GMB - Tell us about the origins of Casa de Apostas...
Hans Schleier - Casa de Apostas is a website for the online sports betting segment founded in 2013. With the enactment of the Law that legitimizes Sports Betting in Brazil in December 2018, we decided to come to the market that has the potential, within a few years, to be one of the largest in the world.
Do you consider having a differential compared to the rest of the companies that arrived to the Brazilian market? What are your main advantages?
We are investing a lot in the Brazilian market because we believe in Brazil. The sports betting market is incipient and Casadeposta.com's great proposal and policy will be to adapt the existing technology to this market. For that, we are focused on understanding the profile of the Brazilian player, his desires, his inclinations so that we can create specific products for this market. Our main advantage today, in addition to all the investment we have already made in sponsorship and advertising, is that we have a Safe and Highly Reliable product.
Why did you start sponsoring Botafogo, Bahia, Vitoria, Santos and Cruzeiro? Is it possible to see your brand in other sports in the near future?
The world knows that football is the national passion of Brazilians. So, football, of course, was the gateway to Casa de Apostas. About other sports, yes, for sure. We've even done specific sponsorship actions with the Botafogo basketball team in the NBB finals. More things will come ...
What did you take into account when choosing Renata Fan as one of the brand's ambassadors? Do you think on adding other stars in the future?
The word of the day is innovation. Most of the figures representing Sports Betting Sites are male and football-related, often former players, which is, in fact, an appropriate approach. Even so, we thought about going against the grain and introducing a woman with charisma and representation. When we mixed these ingredients, Renata Fan was an obvious choice. She is a Brazilian TV personality and also the journalist and sports presenter with the greatest exposure and relevance on television. Did you see her guessing who would be the finalists of the 2019 Libertadores Cup? And that live and months in advance. It is not for anyone ......
In your experience, have you been able to see some characteristics that can define what the Brazilian bettor is like?
As stated earlier, it is an emerging market. The Brazilian bettor carries all the characteristics of this new market. Many see our site and make contact with our call center, to know how it works and ask about integrity, since not everyone knows that there is a law in the country. If we are to define the Brazilian bettor in just one word we, that have already been in this segment for some time, would bet on the word “excited”.
What is the company's assessment of the Ministry of Economy’S draft betting decree? Any suggestions to make? Have you participated in any of the two public consultations?
First, we would like to congratulate the Ministry of Economy for having conducted a public consultation. It is very important to hear who is for and who is against so that we have a lasting decree. It is necessary for the government to discuss a lot with society in order to have a strong law and legal security for those who come to invest in Brazil. Regarding the decree presented, we see that there was a goodwill by the ME in simplifying tax collection, as in the rest of the world.
How can the regulation that is coming change the performance of your business? Does it favor or complicate you?
We think it is incipient to say that there will be changes in business. We believe that this "preliminary draft" was presented with the objective of listening to the sector and then to be refined. We will wait for the final version.
IBIA and others have criticized the lack of points regarding integrity and the turnover tax and not the GGR ... how does the Casa de Apostas see these issues?
Brazil has gone through a moment of great transformations and as a consequence has advanced a lot on important issues regarding the modernization of legislation in different sectors of the economy; a healthy discussion, debate, is important to sharpen ideas. Thus, we are sure that the regulation of the gaming sector will be fair, transparent and safe, fully meeting the demands of the Brazilian market.
Do you have expansion plans in Brazil? More sponsorships advertising displays, other teams' shirts or new brand activations?
Yes, of course. The year 2019 was very frantic in sponsorship ads, field signs, etc. For the year 2020, we will expand our advertising, but at the same time we will be prudent, analyzing and opting for what we think makes sense both for those we sponsor and for those who are sponsored. We must not forget that “word of mouth is the best media of all.” (Bill Bernbach).
Unlike other brands that chose a specific sector of the country for their sponsorships, Casa de Apostas was very varied supporting teams from Rio, Bahia, São Paulo and Minas Gerais. Why did you prefer this strategy?
Brazil is a giant by nature and we, as a digital product, need to be present in the national territory. Thus, we understand that, for this, it was necessary to diversify the investment, to make Casadeapostas.com recognized as a company that arrived and embraced the country.
How does the sponsorship in the Globoesporte.com Statistics Center presented by Fred Ring work? Is it useful for bettors?
It was a partnership that we made with Globo and that brought a very positive result during the Brazilian Championship. The board, completely digital, was a demonstration of what can be a statistics program aimed at those who are interested in more detailed content about the games. For the general public it is relevant information, curiosities that enrich the chat, the prose. For the bettor, it is essential information in decision making. Although, as they say in football jargon; “Football is a box of surprises.”
Did Flamengo's international success last year increase the amount of bets coming from Brazil?
Brazilian football is one of the best known products in the world with consolidated brands such as Pelé and Ronaldo. Football clubs have already realized this, not least because it has a potential for growth far beyond what they imagine. I repeat, “Brazil has been going through a time of great transformations” and football has accompanied this movement with Federations and Clubs, raising the level of professionalism. Evidently, the international success of a club brings visibility and moves the entire ecosystem linked to football, thus increasing interest in sports betting in general.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
