Itai Zak, Digicode’s Executive Director of iGaming at Digicode, shares how the company seamlessly connects client needs with customized strategies. 

The iGaming industry is standing on the threshold of one of the most remarkable transformations as emerging markets have become accessible. Both LATAM (Latin America) and Africa are unique opportunities but also come with special challenges for iGaming operators. In this article, promising emerging markets will be explored alongside effective strategies for entry and expansion, according to expert insights.

Promising Emerging Markets

LATAM (Latin America)

Brazil is one of the important focal points in LATAM, considering that it has a huge population base accompanied by a developing middle class. It is rewriting the regulatory landscape concerning online gambling, and recent developments in the case show a much more structured approach. With the market opening up, Brazil is on course to emerge as the iGaming hotbed of investments. However, operators have to keep a close watch on regulatory changes and be ready to tweak strategies accordingly.

Mexico and Colombia are on their way to regulated iGaming markets. In this respect, the very lucrative gaming market of Mexico and the already established regime of regulatory control over Colombian gambling make these markets quite attractive for expansion. The key to succeeding in those markets would be to tailor products according to local taste and to navigate the regulatory requirements.

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South Africa: Growth of the iGaming market in this African country is leading the pace. The mature regulatory environment and quite good digital infrastructure established in the country provide a stable platform for iGaming ventures. Other than the mature regulatory environment, companies entering South Africa would benefit from its relatively easy-to-navigate regulatory framework and a growing player base.

Nigeria and Kenya: Nigeria and Kenya are the two countries that are developing as the main claimants to the African iGaming scene. With large populations and growing internet access, these markets offer huge opportunities for growth. However, the regulatory environment in these countries is at an emerging stage and can be quite challenging. While the companies at the forefront keep a close vigil on these changing times, operators have to update themselves about the new regulations and develop strategies in keeping with local conditions. Manuscript Details

Successful Strategies to Enter and Succeed in the Market

• In-Depth Research

It becomes imperative to understand local preferences and player behavior in emerging markets. Operators can then narrow down key trends from comprehensive market research and amend their product offerings accordingly to suit the local taste. This would include cultural nuances, gaming preferences, and legal requirements. Companies will want to modify their approach to make themselves more appealing and competitive within these markets; this should be aligned according to these local insights.

• Local Partnerships

Market entry is contingent upon local strategic partnerships. This could include local operators, technology providers, or regulatory experts that make it easier to navigate the regulatory environment to fast-track the entry process. The value brought about by local partners in terms of market dynamics insights is immense and could build credibility among local players. Regulatory Compliance

Now, from the legal perspective, operations in emerging markets come under the purview of local regulations. A company has to keep itself updated with changing regulations and comply with all legal requirements, such as obtaining necessary licenses, proper KYC and AML policies in place, and protection of data. If they fail to do so, they will be met not only with legal problems but also threats against their brand image.

• Localized Marketing and Customer Support

Developing marketing strategies that resonate with the local audience is the key to player acquisition and retention. It’s all about binding the player to the brand through tailored promotions, localizing payment methods, and culturally relevant content. Moreover, customer support in a local language improves the player’s rating of satisfaction and loyalty.

• Mobile Optimization

In many developing markets, mobile is the leading source of internet access. Optimizing platforms for use on mobile enables reach and engagement for players. This includes responsive design, fast load times, and ease of use. A good mobile experience is very important to retain interest and reduce player churn.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

• Innovate Constantly

In case one wants to be competitive, continuous innovation is a must. The new technologies, like AI-driven personalization and blockchain integration, advanced data analytics, shall be embraced to enhance the gaming experience. These innovations help in the offer of tailored game recommendations, provision of transparency, and gaining better insights into the player’s preferences.

• Personalization and Engagement at the Forefront

Personalized gaming experiences are core to player retention. AI and data analytics afford the potential of individual game recommendations, dynamic bonuses, and personal customer support—players feel valued and engaged. The creation of an engaging experience, through personalization, can increase substantially loyalty and lifetime value.

• Agile and Scalable Solutions

Such flexible and scalable platforms let companies quickly adapt to market changes and regulatory requirements. This forms a critical enabler for entry into new markets and competitive positioning. Scalable solutions ensure that, with growing demand, the increasing traffic and the addition of new features to the platform do not come with degraded performance. 

• Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships with industry leaders, technology providers, and creators will genuinely develop offerings and increase their reach in the market. Such strategic partnerships will fuel innovation and give a competitive edge to the entities entering into the joint venture. Collaborations can also facilitate entry into newer markets and assimilate the latest technologies into the platform.

Future Outlook

The future of iGaming in emerging markets is, therefore, bright. Regulatory environments are slowly getting their frameworks in place, and a further improvement in digital infrastructure will unleash a wide range of opportunities for those who dare to invest in these areas. With proactive positioning, embracing technology, and more locally-geared strategies, iGaming operators can navigate the challenges and maximize growth potential in these dynamic markets.

iGaming Market Expansion in Emerging Markets: A Complex yet Potential Fertile Ground. To sum it up, one has to rely on market research, develop local partnerships, and be agile in compliance with regulations while continuously innovating to best capture the ever-budding opportunities such markets bring forth.

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At Digicode, we’re seizing the opportunities in emerging markets, bringing our innovative gaming solutions to new audiences around the globe. As the result – we ensure our clients can confidently expand into these exciting new markets, turning challenges into opportunities for success. So the time to turn untapped potential into real growth is now and we’re here to support you throughout this journey.

OpenBet, a leading global provider of betting technology, content, and services, has secured a major long-term agreement to launch the new sports betting and gaming brand for Todos Querem Jogar (TQJ), part of Grupo Silvio Santos (GSS), one of the largest Brazilian conglomerates in media (SBT), retail (Jequiti), tourism (Hotel Jequitimar), real estate (SISAN) and redeemable bonds (Liderança Capitalização). OpenBet has been entrusted to power TQJ’s betting and gaming platform, delivering premium entertainment to Brazilian consumers who value GSS’s diverse range of brands.

For over 65 years, GSS has been at the heart of delivering world class entertainment in SBT, including iconic brands and game shows such as Show do Milhão, Gol Show and Passa ou Repassa, and iconic products such as Baú da Felicidade and Tele Sena, two of the most popular capitalization and goods and services consortium products in Brazil. GSS’s shows reach more than 113 million Brazilians every month across more than 100 broadcasters and bring in more than 29 million viewers per day.

TQJ is highly committed to delivering safe, responsible betting and gaming experiences to Brazilians with the aim to be the number one leader for player protection. OpenBet’s strong global reputation, expertise in complex regulatory markets, and focus on responsible gaming and compliance were key defining factors in TQJ choosing the company’s fully compliant solutions.

OpenBet’s comprehensive betting ecosystem will drive TQJ’s operations with its high-performing betting engine to handle significant traffic volumes and zero downtime during major sporting events. Additionally, OpenBet is also enabling TQJ to deliver a comprehensive iGaming experience through its player account management (PAM) platform, providing a unified platform for managing promotions across both sports and casino verticals.

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The sportsbook is strengthened with the immersive BetBuilder experience, enabling players to create personalized bets and tailor their betting experience. OpenBet’s Managed Trading Services (MTS) will deliver secure and seamless operations through its 24/7 risk management and expert guidance.

World class responsible gaming and anti-money laundering (AML) technology, powered by Neccton, will be at the heart of TQJ’s new offering to ensure it maintains the highest standards of player protection. OpenBet Locator™, an advanced geolocation solution powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), will allow the operator to be fully compliant with Brazil’s strict regulatory requirements.

Leonardo Sampaio, CIO of GSS, said: “We’re excited to work alongside OpenBet, a global leader that sets the industry standard for delivering trustworthy and compliant betting operations. For TQJ, it is imperative we offer superior betting experiences that are underpinned by robust compliance procedures. OpenBet’s end-to-end ecosystem and overall company values provide us with peace of mind that we are working alongside the best company to launch us into the regulated sports betting and gaming market.”

José Roberto Maciel, CEO of GSS said: “Considering OpenBet’s heritage of working alongside iconic media entertainment brands and state-owned organizations, TQJ is firmly positioned to lead the way in Brazil by offering responsible gaming, beyond what is required by legislation, and new product experiences that will capture the imagination of players.”

Jordan Levin, CEO of OpenBet, said: “Grupo Silvio Santos is an iconic group in Brazil’s entertainment sector, and we are truly honored to have been chosen to power its sports betting and gaming brand. Considering the esteemed heritage of both OpenBet and GSS, together we are in a solid position to deliver an engaging and responsible betting experience that will make waves across Brazil’s regulated market. OpenBet sets the highest standards in delivering compliant betting operations, which is attracting major interest from Brazil’s leading entertainment organizations as shown with this latest agreement.”

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Featuring exclusive industry B2B insight for LatAm from David Camacho, Account Manager for LatAm markets at QTech Games

The QTech Games team is buzzing with excitement for this week’s SBC Summit 2024 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa & MEO Arena. This highly anticipated event, set in the stunning city of Lisbon, is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to reunite with old friends and make new connections. It’s sure to be an exhilarating experience that we’re eagerly looking forward to.

On the eve of a busy season in the igaming sector, this conference offers a timely forum for reflection on the road ahead – how the industry can provide operators and players with engaging and innovative betting experiences at some high-impact events that will drive revenue for the coming quarters. SBC Summit 2024 offers excellent networking opportunities with senior peers to discuss many of the most current and pressing issues. Whatever you have in mind – the opportunity or the broader picture unfolding worldwide, regulatory challenges, player engagement, retention strategy, acquisition, and bonus alternatives – it is always helpful and often enlightening to exchange ideas on overall plans and specific innovations with other industry leaders so that we can collectively converge on the best way forward and overcome obstacles.

SBC Summit 2024 brings together thousands of attendees across the gaming sector, including casino operators, sportsbooks, leading distributors like QTech Games, developers, bettors, and affiliates. Nearly half of the attending businesses will be represented by C-level executives, making it the perfect place to build on existing collaborations and forge new ones.

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As we look at the current trends, it’s evident that the convergence of AI and data collection is reshaping the gaming landscape. The time has come when AI, with its predictive powers and associated marketing tools, aligns with data collection to create more effective personalization modes. With systems that truly understand and know your customer from login, a seamless, personalized experience is now within reach. The rise of high-volume AI systems is set to be a significant battleground in the future as marketing departments strive to create impactful campaigns that can scale.

After all, if intelligence is just a matter of data processing, the gap between the informed reasoning of the regular workforce and the take-off functionality of AI is only increasing by an order of magnitude. At QTech Games, our gaming lobby, known as QT Play, has led the market for years, thanks to its machine-learning capabilities and the countless improvements in player insights and localized game selection that we have been able to distil from one of the most profound data sets of any distributor. This has given our operator partners in emerging markets a constantly sharpened competitive edge over their rivals.

More broadly, LatAm fosters a rapidly evolving ecosystem where no market position can be taken for granted. After all, emerging markets are often highly fragmented by their very nature.

Player habits are also very different. Small bets and big-win scenarios will be popular in all emerging markets, of course, but these types of bets are great for the operator in terms of margin, and there is much more juice in the lemon.

More generally, reliable and fast access to funds (from deposits to withdrawals) is also critical to making your brand the preferred wallet for any customer. Customer trust in any operator really depends on your ability to pay out in a timely manner.

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Especially since customers vastly prefer the sportsbook or jackpot model mentioned above, you need to localize your payment methods, often country by country, based on a set of needs. You also need to localize customer support, which is essential for quality management.

For example, fluency in the local language alone would not be a plus; you need the regional varieties and dialects. That is one area where automation can only help you a little. Your site’s user experience has to be familiar, too, so you can’t reinvent the wheel for UX if you want to compete with the leaders in a given territory.

We closely follow other Latin American markets, including Peru, where the regulated market was launched a few months ago. As in Brazil, several well-known international operators were already operating in Peru, but the market is now one of the most thriving territories in the industry. Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico are also hotspots.

As an innovative and forward-thinking company, we are confident in the potential of the Latin American market. To underscore that commitment, our website is now also available in both Spanish and Portuguese via a simple toggle function, as we bid to service more partners across the Hispanic world.

We know the future of retail demands a hybrid solution which is why we’ve created QTech Hybrid, already soft-launched to immediate positive reviews. We are showcasing this innovative retail solution for emerging markets (like LatAm and Africa) at this week’s SBC Summit 2024 where senior QTech Games delegates are on site if you’d like to enjoy a dedicated demo.

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In short, though. QTech Hybrid offers a retail offering that can be transferred to your phone, so that the customer can continue playing after leaving the premises or betting shop. QTech Hybrid allows players to access the full game library of QTech Games, while this retail solution also contains a state-of-the-art Agent Management System. It’s just the latest example of how our wider concerted effort, focusing on LatAm and African markets, is reaping rewards for the end-user experience by seamlessly marrying online and offline. This trademark ingenuity is also another sign of our commitment to under-served regions in developing products that have a high local demand, wherever you set your scene on the map.

This system will be a game-changer, revolutionizing the gaming experience for our partners’ clients, and we are excited to bring it to LatAm as one of the first locations.