Alexandre Tomic, Alea: “The biggest challenge in Latin America is keeping up. Things change all the time, so you have to adapt”

During the latest edition of SBC Americas, Focus Gaming News spoke with Alea’s Founder, Alexandre Tomic, about the company’s expansion across the Americas and sweepstakes growth.

Exclusive interview.- As the gaming industry continues to expand across the Americas, operators and suppliers are navigating two of the world’s most dynamic growth stories: the rapid rise of the US sweepstakes sector and the ongoing evolution of Latin America’s regulated markets.

In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Alexandre Tomic, founder of Alea, reflects on the opportunities and challenges shaping both North and Latin America. He discusses the explosive growth of the US sweepstakes market, the importance of cultural alignment in Latin America, and the key themes that dominated conversations at SBC Americas 2026.

SBC Americas brings together two of the most important markets for ALEA, North America and Latin America. What can you tell us about the American market?

What’s happening in the US right now is fascinating. I recently gave a presentation at NEXT where I shared some figures: we reached €30.7m in GGR in Q1 2026 from sweepstakes alone, and by April, we were already at around €13.4m per month.

You only have to look at the numbers. The US has grown so quickly that, for us, it’s become just as important as Brazil, which is our biggest market.

Sweepstakes gaming has become one of the most discussed topics in the industry, and you recently participated in a fireside chat dedicated to this segment. What can you tell us about this vertical?

It’s a very interesting vertical because it creates opportunities that you don’t normally see in real-money gaming. Operators don’t need a traditional gambling licence, which means they can enter markets that were previously closed to them.

The same applies to providers. Today, around 50 per cent of the activity on our platform comes from the sweepstakes vertical. We’ve also seen studios establish themselves incredibly quickly. Last year, Booming Games reached around 10 per cent of the market in just two months, putting it on a similar level to Evolution.

That’s why I’m convinced this vertical is here to stay.

What is your view on the current state of the LatAm market?

The biggest challenge in Latin America is keeping up. Things change all the time, so you have to adapt.

We often talk about Ibero-America because, over the years, we’ve seen the same pattern. The Spanish companies that succeed in LatAm are usually the ones that have already proven themselves in Spain.

People often think it comes down to sharing a language, but I don’t think that’s really the case. Brazil, our biggest market, speaks Portuguese, after all.

For me, it’s always been much more about cultural fit. That’s also why we invest heavily in local teams. I don’t think you can really understand a market like LatAm from the outside.

With SBC Americas now concluded, what is your overall assessment of the event?

We had a very strong first day, and the second one was a little quieter, which is pretty normal for these events.

The main trends were sweepstakes, player-versus-player skill gaming, and AI. I think we’ll continue hearing a lot more about all three over the coming months.

Overall, it was a good show. Maybe a little quieter than we expected, but still a very positive event for us.