Clarion proposed to the panel to answer some topics such as: What are the most popular betting markets among Brazilian customers; Player profiles: customer expectations, lifetime value, gaming habits; Practical challenges of operating in Brazil: processing payments, locating your offer, forming local partnerships; The growth paths of the industry: sports sponsorships, traditional and affiliate marketing; Exclusive offers, content, betting tips; What keeps your customers in place ?; and The practical effects of the next regulation on operators and the user experience.
After the debate, Games Magazine Brasil talked to the panelists in London about what they thought about the meeting and these were their impressions:
Thomas Carvalhaes (Country Manager - Brasil / LatAm do LeoVegas Group)
“The discussions we had were relevant and positive. The people who made up the panel are people who have experience with technical, operational and cultural knowledge. I think everyone is in the same intention; we want the market to advance, to mature. The important thing that I have realized is that, however much in terms of regulation I as an operator feel that we are stagnant, I also feel that the market itself is evolving and maturing on its own. We see examples with the integrity of the sport as the agreement that was closed between Genius Sports and Brazilian volleyball and, in addition, new payment methods being launched with Brazil as a target audience. So, it is very interesting; we are in a very exciting moment and the expectations are the best possible.”
Andre Gelfi (Founder & CEO of Suaposta)
“This conversation is always valid. We were talking about the preparation due to expectations regarding what the market will be. We are raising points that are relevant. For me, here is basically the message that the market will be competitive and promising. "Efficiency" is going to be the name of gaming.”
Alberto Alfieri (Director of Operations at Bet Entertainment Technologies - bet.pt and vivagol.com)
“The panel was really interesting with industry experts that I had known for a long time. It is always useful to exchange opinions with operators like us or LeoVegas, who are collecting different experiences, as well as the spectrum of affiliates that it is convenient to listen to as well. It was a well-assembled and diverse panel. I even thought it was very valuable to hear what Andre Gelfi said about his recent experience in the Suaposta partnership with Betsson and his overview of the situation.”
Alessandro Valente (CEO of SuperAfiliados)
“I think that especially the presence of the affiliate with the operators facilitates a dialogue that would end up being ignored. If affiliates do not participate in this type of conversation or are ignored, the operator will suffer the consequences in the future. When it sees the consequence, unfortunately the affiliate will already be promoting houses from outside. So, anyone who intends to participate in regulation and have a license in Brazil already needs to consider affiliates. I don't say only big affiliates. Even small ones end up representing a group that has no voice. But it is important that operators who intend to have a Brazilian license, already have some affinity with the subject, what is the affiliate's demand and everything he needs. It is important to have this conversation.”
“Membership is a subject that has not been addressed very well on the agenda of this regulation and very little is discussed about marketing in general. But eventually, this will come to fruition and that's where it will self-regulate. Alberto Alfieri and Luiz Felipe Maia today spoke about self-regulation, a work that is ethical among us all (operated and affiliated together). Here in the UK, affiliates came together for lack of regulation and set up a structure to consolidate things, to carry the right message, not to encourage gamblers to have illusions, etc. Although it's not in the regulation text or anything, I think it's starting to appear. If they hadn’t given the affiliate a chance to go up on stage and say something, it would have gone completely unnoticed. Five, ten years ago, there wasn't even Brazil at the event. Today, it already has a beautiful presentation, which is thanks to Clarion's work to open that door. It is the same that they are giving now to affiliates. They now have a voice. The event they held in São Paulo in December has already started to open the door for them. So, I think it is not only important but also vital.”
Luis Felipe Maia (Founding Partner of FYMSA Advogados)
“I thought it was great. Now, not from those on the legal side, from regulation, but from those in the operation, we had some information from Brazil, from the characteristics of the Brazilian player, difficulties of operation, challenges that exist today and will exist in the future. And mainly, I think it was very clear that it will not be easy. It will be a very competitive environment, with many challenges and a need for adaptation. In Brazil, the poet already said: ‘it is not for amateurs’; if the operator arrives in the country and thinks that it will replicate an existing business model elsewhere and thinks that it will work, it will break the face. Tropicalization is necessary and I think that this will already generate many opportunities for Brazilians involved in the industry.”
“I think the need to create a kind of CONAR, a self-regulatory advertising board for gambling, is very important. The industry must come together and have its self-regulation. This will show a very clear message of social responsibility, both for the government and for society in general, and will allow the sector to have, in a certain way, the leadership and conduct of some issues that can come in a very negative way. Today we see in Italy the issue of advertising restrictions, in the UK credit card restrictions, and in other countries, several discussions that can greatly affect the operation in Brazil. If the industry takes the lead and proposes solutions, it is much better and more effective than if it leaves it to the government. Not that it doesn't have the capacity to do that, but nobody understands the business of gambling better than the market itself.”
Source: GMB
