Canada
Assessing the LatAm opportunity w/Rob Verdia, Head of Products at Nexiux Solutions
Rob Verdia, Head of Products at Nexiux Solutions, says LatAm offers huge potential, but localisation will be key to delivering engaging player experiences in each market
Latin America has emerged as a key market for online gambling operators looking to expand their geographical reach. It is a sizeable region that offers just as much potential as North America but with much lower barriers to entry.
Key markets such as Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Mexico have embraced regulation and offer a viable environment into which operators can launch their brands and deliver compelling player experiences while still ensuring players are protected.
This is not always the case in North America, where some sportsbook operators have already withdrawn their brands from the US states that have failed to deliver the ROI they were expecting.
But it is important for operators to understand that this is a market where localisation is the difference between success and failure. LatAm should not be seen as one jurisdiction, but rather as multiple markets with each requiring its own approach and proposition.
This is because each country is different. From regulation to smartphone prevalence to internet availability, preferred sport and popular payment methods, operators must localise across these areas and more if they are to engage consumers and meet their expectations.
Operators must also be mindful of the nascent nature of these markets. Regulations and requirements can change at a moment’s notice, and they must be able to adapt instantly if they are to remain compliant.
This throws up plenty of challenges for operators. Some are standard to when operating in multiple markets, but others are unique to Latin America – in particular, payments and the popularity of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin as a preferred payment option among players.
Let’s take a look at some of the main challenges operators face when setting their sights on markets across the region.
Changing regulatory requirements
New and emerging markets often launch with a regulatory framework that is then tweaked and tightened once operators go live. For those that are first to market, this can mean they are aiming for a moving goalpost in the early days when it comes to ensuring compliance.
It’s also common for tax requirements to be altered as markets mature; this is something we have seen in African jurisdictions which can impact the viability of the market.
This is why operators need to ensure their brands are powered by agile, flexible platforms that allow them to jump in and make the changes they need to meet evolving requirements, often with very little notice.
Internet bandwidth and smartphone penetration
In emerging markets, it is often the case that internet bandwidth is low, data costs for consumers are high and the prevalence of smartphones moderate at best. This means that operators cannot offer the same “bells and whistles” experience as they do in more established markets.
This can mean stripping back the user interface and removing features and functionality such as streaming so that players can place wagers and spin the reels without that core experience being impacted by glitches, slow loads or the book or casino simply crashing.
Again, this requires a platform that offers high levels of flexibility and customisation.
Different player preferences
It goes without saying that player preferences differ from market to market. This is even the case in established regions such as Europe where the sports and games preferred by players in, say, the UK, are entirely different to those in, say, the Netherlands.
Latin America is just the same. Players in Mexico will be drawn to different sports and slots than those in Argentina. Understanding these player preferences is therefore vital, but so too is being able to localise markets and odds, and the providers/games made available to players.
Localise payments and digital currencies
When it comes to localisation, payments are one of the most important areas for operators to get right. If players can’t deposit via the methods they want to, they are highly likely to drop off and switch to a rival brand that does.
In Latin America and other emerging regions, this includes being able to deposit and withdraw using cryptocurrencies. This trend is not so strong in more established markets, but we are seeing a lot of players in LatAm want to use digital currencies for online gambling activity.
To be able to facilitate these payments, operators must ensure their platform can easily integrate new methods into the cashier.
Having considered the key challenges operators face, it’s clear that the platform they use to make moves in Latin American markets will ultimately be key to their success.
At Nexiux Solutions, we believe that modular, dynamic platforms and technologies must be used as the foundation for operators making a play in markets such as Latin America, North America, Africa and Europe.
This allows operators to integrate best-in-class third-party providers that specialise in delivering features, functionality, data, games, payments, etc for specific markets. This in turn allows them to provide a truly localised player experience.
Such is the opportunity presented by the LatAm region, operators must get their platform and tech stack right from the get-go. Dynamic and modular really is the only way forward and will ultimately prove to be the key operators need to unlock each market.
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Bragg Gaming Group
Bragg Gaming Appoints Renowned iGaming Executive Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer
Bragg Gaming Group, a global iGaming technology and content provider, announced that Neill Whyte has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective 1st May 2024, establishing a new global commercial structure at the Company and bolstering its leadership team.
Whyte brings over 18 years of experience in the iGaming sector, most recently in the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Digital Gaming Corporation’s (DGC), B2B iGaming Division. After joining DGC in early 2020, he was responsible for the commercially successful launch and growth of its content distribution business in the US.
Prior to joining DGC, Whyte held multiple positions in the gaming industry including as Head of Business Development at Isle of Man-based iGaming specialist Apricot Investments, as Board Member at Swedish iGaming product and Lottery content distributor Genera Networks, and in various senior roles over eleven years at leading iGaming content supplier Microgaming, including as Head of Product Channels.
In his new role with Bragg, Whyte will be tasked with leading the Company’s global commercial teams to drive growth across all of the Company’s product verticals which include proprietary online casino content from its Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic and Wild Streak Gaming studios, exclusive content from content partners, HUB a leading casino content aggregation platform, Fuze player engagement, as well as its award-winning player account management (PAM) platform and turnkey solutions.
Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer at Bragg, said: “I am very pleased to be announcing today the appointment of Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg. His iGaming product and market knowledge, together with his record in driving growth from developing successful and mutually beneficial commercial partnerships are exceptional.
“As we leverage our broad content and product portfolio to grow in existing and new markets, including in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe, Neill’s unique combination of knowledge, skills and experience in this sector are a perfect fit for our ambitions at Bragg.”
Neill Whyte, Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg, said: “It’s an honor to join Matevž and the wider teams at Bragg already in place across North America, Europe and in India. I have been impressed with the depth and quality of the content, product and technology offerings at Bragg, and its ability to rapidly adapt, certify and deploy this content and technology in newly regulated markets is a distinct advantage.
“We also have a huge opportunity to grow our footprint with our existing customers in markets in which we are already established. Our content and product roadmaps are second to none, and I’m planning to get on the road in the coming weeks and months to meet the team and our customers and to start building for the next stage of mutual growth. I can’t wait to get going.”
International Game Technology PLC announced that its subsidiary, IGT Global Solutions Corporation, has signed a five-year contract with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (Atlantic Lottery), to implement high-performing features and exciting new games for players in Atlantic Canada. As part of the agreement, IGT will deploy its advanced cloud-based remote game server (RGS) and at least 16 digital instant games each year. The contract will run through April 2029 and includes five, one-year extension options.
“As the largest digital instant market in Canada, Atlantic Lottery is pleased to partner with IGT and offer our players dynamic digital instant games from IGT’s comprehensive content portfolio. Additionally, the scalability of IGT’s cloud-based RGS will enable us to modify our digital instants library in real time, provide our players with best-in-class experiences and continually enhance our iGaming offer,” Robert LaLonde, iGaming Director at Atlantic Lottery Corporation, said.
“Partnering with the Atlantic Lottery to deliver IGT’s cloud-based RGS and engaging digital instant games is an exciting opportunity for our iLottery business. We look forward to helping the Atlantic Lottery further grow its business and reach new players in the region with our reliable RGS technology and top-performing iLottery games,” said Srini Nedunuri, IGT Senior Vice President, Global iLottery.
IGT’s RGS platform will enable the Atlantic Lottery to access to IGT’s vast portfolio of digital instant games and content, spanning a variety of player-favorite themes, play styles, omnichannel games, popular licensed content, and award-winning progressive jackpot games. The platform provides cross-channel branding across retail and digital, supports a range of jackpot and prize pool configurations, offers various bonusing tools to enhance player engagement, and is designed for optimum performance and scalability.
bet365
IBIA and PFA Canada join forces to provide sports integrity education to the Canadian Premier League
CPL first to benefit from CA$300,000 education fund commitment by regulated sports betting operators.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and its members bet365, Betway and FanDuel have partnered with the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada) to design a bespoke two-year sports-integrity education program for players and staff in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).
In 2024, the program – which will start in May – will educate approximately 300 players and staff about the potential threat of sports-betting related match-fixing to the integrity of the Canadian Premier League, their careers, as well as its potential to defraud sports betting operators and customers. The agreement also stipulates a repeat training in 2025 to ensure new players joining the league are also able to protect themselves from criminals and corrupters and report any suspicious activity.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “IBIA’s members take their role – as responsible regulated betting operators – in protecting the integrity of sporting competition and of betting markets seriously. Alongside balanced, efficient and evidenced-based regulation, protecting soccer players, staff and officials from being targeted by criminals is an essential first step to stamping-out sports-betting related match-fixing and fraud.”
The program will include a combination of dedicated in-person trainings and online resources for players and staff in the CPL’s eight league teams. The in-person sessions will educate players on the environment in which they are operating, including rules and sanctions, as well as highlighting the scale and accuracy of technology enabled sports integrity monitoring.
Dan Kruk, Executive Director of PFA Canada, said: “IBIA has delivered sports-integrity education to over thirty-five thousand athletes in Europe since 2010, and we’re grateful that they can leverage that know-how to design a bespoke training for CPL players. At PFA Canada we understand that, despite being more resource-intensive, in-person sports integrity education is essential to gain the trust and understanding of busy athletes, and to enable full, frank and open conversations.”
The CPL’s sports-integrity education program has been enabled by a CA$300,000 commitment over three years by IBIA and its member operators bet365, Betway and FanDuel for the Canadian market, from which other sports are also expected to benefit.
“At FanDuel Canada, we recognize the critical role athlete education plays in maintaining sports integrity,” said Dale Hooper, General Manager of FanDuel Canada. “We are thrilled to expand our engagement with IBIA through this new partnership helping to build a curriculum that will help athletes understand their role in protecting sport.”
Joachim Bjerg of Betway stated: “We’re very proud to partner and support IBIA and the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada that will design, create and implement a bespoke course that will further enhance Betway’s global commitment to educating players and staff involved in sport.
“As a responsible regulated betting operator, we see our role in this sector imperative to safeguarding the integrity of sports and we very much look forward to working with IBIA on this exciting and important initiative.”
Jean-Francois Reymond, IBIA’s Education Ambassador, who will work with the PFA Canada trainers on the May launch, said: “We look forward to working with PFA Canada to further protect the Canadian Premier League from the threat of sports-betting related match-fixing. Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes. Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. IBIA’s objective is to help build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”
IBIA’s sports-integrity education program is a global offering, alongside IBIA’s not-for-profit model for sharing data on suspicious sporting events with sports regulators and law enforcement, player education can significantly reduce the threat of sports betting related match-fixing. In 2024, IBIA has already trained athletes at the EUBC’s European Boxing Championships in Serbia and is in active discussion with sports governing bodies in Canada and several other jurisdictions to ensure that as many athletes as possible can benefit from sports integrity education. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.
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