GMB – What were the new developments presented by Mancala Gaming at BiS SiGMA 2025?
Emiliano Sanchez – We are very excited to be back in Brazil. I continue to believe that Brazil and Latin America are very important markets for us. This year, we began working on certifications, and we expect to have news in the coming months to fully enter the Brazilian market, which is very exciting.
In addition, we have new games — each one better than the last. We also have new gamification tools. We’ve updated the entire gamification system, especially the visual experience for players, which is making our products very attractive to our business partners. And we have some surprises coming later this year.
Those are the surprises that Games Magazine Brasil and all of us want to know about!
Well, the surprises focus on two aspects: new mechanics and new technologies that we’re implementing in upcoming games, as well as new options for operators to offer bonuses and promotional campaigns to their players.
Speaking of certification, how many games is Mancala Gaming planning to certify for Brazil?
Right now, we’re in the process of selecting games, where we conduct a statistical analysis with multiple variables to choose the best titles for the Brazilian market. We will start with a package of 20 games, and most likely, once we begin, we’ll continue certifying, always being careful to choose the best games for the region.
To develop local games, a lot of technology is needed. How is the company using technology and artificial intelligence to design and develop games?
Well, it’s true that we use AI components, but as just another tool. At the end of the day, what really matters is the feedback from our partners, the market response, and especially the analysis of different movements within the gaming market.
We also strongly consider localization, which is why we maintain constant contact with our business partners to understand what works, what doesn’t, and what can be improved. At Mancala, we believe in innovation, and if something’s already been done, we believe it can always be improved. That’s part of a continuous process of asking, listening, and receiving constant feedback from partners, competitors, and industry professionals.
What is your assessment of the Brazilian market, which started a little over three months ago?
I see it very positively. It’s clear to me that many operators want to enter in a regulated manner. The only thing that worries me is that Brazil could become overly regulated too quickly, especially when it comes to advertising. We’ve seen in other jurisdictions, such as Spain, that when the advertising potential of a license is eliminated, the illegal market tends to grow. So that’s something regulators will need to consider.
In any case, I see a very positive path forward. I would like to see, in the future, more opportunities for second- and third-tier companies to enter the market, not just the major foreign operators or already well-established big players competing among themselves. I think it’s important to make room for smaller operators who have experience and potential to grow—something that might not be as visible now but should be considered for the future.
As a game provider, how can Mancala help ensure its games are not present on black-market operators?
We, as suppliers, do our best to keep our games with regulated operators. The nature of the industry has allowed the emergence of many resellers, and there’s clearly also an issue with illegal copies of games. We’ve already detected several copies of our titles on different operators around the world, and that’s a serious problem we’re trying to solve. However, some of these people have technological tools that allow them to hide quite well.
It’s ultimately a cat-and-mouse game. We’re dealing with multiple challenges simultaneously, in addition to innovating. At Mancala, we’re taking action—we’re investigating, trying to identify these copies in other markets, and implementing tools to carry out regional blocks and avoid these situations with resellers as well.
What are Mancala’s strategic plans for the Brazilian market in 2025?
I can mention Croco Loco, one of the games we developed specifically for Brazil. We hope it’s well received, as it has been in other Latin American and global markets. Once we complete certification, we already have a list of clients waiting for us. We know that when we enter the market, it will be to grow, and we have all the tools ready to help operators grow with us as well. We’re moving quickly to be back live as soon as possible.
Source: Exclusive to GMB
