Gaming operator for over 20 years, Pinnacle's policy is to always offer the best odds on sports betting and work with a local focus to understand and deliver what players like to find on a gaming and betting website.
Below are the main excerpts from the interview:
GMB - With a 20-year history of operation, how does Pinnacle position itself today in the global gaming market and in how many countries is the company present?
Florencia Brancato - As you said, Pinnacle is a company that has been in the market for more than 20 years and positions itself as a different brand. I would say it is unique. We have three competitive advantages. One is that we accept all winners. As a company, we do not limit ourselves to any player. He wins and we receive and encourage him to continue playing with us. We don't limit that player. That is, he can place bets without any type of limit. Finally, we are dedicated to always seeking to offer the best odds on the market.
What led Pinnacle to achieve all this success in the market?
I believe that one of the most important things is a key point in the company: teamwork. We are a company that works a lot together and strongly in technology, with individual, but collaborative work, with a lot of effort. There is a lot of work behind each of the actions that the company performs.
What are Pinnacle's offerings besides sports betting and casino games?
One of the things that Pinnacle offers, and is very strong in the company, is the eSports vertical. We have a very interesting offer on everything that involves betting on this new game mode. So much so that we are currently sponsoring a Brazilian team, Santos eSports and we are very dedicated to this work. In addition, we offer not only B2C but also B2B, offering our products to other operators so that they can work with all of our verticals.
And how is the relationship and this work done with the other operators?
It is a very delicate job. We work together with them, see their needs and try to provide the best service possible. In other words, we dedicate ourselves exclusively to what each of these operators needs and always offer the best.
eSports is a new market. How to understand it and offer interesting options to players?
The important thing is the location. Each market and each country has certain games that are interesting and others that not. In Brazil, CS: GO is very important, while DOTA is more important in Russia and in European countries. So, we look for what is most important for each of the regions.
And in Brazil, what reasons do you point out as having been decisive for choosing Santos eSports for sponsorship?
The first reason was Pelé, the greatest football player in the world. We are a very large company and we wanted to associate ourselves with an image like that of Santos, which is very strong not only in terms of eSports, but also as a traditional football team. We are working with a new generation and Santos is very interesting and professional that matches our needs. We work closely with them, trying to meet their needs, holding weekly meetings to see what is happening in the market.
In sports betting verticals, how importante are attractive odds and customer loyalty are for you?
One of the keys is the fact that we are a company that does not offer any kind of bonuses. Some may say that this is a negative thing and does not attract customers. On the contrary, this allows us to offer attractive odds in each of the events. So, we have a smaller margin, but we can make the player win more.
That is, it becomes more important than bonuses?
Exactly. At the end of the day, the player wants to win a bet. He wants to feel the satisfaction that what he has bet is going to give a good prize because he knows what he is doing. For him, it's an entertainment, but he wants to show his friends that he bet on Barça and the team won.
How is your presence in the Latin American market and what does it represent for the company?
It is one of the very important emerging markets for our company. Two and a half years ago we started working with the Latin market, focusing on Brazil, mainly, and also in other countries, such as Mexico, Peru, Chile and Argentina. We have a very wide presence. As we already mentioned, the issue of localization is very important, so we have local currencies, suitable payment methods and very attractive odds in each country. In the northernmost part of Latin America we all know that they are inclined towards the NFL and NBA, in addition to baseball, which are not so traditional for Brazilians, Uruguayans, Argentines and Chileans, who are passionate about football.
And about your presence in the Brazilian market, which still has no regulation on sports betting. How are you working here?
The subject of regulation is something very interesting. I have been working in this industry for 14 years and in Brazil it has always been on this wave, but the regulation never passed. So, we are very attentive to what is happening in Brazil and preparing ourselves so that it does not happen to get ahead of the way that the country has been following. Not to mention that we went through a complicated year, with the pandemic, which delayed that a little. So, we have to wait and the keyword is patience.
And how was this almost year and a half with the pandemic for Pinnacle?
It was a very big challenge. The company invested a lot in this pandemic year and it was a great advantage to work with eSports. Instead of withdrawing, we invested in eSports and sponsorship of Santos. We look for more affiliates and streamers and people who could promote us. I also believe that there was a great work in our education program for affiliates, who were also losing and had a difficult year. We gave a lot of material and tools to promote eSports with them. Affiliates have converted and in addition to offering traditional sports and casinos, they have dedicated themselves to eSports, and are doing very well.
Without a doubt it was a very difficult year!
Really, for everyone and it still is. Although the traditional sports have returned and the Copa America and Euro Cup are coming, very important events for everyone, but we must not forget that the region is very affected. Countries like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela are very affected by the pandemic and hoping that the vaccination will arrive soon and finish a little bit of attacking us so much.
Speaking of Brazil, is the Brazilian player similar to those in other countries where Pinnacle operates?
I would say no. The Brazilian player is very peculiar. All players are very peculiar in the different countries. That's why I'm the first fan of the location. We have to see what matters to each of the players. The Brazilian player has certain tastes or specific activities, as in the matter of payment methods, for example, working a lot with boleto bancário, so we have to offer and guide them as to other payment options. In addition, the Brazilian is very fond of his own championships, such as the Brasileirão and the state ones. Likewise, he likes to bet on teams where the Brazilians are. Where Neymar is, they will always bet on his team, as well as other players. This applies a lot to Brazilians and less to European gamblers. This may apply to other countries in Latin America and not so much in the European market.
So, after eSports, is football very importante in Brazil?
The most important. In all of Latin America, from top to bottom, football is one of the most important verticals. Then comes the NBA, tennis and other sports, from the NFL and UFC, which are also very important. eSports accompanies. In general, the bettor's profile is to bet on both. The player was also converted with the pandemic. As this is entertainment and to enjoy, he devoted himself to investigating what electronic sports are.
You talked about affiliates. How do you work with affiliates and influencers to succeed in the market?
I think affiliates are key in this market, especially in Brazil. We have an affiliation program in which we work very closely with them. We like to have daily communication, offering a lot of material, helping in everything they need on the way to work and promote our brand without any type of inconvenience. We are their allies and partners. As for influencers, they are a very important part of this market. We are at the height of influencers. Luckily we have very large influencers whom I call mini-ambassadors. They really wear the shirt and put our brand on their shoulders, not only because we pay them to do this, but because they believe in our brand. What we transmit are values and a lot of professionalism. And that's what they like and that's why they work with us. We have a permanent dialogue and a certain friendship, in which one cares about the other. We are tracking the numbers to help them keep growing. The infuencer has something that is very important in the market. Firstly, because they are local and can convey what is happening, what they see and what they feel. Players are their peers and they can offer certain products for greater confidence. This is what a good influencer and a good affiliate conveys. And there is a very important job on our side to make them feel comfortable.
And what are those values that you just talked about?
The most important value is respect for the game and the player. And also respect for each other's work. Teamwork and being side by side to achieve the goals. We seek to find all the monetary issues and what we can do to win over these players. This is a theme that we seek to convey. The players who are on our platform will have fun, enjoy and have the options that they like and that interest them.
As for casinos and live casinos, how to choose the best games and the best providers?
We always do research with the casino team on each location and what each country likes. They are very different countries. Pinnacle works with very different countries and regions, so looking locally for providers that can satisfy these needs.
Regarding the regulation of gambling in Brazil, do you have good expectations for the approval of a law in the country?
We have been in this situation so many times that I do not dare to say. I think it will happen, but it won't be this year and maybe not next year. I think it will take another two or three years for regulation to happen in Brazil.
Source: Exclusive GMB
