GMB - Bet.pt is today one of the main betting sites in Portugal. What are the origins of your company and how did you manage to position so well in that market? What are the main virtues of your product?
Alberto Alfieri - bet.pt is a brand of Bet Entertainment Technologies ltd, a company founded in Malta in 2016 and led by founders with extensive media experience in the sports industry. When the Portuguese market was regulated, the founders saw an opportunity for synergies and competitive advantages. And although the project was ambitious, since the company had no previous experience in online gaming, it was also successful.
bet.pt immediately appeared as something different from the rest of the market, with a particular attention in the offer of interactive entertainment with funny messages and close to the "communities", privileging a more personal and friendly communication in all our channels. I would invite you to try our customer service, but unfortunately the page can only be offered to residents of Portugal.
By the way, we also make sure that we always more and better content available for our fans.
Is the Portuguese market an example to imitate by Brazil? What flaws should be avoided when replicating?
The Portuguese market is without a doubt peculiar compared to the rest of the European scenario. I think it is important to mention that, even if it is a "new" market, the balance that has been established in the gaming sector in Portugal was an achievement of the law that provided for the legalization of sports betting, horseracing, casino gaming, bingo and poker, and at the same time provided protection mechanisms for the player and the most vulnerable as minors. Measures such as self-exclusion, cool off period, bet and deposit limits, etc. These measures are managed by the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), the local regulator.
If we look at many European countries like Spain, Italy, UK, Sweden, and others, we can see that they are markets that have not managed to self-regulate and in which the excess of marketing and promotions has undoubtedly stained the good work done previously in the sector. Reaching the total ban of advertising is a sign that something had to be done differently.
This in Portugal so far has not happened fortunately, thanks also to the serious policies of player protection, which are respected by operators and controlled by the regulator.
It is true that, as an operator, we would like to extend the types of products we offer to our customers, since live casino, virtual games and eSports are not regulated or allowed, for example. And this does nothing but favor the illegal market and unlicensed operators that can offer more to players, but in less secure conditions than it should be. In addition, and in relation to the protection of players and regulated markets, the control mechanisms and fight against illegal gambling are very important, and a law that provides mechanisms for prevention and penalties for illegal gambling activity by of operators and all intermediaries involved in illegal gambling, is very important. For example, introducing rigorous KYC measures on the B2B side, that is, all suppliers of software or games for operators, measures to control national payment methods to prevent unlicensed operators from using them, and other blocking measures, url for example.
Which are the 3 main tips that you would give to the Ministry of Economy of Brazil that is in the process of creating the first regulation for sports betting?
The first is surely to create an institutional channel to maintain an active and positive communication with the rest of the sector. I usually define the gaming sector as a coral reef, it is a delicate ecosystem that has to rely on the work and collaboration of all. As always, I am fully available to the Ministry, both personally and as a betting operator, to help and contribute as much as I can.
The second advice is to set from the beginning serious policies of responsible gaming, including a plan of education and training at various levels, both as a sector association and public awareness campaigns. Policies that also include a public service to support the player who is specialized in the treatment and monitoring of pathologies of addition to gaming.
The third and last advice would be to not think about a partial regulation, leaving some products out of regulation would be equivalent to favoring the competition of illegal operators who do not offer any support or security guarantee to the player and who also do not generate profits for the government. Also blocking internet services and payments are measures that should be implemented from the beginning.
Tell us about Vivagol, your new sports betting site focused on Brazil. What is its release date? Whick kind of audience do you target with it?
Vivagol is a project that excites me a lot because it is a brand that has a special energy. We have managed to gather talents that we already had in our company with other local talents, from Brazil. This has produced a positive effect, a wave of creativity that made me fall in love with Vivagol. You now that with technology and licenses delays can always occur, but we have to be able to launch before August, fingers crossed.
We are convinced that Vivagol will like many, all, but we are surely working to meet the needs of a young, dynamic, passionate and information hungry public.
There is a strong boom of betting sites in Brazil, what will Vivagol's differential be?
It is true, there is a boom of betting sites and we immediately consider the problem of how to stand out. I think one of the keys is that we did something from Brazil to Brazil.
It is not a case that we are not launching Vivagol.com for Latin America as everyone does. At first, we will not even have Spanish version on the website. Because when we want to launch in another country, we will do it in a dedicated and specialized way. As we did for Brazil.
As I said before, we have local talent that we have hired for this brand, who are working together with people from Portugal and abroad to create something unique.
Different betting sites started with strong marketing actions, such as the sponsorship of football clubs. Is Vivagol's idea to use a similar strategy?
We do not close doors to anything or anyone, but our intention is to be consistent with the identity of the brand, therefore, the strategy of sponsoring clubs is not our priority. We bet on digital loyalty, for the new gambler who is always "on-the-go", with a product of mobile conception. A dynamic site for dynamic people.
Do you think that in a short time and without support from Caixa, the local and international sports betting sites will be the main source of income in terms of club sponsorships?
Surely the movement that will generate the regulation of sports betting will significantly influence the income of clubs, but I hope it does not become a crazy race to put a name on a shirt and have exposure of the brand. Sport in Brazil deserves more work and more effort and could undoubtedly be the vehicle to be able to intervene in some social policies in the less privileged areas of the region.
After knowing the regulations, is it your idea to have a team of people installed in Brazil?
I think it is important to have local resources when operating internationally, and with due consideration, we will be among the first, and with great pleasure, to install people and functions in Brazil according to what the regulation foresees.
Do you have an opinion on the failed attempts to grant LOTEX in Brazil?
I think monopolies are not the ideal format for a healthy market. Often parallel black markets develop when there are monopolies, as in the case of ‘jogo do bicho’. This does not seem to be a different case, and therefore for a company, or a consortium, the difficult question is whether to pay very high figures for something that may be inappropriate for the times the industry is going through. Maybe if the concession had been proposed a couple of years ago, it would have gone differently.
In addition, ours is a dynamic and highly competitive sector, and for a governmental structure it is very complicated to compete with the private sector.
This year you will be a sponsor of the BgC. What motivated the company to support this Clarion’s event in Sao Paulo? Do you expect to have meetings with other companies and interested in your products?
BgC is the perfect event for anyone interested in the Brazilian market. Our decision to be a sponsor was because we want to be visible to the industry and become a reference in the market. It is clear that to achieve these objectives, we must always be attentive to the companies that can become partners in the project.
Personally, you will be part of a panel that will discuss transparency in regulation. Could you advance some of the concepts of your talk?
Some of the ideas are already here, it's no secret that I'm a big fan of communication. I think that from this point of view operators and regulators do not do enough in many cases. They don’t communicate well everything a company does to maintain a sustainable and responsible business.
I will surely push for an open relationship between regulators and operators, and also for the need to create an independent association of online operators that is active, open and representative.
BgC is Brazil's most respected gaming industry congress, providing unrivaled access to ministers, federal deputies, senators and local governors working to regulate this rapidly growing jurisdiction. With fixed odds sports betting, integrated casino resorts and privatization of lotteries under discussion in the Brazilian government, 2019 marks a true turning point in this vibrant emerging market. The event will be held at Tivoli Mofarrej in São Paulo and to register or become a Sponsor / Exhibitor, see all information on the official BgC website: www.brasiliangamingcongress.com.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
