GMB - Brazil’s regulated market is expected to officially launch on 1 January 2025. Now that we’re only a few months away, what are your overall expectations for the Brazilian gambling market once it is fully regulated? Where will the biggest opportunities be?
Gabriel Pinto - I’m confident that the Brazilian market is in good stead to be ready for the market to launch on 1 January 2025. The government has already anticipated any hiccups in regulation – we've seen this with the number of sites being blocked over the last few weeks, which creates a fair, competitive market for the regulated operators under the new licensing regime.
While there are operator brands that haven’t applied for a licence during the first round of licensing, they may choose to apply for a licence further down the line, but the government is getting well ahead of any operators offering unregulated sites and ensuring that each brand is acting in accordance with the upcoming legislation.
We are already seeing companies adapting their business models so that they are suited to the new regulations. For example, if you want to operate in Brazil, you need to have a Brazilian entity to provide the services for the industry. There is, of course, still a lot to do before 1 January 2025. But I do think that the government is in a strong position to get the market up and running by the launch date!
What can you tell us about Infingame’s plans for Brazil? How do you plan to scale your platform as the market matures?
The time for Infingame to be ready isn’t 1 January, the time is now. We are already having conversations with operators and game studios looking to enter the Brazilian market and obtain a licence to explore how we can continue to deliver stand-out experiences to brands across this incredibly exciting market.
We are almost finished registering our Brazilian entity; our communications and sales strategies are in place and we’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that we are ready for that market launch date. Ultimately, we are ready to go.
As the market matures, our plan is to continue delivering localised, exciting games content that allows our partners to gain an edge over their competition. With more than 15,000 games on our platform, all our titles are hand-picked by our team to ensure they are of the highest quality.
We’re also dedicated to providing operators with the necessary tools to engage with their players across Brazil. To be the best in such a competitive environment, you need to go above and beyond for your partners.
In your view, have there been any surprises in terms of the regulatory / licensing process?
The biggest surprise is probably the speed at which things have progressed! The initial regulatory process began back in 2018, and it felt like we spent four or five years waiting for something to happen. But in the last 18 months, things have progressed very rapidly.
We're in the final stretch now and the Government is certainly ensuring that everything is ready to go on 1 January. As I’ve mentioned, there have been a number of sites that have been blocked already, and I expect this to continue right through to 1 January as the Government continues to crackdown on unlicensed operators.
Infingame is ready to go once the market launches. We are in the process of establishing our Brazilian entity and are already having conversations with operators on how we can best support their efforts in engaging with players. For us, it’s all about providing a depth of content that is localised and personalised to the Brazilian audience. Our Account Management team has done a great job at hand-picking the games that are available on our platform to ensure that they resonate with local audiences.
With so many brands applying for licences – approximately 113 – what's going to be the key for operators looking to stand out? Is it down to branding, product diversity, or perhaps another factor?
I think a big factor in standing out from the crowd will be how brands can effectively communicate with their audience. Brazil is a hugely diverse country, with various different dialects, cultures and player preferences. When marketing yourself to players, you need to take those intricacies into account – you can’t expect to cater to everyone with a ‘one-size-fits-all' campaign. You should consider language, user experience, player preferences, how the products you offer can reflect trends in player behaviour etc.
With player acquisition costs at an all-time high, operators must really focus on delivering targeted campaigns that deliver a return on investment. One of the greatest challenges that operators will face, in my view, is not only engaging those players but keeping them coming back to your website. Marketing, particularly social media and affiliates can really help to achieve this.
Brazil has a strong affinity for social media platforms, and we’re seeing the merging of both channels become a much more prominent form of marketing within the gambling space. This, of course, does differ across regions. We can’t forget sports clubs and leagues too, and elsewhere, we’re seeing more and more brands opt for naming rights and sponsorships.
From a product perspective, operators need to ensure that they are prioritising safer gambling and transaction security. This is a major point of contention for bettors across Brazil – if sportsbooks and casinos want to effectively engage with bettors, they need to show that they are taking this into consideration.
What challenges do you foresee in navigating Brazil's regulatory environment compared to other Latin American markets?
When you look at the Latin American market, you really need to understand that every individual country is vastly different. They each have their own intricacies when it comes to language, culture, socioeconomics - that all translates to differences in player behaviours and regulatory environments.
Before you even enter the region, you need to fully understand the dynamics at play. That, I think, is going to be the biggest challenge for people looking to enter Brazil. Operators must understand that Brazil is a completely unique market; you need to have a registered entity to be able to operate here. Without that, you cannot offer your services to bettors.
You also have to take local preferences into account – from incorporating Pix to offering verticals that are popular with players, not to mention that there are 27 different federative states that you must adapt your marketing to.
This is something that Infingame does incredibly well. We have ensured that our games are tailored to our partners targeting the Brazilian market; we understand local player preferences, what games resonate with different audiences and how our operator partners can best cater to those unique demands. We are here every step of the way to support their journey into Brazil and beyond!
Source: Exclusive GMB
