In partnership with ICE, the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) organised the "Brazil Future is NOW" seminar on Wednesday (7), an afternoon of talks within the Growth Markets Zone arena, dedicated to rising markets. The panellists included UOL, BTG Pactual and compliance, entertainment and payment companies.

The talks covered macroeconomic analyses and perspectives in the country, Brazilian regulation, as well as commercial perspectives for the segment. Paulo Sâmia, CEO of UOL; Rodrigo Del Monaco, partner at BTG Pactual; and Giancarlo Chamma Matarazzo, partner at Pinheiro Neto Advogados; were some of the speakers.

To explain the growth of the sports betting market in Brazil, André Gelfi, CEO of IBJR and also an ambassador for ICE London 2024, points out that the sector has been boosted by Brazilians' passion for football, against a backdrop of digital acceleration during the pandemic.

"Sports betting apps and websites have existed abroad for decades, but Brazilians have gradually become interested in this market in the last five years, especially during the pandemic, when the search for online entertainment reached unprecedented levels," he says.

The movement was fuelled by the arrival of betting platforms that literally entered the field with aggressive advertising strategies. "Investments in marketing and sponsorship of clubs and athletes have greatly helped to popularise this segment to the point where Brazil is currently one of the largest markets in the world for betting."

According to the IBJR, the Brazilian sports betting and igaming market is estimated at R$15 billion, placing the country among the most valuable markets in the world in this segment.

In addition, the recent approval of the bill for online gambling in the country (PL 3626/23) makes the scenario safer for both punters and foreign investment. At the same time, it opens up possibilities for new marketing approaches and the production of campaigns on responsible gambling, according to the executive.

"I believe that with the market regulations finalised and the publication of Annex X by Conar in January, we will have room to create authentic multiplatform content that provides important information about responsible gambling, risk behaviours and tools for player safety."

This production of informative and educational content brings the betting market closer to the publishers. "In this context, in my view, the partnership with media outlets is essential to amplify the reach of the message that betting and online gaming are only sources of entertainment and fun."

Paulo Samia, from UOL, emphasised the importance of brands being associated with publishers of relevance and tradition, with the aim of conveying security to the audience. “The operators' brands need to be present in vehicles recognised for their credibility, using their content production capabilities to address important issues such as safety and responsible gaming, reinforcing the perception of the quality of their brands.”