SOFTSWISS is the world's leading company and widely acclaimed for its certified software solutions to manage gambling operations. The company has an international team of more than 1,000 employees and has an official presence in Malta, Belarus, Poland and Georgia, offering complete iGaming solutions.
The company has a vast product portfolio which includes an online casino platform, game aggregator with thousands of casino games, Affilka affiliate platform, sports betting platform and jackpot aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first company in the industry in the world to introduce a bitcoin-optimized online casino solution.
Recently appointed regional manager of LATAM business development at Softswiss, Jonathan Felix Vilchez believes that his experience in the relationship with operators and many trips through Latin America, will give “a good synergy for the development of business in favor of all the customers with whom we are close to closing deals.”
Below are the main excerpts from the interview with Jonathan Felix Vilchez:
GMB - Do you believe that your experience and knowledge of so many years of the Latin market were the key to your arrival at SOFTSWISS? With what ideas do you come to the company, a market leader?
Jonathan Felix Vilchez - Definitely experience and knowledge of the region is very important. In my case, I had the opportunity to work in the local operation of a multinational company in Peru. It was an innovator in the electronic lottery, online and sports betting industry. I worked for more than 11 years in this company, which gave me an enriching experience, especially for knowing the day to day of a game operator. On the other hand, I worked in other firms in business development in Latin America, which allowed me to know the markets and see the reality of each country, the business opportunities in each of the main countries where I have been to work and develop business. And, in addition, it was important to see the theme of the laws in force in each of these countries.
Thus, the combination of these two important areas – experience in business development with operators and many trips to Latin America – add value to a leading and innovative company such as SOFTSWISS. So, I believe that we will have a good synergy for business development in favor of all the clients with whom we are close to signing deals.
Your arrival at SOFTSWISS and other actions of the company demonstrate a strong and renewed interest in Latin America, don't you think? What positive aspects do you find in the region that make you focus especially on it?
LATAM is a region that has a market in constant growth and in a process of permanent maturation. This, in addition to having segments of new players, increasingly younger, makes business development in Latin America interesting. Added to this is the fact that in addition to the potential for growth and market maturation, there are regulatory issues in the region's main countries and markets. Most governments have on the agenda regulating online gaming and updating old laws that are still in effect in some jurisdictions. We expect that in the next five years the Latin American market – or at least the main ones – will be fully regulated, with more companies operating and more providers. Competition is beneficial for the player and for each government as it will have more tax revenue. Therefore, working in Latin America is very interesting. I will go hand in hand with SOFTSWISS in this new challenge in Latin America. We expect many innovations and interesting growth in different segments of the gaming industry.
What are the differentials in relation to the competitors that SOFTSWISS offers to operators that intend to work with casinos and online betting in Latin America?
It is important to highlight that SOFTSWISS is a company based on technology and innovation, especially in the area of iGaming. This accumulation of experience and direct work with technology means that our solutions are always focused on each market where we operate and we provide solutions to satisfy the needs of each of our customers. The solutions we have are very well defined in a very interesting portfolio. In addition to having cutting-edge and state-of-the-art technology, they are very versatile and adapt to each market. This is what happens in Latin America.
Brazil is one of the most important markets, but we have important jurisdictions such as Colombia, Argentina and Mexico. And each of the markets has different requirements, as the player's profile is not exactly the same. Therefore, we bring a portfolio of solutions that range from the sports betting platform, game aggregation, Jackpot Agregator, such as slot machines, but in the online world, affiliate marketing and even our iGaming solution in cryptocurrencies, from which we are pioneers on a global level. In other words, we have solutions that will allow us, through service and specific customization for each client in each country, to differentiate us in an interesting way in relation to the competition.
You mentioned Brazil. What is the country's role in this big scenario in Latin America and what does SOFTSWISS’ arrival in this market mean? Do you already have local integrations or associations?
Without a doubt, Brazil is the most important market in Latin America and there are great expectations about the country and what is to come in terms of regulation. We are witnesses of the interest of the government, the Congress and the States, for the implementation of an online gambling regulation, at the same time that the legalization of casinos is discussed. All this reinforces the image of Brazil as a country interested in regulating the industry to generate the development that is projected and that we see with a lot of growth potential.
For a company like ours, SOFTSWISS, we are a provider that adds value to the Brazilian market through the solutions we have in our portfolio. It is important to mention that BGaming, one of the brands that is part of our company, is one of the few that offers the popular jogo do bicho among casino games. In other words, we have some important relationship and ties with Brazil. And we have high expectations for what will come after the regulation and to see how we will develop and mature the gambling industry in Brazil.
Is SOFTSWISS ready for all gaming verticals in Brazil?
Yes, totally. And starting with the language. We are aware that the Brazilian market needs a dedicated and special approach, starting with the language. And second, because of the Brazilian culture and peculiarities in each of the states, because Brazil is a kind of continent by itself. And with multiple varieties of different types of personalities and cultures within Brazil. That's why we are looking very closely at all these components in every detail in order to provide specific and attractive solutions for each operator in the Brazilian market.
And speaking of SOFTSWISS, a company that always comes up with new solutions, having been the first company to introduce a cryptocurrency gaming platform in 2013, how is it for you today?
The truth is that the world of cryptocurrencies, blockchain and now NFT's is something that is very strong in the global trend, but we are observing that mainly Latin America is where the adoption of this new technology and trend in other businesses grows the most. We see that Brazil is keeping an eye on this trend. We are working to permanently innovate our iGaming platform for different types of cryptocurrencies and games, increasingly interesting for the new profile of younger players, very attracted to the world of cryptocurrencies.
So, we observe very closely the behavior of the market and the players in order to introduce new updates or new games that allow players to offer multiple entertainment options. Always based on the security of the blockchain and the whole concept that surrounds it. It is an irreversible trend and we believe that it will be widely accepted and will penetrate the Latin American market very strongly in the coming years. We can already see this development and how the different platforms are adapting to this new cryptocurrency business oriented towards the gambling segment.
And is this an evolution or a revolution in the face of great potential?
It's a combination of the two. It is a revolution by the concept that includes blockchain technology as a general concept, but a natural evolution within society and the globalized world we live in. When this concept was introduced in 2008, it broke the paradigms of what we knew about the standard economy that we saw at that time. It is very exciting to work with this type of innovation or technology that has come to revolutionize and evolve the entire system as we know it, in this case applied to gambling.
Several industry events are coming to the region in the coming months. In which will SOFTSWISS be present?
Thanks for the question. It is important to mention that we are going to participate in the CGS Latam 2022, this week, which will take place in Santiago de Chile on the 24th and 25th. We will also have a stand where we will interact with all visitors. In addition, in June we will be present at the Peru Gaming Show, on June 15th and 16th in the city of Lima/Peru. And in July we will participate in the Brazilian iGaming Summit, on the 29th and 29th of July in Brazil. We have an interesting and important agenda that keeps us focused and very attentive to other events that we will confirm soon.
As you mentioned, in Chile you will participte in a session on cryptocurrencies, blockchain and NFT’s. Can you tell us a bit of what will you talk about this topic to such a rich audience?
This is a topic that is very much in vogue in Latin America and we will have the opportunity to start talking about it at the event in Chile. We will highlight not only our pioneering trajectory in this segment, but a series of innovations and changes around iGaming platforms, which are including the famous NFT's, a new concept of digital asset, intangible or non-tangible. So, now there is a select panorama regarding iGaming platforms, which need to provide security in transactions. Transaction processing is very fast and also very secure, as they are designed in this blockchain technology.
Through our solutions, we offer our customers the possibility of offering prizes not only in cash, but in multiple options for cryptocurrencies and other types of rewards that define the operator. Speaking to the cryptocurrency community or the growing community of players, through our solutions we can offer prizes based on ‘raindrops’ as compensation in this cryptocurrency theme. This is what we can say about what we will talk about and share with the audience of the event in Chile. There is much to be done in Latin America and to innovate, and there is a large market to be explored in order to grow in the coming years. This is our focus and our vision.
Source: Exclusive GMB
