In a partnership between BTG Pactual, Hubstage, Bichara e Motta Advogados and Win the Game, Sportainment Labs took place, becoming the first free online event in Latin America that dealt with this new concept that emerged in the market, the fusion of sport and entertainment. It is aimed at all professionals interested in understanding the economic, cultural and social impacts of changes in existing business practices, opening new markets and creating opportunities.
Sports betting should be seen as entertainment, in the opinion of the participants of the meeting, and to highlight the success of the activity, it was mentioned that after the regulation of the sector in the United States, American football broadcasts had a substantial increase in the audience on TV networks. , streaming and cable TV.
Angelo Alberoni, country manager Brazil at Betcris, one of the best-known sports betting houses in Latin America, was the first to speak on the topic of the panel. For him, “Brazil has been the 'ball of the moment' for at least ten years and we are in the best moment, since the market really sees the country as the 'ball of the moment', with the regulation of the activity in the process of happening.”
For him, the latest moves, since 2018, with the sports betting law and changes in taxation, have put Brazil in the spotlight not only for Betcris, but for all players operating in the country. “We have an audience that is very used to gaming, so we need online entertainment, which is sports betting. This movement is not unique in Brazil, as it has already conquered all of Europe and has been growing a lot in the United States since the activity was approved in the country two years ago,” commented Alberoni.
The Betcris executive believes that the regulation in Brazil will promote the same effect and highlighted that the country "has everything to become the center of sports betting throughout Latin America and one of the main global players."
Regarding Betcris' investments in the Brazilian market, Alberoni says that the company, even before introducing itself to the country, sought to understand the regionalities of Brazil. In addition, it sought to understand the issue of the direction of regulation, which ensured security for the company to invest in the way the firm has been making in the country.
Asked by lawyer Udo Seckelmann about the ban on sponsorship of football clubs in Europe to bookmakers, Alberoni agrees with criteria regarding sportsbook advertising, “but it should not be banned, as happened in some European countries. The sector needs to be regulated and bookmakers should keep in mind that responsible gambling must be very well managed and offered to avoid harm to society. In Betcris itself we decided, when we closed the contract with Ceará and Fortaleza, that we would not be linked to any tournament below U-20,” he explained.
Leonardo Baptista, CEO of Pay4Fun, has been in the market for many years and understands the demands of the market in Brazil like few others. The biggest challenge for companies to operate in the gaming sector, according to him, is to do things the right way. “The gaming sector has always sought to operate correctly and finally, with the regulation, it will facilitate a good understanding of all operators regarding the path to be followed. Another challenge for the market is the payment method, which must be transparent, agile and secure. For this reason we created Pay4Fun, because we understand this deficiency. It was raised under the governance column, doing everything right,” he said.
For him, “each LATAM country has its own characteristics, both from the point of view of regulation itself and of the operation, marketing and financial system.” In addition, “the service has to be first class. The Brazilian customer has to be taken by the hand. Consumers need this to retain a brand and trust it,” he analyzed.
The Pay4Fun executive praised the Brazilian payment system: “One of the strongest points in Brazil and one of the best in the world.” For Leo Baptista, financial transactions are the backbone of the betting industry and payment methods, fundamental to the success of an operation. “Care with all transactions must be taken into account to avoid possible money laundering attempts. Thus, a company like Pay4Fun has the expertise to offer the market one of the most transparent systems in the world. With regulation, compliance will be highly demanded and this has been happening in our company since our D-0 day,” he said.
Regarding the concern on the manipulation of games and how Brazil can fight against the practice, Percy Wilman, special legal advisor for Genius Sports, commented that Brazil is not a new market, but in the regulatory phase, which makes it is already quite mature. “Everyone is aware of programs to combat match-fixing. The industry itself seeks tools for this in order to protect the market,” he clarified.
For Wilman, the first action to combat manipulation is the regulation itself, “which must provide operators and bettors with clear rules, mainly aimed at protecting the player.”
The second action, according to the advisor to Genius Sports, is the involvement of clubs, federations, leagues and organizations, as well as sports betting operators, in common actions with a view to combating match-fixing. “We monitor sports around the world and we have a lot to collaborate with the ecosystem, not just in Brazilian football, but for the entire system that involves betting on any sport. Our solutions are very professional and focused on the contribution we can make to the industry,” he explained.
The executive also pointed to a third action to combat the practice. “Education is absolutely essential, which must cover all aspects of the industry, such as the sport itself, bettors, who need to learn about betting and what they expect from it and, finally, bookmakers and regulatory bodies. In this way, I believe that integrity is preserved.”
Regarding the importance of official data in the sports betting segment, Percy said that the quality and quantity of information for the entire ecosystem is fundamental for the industry itself to evolve and seek ways to increase integrity.
“All actors in this industry are important for transparent and serious entertainment. All data is made available to teams, broadcasting companies, sportsbooks and TV. That is, they are rich tools to ensure the integrity of sports and betting. We cannot be arrogant in telling the market to do it this way or that way, but we can offer the necessary tools for each local market to use all this in favor of a healthy activity,” he highlighted.
Mateus Dantas, CEO of Rei do Pitaco, spoke a little about how the company's Daily Fantasy Sport (DFS) product was born, which sought to correct the course of similar solutions not only in Brazil, but throughout the world. “By our insistence on the product and by seeking to understand our customer, we arrived at a very successful solution,” he said.
The fantasy game, according to Mateus, “is an excellent product within a large market, still little explored. It will grow a lot over the years. We suffered at first from being mistaken as a gambling platform, until we came to the understanding that our product is a game of skill.”
According to him, the partnerships that Rei do Pitaco signed with Brazilian football enabled an excellent exposure of the brand, at the same time it presented the challenge of offering a complete experience for the user, with a view to better engagement. “The fantasy game is a benefit for championships as it brings greater engagement to the tournaments themselves. Communication has to be uniform with the client, so that he is always involved, both directly with him and through social networks,” he explained.
Source: GMB
