Brazil is a market that has garnered incredible interest since enabling laws for online sports betting and casino were passed last year. But with less than 12 months between the ink drying on enabling legislation and the marketing opening its doors on 1 January 2025, operators and suppliers have been under immense pressure to get ready – and licensed – for go live.
Combine this with last-minute changes to regulatory requirements and need to get up to speed on player preferences and expectations, and deeply localise products and experiences, and its easy to see what the opening up of one of the most hotly anticipated markets in recent years has been nothing less than chaotic.
But this is an important market and one that will set the standard for other jurisdictions across LatAm to follow. Success in Brazil could mean success across the region.
But just how tough has the process been in Brazil? And how have operators and suppliers approached the challenges of localisation and compliance? To learn more, we sat down with Steven Spartinos, CEO of Kiron Interactive, Anna Izani, Head of Compliance at Gaming Corps and Pedro Garcia, Brazil Country Manager at SkillOnNet.
The importance of localisation in Brazil can’t be emphasised enough. But just how are suppliers and operators optimising their products and experiences to resonate with players?
Spartinos says for Kiron, it comes down to offering game formats that will hit the mark with players, highlighting its unique sports-themed crash games.
“Rodeo and Arm Wrestling are particularly relevant to Brazilian players, as bull riding (a key theme in Rodeo) is popular in the country, reflecting the local passion for rodeo culture.
“Our focus is on ensuring these games are easily accessible, with multi-language support and seamless payment options, all while maintaining their international appeal. We’re committed to delivering a high-quality experience tailored to the preferences of Brazilian players.”
At studio, Gaming Corps, localisation has gone beyond “mere translation” to reach a much deeper level while being mindful of the rules and requirements in place. “Localisation requires an understanding of local customs, traditions, and values,” Izani says.
“With our exceptional team, we can offer tailored products, ensuring they resonate with Brazilian players whilst also adhering to the country’s regulatory requirements.
“From ongoing market analysis to staying attuned to cultural dynamics, emerging trends and player behaviours, this continuous monitoring allows us to adapt our products effectively to the unique preferences of Brazilian players, reinforcing our commitment to enhancing player satisfaction and establishing a robust presence in Brazil.”
But localisation requires knowhow, which is why SkillOnNet, the award-winning platform behind PlayUZU and Bacana Play, will look to leverage its experience in other markets to ensure it “engages Brazilian players authentically” to deliver exactly what Brazilian players are looking for.
“We do this in every country we operate, looking for what local players cherish most,” says Garcia. “We always start with market and customer research that includes surveys to understand the insights and what players seek.”
Garcia adds that having two brands active in the market is a major upside for the operator, especially when it comes to tailoring communications to players.
“It allows us to include tailored marketing strategies, not only from a marketing localisation perspective, where our content fits different target audiences, but we even have different marketing media plans, focusing on various TV channels and digital marketing strategies.
“We always look for ways to appeal to the players, such as market-specific payment methods, like PIX, and partnerships with specialist creative, marketing, media companies, content creators and innovators. We have also focused on stocking our lobby with localised content from specialist game providers that know how to excite and entertain Brazilian players, while our robust compliance team knows what we can and cannot offer to players, by the SPA rules, and we’ll create specific loyalty offers for our players.”
Compliance and localisation go hand in hand and Brazil has proved to be tricky when it comes to regulations, especially due to the delayed addition of online casino and last-minute tweaks to the framework.
So how have operators found the process, and what were the biggest challenges faced? For Games Global, it was the tight deadlines that had to be met.
“Whilst we didn’t face the challenges of obtaining a licence ourselves, we understood the difficulties and pressures our partners were facing and it was crucial for us to assist them by ensuring that our products and systems were certified and compliant with Brazilian regulations on time, Izani says.
“The primary challenge we encountered was navigating tight deadlines in conjunction with the regulatory changes that occurred. However, through effective strategic planning and organisation, we successfully maintained smooth operations with minimal disruption to our customers.
Spartinos echoes Izani in the changing regulatory landscape being one of the biggest hurdles to clear.
“The licensing process in Brazil has involved navigating a complex and evolving regulatory landscape. By working closely with local legal advisors and regulatory bodies, we successfully aligned our games with the necessary requirements. This collaboration and our adaptability were crucial in overcoming challenges and ensuring our games are available to Brazilian players in full compliance.”
For SkillOnNet, Brazil pushed its highly experienced team but ultimately this experience allowed the operator to work through the requirements to ensure its brands were among the first to go live when the market opened at the turn of the New Year.
“Licensing processes are not new to the SkillOnNet team,” says Garcia. “Understanding the needs, adapting the product to the local regulations, and facing tightening regulations have presented plenty of challenges during the licensing process. But this is something we do very well.”
Interestingly, Garcia says one of the biggest challenges is educating players as to why certain things are the way they are.
“Adapting our compliance strategies to fit the market and understanding all the policies and requirements from the 120 minutes withdrawals to the liveness checks were tough, but the biggest challenges are explaining to the players why we are now doing this and that it’s aimed to protect them and have a safer environment for players and operators,” he adds.
So, what do suppliers and operators make of the regulations in Brazil, especially given the framework will likely be seen as a benchmark for other LatAm jurisdictions looking to legalise and license online sports betting and casino.
Spartinos says the regulations are a “positive development” and provide a clear framework that “promotes player protection and trust in licenced operators”.
He adds: “For us, these regulations will not only ensure that our games are delivered in a secure and transparent environment, but they will also foster growth in the market. We see these regulations as a foundation for expanding our presence, offering players a more reliable and exciting experience while positioning ourselves for long-term success in Brazil.”
This is mirrored by Izani: “We are able to see these regulatory changes as opportunities for growth and innovation rather than challenges.
“We anticipate significant growth with our licenced partners in Brazil and through ensuring compliance with the Brazilian laws we not only uphold our commitment to responsible gambling but also foster trust and loyalty among our player base. Ultimately, we see this as an opportunity to enhance our company’s reputation and solidify our presence in a rapidly growing market.”
Unsurprisingly, SkillOnNet is just as bullish although Garcia says it will take a little bit of time for the dust to settle, with operators and suppliers, as well as the regulator, having to keep on top of changes and not be afraid to evolve.
“As with any new regulated market, the market will need to adapt and adjust itself, which we are used to doing. We see a lot of changes in the market now that it’s regulated with the KYC requests, to which players are still not familiar, or even the lack of welcome and deposit offers.
“This raises risks for players looking for dot.com and non-regulated brands that do not comply with the regulations. And we need to be prepared for that. A regulated market always grows more because players are confident.
“We know Brazil is a large market with tons of potential, and this aligns with our growth strategy focused on regulated markets. Our plans focus on growing in this market and achieving a respectable market share position like in any other country.”
