GMB - Tell us a little about the beginning of your personal trajectory as a sports bettor. Why did you choose to start in this activity?
Sergio Freitas - I made recreational bets on physical points in 2015 and 2016, at the encouragement of friends who also did the same. But after taking a sequence of gains in double bets I decided to share my thoughts and analysis, the public was very receptive to the content released in Whatsapp and Facebook groups that I even made videos on YouTube in October 2016. Two of them talking about betting on analyzing games and the double and triple betting strategy had over a thousand views in less than a week and it opened my eyes to this market. Not only because of the gains that I obtained with the bets, but also because of the lack of content that I bettors had. That is how I started betting and producing content about this activity and, since then, I haven't stopped.
As the first Brazilian bettor to reach 100k subscribers on YouTube with a betting tips channel, how do you evaluate what is done today by influencers who talk about this activity?
What led me to reach 100 thousand subscribers on YouTube was undoubtedly the willpower that I had to overcome in life, to be heard, to be recognized; I had a lot of blood in my eyes for that, because my life until then was full of difficulties. It all helped me to get out of a depression or even get along better with it, because you never know if it can come back. But what I see in influencers today is the lack of blood in the eyes that I had a while ago. Some just want to pay the bills at the end of the month; most do the basics and think it is enough. They create a small community and already start selling things, which I’m not against, but I think that many should have a better long-term vision and think big, because the market is huge with great potential. My follower base grows as I produce, the more I do, people have less reason to seek information from others, since it has everything available there.
Have you followed the sports betting regulation process in Brazil? What is your opinion?
Yes, of course. I was even one of the founding members of ABAESP (Brazilian Sports Betting Association), where we have influential and qualified people to defend a fair regulation for the betting market in Brazil.
My opinion about the regulation is the same as that of other people involved with sports betting in Brazil; we want it to be done, but we also want it to be done in the right way, making the market grow, without harming the bettor or the operators.
Did you participate in the public consultations conducted by the Ministry of Finance during this process? What were your suggestions?
I participated in all of them together with ABAESP; we formulated a single document and asked our base of followers to also participate by sending the same document. In this way we show the strength of the Association, which ended up surprising with the number of participations.
The main suggestions we made were related to the taxation of the bettor and the operator, which was first addressed by the Ministry of Finance comparing sports betting with conventional lottery. Therefore, a fixed tax rate on the GGR was suggested, defined between 15% to 20%, and the non-taxation of the bettor so that the double taxation that we already have foreseen in art.31 of Law 13.756 / 2018 does not happen.
Still on the regulation of sports betting, what is your opinion on the recent changes, such as the choice for the concession model and the departure of ex-secretary Alexandre Manoel? Do you believe they can delay the start of operations in Brazil?
Without a doubt, even because he was one of the people who was taking care of it. Now we have an interim in the position and I believe that this will only continue when a person is definitively chosen. About the concession model, at ABAESP we also disagree, since it would favor mainly the largest international operators leaving out many that already operate in the Brazilian market.
I believe that we have to be fair to everyone, create a regulation that makes the market grow and not to limit it; and for that there is still much to be done.
You live in Aracaju, in Sergipe, northeast of the country. Is there any difference in the profile of that region’s bettor compared to players in other sectors of the country? What should companies that intend to operate in Brazil after the regulation consider to be closer and win this audience?
I believe that there is a difference. Physical banks are very strong here, so for the operators that want to work here, applying a land-based (stores) model will make it easier because it is something that is already part of the culture of the Northeastern gambler. Another thing is that there is a high number of players that bet in a recreational way, and despite doing this with lower values than in other regions, they certainly win in volume, and this makes the Northeastern betting market a great potential for operators.
Another thing is to establish partnerships with strong people and institutions in the region, for example, events, competitions, artists and massive teams that have a great appeal to the Northeastern population.
What is your assessment of the options that have emerged for betting with the coronavirus crisis and the stoppage of competitions? Do you believe that many of the new modalities that have emerged will remain after the crisis?
I see the other options that have come up as an opportunity, even if the situation is critical for society in general. There are people who want to continue betting, who want to spend their time on an online casino roulette, and I cannot be against that. But I am against of those who try to take advantage of the situation and keep pushing things on the user at that moment, and, in some cases, it can be a shot in the foot. I think the moment is for creativity, so we don't have big losses and apply new things. Without a doubt, this phase is a lot of learning and we will certainly have a slightly different market because of that.
Finally, what is your tip for those who are looking to become professional as a sports bettor? Do you believe that it is an activity that will gain more visibility after the regulation of sports betting in Brazil?
The tip I leave is that the person who is interested in becoming a professional has to know how to study and continue studying over time so as not to be left behind. The market is constantly changing, bookies are correcting the flaws that make them lose money and adjusting the price more and more. If I take the betting method I had two years ago, it will be a little different than what I apply today, and what I will do in two years time will probably have a difference too. Time goes by and we become more experienced, but technologies also change and we need to keep up with the changes.
Certainly bets will gain more space in various media and this will bring new players, less prejudice and support for everyone.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
