How do you see the current state of play for our industry in Latin America?

With a population of more than 650 million, more and more of whom are starting to enjoy betting, it’s safe to say that Latin America is a hot prospect for our industry. It’s not surprising to see European-based suppliers and operators flocking to the continent in search of new revenue streams.

Having said that, as a highly innovative content developer looking to expand our LatAm presence, we are not put off by the competition. The investment currently pouring into Latin America can be explained by favourable regulatory changes, broad public support for our industry among the local population and technological changes that have caused the continent’s annual internet traffic to grow by 73%. It’s a very promising environment and one where we are delighted to be growing our presence.  

Given this year’s events, what kind of games are LatAm players likely to seek in 2021?

Traditionally speaking, retail is king in Latin America. The forced closure of such outlets as a result of COVID-19, however, means that a space has opened for online providers. Retail players, unable to visit their local betting establishment or arcade, want an alternative that can be enjoyed from home. Therefore, going into 2021, the importance of online gaming is only likely to grow.

On a continent with a well-documented adoration for sports, football in particular, games with a football theme are likely to perform well. Basketball and beach volleyball are also popular, as are martial arts, including Brazil’s famous iteration of jiu-jitsu. For that reason, game providers looking to make it in Latin America, would be well-advised to incorporate those themes. The popularity we’ve seen from them cannot be underestimated, with our instant games Penalty Shootout and Football Manager proving to be incredibly popular.

What should suppliers and operators be doing to boost their chances of LatAm success?

The first thing to remember is that you must adapt your offering on the basis of geography. To make the most of the opportunities LatAm provides, it’s critical to fully account for the cultural differences that exist across the continent – merely changing a game’s language will not be enough.

Conducting a detailed and comprehensive analysis of your audience is a useful starting point. Using your findings to inform the title’s gameplay, visual effects, mechanics and bonus features is the next step. If the process is undertaken correctly, you should end up with a product that is fully adapted to the market you are targeting.

On a continent dominated by sports betting, how can casino providers maximise the potential for cross-sell?

While Latin America’s sports betting market remains tantalising for sportsbook operators, there is still a huge place for casino. Products with a sporting theme maximise the potential for cross-sell, as do those with in-game betting options.

Evoplay Entertainment’s impressive catalogue of sports-based instant games is, therefore, an ideal choice for the LatAm markets, with our already mentioned football-themed titles Penalty Shoot-out and Football Manager proving to real highlights. This is exactly in line with what we believe players are seeking under both lockdown and the potential for more cancellation of live sport. By allowing players to envision themselves as real-life footballers and football managers, we’ve tailored both games to a continental audience to ensure they’re always going to be entertained no matter what may be happening in the wider world.

Can you tell us how your new game engine, Spinential, can help operators drive acquisition within the LatAm markets specifically?

Adaptability and accessibility are the major requirements in growth regions such as Latin America. Making your content accessible to players using any device, including older models, remains crucial to success, especially if you want to make sure you capture the attention of your players with a premium gaming experience.

Cue Evoplay Entertainment’s groundbreaking solution, our Spinential game engine. It allows players to seamlessly enjoy our games in both developed and emerging markets, accelerating loading and download speeds by up to x10. It saves time and storage space for players and operators alike, facilitating access to our games for users with older devices and speeding up the UX for those with the latest models.

We’re absolutely delighted with how popular it’s already proving to be with operators in emerging markets, and it’s testament to the fact that if you have the right tech and solutions on hand, then you have a real chance to capture new market share. After all, audiences demand the same quality of gaming they see played online by their favourite streamers; anything less and they’ll be disappointed.

A lot has been said about Colombia’s strong potential. What other Latin American territories do you see as the ‘ones to watch’ heading into 2021?

In the next few years, we expect that our industry will continue to grow significantly in Latin America, there’s just too much opportunity not to! We’re already seeing the majority of LatAm’s territories working to regulate gambling, following on from the excellent example set by Colombia, where the market grew by two thirds in the first half of 2019 after the passage of gambling legislation.

Although Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Peru are all among the hottest prospects, there’s plenty of opportunities right across the continent. The largest market, Brazil, is likely to continue with the gradual introduction of regulation that began earlier this year, and our business development team is watching the process very closely.

Neighbouring Argentina has also legalised and regulated online gambling by issuing a limited number of licences for the province of Buenos Aires. With the law set to be extended soon, there should be plenty more invited to the party soon enough. Finally, Peru is expected to introduce new legislation for the regulation of online gambling in the near future to ensure the market becomes more open for all. Wherever you look in Latin America, growth is just around the corner – and we’re very excited to be a part of it.