LatAm 2026: A closer look at gaming preferences in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile
In the following analysis by the Royal Partners team, data reveals three markets where player demand does not always align with the games operators promote.
Key takeaways:
- Slots account for 93% of all game rounds in Brazil.
- PG SOFT leads Brazilian player activity, while Pragmatic Play dominates GGR.
- TaDa Gaming leads Mexico by actual betting activity, despite Pragmatic Play dominating lobby positions.
- Chile has no single dominant provider, with preferences varying significantly by operator.
- Royal Partners argues that LatAm operators need market-specific strategies rather than a copy-and-paste regional approach.
Opinion.- The Royal Partners team’s analysis of player behaviour across Brazil, Mexico and Chile reveals that the titles operators promote most prominently are not necessarily those generating the strongest demand. The differences between the three markets point to the need for increasingly localised igaming strategies.
Latin America remains one of the fastest-growing regions for igaming, but player preferences vary significantly from market to market. Brazil, Mexico, and Chile have each developed their own market leaders and distinct patterns of player behaviour.
When actual betting activity is compared with game lobby positions and search interest, a consistent pattern emerges: the games operators promote and the games players actually choose often do not match. This gap can provide a clearer picture of the market than any single metric on its own.
Let’s take a closer look at which games and providers lead in each of the three countries and how the picture changes depending on the metric used.
Brazil: PG SOFT wins players, Pragmatic Play rules GGR
Brazil is LatAm’s largest and most mature market. Which games are considered the most popular depends on the metric you look at.
Slots dominate in terms of game rounds
Brazil stands out for the overwhelming dominance of slots: they account for an impressive 93% of all game rounds in the country. Crash games, roulette, and live dealer games account for the remaining small share. Within the slots category, PG SOFT leads the way. According to KTO data, the legendary Fortune Tiger is the undisputed number 1 game by number of sessions, followed by Fortune Rabbit and Fortune Dragon.
The financial reality: Pragmatic Play leads by GGR
The picture changes completely when financial performance enters the equation. According to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Pragmatic Play accounts for more than half of the region’s total gross gaming revenue (GGR). Its Joker’s Jewels Dice is the number 1 slot by revenue, while the wider Joker’s Jewels series generates a significant share of operators’ revenue.
The market’s biggest paradox
Pragmatic Play drives revenue; PG SOFT draws the crowd. Both models coexist and appeal to different player motivations. The former drives GGR, while the latter generates strong organic demand and broad reach.
Lobby position vs. reality
Looking at lobby placement, operators are clearly trying to steer player behaviour. Aviator by Spribe and Pragmatic Play’s Gates of Olympus series are frequently featured in prominent positions, yet actual player activity gravitates towards PG SOFT’s Fortune slots. Promotion cannot fully override organic demand, and nowhere is that more obvious than in Brazil.
What about crash games?
Brazilian players certainly do not ignore them, but demand remains relatively moderate. Aviator is the only crash title that consistently stays near the top. Still, crash games are more of a side dish than the main course: they complement slots rather than replace them.
Mexico: TaDa Gaming leads by bets, Pragmatic Play dominates the lobby
Mexico offers one of the clearest examples of the gap between the games operators feature prominently in their lobbies and the titles players actually choose.
TaDa Gaming leads by actual betting activity
Based on actual betting activity, TaDa Gaming dominates Mexico. Slots from the Fortune Gems series, along with Fortune Garuda 500, Lucky Jaguar 500, and Fortune Coins, occupy many of the top positions in the rankings. This goes beyond a single breakout title. It is ecosystem-level dominance: players move between Gems, Garuda, Jaguar, and Coins without ever leaving the same provider’s portfolio. Competitors therefore have to fight not against a single game, but against an entire product line that is constantly being refreshed.
Pragmatic Play dominates the lobby
Lobby visibility tells a different story. According to IGamingCompass, Pragmatic Play holds many of the leading positions, with three Gates of Olympus titles appearing near the top. This represents the strongest concentration of a single provider in the region.
The result is the same kind of noticeable gap seen in Brazil, but with different providers involved: Pragmatic Play dominates the lobby, while TaDa Gaming leads in terms of actual betting activity.
Established leaders are facing new challengers
The most interesting development can be seen in audience behaviour. Players appear increasingly willing to explore alternatives. Reports show strong momentum among challengers: for example, Oink Oink Oink by Rarestone Gaming broke into the top 10 within just one month, while Playtech’s Age of the Gods King of Olympus Megaways also climbed the rankings.
The Mexican player profile
Mexico offers a narrower game selection than Brazil, and players have remained attached to major franchises for years. At the same time, search behaviour indicates growing interest in new brands. When a fresh title enters the market with easy-to-understand mechanics and fast-paced gameplay, audiences can migrate to it remarkably quickly.
Chile: A market without a clear leader
Chile is LatAm’s most unpredictable and fragmented market. No single brand dominates it, and player preferences are spread across multiple providers.
Demand for fast, easy-to-understand mechanics
Chilean players gravitate towards short gameplay loops: action, a quick result, then repeat. As a result, more complex products with lengthy bonus mechanics often lose ground to simpler, faster-paced games.
The platform paradox: every casino has its own reality
Things get particularly interesting when different data sources are compared. Actual betting data puts Fortune Gems by TaDa Gaming, Fortune Tiger by PG SOFT, and Gates of Olympus Super Scatter by Pragmatic Play near the top, with titles from BGaming and 3 Oaks Gaming also appearing regularly. Meanwhile, another source, Radio Pauta, lists Gates of Olympus by Pragmatic Play, Book of Dead by Play’n GO, and Sweet Bonanza by Pragmatic Play among the most popular games.
Why does the data vary so much?
Chile’s market is fragmented at the platform level. Each operator has built its own audience with distinct gaming preferences. As a result, there is simply no single nationwide game ranking that accurately represents the entire country.
What consistently works in Chile?
- Instant games: Balloon by SmartSoft sees strong demand, thanks to its short gameplay cycle.
- Classic fruit slots: Fruit Party Deluxe by Champion and Fruit Cocktail by Igrosoft continue to attract players, including those who prefer straightforward games without complex features.
- High volatility: Games such as Burning Chilli X by BGaming and Coin Volcano by 3 Oaks Gaming appeal to players looking for extreme multipliers and sharp spikes in potential winnings.
Bottom Line: three countries, three completely different markets
- Brazil – a two-track race. PG SOFT and its Fortune series attract players, while Pragmatic Play drives GGR. Success requires balancing cost-effective reach with monetisation while keeping the country’s strict regulatory environment in mind.
- Mexico – a market with two leaders. TaDa Gaming leads by actual betting activity, while Pragmatic Play dominates the lobby. However, established leaders are facing growing competition as players show an appetite for something new and challenging titles begin capturing more traffic.
- Chile – a test market. There is no single dominant provider. Instant games, classic fruit slots, and high-volatility titles all perform well. Every platform has its own audience, giving an edge to operators and affiliates that continuously test new approaches.
Key takeaway
The idea that one LatAm strategy can work everywhere no longer holds up. A copy-and-paste approach to the region does not work: every GEO requires its own strategy for creatives, product selection, and campaign combinations.
Want to capture high-intent LatAm traffic?
At Royal Partners, they have already selected proven, high-converting brands tailored to the specifics of each market:
- CL, MX, PE, BR: IZZI, JET, SOL.
- CL, MX, BR: LEGZO.
- CL, BR: 1GO, MONRO, DRIP, STARDA.
- BR only (the heavy hitters): FLAGMAN, GIZBO, LEX.
