As hundreds of exhibitors descended upon SBC Summit Rio last month to mark the nation’s landmark launch of regulated online casino and sports betting, localisation and personalisation was one of the many key topics on the show floor.
Being able to reach Brazilian audiences in an authentic and engaging way is crucial for long-term success, but actually amassing that knowledge is easier said than done.
PopOK Gaming is one company that is now in the newly regulated market, having been certified by its regulator. Diana Andreyan, Business Development Executive at the supplier, chats to iGaming Expert from the show floor at Riocentro and says that the vast experience that it has in Brazil has put it in good stead.
Andreyan explains: “We remain committed to creating engaging games that will satisfy the needs of our Brazilian players, which are more engaging. Dynamic animations and popular mechanics are different and engaging features that our Brazilian players love.
“We are always doing analytical research,” she adds. “We have several strategies to understand what players really love and accordingly, we are making and creating our games so that they are satisfied and love our games.”
“People really love cultural themes that are connected to their national character”
But what results does this research yield and what has PopOK learnt about Brazilian players since it has been in the market?
One notable thing in Andreyan’s view is that it’s necessary to tap into the cultural heartbeat of Brazilians.
She explains: “People really love cultural themes that are connected to their national character. Brazilian players really have a strong preference for vibrant themes, high volatility games and engaging visuals.
“Players really love the bonus features that offer frequent wins or dynamic game playing rewards. So we provide all of this. We make nice visuals that will catch the audience’s attention. We are providing plenty of promotions, free spins and other bonus features that keep the players coming.”
High volatility games have been identified as something that Brazilian players in particular are interested in, compared to players in other nations.
Asked why this is the case, Andreyan goes back to the cultural nuances of this intriguing market.
“If you want to stay in the market, you need to create something that the players are really connected to”
“I think it is part of the Brazilian national character; people here like taking risks. They are more in theory, they are very passionate about everything. I think this is one of the reasons that they like high volatility, so that they could see better results and more results in a short time.”
As aforementioned, PopOK Gaming has plenty of experience in Brazil, having been live in the nation for sometime. With a slightly bigger sample size to analyse data from, it’s interesting to dive into some of the company’s biggest performing titles in Brazil, as it can offer a glimpse into those local players’ demands.
Andreyan highlights these top performing games, pointing out that they all contain ‘culturally appealing themes’.
“I can mention many games that our Brazilian players love, but I will mention some of them, like Yo Dragon, Fortune Panda, Rico Gorilla, Fruit Ninja and more. What truly captures the imaginations of our players are the dynamic, engaging bonus features, the dynamic animations and captivating visuals.
“Culturally appealing themes are very popular with players. If you want to stay in the market, you need to create something that the players are really connected to, which is the cultural themes.”
“We are very popular in Brazil and Peru”
Brazil is of course at the top of mind for PopOK in 2025 as the market evolves in this new era of regulation. But it also has a presence in other LatAm markets, such as Peru and Mexico.
Andreyan notes that Latin America is of particular interest to the company as it foresees it being a key growth driver in the next few years.
Having been licensed in Peru and Brazil in the last few months, it is also live in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico and seeks to drive popularity to its platforms in each of these markets.
“We are very popular in Brazil and Peru and these are the two LatAm markets we were certified in recently,” concludes Andreyan. “But we are also popular in other markets across the region.”
