What was your overall impression of the latest Brazilian Gaming Congress?

We were honoured to be a part of this event. As with all of Clarion Gaming’s exhibitions, everything was organised to a very high standard. The BGC was very informative and there was a great selection of speakers and topics.

Why was it important for you to attend the BGC?

The LATAM market, Brazil in particular, is important to us and to our business strategy. These meetings, conferences and events are contributing to the process of developing the industry in this region, so we definitely didn’t want to miss out. In particular, I want to mention the quality of the networking opportunities at the event. They were very well organised and gave everyone who attended a chance to share valuable experience in an informal setting.

What did you think of the discussions?

The speakers at the event were well chosen – representatives from the government, public organisations and associations. They spoke about topical matters which are pertinent to local industry regulation. For example, they discussed the different models of taxation and casino regulation, as well as the particularly important issue of sportsbook taxation. At the moment, regulators are looking to base tax on operators’ turnover, and not on the GGR (gross gaming revenue) as is the case in Europe. It’s important to note that the proposed approach doesn’t take into account the large sums of money that are paid out to players. The BGC provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the positives and negatives of the various regulatory models which are set to be adopted over the next couple of years.

The conference gave us some important insights into key trends, major market players and the region’s current regulatory status. The main issue – how sports betting will be regulated in Brazil – remains open for discussion. The rules haven’t yet been established so we, as a B2B provider, still aren’t certain how operators will be able to work in this market.

If we look at Peru, we can see that they have already set out rules and requirements for operators. There are guidelines for taxation and getting licenses. You could say that they’ve made more progress towards regulating the industry but, nonetheless, they’re keeping an eye on Brazil to see what the country’s next steps will be towards legalisation.

What is your opinion of the Brazilian market? What are your expectations for it?

This region has huge potential for developing its gambling industry, and we want to support it by providing our trusted sports betting solutions and sharing the 20 years’ experience of our traders. Since the Brazilian market is set to be fully regulated by the end of 2020, we expect that, over the next year or two, operators will develop a better understanding of the LATAM gambling industry’s specific needs and requirements. As a result, this region, known for its dedicated sports betting fans, will be able to access top quality sports betting services.