The relationship between betting and football is as old as the respective industry and the sport itself. This relationship has been coming under increasing pressure in some countries like the UK, something that is being mirrored in other developing markets.
Santiago Gandara, Chief Marketing Officer at BetWarrior, shares his perspectives on sports marketing in Latin America. BetWarrior has particular expertise in Argentina, its founding market, where it is partnered with the national football and hockey associations.
Insider Sport: Can you walk us through how BetWarrior has approached sports marketing and sponsorship so far?
Santiago Gandara: At BetWarrior we have a strategy focused on sponsoring national teams, with the sponsorship of the Argentine soccer, tennis and hockey teams we seek to associate our brand with the nationalism that the teams represent and the passion with which the entire country follows each of its matches.
Each team is a source of pride for its country and the Argentine teams have been doing very well lately, not only the soccer team, with the conquests in Qatar and the two America’s Cups, but also hockey with its Olympic medal and tennis with a great participation in the Davis Cup.
IS: How significant is the Argentine Football Association (AFA) deal for your company, not just in Argentina but internationally?
SG: The Argentine soccer team has had an unbeatable performance and that has given it a lot of exposure and recognition worldwide. In some ways that level of exposure has helped us a lot, transferring to BetWarrior many of its values such as credibility, success, national pride and excellence.
In some ways, that success also forces us to live up to and deliver on the brand’s promises.
Currently, AFA sponsorship plays a leading role in our marketing and positioning strategy and we hope to continue down this path for several more years.
IS: Football is understandably seen as the biggest fan engagement opportunity in Latin America, but are there other sports scenes that go unnoticed by outsider operators?
SG: Without a doubt, soccer is the main protagonist, but in all Latin American countries there are great opportunities that arise all the time, perhaps without as much exposure but with the same passion and the same level of fanaticism.
At BetWarrior we also sponsor hockey, which perhaps is not the most popular sport from betting, but Argentinians have a very particular relationship with that sport and whenever “Las Leonas” or “Los Leones” play they will be there to support them and at BetWarrior we want accompany that passion because it identifies us, beyond the level of popularity or the media impact that it may have compared to football.
Another clear example is Formula 1, a sport not so popular in Argentina that from one day to the next, thanks to the appearance of an Argentine driver (Franco Colapinto), becomes a trend and fans multiply.
IS: Here in the UK, we’ve seen a lot of pressure on the relationship between sports and betting. Have you experienced any similar trends in Latin America?
SG: I believe that the relationship between betting and sports is a process that goes through different stages and in Latin America we are a few steps behind markets like the UK, but without a doubt we are on the same path.
I think that sponsorships have given a lot of visibility to the betting category and that in some way is forcing the different markets to regulate the industry and from there put clear rules about what can and cannot be done at the sponsorship level, but I think that before thinking about restrictions, we have to think about how the regulation guarantees a relevant level of channelling and a safe environment for players.
IS: Building on this, have Argentine and wider LatAm betting stakeholders been looking to Europe as a lesson on how not to approach sports sponsorships?
SG: Absolutely! The challenge is to understand what learning we can take from more mature markets, but understanding that the stadiums are different, the UK has a very different level of channelling than Argentina, where even more than 70% of the game is channelled through illegal operators. Applying the same restrictions would be going backwards in terms of channelling and giving illegal operators a competitive advantage.
I think the key is to work together and responsibly to understand the impact that this type of sponsorship has on sport, the needs of the clubs, the impact on minors, etc. and make decisions that promote the development of the industry in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Taking place between 29-31 October 2024 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Miami, the SBC Summit Latinoamerica will feature insights from panellists and keynote speakers across the betting, gaming, sports and payments sectors in Latin America. Check out the agenda and buy your ticket HERE.
