Online gaming regulation across Latin America is one of the standout topics of discussion in the industry at the moment, and as a supplier, being able to differentiate in LatAm markets as and when they open up will be crucial to achieving success.
The best way to approach this is by making sure our offering is tailored and localised to each individual market. Given there are 33 countries in the region and the total population is approximately 650 million, there will be many nuances to consider. Player tastes and interests will vary in each individual nation, and even local regions within those nations. Our offering will have to meet the expectations of operators, and ultimately, their player demographics. We need to focus on providing mobile-friendly platforms and diverse payment options that cater to local preferences.
Differences to consider
The LatAm markets individually exhibit significant differences, in terms of player preferences and technological infrastructure. For example, while Brazil is expected to be incredibly lucrative when it comes to sports betting, mainly due to the popularity of football there, players in Mexico tend to show a higher level of engagement in online casinos.
These differences inform our technical and development decisions, and it is important for us to incorporate flexibility within that development so that the playing experience matches up with the expectations of the players.
Step forward Tropicana
With this in mind, we have been developing a front-end which can cater to the specifics of individual LatAm territories: Tropicana. The platform will act as a customised, tailored front-end specifically for partners in LatAm markets. Tropicana has been built on the back of extensive market research, where the data informed us about what the region is looking for. This is a significant development, because the platform will help us enhance our product offering, following the recent launch of our sportsbook product, by increasing cross-sell opportunities with casino and payment methods.
Within Tropicana, the experience across both sportsbook and casino is quite similar, in terms of switching and navigating, and the benefits are twofold. When you’re navigating in the casino, we will deploy a sportsbook widget which will present you with a list of ongoing matches, which can generate a payslip in one tap without necessarily moving away from the online casino. Similarly, the widget can show online casino offers and games while the player is using the sportsbook.
The different payment methods, such as cash-based solutions and local e-wallets, should be region-specific, and we’re currently looking into the best methods to implement payment solutions in this way. This will allow us to enhance accessibility and the overall user experience.
With the Tropicana template, we have heavily invested in building a frontend which will resonate with the LatAm market. This will incorporate local languages, themes, promotions and payment methods, thereby increasing the client’s relevance and appeal to local players.
We are also working on building targeted promotional and loyalty programs which will encourage players to engage with multiple product lines between the verticals. I think this is absolutely the direction we need to keep moving towards, because customisation is hugely significant when it comes to localising your offering.
The technical process
When expanding into any new territory, the first step you have to take is to make sure you understand the market you’re going into. Having an experienced team who understand the nuances of your target market is always a good start and then, from that point, you have to prioritise market research and player feedback from the outset.
When building out a product that has to be adaptable for different markets, there are several technical issues to consider. Traffic levels differ in each individual market, so it is important to ensure our infrastructure is robust and scalable enough to handle higher volumes.
Another differentiation between markets can be languages, so you have to be able to provide multilingual support. There is also the task of integrating local payment gateways, because the technicalities of this can be complex and must be deeply considered.
There are plenty of other issues you also have to take into consideration. Understanding the cultural differences, preferences and regulatory landscape of the target market is essential.
Another key point when building a localised product is that it has to be adaptable as you go along. You need to incorporate flexibility in the product design to allow for ongoing customisation and updates based on player feedback. This will undoubtedly enhance the product’s relevance and success.
These are all issues which Tropicana seeks to address, offering a simplified method of being able to implement technology which incorporates each of these tasks.
Practice makes perfect
Aside from the technicalities, games must be tested rigorously before going to market, but you also have to work out which particular games to launch via market research and seeing how player habits are changing over time.
At iGP, we conduct extensive market research and user testing to gather feedback and refine products before launch. Then, following the launch of those games, we continuously monitor and update the games based on player feedback and market trends.
A proactive and strategic approach to improving games makes sure your products remain competitive in the long-term, so it’s something we always have to keep an eye on.
Find out more
Our experienced and dedicated team are always willing to chat and tell you about how we can help you. If you want to find out more about Tropicana and how we can deliver a tailored approach for the LatAm markets you are operating in, please feel free to reach out today.
