Which LatAm markets present the greatest opportunities for operators and suppliers right now?
There are lots of opportunities for operators and suppliers across the region, which has a population of more than 656 million people. Markets like Colombia, Mexico and Argentina (especially Buenos Aires) are well established and enjoying consistent growth year on year. Then you have the likes of Peru and Brazil which are pushing ahead with regulatory frameworks to license operators and suppliers for the first time – Peru in particular has been a thriving grey market for many years but with operators and suppliers now required to secure licensing. Operators and suppliers are being drawn to Latin America because of the sizable populations in most jurisdictions, a strong passion for fast-paced sports (especially football). There is also a voracious appetite for new entertainment and betting experiences, prompting operators to develop and offer more content.
Where is BETER focusing its attention in LatAm?
We have been delivering our fast betting content to operators in Latin America for a couple of years now. Key partners in the region include Superbet, Betano, Novibet, Betsson Group, and Altenar. This has allowed these operators to offer players our next-gen sports and esports betting content. An offer that includes our fan-favorite ESportsBattle tournaments, encompassing popular disciplines like eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey, and CS2, which have proven to be a hit with players in Latin America. Additionally, operators in the region have been able to leverage our comprehensive esports odds, powered by official data for more than 450 international tournaments covering more than 40,000 pre-match and live events a year for popular titles like CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant and others. Our sports portfolio includes world-renowned Setka Cup table tennis tournaments, Ping Pong Point and basketball contests under our BSKT Cup brand. In total, we cover more than 45,000 fast-paced events each month, providing 24/7 live streaming, real-time data, and odds.
You were recently certified as a service provider in Peru. How do you determine which markets to apply for certification in?
Yes, we are thrilled to have been certified as a service provider by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru. Given the popularity of the market among our existing partners where there is strong demand for our products and solutions, it was imperative to ensure our continued support for partners. Regardless, we had our eyes on the Peruvian market for a while even prior to understanding that they were going to implement regulations. Strategically, we identify those strong growth markets that look to have an appetite for our fast-paced high-impact content as well as any partners we may have in the region. And if there are regulatory implications, ensure that we are aligned and move forward. We also keep a pulse on what other regulators across the region are now doing, determine if it’s a good fit, and then prepare. We are particularly excited about Brazil where we already collaborate with such operators as Superbet, Betano, Novibet and others, providing local players with our 24/7 tournaments. These operators have enabled us to showcase our products and we are seeing high demand from our content among their Brazilian players. Off the back of this, we are now looking to increase our presence in this country.
Are some markets easier to secure certification than others? What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
Each market has its own challenges for suppliers to overcome and though there are some differences, the core standards are generally the same. Predominantly around integrity, fairness, and of course responsible gambling. And since we have a best-in-class dedicated Integrity team that maintains the standards of each tournament match as well as athlete conduct this is a relatively easy part of getting licensed or certified. And they are very effective at reassuring regulators that our tournaments are run to the highest standards. This has been made possible primarily through long-term collaboration with law enforcement agencies and sports bodies/federations, as well as by consistently conducting comprehensive educational and awareness programs, launching 24/7 active integrity whistleblowing platforms, and various other initiatives. All of this was done in line with our zero-tolerance approach to match-fixing incidents across all our events.
Additionally, regulators tend to look at the history of the company and its position in the market. BETER has been working in the industry since 2018 and quickly became a must-have content provider that works with a majority of the prominent brands in the industry, which has helped to secure certifications in jurisdictions around the world.
Why is it so important for providers such as BETER to secure certification in each market? What role does this play in supporting your current operator partners?
Because it provides operators and the industry as a whole with an additional layer of confidence that the product they are receiving conforms to market standards while maintaining an above-standard level of performance. Operators are only permitted to work with certified service providers in the likes of Peru, so it’s mission-critical that we secure the necessary approvals in it so that we can provide our content to operators. Certification also acts as a kitemark for the quality of our products and solutions, and that we are meeting the highest integrity standards. This ultimately allows us to attract the attention of operators that we are not currently working with, which in turn helps in growing our reach and presence in these markets.
What should the betting industry expect from the LatAm market in the next couple of years? What position do you think BETER will have in that market during that period?
We are going to see more countries embrace regulation and roll out licensing frameworks for both operators and suppliers – this will see the regulated online gambling market hit $6.75bn per year by 2027 according to Vixio Regulatory Intelligence. To maximise this potential, operators will have to meet player demand for fast betting content especially if they are to engage Millennial and Gen Z audiences.
Our fast betting content has been designed to not only meet but exceed these expectations while allowing operators to offer round-the-clock betting experiences that are perfectly suited to mobile play, which will absolutely dominate in Latin America. Not only that, but bettors can have several bets in play across different games simultaneously, including short-duration matches and high-frequency events, enabling swift betting markets. This content is popular due to its near instant bet settlement, which is what Millennials and Gen Zers are looking for.
As for our position in the market, we are already experiencing significant growth in Brazil, where we collaborate with notable brands such as Superbet, Betano, and Novibet, as well as new partners like Aposta Ganha and Vibra Solutions, providing local players with our 24/7 tournaments. It has helped us become the go-to provider of fast-betting content. This will see us gain certifications in the markets where required and also foster new partnerships while strengthening those already in place. We have plans to open sports arenas in the region so that we can keep adding more in-house tournaments to our roster, and so that we can sign local athletes to take part in contests. We are creating a dedicated business development team in the LatAm market, which will enable us to engage with potential partners daily, understand their needs and then meet them with our products. Finally, we plan to be at some of the biggest events and conferences dedicated to the market, so that we can showcase our content and talk more with our peers about why we are betting big on Latin America.
