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LatAm industry leaders from EstrelaBet, BetWarrior, Betsson Group, Optimove and MWPay discussed the future of user engagement, responsible gaming, streaming culture and World Cup-driven growth during the panel “Strategic Change: Transforming the Identity of iGaming for the Global Stage” at SBC Summit Americas, held June 10-11 in Florida.
The iGaming industry is no longer competing only against other sportsbooks. That was one of the clearest conclusions to emerge from the SBC Summit Americas panel, where executives argued that betting operators are increasingly battling for attention against streaming services, gaming platforms and the wider digital entertainment ecosystem.
Featuring Fellipe Fraga, CBO of EstrelaBet; Mauricio Soto, Account Executive LatAm of Optimove; Andrea Rossi, Commercial Director LatAm of Betsson Group; Santiago Gandara, CMO of BetWarrior; and Fernando Garita, CBO of MWPay, the discussion focused heavily on changing consumer behavior ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the broader evolution of the online gambling industry.
Competing with Netflix, not just sportsbooks
Opening the conversation, Fellipe Fraga, Chief Business Officer of EstrelaBet, pointed to the massive shift in user expectations over the past decade.
“Years ago, sportsbooks were basically Excel spreadsheets with odds,” he said. “Now the generations have changed. Gen Z and younger audiences want something much more connected to entertainment and experience.”
According to Fraga, operators are now competing for users’ leisure time against streaming platforms and digital entertainment companies rather than solely against rival betting brands.
“Our competition today is not just another sportsbook,” he said. “We compete against streamers, movie platforms and series platforms because people spend hours there binge-watching content. We need to understand how to offer a similar level of engagement.”
He added that modern betting platforms increasingly incorporate live streaming, casino products and broader gamification mechanics to extend session times and deepen user engagement.
“You can watch Ukrainian basketball or table tennis from another country directly inside betting platforms,” Fraga noted. “That changes the dynamic completely.”
Santiago Gandara of BetWarrior Argentina agreed that the industry must learn from the engagement models built by streaming and gaming companies.
“There’s a lot to learn from Netflix, from series platforms and from gaming,” Gandara said. “The industry used to compete mainly through pricing and odds. Now we’re competing through experience.”
He pointed specifically to retention strategies developed in video games, including missions, progression systems and personalized engagement.
“That Excel spreadsheet model Felipe mentioned is no longer enough,” he said. “Now the challenge is content-driven engagement and gamification.”
The World Cup as a turning point for Latin American betting
The ongoing FIFA World Cup was a central topic throughout the panel, with speakers highlighting both its commercial opportunities and operational challenges.
Andrea Rossi, Commercial Director for LatAm at Betsson Group, said the company had spent a long time preparing for the tournament and adapting technologically to evolving player behavior.
“For a long time mobile was considered the second screen,” Rossi said. “Today it’s the first screen.”
He argued that sports betting and online gaming are no longer secondary entertainment activities but increasingly central to users’ digital consumption habits.
“We invested heavily in technology to align ourselves with this evolution,” he explained. “We are prepared and very excited for the World Cup.”
Fraga noted that the tournament arrives at a particularly important moment for Brazil following last year’s regulation of its betting market.
“During the Qatar World Cup, Brazil was still operating in a gray area,” he said. “Now we have a regulated market, clearer rules, responsible gaming controls and stronger oversight around match-fixing.”
He also pointed to scheduling advantages compared to Qatar 2022, where time-zone differences complicated viewing habits across Latin America.
“This time, matches will happen when people are leaving work, going to bars or gathering at home with family,” Fraga said. “The growth potential during this World Cup could be unlike anything Brazil has seen before.”
Fernando Garita, Chief Business Officer of MWPay, emphasized the operational pressures tied to major sporting events.
“The volumes can triple during the tournament,” he said. “That applies not only to operators but also payment processors and the broader ecosystem.”
Garita added that the World Cup consistently attracts new audiences that may not normally participate in betting.
“You see older adults, casual fans and completely new users entering during the World Cup because it’s connected to national identity and emotion,” he explained. “The challenge is how much of that audience operators can retain afterward.”
Retention, personalization and the importance of data
Mauricio Soto, Account Executive Latam at Optimove, argued that retention strategies are becoming more important than pure acquisition metrics.
“A first deposit doesn’t really tell you much,” Soto said. “The key metric is the second deposit and understanding the depth of interaction.”
He stressed that personalization has become essential, particularly during massive events like the World Cup where users engage in very different ways.
“Not every player cares about every match,” Soto said. “Some follow their national team, some follow a specific star player, and others are casino users who may only place one sports bet during the tournament.”
According to Soto, operators risk alienating users if they communicate indiscriminately during high-volume events.
“There’s a temptation to promote every match to every player,” he explained. “But if you treat a casual casino player like a hardcore football bettor, you’ll probably lose that user.”
Soto shared findings from a recent study conducted across Latin America, revealing that 86% of gaming users planned to place sports bets during the World Cup and 76% expected to continue betting after the tournament ended.
One particularly interesting trend, he said, involves fan behavior after national teams are eliminated.
“When users lose their favorite team, many shift toward supporting star players like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, or they adopt another national team,” Soto said. “That creates new engagement opportunities.”
Responsible gaming and advertising pressure
The panel also addressed the increasingly sensitive issue of advertising saturation and public perception.
Gandara warned that operators risk damaging the industry’s reputation if they pursue overly aggressive short-term marketing strategies during the World Cup.
“If all users see during a football match is an invasion of sportsbook ads, that can generate backlash,” he said. “The World Cup should be viewed as the beginning of a long-term relationship with users, not just an opportunity to maximize short-term revenue.”
Rossi echoed those concerns and emphasized the importance of responsible gaming initiatives.
“Betsson was one of the first international operators to establish a dedicated responsible gaming team,” he said. “Now the challenge is making sure the industry communicates responsibly as regulation expands.”
He added that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to identify problematic gambling behaviors before they escalate.
“The same technology helping operators grow can also help prevent gambling harm,” Rossi said.
Fraga noted that public criticism in Brazil has intensified due to the sheer visibility of betting brands in sports broadcasts.
“People turn on a football match and see eight betting brands everywhere,” he said. “That creates a perception problem.”
As a result, EstrelaBet intentionally shifted its latest World Cup campaign away from aggressive betting-focused messaging.
“We didn’t want a campaign about ‘bet now’ or bonuses,” Fraga explained. “We wanted something broader and more entertainment-focused, something that could almost belong to another industry.”
Prediction markets and the future of regulation
Toward the end of the panel, speakers discussed prediction markets and the growing debate surrounding their regulation across Latin America.
While Brazil and Argentina have both temporarily paused certain prediction-market activities, panelists agreed the sector will continue expanding globally.
“Prediction markets are going to arrive in Latin America one way or another,” Gandara said. “The question is not whether they’ll exist but how regulators will approach them.”
Rossi argued that outright prohibition is unlikely to succeed.
“The market exists and users exist,” he said. “The challenge for regulators is finding the right structure.”
Garita added that regulators across the region are increasingly being forced to react to technological developments that move faster than legislation itself.
“Technology and consumer demand always arrive before regulation,” he said.