Trengrouse was part of the panel offered by the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) along with Martin Kent (President and COO of The United Company), Richard Schwartz (President and Co-Founder of Rush Street Interactive). The moderation was in charge of Martha Sabot (Lawyer of Greenburg Tauring, LLP)
About his G2E lecture, Trengrouse explained: “Every Brazilian has heard that Brazil is the country of the future. Now it's up to me to reaffirm that concept here in Las Vegas, at the biggest gaming fair in the world. Brazil has conditions to be one of the largest markets. There is demand, infrastructure and increasingly political will.”
“I feel that one of the pieces that is needed to finally regulate gambling in the country is precisely an institutional channel for serious, consistent and permanent dialogue between industry and public authorities and various other sectors of society,” added the professor at FGV.
Although Asia continues to receive the lion's share of attention about gaming expansion opportunities because of what's happening in Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia, numerous areas within North and Latin America are also making strides toward offering a range of regulated gaming products and services.
Featuring individuals in the know about the areas currently considering legalizing gaming offerings, this session took a lively look at everything from which U.S. state might be the next to open up traditional casinos, whether lotteries might be successful in offering regulated sports betting and more.
“International experiences need to serve as a reference so that Brazil can overcome prejudice and make concrete progress in regulating its market. Instead of confusing the country with individualistic and selfish approaches, stakeholders should organize collectively to build a healthy competitive environment,” concluded Trengrouse.
Education, Key in Brazil
At G2E, Trengrouse described his country as a land of opportunity but a land of confusion as well.
Brazil is by far the largest market in South America and one of the 20 richest countries in the world, but it is one of the three richest – along with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia – that does not offer legal gaming, he said.
He noted that President Jair Bolsonaro has said that gaming regulations should be left up to the individual states within the country.
However, Trengrouse said the country needs to be “enlightened” about how gaming can help the country, especially when it comes to tourism.
“We are talking about a blue ocean on one hand, and a mess on the other hand,” he said.
Getting casino gaming in Brazil will take a lot of education, Trengrouse added. However, it’s not just about educating lawmakers. It’s about informing the media, university leaders, and other audiences to eliminate any stereotypes and misconceptions about the industry.
Source: Games Magazine Brasil
