GMB - Lisandra, you mention that when you started your career, you had to use a lot of creativity to succeed and sell your products. Was that when you discovered the importance of networking and proactivity for your professional life?
Lisandra Pereira Branco - It was exactly at that moment that I realized that sitting behind a desk wouldn't make me sell. At that time, the internet was not as we know it today, this was in 2005, in the interior of Minas Gerais, and few people had computers at home, there was no Instagram. I felt trapped in that store, waiting for some customer to come in, I didn't want just that. I earned commission, I wanted to sell more, access other markets. That's when with the help of the phone book, I prospected clients and contacted each one presenting our products that I photographed myself, I put together a portfolio. The result was very rewarding. There I was sure of the importance of networking and building partnerships.
Z.ro Bank serves all commercial sectors in the country. What particularities do you find in the needs of a betting operator different from the others?
I perceive two crucial needs for this sector: "User Experience" and "Security and Compliance". Not that these two needs are specific to this sector, but the attention given to them is special.
User experience is essential both in customer acquisition and retention; the competition is fierce, operators need to provide intuitive, user-friendly platforms, and efficient payment methods that are fast to process transactions continuously and on a large scale. Regarding "Security and Compliance," the care is greater than in any other sector, with the implementation of robust fraud prevention measures, data protection, compliance with local regulations to ensure end-user security, and business sustainability.
What are the benefits that betting and online gaming operators have with Z.ro Bank's services? What are its strengths and differentials compared to the competition?
Z.ro Bank is indeed a complete digital bank. While many companies are just a payment gateway that integrates the site with a Bank, Z.ro offers this and more solutions, such as API for automated exchange, API for cryptocurrency conversion, Visa card, and other financial solutions that add value to the partner's business.
Regulation will result in a reduction in the number of betting sites that can operate in Brazil, as not all will accept paying R$ 30 million for a license. What do you think will be the effect of this in terms of transactions and revenues?
I believe there will be no reduction in transactions and revenues; users will migrate to operating sites. In the long run, my expectation is an increase in transactions. Regulation will bring more security for the bettor, with the possibility of acquiring new users. There is currently an awareness and work being done regarding responsible gambling, which is very positive. The ultimate goal is entertainment, and that's what a betting site should be used for, with a lot of awareness and responsibility throughout the sector's chain.
How does Z.ro Bank plan to deal with the increase in demand for electronic payment services, especially with the regulation of sports betting?
Today, Z.ro already has the capacity to handle the increase in demand. We are preparing for the post-regulatory period, thinking ahead to customer demands, enhancing the organizational structure by creating new areas, investing in employee recruitment and retention, creating thematic committees for research and market studies to develop services and products that will be demanded in the post-regulation scenario and add value to the customer.
Recently, the founder of Z.ro Bank, Edísio Pereira Neto, stated that the new features of Pix will "reset" the game. What does that mean exactly, and how will these innovations impact the betting market and payment processing companies?
It means that the payment market was dominated by card companies, especially acquirers and networks. The exponential growth of Pix makes new companies very attractive in the sector.
When we look at the innovations coming in this agenda, such as automatic, installment, and offline Pix, we can believe that Pix will really dominate the payment sector once and for all, as it brings a cheap and instantaneous experience. All of this means that the market is reopened to new players, especially fintechs that invest heavily in technology to continuously improve user experience. I believe that all these innovations will also be implemented on betting sites, allowing users to schedule automatic monthly payments, for example.
You are able to process more than 50 thousand Pix operations per minute. And at certain moments in 2023, you processed 5% of all Pix transfers in Brazil. Do you believe this number will double after the regulation of sports betting?
We strongly believe in the increase in transactions, as I said before, the market will attract new users, people who previously were reluctant to use betting sites due to a lack of security.
After analyzing the new generation of the market, what points concern you or are still not very clear? What concerns me the most is the uncertainty of the sector in the future. It is my desire that the market continues to evolve with a focus on the user, promoting safety, compliance, and responsible gambling. For this to happen, the entire sector needs to build and foster this in its practices, internally and externally.
Supported by the boom in sports betting, we know that Z.ro grew in revenue last year by 1200%, with over 22 billion reais in transactions. What is expected for 2024, then, with the regulation of the segment and its consequent growth?
We expect to further increase this number. We already have contracts signed with several new customers who are in the integration process, which increases our registered companies base by 7 times, and we expect to double the revenue from 2023, consolidating more and more as the bank of bets.
What are Z.ro Bank's plans for future expansion, both in terms of services offered and geographical reach?
We are evolving our digital account for companies with new credit, acquiring, and investment functionalities, always with services provided via API and public documentation so that any company can integrate easily, in a "plug-and-play" model. In addition, we are investing heavily in improving our governance, being audited by a Big4 and bringing renowned executives from the financial market.
Source: Exclusive GMB
