Webinar Round-up | Five learnings ahead of Brazil’s regulated sports betting launch

Genius Sports recently hosted a webinar titled “How to Prepare for the Regulation of Sports Betting in Brazil.” The session, conducted in Portuguese, featured Guilherme Buso (VP Brazil, Genius Sports), Fernando Garita (CEO, Betsul), 弗拉加费利佩·爱德华多 (Chief Business Officer, EstrelaBet), and Felipe Andrade (CEO, Arland Technologies).

Watch the webinar on-demand here .

With Brazil’s regulated sports betting market just around the corner, the next few months are critical for operators.132 companies have officially applied for a federal betting license and operators' focus is now turning to delivering a world-class sportsbook experience for Brazilian customers in January 2025.

On our latest webinar, held at a pivotal time in Brazil’s journey towards regulation, we were joined by industry experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges the industry is facing as it prepares for regulation.

What marketing channels will be most effective when acquiring new players? How can operators optimise their trading strategy to offer a localised product in a way that’s scalable? And with the Campeonato Brasileir?o midway through the season, how can operators grow profits on Brazilian football, while cross-selling players to growing sports such as the NFL?

We’ve summarised the top five learnings from the session to help operators and stakeholders gear up for the opportunities ahead.

Want to dive deeper? You can watch the full webinar on-demand here.

1. Regulation means a level playing field

When discussing Brazil’s regulatory journey, Fellipe Fraga said "We had been preparing for this for a long time, meeting all the criteria and requirements that were stipulated, to be ready at the right moment to apply for the license. The regulatory framework allows us to start this new phase with credibility, ensuring compliance with all legal processes."

Brazil has operated as a grey market for years, but the licensing process ensures that only companies meeting high standards of compliance and transparency will be permitted. A regulated market means that customers will be more trusting of the industry, unlocking growth opportunities for sportsbooks in the region. According to research by CNN Brazil, 15% of adult Brazilians already bet on sports, in a country with an adult population of over 140 million.

Regulation is also a win for consumers, with better protection, enhanced rights, and fair competition among operators.

2. Education and integrity are the foundation

The webinar also covered the importance of educating the public about sports betting to improve the sector’s image. Fernando Garita emphasised that the responsibility also sits in part with operators to help players understand the risks and mechanics of betting, and to promote responsible behaviour: "Education is critical. We need to help customers understand how betting works, just like going to the cinema is entertainment."

By providing clear information about betting practices and promoting transparency, the industry can combat negative perceptions and foster a more responsible betting environment. Fernando added that technology plays a crucial role in detecting and preventing fraudulent activity, especially when in many cases automation has been deployed by bad actors, rather than individuals, to exploit both operators and players.

3.? Official venue data elevates sports betting

Football remains king in Brazil, especially the Campeonato Brasileiro. Fellipe Fraga said: "When the Brasileir?o is active, betting volumes soar." To keep up with this demand, operators need real-time data and low-latency venue feeds to ensure that in-play betting markets are accurate and trustworthy, driving engagement throughout all 90 minutes of a match.

On popular leagues that drive a large proportion of betting activity, operators need to stay up to date with on-field action and be able to offer markets across the entire 90 minutes. Fellipe added that low-latency venue trading feeds is essential to doing this. Fraga said: “Having official data ensures trust, quick responses, and accuracy, which prevents conflicts with customers”.

Official venue feeds mean that live sports data is collected by a statistician within the stadium press box and instantly input to trading models to create in-play betting odds. This enables fast goal confirmation, rapid bet acceptance, accurate odds calculations and, when combined with machine-led trading models – near 100% in-play market uptime.

Low latency data is also fundamental to player prop betting markets, where bettors can bet on micro aspects of player performance as singles and in betbuilders. The rise of player props and micro-markets has already been seen in the U.S. and Europe, and Brazil is no different, Felipe stated, “Player-based markets are becoming more popular, and this diversification not only increases the number of bets but also boosts profitability”.

When the 2025 edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro begins in April next year, ultra-fast trading content will be the enabler of the rich live betting products demanded by Brazilian customers.

4. Localisation is key to driving revenues

In Brazil, sports fans across different regions follow different teams, bet on different markets and use different devices, making a regionalised strategy crucial. Felipe Andrade explained: “Sometimes it's necessary to look at Brazil as multiple 'Brazils'. We need to offer localised content, whether it's for a player from the Northeast or the South”.

Teams competing in Campeonato Brasileiro come from all coasts of Brazil, for example Sport Club do Recife (in the North East) and Grêmio (in the South East) are 2,000km apart. However, with both clubs enjoying fanatic support from their fanbases, operators can expect customers to bet when their team is playing, meaning operators need to tailor products to each region’s sporting preferences in order to maximise engagement.

In addition, Fernando Garita from Betsul, discussed the importance of personalised marketing, stating that understanding customer preferences and offering promotions based on segmented player data is key to successful acquisition, “Segmenting customers and offering promotions that fit their specific interests is crucial. Not all players enjoy the same sports or promotions, so adjusting our approach ensures better engagement and loyalty.”

Promotions and offers that resonate with local fans can help drive engagement. Customisable dynamic ad features including team kits and live scores will help operators drive relevancy with local fanbases at scale.

5. The NFL is winning over Brazilian fans

The NFL is rapidly gaining traction in Brazil, with the first-ever NFL game held in S?o Paulo in September 2024, drawing nearly 50,000 attendees. With the NFL stating there are 35.9 million fans of American football in Brazil, operators are capitalising on this growing interest.

Fellipe Fraga shared how EstrelaBet’s strategy for the NFL, “We saw the NFL’s growing impact on the Brazilian market, and we sought to bring this into EstrelaBet, offering personalised options like team logos within our platform”.

While football (soccer) dominates sports betting in Brazil, the Brazilian domestic football season will be in the off-season when the regulated industry launches early next year. European football will be important during this period, but operators will need to fill the scheduling gap left by the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Given live streaming of domestic Brazilian sports is prohibited in Brazil, Fraga explained how Estrelabet’s low latency streaming of NFL games has differentiated the operator’s product, “Streaming NFL games directly on our platform has been key to capturing the interest of fans, allowing them to engage with live action and place bets seamlessly.”

As Brazil gears up for the full launch, operators with the right trading and marketing strategies in place can unlock the full potential of a regulated industry.

Want to find out more? Watch the webinar on-demand here .

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