymous with quality and innovation in so many jurisdictions, in competition with multi-billion companies from all over the world at that.
In how many countries does the company operate? And what are the top countries you work in?
Euro Games Technology delivers products in more than 100 countries as we have offices in 26 of them. We take great pride in the fact that most of those offices are managed by Bulgarian experts who have successfully built their careers and who have evolved precisely within our structure. Thus, we also create a natural bridge between the headquarters and each local office which is very important for us. Our offices outside Bulgaria are concentrated in the regions that are a matter of substantial interest for us. We are present in almost all European countries and we also take great pride in our successful representation offices in Latin America, Argentina, Peru and Mexico among others.
You have more than 2,500 employees of various nationalities. Is it difficult to organize a big team such as yours?
At EGT we have an excellently developed company culture that, to a great extent, helps us to have such a good and numerous team. And the proof behind that assertion is the low level of staff turnover that we take pride in. We realize that we are working with well-motivated professionals whom we provide the opportunity to be heard and to have their ideas developed. Every member of our team does not only participate in the process of product creation but also has the opportunity to see the final outcome of their work.
Does your company invest in the additional development of its employees?
As every big and modern company, we also realize the importance of investing in our employees and offering them opportunities for career development. In addition, we provide them with options for in-company retraining which has helped us keep 100% of our employees during the COVID crisis. We also partner with a number of organizations so that we can offer our employees external courses and programs.
What are the main factors for the EGT’s success in growing from a local manufacturer to one of the leaders on the global market?
As I have already mentioned our enthusiasm and desire for growth, so characteristic of the first days of the company, are part of our DNA and help us to develop even today. For us, it is very important that we have both of our feet on the ground and we do not allow ourselves to be intoxicated with our success. A fundamental business principle for us is to listen to our customers and make the solutions they need available to them in an accurate, efficient and professional manner. We also pay very special attention to the optimization of the internal processes in every office, unit, or directorate at the company.
What is your attitude towards your competitors?
As early as from the very beginning we accept our competitors as our colleagues because in many aspects we are all working for the same cause. What we want to show is that our industry is part of the huge sector of entertainment and gaming and some of our core messages deal with promoting safe and fair play.
What are the trends in the casino industry on a global scale?
The trends on a global scale are towards digitization of the business. This process in our industry accelerated much because of the restrictions and measures related to the COVID pandemic. Many of our customers directed their attention and most of their investments in that direction. Fortunately for us, we had also started to think in that direction and already two years ago a new structure started to operate at our company: EGT Digital. That’s why our plans are to direct a major part of our investments towards the online business and to develop EGT Digital. The company is fully focused on next-generation B2B online gaming solutions: sports betting, casino and lottery games as well as an “all-in-one” online betting platform. Our vision for EGT Digital is to be a model of a highly efficient organization that develops avant-garde technologies that contribute to the world of entertainment while promoting responsible gaming at the same time.
What are EGT’s plans for the next 20 years and do you plan an invasion into new markets?
Almost simultaneously with the start of EGT Digital, we created another subsidiary, EGT Steel Production, and with its operations, EGT’s manufacturing cycle becomes almost fully independent and autonomous. It is precisely our desire to be even more independent and self-supplying in the manufacturing process – that is another aspect of the business that we will develop in the years to come.
As regards the markets, Asia is a new territory for which I think we have a huge potential for development. In the coming years, we plan to open several offices on that continent, as the first countries in Asia we will set foot on are the Philippines and Singapore.
What is your development objective in the business? Do you have your personal mission?
My vision for EGT’s development is to preserve our sustainable growth as we continue to create interesting products that are attractive and innovative on the market. In order to achieve that and to develop further at the same pace, we will continue to always look a step forward into the future as we have endeavored to do for all those 20 years.
You are an extremely busy and active person. Do you have any spare time for traveling and where do you spend your holidays?
No matter how busy my everyday life is, I always find time for my family. We love traveling and snowboarding, which determines how we spend our holidays in the winter. My other passion is swimming and I practice it whenever possible.
