GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 45 - October 2019

Fabiola Olaso I know that I can be a pain in the ass, but I also believe that I am a great team leader. This work is not a one-person job; it is the result of many people’s hard work and support along the way. What’s the office culture like at Vista Gaming Affiliates? It’s a very relaxed atmosphere within the office. Sometimes the owner says that it is like a cemetery, but that is only because ev- eryone is working hard to reach their deadlines. It’s not all work without play, though— there is always something to laugh about. An example would be the new healthy station that we created to promote good eating habits… it is always full of chocolate bars. If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go? I would love to travel to Asia. That is onmy bucket list. As soon as the kids are a little older, I will try tomake that dreamcome true. What was the last book you read? Influence , by Robert Cialdini. I can tell you that I learned a lot from this book. I also read How to Potty Train Your Child in One Day . As kids don’t come with an instruction manual, this book didn’t really help me… my kid is still not potty trained. What’s your favorite movie? Pulp Fiction is one of my fa- vorite classic films, but there is always room for a good cry with PS I Love You . I guess I am a typical gal. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? That is a very difficult question to answer. I guess my first choice would be my grandma. I simply miss her way toomuch. My second and third choices would be Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, because it would probably be the most intense conversation ever. I am sure it would be filled with rich subject material and a good laugh. Intelligent conversation combined with a great sense of humor. Name one thing that people reading this magazine don’t know about you. I’m married to an Italian who is also a manager within the gaming industry. We have two amazing kids, and during our free time we love to spend time together as a family. I have catphobia —once, while I was pregnant, a cat was left out on our apartment build- ing, and the lift was broken. My husband had to carry me blindfolded down the steps so I could leave the house and go to work (laughs) ! What would be your advice to an affiliate just getting started in the business? Don’t be cocky (laughs) . Start slowly and securely. It will take a lot of work, but if you stay focused and work positively, it will pay off. If you keep your portal up to date and react to industry trends and changes, I’m sure that you will s ucceed. There is always room for more affiliates. With new and exciting markets opening up all the time, there are always new players to be found. So, work hard and if you manage to get the r ight brands for your portal, I am sure that you will be making money in no time. But invest time and energy into your portal! Do you gamble yourself? If so, what do you play? If not, why? I do actually like to gamble, but honestly I just don’t have time these days. I love playing slots, and I can call myself a gambler because there was a time when I actually had a monthly budget so that I could sit at home and spin or play some online poker. I have been lucky and I have been unlucky; I do it for pure f un. Something that I enjoy even more is a land-based casino, but I like that if you don’t have the time or ability to go out, there i s always the convenient option of going online and playing. Where do you think the industry will be in the next five years? I see new generations of players constantly emerging. The numbers continue to grow, and with easy access to technology and the internet, I feel that we are only just getting started. The l atest game graphics and features are immersive, and a new style of gaming is evolving with all products at our fingertips. New countries and opportunities are opening up with online gambling, one after another like dominoes falling. The key is to s tay focused on providing players with what they want. I f you could change anything about the industry, what would it be? I would like to see the industry be more involved in giving something back to the environment. We could use all new and ongoing license taxes to focus on our planet. The way that we provide entertainment creates a huge amount of pollution, much more than any of us would imagine when you think of the power used to run all the servers where we store all our information and games, etc. We should find a balance and a way to help the planet. I n fact, I think that we should find a way with all things that we do in life to be more responsible for our environmental impact. Tell us about your typical work day. I wake up as early as 5:30 a.m. most days so that I make sure that I’m at work by 7 a.m. Since I became a mom, my life has changed in a lot of ways, and I must make the best use of my time so that I have as much time as possible to be with my kids as they grow up. I work nonstop until 3 p.m. and then it’s a quick dash to pick up baby No. 1. As a mother of two, life has gotten really busy over the last t hree years…nothing a woman can’t handle. I can’t thankmy team enough; I work with these amazing people every day and I think by now they are almost mind readers. They make the best use of their t ime to ensure that we always meet our deadlines. They are spread all around the world and somehow, the magic simply happens. I see newgenerations of players constantly emerging. The numbers continue to grow , and with easy access to technology and the internet , I feel we are only just getting started . 63 G P W A t i m e s . o r g