GMB - You were at ICE London to get even closer to EstrelaBet partners and to bid farewell to London, as next year the fair will be in Barcelona. What are your thoughts on this transition?
Fellipe Fraga - It's a mix of feelings. London is always a very nice place to come. In the history of the iGaming industry, given what Clarion and ICE have done over the years, it's a farewell. But I'm sure it will also be a success in Barcelona. It's great to have the opportunity to meet partners and, in this case, Altenar, for example. Besides them, we can't forget the great friendship we have with the entire industry. So, coming to ICE is about reconnecting with friends, reinforcing business, thinking about new projects, and connecting with the entire global industry.
Especially this year, I was impressed by the number of Brazilians here. It reflects the good result we have created in the iGaming industry in Brazil. More and more companies, many serious companies, want to bring the best products to our audience in Brazil.
You are walking around with our Brazilian banner and the EstrelaBet name on your chest. Have many people asked you about the next steps in Brazil?
Of course, always. Fortunately, Estrela has always been and is a reference in Brazil, and the impact we have abroad is very positive because we are seen as one of the leaders in the segment in Brazil. They ask us, yes, but it's very difficult to anticipate anything, naturally, due to confidentiality issues, but what we can say is that 2024 holds a lot of news.
We recently launched FlyOvni and we are confident that it is a very disruptive game, even though it falls into the category of crash games. It's an incredible game. In addition, there are new partnerships to be announced, not only with Altenar, with whom we recently signed. Furthermore, through them, we are also with Genius Sports, for broadcasts of some modalities, while we continue with Sportradar. With Genius Sports, we are more focused on American football, the NFL, which is a source of great pride for us.
EstrelaBet is known for the number of sponsorships in sports. Do betting houses and sports need each other? How have your partnerships been in this regard?
It has been very positive and very challenging, given the market's own dynamics, and I addressed this on a panel during ICE London. It has been challenging because the market has understood the potential of our industry and obviously prices have grown. We have seen big announcements in Brazil in recent weeks, but even so, we continue with the strategy of adopting smart postures and different marketing approaches to connect these entities, clubs, teams, and their fans to our product. It has been a great success, and we are recognized for the work we have done.
Speaking of sponsorships, I would like you, through GMB, to welcome the new head of sponsorships at EstrelaBet.
We continue to have great names taking care of our sponsorship area. Rafael Zanette, who was with us, will always be part of our history, but he is following other paths now. And now we have brought Leandro Figueiredo, who is also from BH. Leandro was director of Atlético Mineiro for many years, a very glorious period for Atlético Mineiro. In 2021, they won everything in Brazil and Leandro was leading the club, one of the biggest references in sports marketing in Brazil. And now, with us, as they say in football, he's coming to add. I had a chat with him, we are very happy with his arrival, and I welcome him because I am sure it is something of great impact and will help us a lot in developing sponsorship activation and seeking new business. His arrival marks us a lot, and many activations will come because EstrelaBet is one of the references in this area in Brazil.
The EstrelaBet sponsorship team stands out, and I often joke that we have an internal agency and certainly one of the best in Brazil. We are very proud of the team, led by Bruno Fernandes, who is the sponsorship manager, and Leandro will boost it even more. I am sure that 2024 will be incredible, with many new things coming. It's an Olympic year, and among our sponsored teams, we have Minas Tênis Clube, since they were Brazilian judo champions. So, we will have many opportunities, and I always like to remember that we always bring stars to our sponsored teams.
In an Olympic year, there are many opportunities for activations not only in football. Everything will bring a lot of experience for Brazilians in betting, but I take this opportunity to remind you that we support responsible gaming, fair play, respect for the right age for betting, and I say that everyone should always do it thinking about that.
Source: Exclusive GMB
