The main topics involving the Latin gaming market were in focus in the webinar “The future of gaming in Latin America”, organized by iGamingFuture. In welcoming those present, Thomas Carvalhaes, Director for Brazil and Latin America at Hero Gaming, highlighted that much is said about the future of igaming in Latin America and that “it is important to understand the potential of each market from the experience of our panelists, who know a lot about everything that happens in the region.”
Fernando Garita, Director of Business Development at Betcris, spoke about the importance of localized marketing, in a region that combines such different markets. “We don't do anything new, but always something different, starting from many commercial actions already established, but adapted to each country.”
Garita highlights the sponsorship of great teams and top names in the world of sport, as a common strategy in both Europe and Latin America. “We must work globally, but with a local focus, that is, actions must be very well located. Brazil, technically, is several countries in one and should be thought of in this way, with actions directed to each region together with major global actions in the country,” he explains.
In Mexico, according to Garita, it was easier to implement campaigns and actions “since the country had a more advanced culture in relation to gaming, unlike other countries in Central America, where we had to work a little harder to better clarify the business of sports betting,” he commented.
Juan Pablo Uribe Padilla, Director of Online Development at Solbet, highlighted that the migration from the physical to online model led the company to analyze the entire database it had of its land-based operations. “Online casino customers needed to be captivated to go online and, of course, to our online offering. By connecting the offers, this migration ensures that our customers remain loyal to our brand and this combination is very rich," he said, noting that "the customer now has more options, such as sports betting, in the online world".
Pedro Extremera, Regional Director of Playtech, commented that “due to the pandemic, especially those with physical operations, they realized the importance of having a digital arm. Some were prepared, but those who didn't have that option faced difficulties. It was a harsh reality for those who weren't ready for the online world,” he said.
Leandro Rivas, Betwarrior's Business Director, agreed with the placement, noting that “to offer fully land-based and online is a relevant attribute when making decisions to serve the customer.”
CRM for customer retention, said Leandro, is already a reality in the Latin market and strategies are a priority in the region. “The most important aspects we focused on was with regards to CRM was having customer data to segment audiences. We try to generate promotions and personalized communications and to do this the database needs to be very well worked, paying attention to gaming habits, age and gender, for example. Another important issue is to offer loyalty tools for customers not to leave the platform, something very easy, as the competition is a click away from the customer. Retention is fundamental to the success of our business,” he commented.
Extremera also highlighted that “Playtech's experience in game development takes into account characters and global themes, but always thinking of local brands, to ensure the player's identity with the characters of their daily lives. In the live casino, it is very important to offer languages dedicated to each country where we operate, in order to create the approach that the player expects and that guarantees a good gaming experience,” he explained.
At the request of Thomas Carvalhaes, from Hero, in the closing remarks, the panelists spoke about the three main potential markets in Latin America.
Juan Pablo highlighted Mexico, Brazil and Argentina for their populations. “It is essential to offer them good service, localized payment methods and language. With this, the operator will achieve success, dedicating himself locally.”
Fernando Garita agreed with the countries listed by Juan Pablo, noting that Betcris is very attentive to the regulation of sports betting in Brazil. “And I wouldn't leave out Chile, as we are very anxious about how the market will behave in the face of regulation. And more than marketing, we have to pay attention to banking, regulation and processing, as pillars for the operation, for the benefit of the consumer and the operator,” he said.
Pedro Extremera also agreed with the countries listed and stressed that the regulation must be good for the government, operators, providers and players, who must be protected. “At the same time, payment methods are fundamental, as are sales outlets, as is the way the operation takes place in Colombia, for example,” he added.
Leandro Rivas joined in with the other panelists and highlighted that at the moment BetWarrior is very dedicated to licensing in the Province of Buenos Aires, in Argentina. “For us, a relevant market today. If we are successful, this will expand to other countries. Brazil will be a challenge for all of us”, he said.
Source: GMB
