In 2019, many suggested that the US wasn’t the only emerging market that sportsbooks should have their eye on. And with good reason too. In 2020, South America is still proving to be a land of opportunity, with a burgeoning population keen on sports and the prospects of legalised betting becoming increasingly realised.
For big operators and small, there are plenty of ways to leverage from the various aspects that make LatAm uniquely appealing.
Leverage and localise
As many are aware, Latin Americans have a huge affiliation with football. And, as one of the most popular betting sports worldwide, this makes the region very attractive for both budding and established sportsbooks.
You only have to look at the more mature markets, like Europe, who share similar levels of appreciation for the game, to see just how opportune football betting can be, so operators would be wise to tap into this in Latin America too.
This is a great way to achieve localisation – using regional football tournaments to attract punters and provide them with an offering that will appeal to their passion for their local league or team. Add on more detailed components, such as Player Markets, and you can offer all new ways for fans to get closer to the action and their favourite athletes.
Embrace the future
While many in South America may currently trust and enjoy heading to a physical location to place a bet, this doesn’t mean operators should be investing in retail alone. Like all good business, smart operators will have one eye on the future and the trends of next generation audiences, given they are their potential next customers.
As such, arming themselves with online and mobile betting tools is the way to go, and now. You only have to look to LatAm’s close neighbours up north to see just how much an impact live in-play betting on a handheld device is having, despite the fact it’s still only early days for legalised betting activity in the US.
In response to such trends, Betradar continues to increase its live in-play markets across sports worldwide, including baseball, American football and basketball as part of our official data partnerships with the MLB, NFL and NBA. Together with our risk management and trading solution, Managed Trading Service (MTS), these tools can provide bookmakers with unique ways to both grow their profits and safeguard their operations.
Start with the foundations
Embracing online and mobile betting requires a dedicated understanding and investment in technology. Like the US, Latin America is currently in the emerging phase with varying audiences and legislation across the many different areas of the region. This can prove difficult to adjust to in ways that ensure a sportsbook can still produce results.
A lot of the potential fluctuation however can be handled if you have the right technical tools. Our new omnichannel OPTIMAMGS platform is one such option. Like all of our products and services, the platform has been developed using the latest cutting-edge innovation, meaning it can be integrated seamlessly and in as flexible manner as possible. This allows operators of all sizes to utilise it to supply and license markets and audiences worldwide in whatever way they choose. Used together with MTS, which is just as customisable, creates a complete betting, trading and platform solution, which is one of the best ways operators looking to make it big in LatAm can succeed.
