Sebastian Damian, CCO of Booongo, spoke to Yogonet, one of the biggest gaming news portals in the Latin America, and shared his vision on working on this market.

After the company's first year at Juegos Miami, which took place last month in Coral Gables, Damian tells Yogonet that visitors sought to understand where the local regulation goes and what solutions are on the market to differentiate. He says LatAm and the Caribbean markets are still focused on land-based and sports operations, and the player’s behavior reflects this "very much." Booongo's InGame tournament for casinos drew the most interest.

Could you describe Booongo Entertainment's presence and offering at Juegos Miami 2019?

The Latin American online market has huge importance for Booongo and our presence at Juegos Miami underlines the commitment we have for the market and for our clients in there. The conference was good and productive, with a big number of operators showing their interest in our new marketing tools created to increase the player engagement with their casino vertical and improve the conversion rates from sports to the casino. The event had a big and select audience and this made it even more important for us, but also for the other attendees. Of course, it was great to meet again some of the friends and partners in the market and plan on how we can extend our cooperation.

What does Juegos Miami mean for you as a company this year? What topics have visitors been looking to talk to Booongo about, especially regarding LatAm and the Caribbean opportunities?

This year was the first time we’ve been to Miami and we’ve decided to make our debut at the conference by being one of the main sponsors of the event. The visitors were all looking for getting a better understanding of where the local regulation goes and what solutions are on the market to differentiate and increase the profit marginswhile keeping the players happy. That is not something easy to do, but happily there are some good solutions in the market.

Could you identify new demands from operators and players? What’s your approach and strategies in that sense?

The LatAm and the Caribbean markets are still focused on land-based and sports operations, so the player’s behavior reflects this very much. In this contest, the operators were looking at ways to diversify their offering towards the players while increasing their engagement with the brand, as the competition increases while each of those markets moves closer towards getting regulated.

How could Booongo’s offering stand out in these markets among a growing competition? What’s the feedback you’re getting from LatAm jurisdictions, and which product profiles are the most successful in each of them?

The market needs new tools to address the needs of the operators in the new context and Booongo is filling that gap very well with a few of the tools we’re providing, especially the InGame tournament which attracts the sports players and engages them in a race to reward who wins the most on the casino side. This is something hugely customizable for each operator in the market and gives them an edge over the competition, while increasing the margins as well — I dare say this is what most of them showed their interest in.

Have you participated in or attended academic activities or panels? What learnings could you acquire there?

The panels were especially interesting due to the details on the regulation side and the moves each of the individual markets is taking in order to protect its players while being sure there is a fair and equal competition between the operators.

What is the company’s stand and expectations about Brazil’s sports betting opening, and the ongoing debate over gaming legalization?

Nobody really knows when the Brazilian market will get finally regulated, but this is something we are all waiting for as this will bring a lot of opportunities for both the operators and providers on one side, but also for the players on the other side. As Brazil is and will remain the biggest gambling market in the region, we’re looking forward to any news on when and in what conditions the market could get regulated.

Could you share some details on Booongo’s agenda and projects for the next months?

There are plenty of things happening on our agenda while we continue growing in Europe and Asia, our established markets, while expanding to Africa and Latin America. We are currently exploring the options we have for a solid footprint in each of the new markets by getting local teams that sit closer to the client and assist much faster.

Link to Yogonet article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2019/06/19/50135-at-juegos-miami-operators-were-looking-for-ways-to-diversify-their-offering-while-increasing-brand-engagement 

Tags: interview, yogonet, media, press