This Wednesday, the 16th, the Latin American gambling market was addressed in one of the panels held at SiGMA Europe 2022, in Malta. The convention, one of the most important in the world industry, has been receiving thousands of brand representatives and industry professionals since last Monday, the 14th.
Entitled ‘LATAM – A gem ready to be polished in the iGaming industry’, the debate had the participation of Roberto Regianini (FBMDS), Thomas Carvalhaes (Vai de Bob), Alessandro Valente (SuperAfiliados), Diego Salas (Altenar), Peter Murray (Check).
Indeed, Latin America is full of exciting opportunities for the betting industry to explore. Gamers, game providers and operators are not only looking to the full potential of the region, but are also looking forward to seeing what’s new in the coming months.
The panel promoted a reflection on Latin America, presenting possibilities for creating synergies between strong terrestrial and digital operations. Customer behaviors and analysis of how gaming trends are growing in each country, as well as the need to overcome some challenges still found in LatAM countries, such as payments or legislation.
Panelists highlight the need to adapt to the Brazilian market
In addition, Roberto Regianini questioned the importance of establishing partnerships with local companies when entering these markets. Thomas Carvalhaes, in turn, pointed out that ‘there is no Latin American market’.
“Latin America is big, you cannot treat Latin America as a single market. Brazilians are very relational, you need to have a Brazilian intelligence. Casinos have been banned in Brazil since the 1940s, it is necessary to educate Brazilians to bet with video tutorials, etc”, added Carvalhaes.
Alessandro Valente reinforced the need to have partners when starting operations in Brazil. “Brazilians are illegal gamblers. It’s a different situation. It is necessary to have Brazilian partners. You can’t hire someone in Portugal to do customer service in Brazil, it’s not even the same language. Location is key and local partners are vital,” he said.
Carvalhaes once again highlighted the importance of educating the audience and understanding the culture of each country. “You have to educate the audience. You put a Brazilian in front of a slot machine and he doesn’t know how to do it. Need to be clearer about what localization is, what does it mean? How do you relate to your audience? You have to understand the culture. Communication must be geared towards each country”.
Gambling sector in Colombia
Participants in the debate also delved into the situation of the betting market in Colombia, the first country in South America to be regulated. “The market in Colombia did the job very well, they have a regulation very similar to that of Spain”, pointed out Regianini.
Carvalhaes also praised the model adopted in the country. “Colombia is the best example for me, it’s a healthy playing field. It’s a fantastic market.”
But Diego Salas warned: “Colombia is the first country in South America to be regulated. Now the president wants to tax 30% and this is making players go to other markets”.
Peter Murray pointed out a path of unity to protect the market. “It is important that regulators do the right things. Everyone must make a single voice to protect the market”, he concluded.
