Following a successful launch in Mexico, 1xBet’s Head of LatAm Area, Juan Pablo Estremadoiro, and Head of Business Development, Maxim Ishunin, explain how the operator is tailoring its marketing and products for the LatAm market, with considerations currently underway to expand further into the continent.
Casino Review: How global is 1xBet’s current reach? What are the current growth markets for the company?
Juan Pablo Estremadoiro, Head of LatAm Area: Today 1xBet is one of the world’s leading bookmakers and is constantly expanding the scope of its activities. This year, the brand’s geography has expanded to Mexico and Tunisia, but we don’t plan to stop there. We want to open up great opportunities for high quality betting and entertainment to new users - this is one of our main tasks. 1xBet intends to obtain a license in the maximum number of countries. There are a number of options right now, and we are actively negotiating on this issue.
1xBet is developing in various directions as we closely follow the trends of the gaming industry. Our users have long been betting not only on sports, but also on virtual competitions, weather, show business and much more. We also concentrate on the continual improvement of the technical aspects of our product: mobile applications are regularly updated and work faster.
CR: What steps has 1xBet taken to achieve such a strong global brand in emerging markets?
JPE: 1xBet has gained vast work experience since being founded in 2007. Over the years, we have managed to garner a reputation as a reliable brand, with which well-known teams and brands from the world of sports and esports collaborate.
It all started small, but step by step new opportunities opened up before us. In our work, we always gave priority to quality service and reliable partnerships. Now our reputation allows us to enter more and more markets.
We just aim to raise the bar higher and try to conquer new goals, step by step. There is serious competition in betting, and you can never rest on your laurels. So, we simply must always move forward to become better and better.
CR: As well as good marketing, how important is a strong product for customer acquisition and retention?
JPE: You won’t sell many soccer balls if they break after the first kick, even if you advertise well. It’s all about the level of product quality.
Hundreds of thousands of players and tens of thousands of partners choose 1xBet in many respects because of the quality of our product. We simply refuse to ever compromise that quality, because we have a responsibility to ensure all our users remain content.
Behind the success of any brand is a quality product. It is very important for us to win customer loyalty if we want them to return to us more than once for entertainment and winnings.
CR: What are the defining characteristics of the LatAm market? How does achieving success in this market differ from Europe?
JPE: We have had positive experiences in LatAm. We’ve been working in countries in the region for many years and have visited many exhibitions here - the impressions left were always excellent!
The LatAm market is developing very fast, and 1xBet is considering with keen interest the possibility of obtaining local licences. We are already working in Mexico, and are very pleased with the initial results.
If we compare LatAm and Europe, then there really are differences. The mindset of the players is significantly different, and this is an important factor to consider. Take football, for example. The number one priority for Mexicans is their championship, which they will watch, even if a Premier League game airs on Tv at the same time. We take into account this and dozens of other aspects, and use these factors as the basis on which we build our brand development strategy. What matches will be interesting to local players, what sports, payment systems will appeal and much more. The user should feel at home and be a mere two clicks away from convenient options. Therefore, we always deeply familiarize ourselves with the preferences of local players before entering the market.
CR: Looking ahead, how do you expect the LatAm market to evolve? What s the key to staying at the forefront of this fast moving market?
Maxim Ishunin, Head of Business Development 1xBet: When a brand enters such a fast-growing market, it is extremely important to ensure maximum accessibility for local players.
1xBet already has vast experience in entering other dynamically changing markets, which we used to gain a foothold in LatAm. We provide players with the maximum number of options to simplify their lives - for example, one-click registration is very popular among beginners. This is logical, because the world is now living at a fast pace, and time is an invaluable resource for all. That is why we strive to be understandable to users and not take away a lot of time from them.
The keys to success in fast-growing markets are accessibility, product speed and providing the most relatable platform.
CR: What countries in LatAm are particularly strong for 1xBet? Are there many local/regional differences that operators have to account for when entering the LatAm market?
MI: Each individual country in Latin America is important as is the region in its entirety. The peculiarity of this market is that here the fans are intrinsically tied to their favourite clubs. They have a special emotional connection - we want to honour this connection among fans and join them.
A variety of players with completely different interests come to us for entertainment. At 1xBet, doors are open for fans of sports betting, Toto and many other forms of entertainment. And, we are always happy when new countries and users join our large community.
We are often asked when we will appear in new LatAm countries. For all our future players, we want to say - 1xBet is looking forward to introducing you to our world of entertainment and great prizes. We are working to make this world open for you soon.
