Playtech report: 60% of Brazilians bet online in the last six months
The report, entitled Responsible Gambling: Consumer Insights and Trends in Latin America, acts as a supplement to Playtech’s initial insights report published in January of 2022.
This supplement saw 2,500 people surveyed across a number of LatAm countries. Participants were asked about their gambling behaviour, as well as their views on responsible gaming.
The report comes weeks after Brazil regulated sports betting. Details on how this will be rolled out are currently being wrangled in the country’s legislature.
Commenting on the report, José Francisco Cimino Manssur, special advisor to the Executive Secretariat of the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, said the importance of regulating the market and implementing responsible gaming measures “is becoming more evident every day”.
He added this will “keep this sector up-to-date, innovative and focused on the gambler, in the face of the countless challenges which new technologies will pose to all of us executives of this unique industry”.
Regulated markets record highest player participation
In July, Peru issued draft regulations regulating igaming. In total, 82% of respondents from Peru told Playtech they had gambled or bet in the last six months.
Looking at Colombia, this total was 75%. Colombia already has a regulated online casino and sports betting market, with 17 operators and eight million active users.
The report stated that 68% of Chileans surveyed had gambled in the last six months. The lowest percentage of those that had gambled in the last six months came from Argentina, at 53%.
Playtech defines RG in LatAm
Playtech also examined player perceptions and definitions of responsible gambling to better understand cultural differences across Latin America.
Overall, 49% of respondents said a lack of anxiety was the most important factor in defining responsible play. This percentage was highest in Peru at 57%, followed by Colombia and Chile at 54% and 51% respectively.
Meanwhile, 60% of Brazilian respondents cited gambling on a legal website as a key factor in gambling responsibly. This view was echoed in Colombia, with 52% agreeing.
However, this contrasted with Argentina, Chile and Peru, which all put legality as a lower priority compared to other concerns.
Vivien Villagrán Acuña, superintendent of gaming casinos of Chile said the lack of responsible gaming policies was of particular concern for the Chile’s regulator.
“For this reason, data that reflects the behaviour and preferences of Chilean players is extremely valuable,” she said. “A better understanding of the market and consumers allows us to safely regulate this sector further, with proper regulation and corresponding collections for all.”