Latin America

Big game player: Betinvest engage lucrative LATAM sports betting market

Published

5 years ago

July 5, 2019

Valentyn Kyrylenko, Betinvest's VP of Business Development

After scouting out a whole host of opportunities on the rise in South America Betinvest’s VP of Business Development Valentyn Kyrylenko explained that the solutions provider is catering its products to the specific requirements of the LATAM market.

In recent weeks you’ve attended both Juegos Miami and LIMA in Peru, what makes Latin America and the Caribbean so exciting for you at this time?
Yes, we’ve attended a lot of industry events recently. We also exhibited at the Brazilian Gaming Congress, which took place shortly after the Peru Gaming Show in June, and we visited FADJA in Colombia earlier in the year. We’ve gathered a lot of useful information about the key features of the market at panel discussions and through face-to-face communication with local businesses and regulators. We firmly believe that there’s a huge potential for the gambling industry in Latin American countries and that their governments have taken a positive step in regulating it. As a leading provider of sports betting solutions, we’re obliged to keep abreast of and be active in the places and markets where the industry needs to be driven. That’s why the LATAM region is not the only region we’ve got our eyes on, although it is a very important one. The market is huge and it has limitless potential for companies in the iGaming sector. It’s only going to get bigger, better and more lucrative in the years to come, and that’s good news all around. Sport is an important part of LATAM culture; people love to watch sports, and to cheer on and support their favourite teams by placing bets. At the moment, locals don’t have particularly good or relevant industry experience so they need high-level sports betting products and must learn how to work with them. This is one of the upcoming tasks for European providers. In fact, if estimates are to be believed, Latin America could be more lucrative than all the regulated gambling markets in the United States for the foreseeable future.

Could you give an indication of the scale of Betinvest’s initiatives in the region at this time?
We’re still researching and exploring this region. We decided to visit these countries ourselves to participate in the biggest events, to network with partners, local operators and regulators, and to get industry insights. In accordance with the knowledge we now possess, we can tailor our plan for entering this market as a sports betting supplier and start new projects with our LATAM partners, but it’s going to take time. Long term, we plan to open a Betinvest office in Brazil, the largest South American country, and continue to provide our products and solutions to local operators who’ll be able to operate legally under the new legislation. In our opinion, Brazil is an excellent point of entry into the whole region.

When measuring players habits and regulatory red-tape, how different is it to working within Europe and do you feel you’re still having to make a name for yourself in this emerging market?
People in this region live and breathe sport and, what’s more, they love to bet. You can see this on the streets where almost everyone watches football matches on their mobile phones and glances through windows into houses where there’s a match showing on TV. They’re obsessed with sport, especially football. It’s the favourite sport of almost all the men and roughly 50 percent of the women (these figures are not based on official statistics). If we look at the behaviour of Latin American players, we can see that people usually place bets with small stakes of around $5-10. It would be very unusual to see a stake as big as $1,000. We can see that their gaming style is quite different to that of European bettors and generally less advanced. Taking Peru as an example, having just a few markets and only around 4,000 events is sufficient. Another important point is that local players are more likely to trust you as an operator if you have physical betting shops as well as online services. This is not due to the quality of the internet connection – it’s perfectly stable and having a mobile application is vital for every operator in order to meet their customers’ needs. The reason is simply that people have more confidence in a company when they’re used to seeing it in their local area. On average, the audience for gambling in Europe is younger than it is in South America. Some sports, including those that have a huge following in Europe, are practically non-existent in the LATAM region. Many will be surprised to hear about the passion for lotteries, as well as the rise in search traffic for sites that focus on games of chance. Regulators are very open and it’s easy to find all the necessary information. Making a name for yourself is an important step when you enter any new market. It’s something we do every time we exhibit or visit industry events and promote our sports betting products. We expect this market to show impressive growth. We’re ready to invest in it and to help the region to develop experienced players and reliable operators.

With such an engaged player base in the region, how are you adapting your business model to ensure your pricing and infrastructure is both profitable and sustainable?
We plan to open a Betinvest office in this region and to supply our time-tested sports betting products and solutions. Our products are 100 percent compliant with LATAM market requirements. We’ll be reconsidering our pricing for this region, since the offers we have for our European partners won’t suit those in the LATAM market very well. They don’t need as many events or markets in their Sportsbook, which means that we can reduce the price for them. We’re also working on creating some special offers for our partners in Latin American countries.

Latin America

Paysafe strengthens US iGaming solution with Pay by Bank launch

Published

2 days ago

May 2, 2024

Peter Tolan

New product allows American bettors to log-in directly to their bank accounts at online sportsbooks’ cashiers to fund real-time wagers

Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a leading payments platform, today launched Pay by Bank for iGaming, a new solution allowing U.S. online bettors to instantly and securely fund deposits at operators’ cashiers directly from their online bank account as well as cash-out winnings seamlessly. This product expands the capabilities of Paysafe’s Gateway, the iGaming payments solution that connects U.S. operators to the market’s most comprehensive range of traditional and alternative payment methods via a single integration.

Building on Paysafe’s 25+ years’ history streamlining iGaming payments, the company added Pay by Bank to respond to the growing demand from U.S. players for payment choice. The Gateway already connects operators’ cashiers to Paysafe-processed card payments, the Skrill digital wallet, the Paysafecash online cash solution, and third-party payment products. Strengthening operators’ player acquisition, Pay by Bank provides their customers with yet another payment option that is particularly appealing to the 27% of bettors who prefer transacting via direct bank transfer, according to Paysafe research.

Leveraging Paysafe’s single-integration Gateway, U.S. online gaming operators can now offer Pay by Bank to their customers, giving first-time users the ability to sync their checking or savings account in just seconds, then fund their player account securely in real-time. For returning bettors, the process is even easier, with Pay by Bank supporting one-click payments from linked accounts.

Winnings can be withdrawn from players’ sportsbook accounts just as seamlessly, with Pay by Bank enabling rapid payouts directly to linked bank accounts, again initiated through a single click.

For operators, all Pay by Bank transactions are indemnified, reducing liability if a player’s deposit from their bank account defaults. Along with helping to drive player acquisition by providing more payment choice, Pay by Bank’s other benefits for operators include strengthening customer retention by improving the overall payment experience. According to Paysafe research, transactional speed and financial security are players’ top-two priorities when it comes to the payment experience.

Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “We’re delighted to unveil our new Pay by Bank product for our iGaming solution, which will almost certainly prove very effective in both converting and retaining players for U.S. operators, with the product’s impressive transactional speed and robust security. Through Pay by Bank, we continue to grow the Paysafe Gateway by providing American operators and their customers with unparalleled payment choices, all through a single integration.”

Paysafe will be showcasing Pay by Bank and the Paysafe Gateway while exhibiting (Booth A270) at the SBC Summit North America in New Jersey from May 7^th to 9^th, 2024.

Compliance Updates

Play’n GO breaks new ground with entrance into third Argentinian province

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

Swedish gaming giants’ games now available in the province of Córdoba’s newly regulated market

Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced their expansion into yet another new regulated market, as the Swedish gaming giant has agreed a partnership with Betsson in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.

Argentina is currently in a process of regulation for online gaming purposes on a province-by-province basis, and the partnership with Betsson sees Play’n GO enter yet another regulated market, keeping up the momentum from 2023 that saw the company expand its global reach.

This announcement sees Betsson’s players in Córdoba gain access to Play’n GO’s entire catalogue of games, including classics such as Book of Dead, Reactoonz, and Moon Princess.

This announcement is a signal of intent from Play’n GO, who reiterate their commitment to be present in every regulated market in the world.

Michele Stefanelli, Sales Leader, LATAM and Southern Europe, Play’n GO said: “Our first foray into a new region is always exciting for us, and we’re looking forward to a successful partnership with Betsson in Córdoba. Players around the world, and especially in the LATAM region, have already shown their fondness for our content, and we’re quietly confident that this new region will be no different. We are on record with our commitment to a safe, regulated industry, and we’re very pleased to see that approach rolled out globally by lawmakers and operators alike.”

Maximiliano Bellio, Managing Director Betsson Argentina, added: “We’re pleased to welcome Play’n GO to the Betsson family here in the Córdoba region, and we look forward to many years of success together. Like Play’n GO, Betsson is committed to a sustainable industry model, so this partnership makes perfect sense for both parties. We’re sure our players will be as excited as we are once they start playing these games that have proven so popular around the world, so let’s get started.”

Play’n GO’s games are already available in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province within Argentina’s federal system.

Latin America

Salsa Technology Hails Hugely Successful BIS SiGMA Americas

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2024

Alan Campbell

Salsa Technology has hailed a hugely successful BIS SiGMA Americas where it presented its Latin America-ready solutions. Sao Paulo’s Transamerica Expo provided the backdrop for the Brazilian iGaming community to come together to discuss all the major trends and developments in the region.

From Salsa Technology’s biggest stand yet at the event, the team was on hand for the duration to share info about the cutting-edge technology and highly-flexible solutions created specifically to meet the needs of local markets. The GLI-certified PAM, Salsa Omni, was a hot topic for those seriously exploring the regulated Brazilian market. It provides a comprehensive solution that includes secure migrations for peace of mind. Salsa Technology’s recent collaboration and seamless launch with NossaBet sparked many new conversations around partnerships.

“Seeing the sheer number of people visiting our stand and enquiring about our Latin America-ready solutions filled me with pride,” the founder of Salsa Technology, Peter Nolte, said. “There is huge momentum in the region following the regulatory advancements and we’re perfectly positioned to support those wanting to succeed here.”

Many productive exchanges were focused on Salsa Gator given its unrivalled ability to provide casino gaming in the regulated Brazilian market, complying with the specific requirements laid out by state regulators.

During the two days in Sao Paulo, Salsa Technology’s signature Senhor do Bomfim wish ribbons were in high demand, while the artisanal cachaca kept the conversations flowing.

“This year’s BIS SiGMA Americas event was the best yet for the business as the focus has never been sharper on what our solutions can deliver within the region,” the Chief Operating Officer for Salsa Technology, Andre Filipe Neves, said. “Attendees arrived with clear intentions and demands to discuss how best to expand into these regulated markets. Our preparation set the stage for significant success.”