For a special episode of iGaming Daily, Fernando Noodt was joined by Lucia Gando, Editor of SBC Noticias and Lucía Mouriño, SBC’s VP of Relationships Latam, to look back on an action-packed year for the gaming industry across Latin America.

Brazil

The trio started their whistle-stop tour of the region in Brazil, which is preparing for the opening of its regulated gaming market on 1 January 2025.

Operators were invited to apply for applications following the announcement of the new market and so far 71 operators have been granted licenses, however, according to Mouriño the number of active brands will be much greater.

She said: “Working with the operators, it’s insane to see how many received a provisional licence and now all the ones have received their actual licences.

“We will see even more movement in the next couple of months with these companies that got their first licence as they will be able to operate two more besides the main one. And I’m just wondering how many international companies that haven’t been part of the conversation in the past will want to acquire those.

“I think it’s a very exciting period, even more so than when we actually [found out] the market was going to be a thing.”

Argentina

Next on the agenda was Argentina, where in recent weeks the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill that would prohibit the advertising of online gambling and sports betting in the country.

The bill is designed to address the issue of underage betting in Argentina with unregulated bookmakers.

Both Mouriño and Gando agreed that something needs to be done about the “pandemic” of teenage betting, however, Mouriño believes that the decision was made without the right information.

“I do think we need something in place but I just wish they had more data, more information about everything and how the operators work,” she explained.

“When you watch the news, they just go ahead and say whatever they want with no information. I think operators and the regulators could work a bit better on that so the public can actually see what else they’re doing. It’s not just about betting, it’s about how they help communities, the responsible gaming measures and everything in between.”

Peru

Concluding the episode, the attention turned to Peru. In 2024 the country updated its gaming regulations with new licences to meet the ever-changing needs of the market. 

Yuri Guerra Padilla was also appointed as the new Director of Games, Casinos and Machines and Mouriño was glowing in her praise for the new director and how he has worked with operators in the country.

“I’ve been talking to some of my Peruvian companies and in this process of changing the regulation and then having to update things to be able to, in cases, retain their licence or obtain it, they’ve highlighted how well they’re working with the regulator and how responsive they are. 

“They said that the Peruvian regulator is doing something that they’ve never seen before, even for the region.”

She added that now, thanks to new regulations this year, international companies are also able to register in the country, meaning that combined with the stronger legislation, Peru is set up to be one of the leading markets in Latin America.

To listen to this episode click here or search for ‘iGaming Daily’ wherever you listen to your podcasts.