GMB - Tell us a about Eigthroom's trajectory. How did the company come about and what are its main services?
Santiago Indart - Like the vast majority of affiliates, Eightroom started within a room in 2004. With more mistakes than hits, we added customers with few websites of their own and grew in the early years through Orkut communities. At this time, 15 years ago, both the internet and the industry were very different.
Over time we acquired Know How and followed the evolution of the industry, that allowed us to develop our content network and influencers according to the needs we were observing in the market. So, we consolidated with the operators for our deliver capacity, but we realized that to increase our performance was not only to acquire more users, but to work, together with the operator, to increase the lifetime of their customers. And for that the user would need a good experience, such as ease of deposit and redemption, as well as a good support channel.
This is how today, with more than 60 employees and headquartered in two countries, Eightroom is able to meet the main needs of an operator wishing to establish itself in the Brazilian market. Marketing campaigns, payment services, customer support and exclusive content production (such as our betting schools) are some of our customers' most sought-after services.
The company has been operating in Brazil for 15 years, how do you see the evolution of the Brazilian gaming market during this period although it has no legislation yet?
The market has grown a lot in these 15 years, as society has been changing its prejudices about gambling. I remember that 5 years ago people could not say that they worked with online casino, this was generally misunderstood.
Nowadays the industry has been growing globally and with Brazil could not be different. Together with Mexico we are the main markets of Latin America.
You offer customers an affiliate service, very much in evidence today. What is your assessment of this activity and how long do you think it will have a boom in the Brazilian market?
Affiliates have always been a major source of acquisition for operators and this demand continues to grow rapidly but is still lacking maturity. We believe the boom will come along with market regulation that will be very positive for the entire industry. We, as a company focused on acquiring new customers, know that the time is coming, and we are ready for it.
Another service Eigthroom works with is payment solutions, an area that has received criticism from operators arriving in Brazil. In your opinion are these critics valid and what needs to be done to improve this issue in Brazil?
As an affiliate, Eightroom's core business is sharing revenue with operators. If the user can't bet, there is no recipe to share. It is therefore very important for traders to have a good experience betting or redeeming their prizes.
Our business is not to offer payment services, but to assist the operator with all the solutions needed so that the 50,000 new players we bring each year have a good experience. Payment solutions have been increasing considerably in the Brazilian market and we are always encouraging the arrival of new players in the market, as we understand that the greater the payment solutions offer, the more price and efficiency options will be available.
Content is another product you work with. What is the main feature of the content produced by the company?
The main features of our content are quality and relevance. Be it in the forums between users, such as for example on apostasfc.com, or in content portals such as the newly launched bet.com.br. But Eightroom is also a strong believer in acquiring customers through education and investing in online schools like cassino.org or Turfe.net, as well as ebooks and a network of over 120 influencers who work with education on a daily basis.
In the last semester we invested heavily in the purchase of a new studio to launch four more new schools in the market. One of them about sports trading in partnership with Betfair and key players like Nettuno, Roberto Tavares, Lucas Tadiotto and Theo Borges for release in the first quarter of 2020.
Among the readers and viewers who follow your content, do you think you hear a change in profile over time as gaming become legalized and this debate expands? How to talk to this audience who are learning about the activity now?
Of course, all the time is changing. Even the perception from north to south of Brazil changes according to each region. When we talk about online gambling, we are talking about entertainment, and with today's audience you don't keep an eye on advertising longer than 30 seconds. Everything is very fast in the internet world. This makes the messages as clear and accurate as possible. New audiences have an advantage, they are already born in digital media and know how to find what they are looking for on the internet, so brands have to know where to position themselves to be found by this audience.
Speaking of the debate about the legalization of gaming, what is your assessment of Brazil's legislative process on this issue? Do you think we will still have a lot of time to discuss before a regulatory framework is implemented?
We realize that there is a lot going on and some advances are already taking place. The debate is a fundamental part of this process and that is why we are concerned about stimulating this, including supporting some of the most important initiatives in this regard, such as the Brazilian Sports Betting Association (Abaesp) under the chairmanship of Rodrigo Alves and the Brazilian Association of Represented International Operators and Providers (ABRA) by Witoldo Hendrich.
Tell us a about the company's expansion plans to operate in the markets of Mexico and Peru. What are you preparing and what is the expectation?
Throughout 2019 we worked hard at the beginning of our LATAM expansion. In the first half of 2020 our content unit is launching three portals in Peru (Apuesta.pe, Bingo.com.pe, Casinoperu.com.pe) and two in Mexico (Apuesta.com.mx and Casinoenlinea.mx). Already in payment from the second semester we will offer our main partners payments in the Mexican market through deposits in major service networks and credit cards with local processing.
What is your expectation for OGS? Why did you decide to attend the event and how could potential partners find you?
Eightroom has always sought to approach serious operators interested in doing an excellent job. OGS is the main national event of the industry and is where the main operators operating in Brazil should be present.
We are going with a team of 9 people to be able to meet all schedules. Anyone who wants to know more about the company and take the opportunity at OGS to better talk about our services is just to contact us through our website at www.eightroom.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
