Victor Firică: “I AM CONFIDENT IN THE FUTURE OF M PLANET!”

Victor Hans Firică is an entrepreneur of our gambling industry. He had an idea that he put into practice. It’s a great thing to start something and see it through, and that’s to be appreciated, especially since he started from scratch, with no knowledge, no connections, no team already in place. He has had patience, vision and dedication and this has paid off after 20 years of investment, turning a thought into a fact – the M PLANET network of gaming halls. We invite you to find out from the following interview how their story began, what are the pillars on which the success of the business is based and what the future of this company looks like.

Victor Firica

How did the M Planet story start? Why did you choose to invest in the gambling industry?

Our story began 20 years ago. That’s when this thought of getting involved in this gambling industry was born.

Following a vacation in Las Vegas where I experienced the pleasure of fun and gambling, of course, I made this decision to get involved in the gaming industry. I have always enjoyed challenges and found it challenging to be involved in this field of work! We then followed the necessary steps to ”set up” this company which currently operates under the brand M PLANET!

The first steps in the gambling industry, of the unknown, were difficult, but I met dedicated people, special people! Along the way I discovered a fascinating world, I came to recognize the importance of dealing with the people involved in this field, the responsible authorities and, last but not least, the participants!

I will mention here our first collaborator – Mr.Mihai Boroș, a great, dedicated man, a man who supported us in our development, not only on the game equipment side, but also with a lot of useful information!

At the same time, we also talk about Novomatic Romania through its representative at that time, but also today, Mr. Valentin Adrian Georgescu. A skilled professional, always dedicated to the development of collaborators and always supporting the evolution of the gaming market, not only on the gaming equipment side. A whole team of dedicated people!

Throughout our development and the evolution of the gaming market, the requirements and trends have been constantly changing! We have tried new partnerships, and we are talking about CT Gaming, Eurogames Technology Romania, IGT Romania.

A special man I must remember is Mr Ionuț Zamă! A man of integrity, positive, a great character, with whom we have a successful collaboration.

How do you see this business at the moment? How do you position yourself in this market? Do you go more for fun or big wins?

At present I consider this business not difficult, but not easy either. If the team behind the business is well coordinated and responsible everything becomes easier! I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about how easy this business is, of course from people who are not related to this field of activity, but the reality of recent years has had many challenges and setbacks in the development of the gambling industry that only those involved understand!

We all want to be responsible in everything we do every day in any field of activity, but especially in this field of gambling, some more, some less, but the important thing is to succeed!

I consider that we are responsible, we promote fun in our locations, but the winnings of the participants should also be mentioned here! And I’m not just talking about material gains, but also about quality time spent in our locations with our teams of operators, socializing and escaping from the everyday!

What do you aim to achieve in the next 2-3 years with M Planet?

We want to grow organically, expanding nationwide, relying more on the quality of services offered than the quantity of locations! There are many things to follow and watch for our plans and I believe our team will meet all the challenges to make this development a success! Our team of professionals, working around the clock for our success, will find the most effective solutions to achieve our goals!

What have been the biggest challenges of this business so far?

When we talk about the challenges in this field of activity, I think we are talking first of all about the legislative changes in recent years, we are talking here about the constant increase in taxes, the change in the typology of the players following the effects of the pandemic, we are noticing how the market players are adapting to the changes! We keep up with the current requirements, we are constantly adapting to all the changes occurring in the business environment by empowering the whole team for a constant and balanced development!

How would you characterize the M Planet team? How do you choose your people? What are you looking for and what do you want to get from the people you work with?

Courage, unity, integrity, dedication, are just some of the values that define our team! A group of people who work well together is formed over time, with a lot of effort! Together we manage to develop new ideas, to create and to materialize into facts everything we set out to do! I think people choose us, not the other way around! Those who come and stay in our team show responsibility and seriousness above all! Team spirit and initiative are important, flexibility and dynamism also play an important role in the development of the group and its cohesion! I appreciate all our team and I am sure that together we will discover new opportunities, adapt to any future times and achieve everything we set out to do!

The authorities reproach us for the too high visibility and the bombastic promotion of mega-winnings in gambling halls. Where do you think the gambling industry will end up in 10 years? Is the Romanian slot player ready to come to the casino more for fun?

The gambling industry will certainly go through more changes in the coming years. Starting this very year when all sorts of changes are being debated regarding the taxation of this sector of activity, the operation of venues and their location or not at a certain distance chosen without knowing the reasoning behind the figures put forward in the legislative proposals, make our industry an effervescent field in this pre-election year…But we have to admit a fact that the Romanian gambling industry is the champion in the tax collection rate! I believe that players don’t come to our locations just to win various amounts of money, they come to our locations also for the special atmosphere they find here, they do it to get out of the everyday, they come simply to socialize and drink coffee with our colleagues!

I like M Planet arcades for their pleasant atmosphere, the privacy you offer players and the lack of marketing excess. What feedback do you get from your players? Why do they come to your casino floors?

In general, players who come to our locations appreciate the helpfulness of our operators, the good mood with which they are greeted, the variety of equipment at their disposal also bring a plus to the locations! Here I should mention that most of the players come back to our venues for the variety of fun-filled parties they have with the venue staff, parties that are very much appreciated and expected!

The wave of safe gambling and responsible gaming will force operators to be more careful with those who cross their threshold. M Planet is a responsible brand and I am convinced it will run a business with its customers in mind. Have you prepared the tools to make responsibility towards players an integral part of the company’s marketing policy and strategy?

Everything we do, we do with those who cross our threshold in mind! We train our staff periodically on the prohibition of minors on the premises, how to deal with different situations that may arise, respect all the rules imposed by the legislation in force and our respect for the participants in the game! In some locations we supplement the staff, precisely in order to control possible inconveniences caused by people who should not be in a location with slots for people over 18!

What will the future of M Planet look like?

The optimism and creativity of the team I work with always gives me a good vibe! I am confident in the future and in the materialization of all the ideas we have!