INTRODUCTION

SBC Summit Latinoamérica is the conference and trade show for the sports betting and iGaming industry professionals doing business in LATAM or considering expanding their services in the region. The event took place on November 1-3 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida.

Which were the top trends that you focused on in the recent 2022 SBC Summit Latinoamérica edition?

CR: The SBC Summit Latinoamérica conference agenda was jam-packed with actionable insights from key regional industry stakeholders — operators, affiliates, suppliers, brand ambassadors, journalists, compliance and payment specialists, and regional sports clubs and organizations. In one way or another, current gambling industry trends were at the epicenter of the panel discussions, regardless of the topic that was being examined.

We discussed how to leverage influencers to enter emerging markets and improve brand awareness, and how local companies can assist international operators in their market entry efforts (inspired by the recent opening of the online markets of the Province of Buenos Aires, which requires international operators to partner with local companies in order to launch.)

We also discussed sports partnerships, how they are evolving in an attempt to establish interactive relationships with fans and the role of social media in achieving that. Staying on the topic of sports clubs, we had a panel around the modernization of sports at a time when football clubs are launching their own NFTs and esports teams. We also discussed how sports events are increasingly being watched virtually via influencers and streamers and how the industry can leverage this shift to gain a competitive advantage.

Another topic that was talked about a lot was the influence video games have on casino content, as game developers increasingly add video game features and elements to modern-day slots to attract new audiences.

We also delved into the topic of esports and how operators can ensure that traditional sports fans in countries like Brazil and Argentina, where football enjoys immense popularity, can be attracted to esports.

Finally, we spoke about new payment technologies and solutions that can help LATAM avoid the mistakes that happened in more mature markets (like the EU and the UK), and how AI-powered solutions can help us with identity verification, conversion optimization, fraud detection, and anti-money laundering measures.

What kind of companies did you target? Why?

CR: We always try to ensure that our events can prove fruitful for everyone attending. Our LATAM event targets companies that are either interested in entering regional markets or the ones that are already established and are successfully operating in the region. But that's the only "restriction," so to speak.

Our goal was to bring in industry stakeholders from multiple verticals, whether it's a casino or sportsbook operator, affiliates with LATAM traffic, game providers offering their titles in the region, sportsbook platforms, CRM and compliance solutions, or payment providers — everyone really.

In terms of the company size, we welcomed giant corporations, medium-sized businesses as well as start-ups, as each and every attendee has something to offer. Those who are already thriving in the market can share ideas with those looking to conduct business in that area. Start-ups can look for potential investors and business leads, and medium-sized companies can look into further establishing their brand in the region. SBC Summit Latinoamérica is an event that can benefit any company active in the gambling industry, irrespective of their size, status, or the vertical they operate in.

For our 2022 edition, most attendees came from Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, the US, the UK, and Canada, while companies like Altenar, Bazoom Group, Betconstruct, Betcris, Better Collective, Betmaster, Condor Gaming, Evolution, Jumio, Key Affiliates, Kushki, Mondo Gaming, Pascal, Optimove, Sportingtech and Vivo Gaming were among the exhibitors — as you can see how these companies represent various industry verticals.

Considering that the World Cup is at the door and Latin America is one of the main target markets for this worldwide event, how have you addressed this topic during the Summit?

Latin America is a very promising region — many people in the region are avid sports fans and the World Cup is a great acquisition opportunity for bookmakers that only comes around every four years. Naturally, as customer acquisition is always a priority for gambling businesses worldwide, the upcoming World Cup dominated the discussions held during SBC Summit Latinoamérica.

A recent VIXIO report published in May forecasts that locally-licensed online gambling revenue across 11 Latin American countries will reach US$4.4bn by 2026, up significantly from an estimated US$870m in 2021. Therefore, the region is indeed one of the main target markets and is not to be overlooked by the industry.

We had a separate panel session during which Florencia Brancato (Global Head of Markets, Pinnacle), Javier Troncoso (Chief Revenue Officer, Futbol Sites), Rony Vexelman (VP Marketing, Optimove), Jack Smith (Sales Director, Sportingtech) and Luciana Hendrich (Partner and Founder, Hendrich Digital Content) examined the expectations (and the reality) of this year's World Cup.   

Additionally, Juan Pablo Varsky, the acclaimed Argentinian journalist and Futbol Sites and Playmaker ambassador, shared his thoughts on the World Cup during his opening keynote session, covering both the sports and the gambling angle of the topic. 

We also spoke about the football tournament and its missed opportunities in Brazil, which legalized the operation of fixed-odds sports betting in late 2018 but is still in the process of adopting regulations for a competitive market.

What was the feedback from the visitors and exhibitors in general?

It has been genuinely overwhelmingly positive. This was our biggest-to-date SBC event in the LATAM region, and we are confident that the 2022 edition really contributed towards cementing us as the biggest exhibition and conference in the region.

I've had in-person discussions with the exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and attendees to ask for their feedback, as we always strive to improve things no matter how well everything went. We received a bunch of compliments and praise from the likes of Betby, Better Collective, Boca Juniors, Codere, EstrelaBet, Evolution, Futbol Sites, IDnow, Liga Pro, Pariplay, Retabet, and more. It has also been great to go through the post-event survey and read all the feedback, which has solidified our impression that the event was a huge success with the current 55 Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Most of our attendees noted that they particularly enjoyed the event thanks to the great conference content, the fruitful conversations they had with existing customers, the new prospects they've found for their business, and the great networking opportunities on and off the exhibition floor. As Javier Troncoso, COO at Futbol Sites said, SBC has "set the bar high," so we will do our absolute best to surpass everyone's expectations at the 2023 edition of SBC Summit Latinoamérica that takes place in Miami from October 31 to November 2.