Press Releases

Parimatch: Consumers want stories, not spreadsheets

Published

6 years ago

on

March 9, 2020

By

Zoltan Tundik

Sergey Berezhnoy, Parimatch¹s Chief Product Officer.

Parimatch’s Chief Product Officer Sergey Berezhnoy spoke at ICE London 2020 about how the operator plans to evolve the traditional sports betting experience with a focus not just on technology, but on storytelling. With a history in the video gaming industry, Sergey can see many narrative-building concepts that would translate nicely to the betting sector, although he believes the main overlap – esports – still has a few mountains to climb.

Following a strong 12 months in its home markets, Parimatch attended ICE London 2020 with a clear vision in mind for the future of its sports betting offer.

The international operator has grown its market share with bold marketing campaigns and a strong product backed by great tech, but the main focus for Parimatch’s Chief Product Officer Sergey Berezhnoy over the next year is to research, develop and evolve sports betting’s current customer journey. Many of the innovations at ICE provide the backbone of that journey, providing several payment methods, hundreds of ways to bet, and thousands of events and markets to bet on, with other exciting developments such as VR and AI further bolstering to the industry’s toolbox in recent years. For players, the customer journey is smoother than ever before, but for Sergey, that’s not enough. His background is in the video gaming industry, and he believes that to tap into the widest possible market, the sports betting sector has to develop a story around the act of betting that is as engaging and rewarding as current popular mobile games.

“I use one word, and it’s narrative,” said Sergey. “I joined this sector from the video gaming industry, and there the focus is not on waiting for the end result, but providing as much entertainment as possible on the way to it.

Unfortunately, sports betting is currently the opposite; you come, you bet, you leave. There is no story, no great focus on the clubs involved, and often there are very few relevant events to bet on. Players who are engaged with the betting culture might bet on anything, but new and casual players need a story to bring them in. Look at Snapchat, Instagram and Tik Tok, they only show short stories, but it’s enough to get consumers engaged.”

In fact, the immediacy of sports betting is something else Sergey wants to move forward. While the rise of in-play betting has helped, many results can take between a few hours or a few days to come through depending when bets are placed, so Berezhnoy intends to make sports betting on Parimatch something players can jump into and be rewarded whenever they choose.

“In betting, the distance between betting and reward can be very high, whereas in video games the award is more achievable. We are trying to shorten that distance, but not as short as casino games,” he said. “In our research, we have taken a lot from casual gaming. If you are riding the subway or tube, everybody plays casual games or goes on social media. The big question is, why don’t they bet? It’s about a customer journey, but many sports betting sites still look like excel spreadsheets. Instagram has changed the way we consume photos, it’s our ambition to change the way people bet on sports.”

Berezhnoy added that this will involve asking players human-centric questions on pre-selected content, providing a personal touch to short, targeted stories for players to bet through. Like in video games, they won’t be faced with a thousand choices, but with a few highly engaging ones based around content they already enjoy, whether that be through live, fantasy or virtual sports – or even esports. This is another aspect of gaming that Berezhnoy has a lot of experience in, however he still believes there’s a few challenges ahead before the rapidly rising pastime becomes a key vertical for the sports betting sectors.

“Games publishers are in control of esports and they are not interested in the regulations that are needed to elevate the level of trust required for bookmakers,” he explained. “Publishers want more players, and tighter regulations can put up barriers to that. With a few exceptions, they also don’t give access to their data feed, which makes it very difficult to trade. Sports betting operators are interested in the most popular games with the biggest events, but those publishers don’t need to include sports betting into their model to be successful, and these are major roadblocks for its expansion in the industry.”

Sergey hopes that this will change over the next decade, but in the meantime, he is looking forward to weaving the storytelling ability of video games into all of Parimatch’s sports betting offers.

“At the end of the day, most of us prefer to be told stories than to scour over spreadsheets, and that’s what I want to offer to our players,” he concluded.

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When LATAM gambles: Blask reveals seasonality patterns across six countries

Published

15 hours ago

on

February 12, 2026

By

Wladimir P.

when-latam-gambles:-blask-reveals-seasonality-patterns-across-six-countries

Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia represent six distinct iGaming markets — each with its own regulatory framework, player base and cultural rhythms. Yet beneath these differences lie powerful shared drivers: domestic football seasons concluding in Q4, mandatory year-end bonuses injecting billions into local economies, and national holidays that stretch into multi-day celebrations.

Using Blask’s Seasonality feature, player activity across all six countries was analyzed to map engagement peaks by month, day and hour. While regional trends are visible, the execution varies sharply at the local level.

Here’s what the data reveals.

Brazil: The Q4 Convergence Effect

In Brazil, November and December form a clear peak driven by three converging factors.

The Brasileirão season concludes in early December, with title races and relegation battles intensifying betting activity. At the same time, the Copa Libertadores semifinals and final fall in October and November — and Brazilian clubs’ recent dominance has kept engagement high.

The economic boost comes from the décimo terceiro, Brazil’s mandatory 13th salary paid in two instalments by November 30 and December 20. In 2024 alone, it injected R$321 billion into the economy, increasing disposable income during football’s decisive phase.

Saturday edges out Sunday as the top-performing day, reflecting the league’s fixture concentration. Weekends dominate overall, with a pronounced spike between 1 AM and 5 AM on Friday-to-Saturday nights — a sign that late-night casino sessions complement live sports betting.

Argentina: Aguinaldo and League Finals

December leads the calendar in Argentina, driven by the Liga Profesional’s mid-December conclusion and the aguinaldo, the country’s mandatory 13th salary paid by June 30 and December 18.

Sunday ranks highest for engagement, closely followed by Saturday, aligning with concentrated weekend fixtures. The peak activity window — midnight to 3 AM on Saturday-to-Sunday nights — reflects pre-match anticipation and late-night casino play following the workweek.

The pattern closely mirrors Brazil’s Q4 surge, but with a stronger Sunday bias.

Mexico: Liguilla and Late-Night Culture

December again stands out, coinciding with the Liga MX Apertura playoffs (Liguilla) and the championship final in mid-December. The aguinaldo — at least 15 days’ salary, paid by December 20 — provides additional liquidity at the same time.

Sunday leads weekly activity, with Saturday close behind. However, Mexico’s most distinctive feature is its consistent 2–3 AM activity peak across all days, amplified on weekends.

This pattern suggests a strong late-night gambling culture, where casino verticals such as slots, crash games and live dealer experiences drive engagement alongside sports betting.

Chile: September Over December

Unlike its regional peers, Chile’s biggest month is September — not December.

The surge is powered by Fiestas Patrias (September 18–19), the country’s most significant national celebration. When calendar alignment allows, festivities can stretch into a full week, with fondas, music and social gatherings creating a nationwide party atmosphere that extends into online gambling.

Saturday is the dominant day, with activity elevated throughout. Peaks occur around midnight on Friday-to-Saturday nights and again during Saturday afternoon (3–5 PM), indicating a blend of late-night casino play and daytime sports betting.

Peru: The Purple Month Effect

October and November represent Peru’s peak period, with November slightly ahead.

The Clausura tournament reaches its decisive stretch in early November, while October is dominated by Señor de los Milagros — the country’s largest religious festival. Celebrations extend into All Saints’ Day (November 1) and Day of the Dead (November 2), creating a sustained festive period.

Unlike Brazil and Mexico, Peru’s engagement is concentrated during daytime weekend hours, particularly morning and afternoon. This suggests a stronger alignment with live Liga 1 fixtures rather than late-night casino sessions.

Colombia: Primetime Precision

In Colombia, November leads, with October close behind.

The Torneo Finalización enters its cuadrangulares (semifinal group stage) during this period, building toward a December final. Anticipation around the prima de servicios — a mandatory half-month salary bonus due by December 20 — also supports late-year liquidity.

Sunday is the clear weekly leader, with evening primetime activity standing out. Engagement closely mirrors Liga BetPlay broadcast schedules, indicating sports betting is the primary driver rather than late-night casino behaviour.

The Bigger Picture: Regional Liquidity, Local Execution

Across LATAM, the Q4 bonus cycle — décimo terceiro, aguinaldo, prima de servicios and similar payouts — represents a predictable liquidity event spanning six major markets within an eight-week window. Crucially, it coincides with domestic football seasons reaching their climax.

However, peak timing differs significantly:

Mexico’s engagement spikes at 2 AM, while Peru’s is daytime-focused.
September outperforms December in Chile.
Colombia revolves around Sunday primetime broadcasts.
Brazil peaks on Saturday nights.

The takeaway is clear: while seasonality patterns are regional, execution must be hyper-local. Campaigns, product pushes and marketing spend need to align not just with the right month — but the right day and even the right hour in each individual market.

The post When LATAM gambles: Blask reveals seasonality patterns across six countries appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.