The Brazilian iGaming Summit (BiS) held its second edition last month in downtown São Paulo, drawing nearly 2,000 people and gathering more than 35 exhibitors and sponsors. One of them was Skilrock Technologies, and Yogonet was able to speak with Sujit Lahiry, Executive Director & Board Member, who noted BiS has “quickly become a milestone event” for the region.
He said Brazil is a “country of continental dimensions” and that state lotteries will play “an important role in bringing capillarity” to the vertical in this Latin American jurisdiction. “We are sure that the Latam region will play a very important role for Skilrock with the upcoming changing regulatory landscape,” he said in an exclusive interview.
Skilrock was one of the main exhibitors at the second edition of the Brazilian iGaming Summit (BiS), weeks after having participated in the Peru Gaming Show (PGS). How did the product selection for PGS and BiS differ, and where did you choose to focus on for the Brazilian market?
The Latam region has a unique culture that can differ within countries yet still bind people together with similarities in likes and preferences. It was very impressive to see a tremendous response to our exhibit in Peru and BiS was an extension to it with a local flavor added.
The key products for the exhibition in Brazil were digital & physical scratch solutions, instant lottery, high-frequency games like Keno and Bingo and sports lottery. Content localization in Portuguese is a focus point in making our content suitable for the Brazilian market.
In relation to your initial objectives and expectations for this event, how do you assess the results of your participation in BiS? What was the feedback from operators, and how will this presence help in your business strategies for Brazil looking ahead?
We are elated with the response to the first edition of BIS in 2021, and therefore we were back in the 2nd edition of the event in Brazil which is sure to become one of the leading markets in LATAM with its size and unique requirements. BIS has quickly become a milestone event for the region to bridge the gap between operators and suppliers, sharing the latest trends & global outlook within the industry.
The regulation of sports betting, the legalization of gambling, and the resurgence of state lotteries will surely boost the demand for experienced gaming technology providers in the country, and we hope to counter this demand by offering our solutions that are running successfully in many emerging regions.
Considering that you have an office in Brazil and operate in this country, how were these and other investments reflected in your participation in the Brazilian iGaming Summit? Which competitive advantages will these assets and experience provide you with once other markets become regulated and new competitors join this arena?
Yes, our local presence helps us to understand the nuances of the market. This results in connecting better with the requirements of the region and catering to the demand in a structured manner. With regulation in sight, it’s important for operators to find the right partner. Skilrock has a successful track record in not just proving technology to emerging markets but also providing consultancy to run operations successfully through its decades of domain experience in this industry.
Brazil’s sports betting legislation will be in full force as of December 13 this year, with the regulation of Law No. 13,756/18 expected to not be too far behind, and the debate of PL 442/91 project including online gaming is also expected to move forward soon. In this context, BiS was attended by officials such as Geanluca Lorenzon, of Brazil’s Ministry of Economy, who noted the “commitment that everything will be transparent and the regulation will be available to the market”. What do you expect from this regulation and how do you plan to quickly adapt to the new rules?
Skilrock is positioned outside India as a technology provider and not as an operator as our parent company, Sugal & Damani, operates lotteries in the legal territories of India.
As such, regardless of the legal path that is taken in Brazil for Sports Betting, we place ourselves in the market as an Omni Gaming & Omni Channel Technology Platform provider for local operators. Either through the new rules that will come into effect, through State Lotteries, or even new modalities that may be approved in Brazil.
Skilrock participated in a round table on good practices and expectations in lottery operations in Brazil, where Alexandre Tauszig, regional manager for LATAM of Skilrock, joined Marcio Borges Malta, CEO of SorteOnline, and Otávio Cunha, president of Loterj. What is your assessment of this round table? How were the ideas of the different speakers able to converge there, and what were the key takeaways, conclusions and learnings? Were you able to attend any other panel or lecture?
The participation of our LATAM Regional Manager, Alexandre Tauszig, was very important because he presented the vision of the company that understands the social role of the Lotteries.
The panel was very positive and the ideas of all the participants converged on some key points: Brazil is a country of continental dimensions and State Lotteries will play an important role in bringing capillarity to the Legal Lottery Game in Brazil. The union of the various State Lotteries in Brazil, seeking a common voice and the importance of the Lotteries being assisted by good technology platforms were also other prominent points that were addressed.
An important message was also left at the end of Alexandre’s speech. He brought a quote from the former regulator of Peru: “The main goal of a regulator is not to increase revenue, but to create a quality game.” Manuel San Román, Former Regulator of Peru.
Organizers said next year will be held in a different, bigger location. Do you expect this will open more doors to better capitalize on this kind of summit? How do you plan to take advantage of this?
BIS had a fantastic turnout even though it was only the 2nd edition of the event. We are sure the bigger location will help bring a wider audience to the show and cement its position as a key event for the region. A bigger space will help us to showcase our product offerings in a better way. Seeing is believing and we are sure visitors to our stand will benefit from live demos, games and experience zones that require a bigger booth space.
Which are your next steps and priorities in the region, for instance, in terms of industry events?
We are very happy with the results of our participation in Latam events like PGS and BIS. We are sure that the Latam region will play a very important role for Skilrock with the upcoming changing regulatory landscape.
We are committed to the region and will be participating in the major industry events as scheduled. Skilrock is participating in the CIBELAE conference this week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Apart from this, our Latam team will be kept busy with various networking events in the region.
