SiGMA North America Addressed Crisis Management in iGaming  

Clear crisis response protocols

Crisis management took center stage during the conference, where participants highlighted the need for operators and suppliers to have defined procedures in place to respond quickly and in a coordinated manner to unexpected situations.

Elizabeth Maya Cano, Executive President of CORNAZAR, focused on organizational readiness and the importance of evaluating internal processes to face emergencies. In this context, she referred to the recent earthquake in Colombia as a case that highlighted the need for response mechanisms for both online and offline operations.

"The earthquake in Colombia has been a lesson on the importance of having clear procedures to face crises, both in the online and offline sectors," noted Maya Cano.

The executive also emphasized the need to prioritize the safety of families and to incorporate natural disaster preparedness into the management strategies of companies in the sector.

Communication and player trust

Iliana María Pineda Echeverri, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Wplay.co, highlighted the operator's role as the primary party responsible for preserving player trust during a crisis situation.

The executive pointed out that companies must establish clear escalation and communication protocols, especially in scenarios where a situation can quickly gain a wider reach due to the speed at which information circulates on social media and news outlets.

From this perspective, transparency and effective communication are central elements for maintaining the relationship between operators and users when a situation arises that could affect activity or brand perception.

Technology to anticipate and contain crises 

Technology was also identified as a relevant tool to improve the prevention and response capabilities of gaming companies.

Iraid Rosales, Country Manager Mexico at Amusnet, highlighted the potential of monitoring systems and early warnings to detect unusual behavior and act before a situation evolves into a larger-scale crisis.

"Implementing early warning systems is crucial to prevent minor situations from turning into major crises," stated Rosales.

The incorporation of these tools allows organizations to access information more quickly and establish intervention mechanisms before certain incidents have a broader impact.

Leadership, listening, and preparation

Leadership was another main topic addressed during the conference. The participants highlighted the importance of active listening and empathy in team management, particularly during scenarios of high pressure or uncertainty.

In this context, the contribution of different perspectives within work teams and the need for leaders prepared to make decisions and maintain clear communication during a crisis were also emphasized.

Rosa Ochoa, founder of the Blue Global Gaming platform and strategic advisor for gaming operators, stressed the importance of combining preparation and trust to reduce the risks associated with these scenarios.

"Trust in the team and preparation are essential to minimize the impact and risk of any crisis," affirmed Ochoa.

Preparation and collaboration as core pillars of gaming 

The panel concluded that crises can arise unexpectedly and that prior preparation is one of the main elements to reduce their impact.

For the participants, having defined protocols, trained teams, and established communication mechanisms allows companies to respond in a more coordinated manner to emergency situations.

Collaboration between governments and companies was also pointed out as a relevant factor to strengthen the industry's response capacity. In this sense, the exchange of ideas among the different actors in the ecosystem can help transform the experiences derived from a crisis into opportunities to improve processes and strengthen gaming activity.

To learn in detail about the topics analyzed by the specialists, we invite you to watch the full conference on the North American state and provincial affiliate ecosystem on the SoloAzar YouTube channel.