With the appointment of Ana María Padrós as the main manager of the brand in her country, Betcris takes a step further in its Latin American expansion plan and reaffirms the importance of Peru in the sports betting market. Yogonet interviewed the executive, who, while waiting for regulation and in the middle of a debate on a possible new tax burden, stated: “The regulation of in-person betting in Peru is one of the best in Latin America, therefore, it is a good platform to establish online gaming.”
Although you have a strong track record in the gaming industry, as an executive in large companies and as a freelancer, this is your first experience in the sports betting industry. What is your analysis of the market? What opportunities and challenges does a company like Betcris, which has been operating in the country for several years, have today?
Peru is a market with a lot of gaming experience, this helps the sports betting vertical to be widely accepted. The option to gamble online considerably expands the reach. Betcris debuted almost 15 years ago in Peru and positioned itself very well in one sector of the market. Now it’s time to grow the brand’s presence and with it all the business indicators. We have a strong product, we just have to bring it to market. This is the challenge for 2022.
As it does not yet have its own regulation, sports betting does not have a special tax regime (although operators with addresses in the country pay income tax), however, the current government has made public its intention to tax online gambling with the General Sales Tax. What is Betcris’ stand on this matter?
On the subject of regulation, we are the first to promote it. The tax on online gambling is appropriate and gives sustainability to the industry in the country. The General Sales Tax (IGV, for its initials in Spanish) does not apply since the proposed regulation contemplates a special tax appropriate to the operation of the business. Our position is to continue supporting the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism as we always have.
Betcris has accompanied the regulation processes of several markets and several industry players agree that the time of regulation in Peru is near. What is the best regulatory model for this country?
An equitable model that understands the activity where there is very low retention on bets’ volume. The regulation of in-person betting in Peru is one of the best in Latin America, therefore, it is a good platform to establish the online gaming one.
Peru Gaming Show will return with its in-person event in December. Will Betcris participate in it?
At this event, we will not be exhibitors, but we will be present to support the return of the activity and evaluate new proposals. Of course, we also want to reconnect with friends from the industry.
What goals have you set for your first year of management at Betcris?
Connect with the team, ensure that the pillars of management are firm, and carry out the commercial strategy successfully. Let’s give it our all!
