The upcoming FIFA World Cup marks a major opportunity for Brazilian operators as they look to capture market and engage a captive sports audience.
Speaking to iGamingExpert, Samuel Vilar Pereira, Head of Sportsbook at UX Group, expressed his excitement around the tournament as ‘a special moment’ for the country’s burgeoning betting sector.
Pereira stated: “The Brazilian regulated market is brand new, and it’s going to be the first experience of most of the operators in a World Cup. For sportsbooks, this is the most special moment, considering that a huge increase on recreative betting is expected.
“The challenge is to keep this engagement after the World Cup, and all the operators should be thinking not only in the World Cup, but in the moment before and after.”
Elevating the anticipation and the opportunity around the World Cup is only heightened by the football fandom that exists in Brazil.
“For most of the world, Brazil is known as the country of football,” stated Pereira.
“All of society’s sectors pause in this period and start to draw their business towards this moment, considering that the population is boiling over this moment. Naturally, it’s expected to have a huge increase of recreational bettors enjoying the moment, and this excitement is only going to be translated into engagement with a solid experience for the customer.”
Pereira detailed the key ingredients for success during the World Cup, as he outlined that “all business verticals should be involved in the process, thinking of delivering the best possible experience”.
He continued: “It’s a huge opportunity for operators of all sizes to increase their market share and keep the business growing during the license period.”
There was, however, a warning that regulation is getting increasingly tough, and this is set to present a challenge for operators looking to maximise engagement in a competitive landscape.
He explained: “With the regulation, the market is even tougher for everyone, from small to huge companies. There’s a natural battle for tech people to be hired, because everyone needs to increase the speed and quality of deliveries for the customers, creating unique features ahead of everyone and dictating the rhythm of the market is a must.
“The tech team is at the centre of interest from everyone, and we can see that huge investments are being made. At UX Group, there’s already a huge investment in tech to support the product development and help in this process.
“With Brazilian regulation, the market is getting more aggressive, and new ways of working retention are at full power. Gamification, solid UX/UI and communication with the client is a must, and those who are not prepared are going to lose a great opportunity. After the tournament, it’s going to be a very strong challenge for retention teams to increase all of those facts above.”
The challenge for market share is significant during the event, as sportsbooks compete to win the attention of viewers. However, Pereira noted that the sheer size of the event means that “all sizes of operators have a good shot this year”.
He continued: “It’s a moment where the world stops to engage in various forms with the World Cup, and the pool of customers increases substantially.
“Those operators that are prepared and creating the best experience for the customers, involving all business verticals, will have the opportunity to take an even greater market share.”
In terms of the key factors for success, Pereira pinpointed the vital nature of ‘creating a good narrative and boosting outright markets’ as crucial.
He went on to state: “At UX Group, we believe that the World Cup doesn’t start in June. Since the beginning of the year, there’s already an expectation from customers, and as a company, we should engage and connect with them from now.”
He added that tapping into gamification is vital in maximising player retention and creating a good environment and hype for this event.’
“I believe that influencers and affiliate marketing will also be important in any period, but even more with the World Cup approaching.”
“The key for this, I believe, involves both CRM and product teams. To keep players’ engagement during this period, you’ll need to have good gamification, solid streaming, and promotions that will keep players engaged both in huge matches and lesser-known matches. Building such products will allow operators to connect with the client and keep them engaged through this period.
“Naturally, world cup already brings interest even for those less relevant matches, but the company that will take the spot, I truly believe that they should work gamification and product.”
One element of engagement that will be key is live betting, and the “revolutionary” Pix payments ecosystem can enable this to thrive.
“The World Cup is a very fast-paced environment, where the volume increases considerably and having a strong and solid PSP is a must. All the metrics increase substantially and are boosted by efficient payments in PIX,” concluded Peraira.
