GMB- Few companies have been present in the Brazilian market as long as Patagonia, with permanent fixture at key events and fairs ... how do you see the current landscape of the gaming sector in the country?
Peter Nolte - Patagonia Entertainment is active across the whole of Latin America and the Brazilian iGaming market is one of great importance for our growth strategy.
Outside of LatAm, Patagonia has a strong gaming presence in Spain, Portugal, Europe and Asia. Our philosophy is always on localisation to ensure we deliver the best service available to each individual market.
Our unrelenting dedication to localisation has seen Patagonia develop a bespoke service and content for the Brazilian iGaming market.
Patagonia’s platform is designed for mobile first and converges the land-based casino experience seamlessly. The platform is stable, scalable and customizable to meet operators’ needs, and fully certifiable for several regulated markets across the LatAm region.
Brazil is a hugely exciting market and we look forward to increasing our exposure once the government fully signals its intentions and delivers the new iGaming legislation.
How do you imagine Patagonia working within the context of a legalized Brazilian market? Will there be a team based in the in the country?
Gaining a genuine feel and flavour for a market takes dedication and Patagonia Entertainment insists on having an on-the-ground-presence by setting up offices in each country of interest. Employing local experts helps steer game development, sales and marketing tactics. Patagonia already has a team in Brazil and there are ongoing plans to grow the workforce once we have more clarity on certification and licensing.
Is the gaming legalization issue in Brazil more political than social? Do you get the feeling the people welcome it but there are political interests that complicate the situation?
Brazilian players must be considered first before launching gaming services for the country. For the vast majority of players a site is one of entertainment rather than a pure money maker. It’s vital to understand exactly what players desire, whether sports betting, casino or both. Security is another key element of a successful iGaming offering.
Igaming operations of course need to be profit-making and understand that launching in a new region takes considerable resources. Technology and staff are expensive and need proper investment. Regulation must therefore be fair to companies looking at expanding and allow operators to generate profit with the correct model in place.
Governments benefit from operators generating profit and need to ensure the players are protected by operators. Regulation should be rolled-out with a long-term strategy in mind to allow operators to thrive and feel secure. With this foundation in place, then everyone's a winner.
Does Patagonia have a clear strategy to expand through Latin America? The uniqueness of the region with its countries and regulations can make it a complex project.
We have the perfect foundation in place for expansion through LatAm now Patagonia’s Gaming Aggregation Platform is fully developed. The platform is incredibly flexible which allows it to be simply adapted to meet any regulatory requirement. A fundamental approach to LatAm is understanding that no country is the same and a genuine localised strategy is the only way to succeed.
Which countries in the region do you see more advanced in the online gaming sector and which moving slowly?
The leading LatAm countries who are pioneers in the online gaming sector are Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Paraguay. Each has taken a thorough approach to laying down clear frameworks and the results speak for themselves. Regulation is gathering real momentum through LatAm and I believe that many more countries will regulate online and land-based casino in the not too distant future.
Argentina chose a model of limited concessions for online gaming while Brazil is currently analyzing a free licensing model ... which do you think is the ideal one?
Colombia has shown the way in best practise for iGaming regulation. Argentina has chosen a different approach and the nation should have replicated a proven formula to avoid complications and stilted growth.
Could you give us a summary of the service agreements you have made so far this year with other companies?
Since the start of the year, Patagonia has significantly enhanced its mobile-first portfolio thanks to deals with Digitain, Hacksaw Gaming, Iforium, R. Franco, Vivo Gaming, Softgamings and Espresso Games . Each partner has improved and diversified Patagonia’s offering to ensure the business remains the market-leader within Latin America. Further deals were agreed with Wplay in Colombia, 1xBet and YourBet and there will be more announcements soon.
What can we expect from Patagonia Entertainment for the rest of 2019?
Patagonia has an extremely exciting roadmap for the remainder of the year and into next. Focus will remain on LatAm, but the business will continue to expand around the regulated iGaming world. There will be a wave of new titles released, new game designs, features - each with a genuine localised approach to maximise growth.
The business is actively expanding into further regulated iGaming territories and current consideration rests on Asia and Africa. An MGA Malta licence is expected before the close of 2019 as well as opening a European-based office.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
