GMB – The Brazilian government recently issued a decree defining the rules for payment transactions in the sports betting and gaming sector. What does this represent for the market? Paulo Gerber – I think it's another important step in the evolution of what we have been observing since the beginning of this regulation process, which is extremely important and healthy for the market and for Brazil as a whole.
Now, coming to what concerns us, since we are a payment processing company, this decree is of utmost relevance and was very well crafted. It addresses important issues such as credit control and providing protection and increased security for the bettors themselves regarding indebtedness. This is crucial, even though there are other ways for this to happen, but it is a very important channel when credit cards are taken out of this possibility.
At the same time, it removes from the market or at least inhibits adventurers in this segment. Unfortunately, like most businesses that start to gain momentum and grow, it becomes very attractive to both good and unfortunately not-so-good market players.
The decree puts us in a situation of more formality, more control, and greater security for everyone, both operators and consumers – the bettors - and for all those also providing services in the industry, as is our case.
Considering what was outlined in this decree, do you see difficulties in complying with everything? Will it be necessary to seek other technological or structural resources to comply with this decree?
In our specific case, fortunately not, because everything we already foresaw, also because I personally have a background totally in the financial market, we have already implemented in our operation, and it aligns with what is in the decree. We are already covered in practically everything.
There are no actual gaps, which makes us very happy because we are even more enthusiastic about continuing our process of growing our operation in the Brazilian market, now operating with regulation, advancing, and serving the Brazilian market definitively, not only for Brazilian customers but also for operators outside Brazil. Which is very good for everyone.
We know all the trust that GamersBank and its leadership in the poker area have. How is the penetration in the sports betting and online gaming market?
Indeed, poker is our core and being a differentiated focus, with very special solutions for this market. But for some time now, not as pioneeringly as some other players in the market acted with sports betting, we were a bit more cautious to enter this market. Today we are already operating with some sites and have several others in the final integration process.
I believe we will have an increasingly relevant participation in this market as well, so we are progressing well. We are quite happy and excited about it.
Is GamersBank increasingly a complete solution across all gaming verticals?
Undoubtedly, using the most suitable products for each of them. When we talk about poker, the Wallet has a greater utility than in sports betting, which doesn't mean it's not useful and not interesting for bets, where Pix solutions are more relevant than the Wallet. Thus, we can have a composite of products that fully serve all these segments, and for us, this is a great joy because we are in a position to operate in the various segments as conveniently as possible in partnership with our operator partners.
And always thinking on the bettor, right?
Certainly. We think about benefits, and I think now it becomes a relevant chapter for our payments industry because there was a moment of somewhat fierce attack by several players, with competition often strange even in terms of prices. But I think now that we have more regulation and control, we are starting to have a healthier market. To the point where we can offer additional advantages to the end customer.
This sets us apart in the market because payment is a commodity, but you can add things that are relevant to the bettor, always within the spirit of responsible gaming. This is a default, a basic premise. But we now have the conditions to deliver advantages that perhaps at another time or in this moment of somewhat crazy competition, it was difficult to contemplate.
Source: Exclusive GMB
