A land of online opportunity

The knock of opportunity in Latin America is sounding ever louder, and the international igaming industry is waking up to the possibilities of markets in the region introducing viable online regulation for the first time. 

Operators and suppliers in Europe’s mature markets are beginning to jostle for, with Colombia the prime example of a Latin American country that has embraced intelligent regulation to establish itself as an attractive jurisdiction. 

However, while the rich promise of the Latin American market is becoming far more tangible than it was ten years ago, both land-based incumbents and international entrants must be aware of the need to understand the region’s varied customer base if they are to succeed. 

The flexible approach

Operators and suppliers alike must be wary of treating all Latin America as one homogenous territory. With an eye on wider strategic planning for the LatAm region, they need to operate on a flexible platform that can cater to the demands of players in different jurisdictions.

International operators would be well served in recognising that rolling out exactly the same products that took them to the top in Europe is unlikely to set them on the path to success in Latin America. 

The capacity to efficiently build a bespoke product that speaks to local customers, and that emphasises the right sports markets in a timely manner, will be critical to an operator’s hopes of success. 

This is why R. Franco Digital’s IRIS OPEN OMNICHANNEL PLATFORM allows easy integrations, offers more than 15 payment gateways, and in excess of 1,500 games, as well as regulatory expertise for the entire region.

Time to go mobile

According to H2 Gambling Capital, just 20.9% of total gross igaming win is currently generated through the mobile channel in Latin America. 

The proliferation of mobile devices across Latin America has been highlighted by a number of recent studies. According to the State of Broadband 2016 report, produced by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of mobile connection subscribers grew 802.5% from 2010-2015. While parts of Latin America do still lack the online infrastructure present in sections of Europe, the situation is fast improving. 

All this is to underline the vast potential of the mobile market in Latin America. Internet connectivity via mobile is growing at a far faster rate than that of fixed connections, and the possibilities are plentiful for operators that equip themselves to take advantage. 

Exciting times ahead

The opportunities on offer in Latin America are coming into sharper focus, and as other jurisdictions follow in Colombia’s footsteps the region has the potential to be a tremendous driver of growth for the industry in the coming years. 

Operators must be aware of the requirements for each individual market, and alive to the vast upward potential of the mobile sector if they are to succeed. As ever, a flexible platform will be the key drivers of these goals. 

Proud home to more than 50 years of experience in Spanish-language gaming, the R. Franco Group is already in a series of productive discussions with online operators targeting Latin America as its jurisdictions regulate, and with opportunity knocking, the scramble for advantage in Latin America is only just beginning.