Brazil has been the nation on the tip of the tongue of the igaming industry in recent times and on the latest episode of iGaming Daily, Marina Selmi, Regional Sales Manager for Sportingtech, outlined the secrets to success in the region.

“I think a lot of outsiders treat Latin America as a whole thing,” Selmi told SBC’s Content Director, Ted Menmuir.

“In reality, you have to treat each market individually [and] Brazil by itself is so different than all the other ones. First of all, we’re speaking Portuguese here and the consumer behaviour is very specific, it’s very informal.”

Operators have flocked to Brazil since the announcement of the regulated market and as it stands, over 60 licensed brands are live in the country.

As a result of this intense competition, Selmi explained that it is vital for emerging brands to stand out, and one way this can be done is through appropriate localisation.

She said: “The market has grown so much in the last few years and we still have a lot of products that are not really designed for the Brazilian user. [They are] products built for Europeans and Americans and players noticed that. 

“It’s not even just the product itself, it’s everything. It’s having a team to take care of your customers that are speaking Portuguese, they’re not foreigners, and they’re in the same timezone.”

Sportingtech was one of the first platforms to use Brazil as its main market and Selmi outlined the potential advantage of being on the ground from day one as the regulated market continues to consolidate. 

“Because it is so new, [some operators] decided to withdraw or hold for now to see how it’s going to play out,” she explained. 

“But [for] operators that already went straight with the licence, I think there are definitely advantages because you’re getting a piece of the market and of the clients that the other guys who decided to wait are losing. The first level guys, they’re getting more market so it’s good for them.” 

Concluding the episode, Selmi stressed the need for platform providers, such as Sportingtech, to have “ready for a regulated Brazil”, including all the right GLI certifications and know-your-customer products.