Mateo Lenoble, Sportradar: “For us, as a sports technology company, Brazil is a key market”
Mateo Lenoble, Sportradar’s regional sales director LatAm, discusses SiGMA Americas 2024, product highlights, regulatory challenges, and future plans for the Latin American market.
Exclusive interview.- Focus Gaming News sat down with Mateo Lenoble, regional sales director LatAm at Sportradar, to discuss the company’s experience at SiGMA Americas 2024 and their plans for the future.
What is the balance for Sportradar on the SiGMA Americas 2024?
Our expectations were high and we were positively surprised. SIGMA grows every year with a great and qualified audience. Therefore, several opportunities for connection and exchange between the main players in the sector. In this edition, more than 50 Sportradar executives were present at the event.
We participated in two panels: ‘Betting on the Present – Approaches to the Brazilians’ Immediate Mindset’ – This session aimed to analyse how betting companies can adapt their operations to meet the immediate demand of Brazilian players. ‘Paris 2024 Olympics: Betting on Sport and Integrity’ – focused on the landscape of sports betting during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Federations’ investments in technology to maintain the integrity of the competitions and prevent manipulation.
Additionally, our CEO Carsten Koerl – in his first business visit to Brazil – participated in an excellent Fireside Chat about the market in Latin America and Brazil, highlighting how the region is important to Sportradar.
Which Sportradar products capture the attention of visitors?
From a Sales perspective, the focus was on Managed Trading Services, Marketing Services such as ad:s, betting engagement tools, and ORAKO, the Company’s end-to-end sportsbook and player account management solution.
What were the most relevant topics of discussion in this key edition amid the current regulatory panorama in Brazil?
The betting industry is constantly evolving, with changes in regulation creating new guidelines and opportunities for operators. As a partner to hundreds of operators within the industry, we must be responsive to regulatory changes and help our clients engage with their clients in compliant ways.
Latin America is currently a mix of regulated and unregulated markets. When you regulate the market, and we had this experience in Argentina and Colombia, local and international brands tend to strengthen and grow the market.
For us, as a sports technology company, Brazil is a key market. We have been operating here for many years and we are a very important player for all sports betting operators in the country.
“As a partner to hundreds of operators within the industry, we must be responsive to regulatory changes.”
Mateo Lenoble, regional sales director LatAm at Sportradar FGN.
Are you working on some new tools as the sports betting market continues to grow?
At Sportradar, we are continually evaluating how to harness new and emerging technologies to problem-solve for clients and drive business value. We understand that AI holds enormous potential across all of our products and services, with special attention to the development of our Computer Vision capabilities as a way to enhance our products with a greater volume of data and insight.
Sportradar’s role is to be the innovator, working closely with rightsholder partners to continue to develop the next generation of betting products that will transform the industry. We have more than 20 years’ worth of historical data and now the capability to collect deep data. That’s a powerful combination and an unrivalled jump-off point for product innovation.
What are the main challenges facing the company for the LatAm market?
Latin America is becoming an increasingly important region, due to the increase in levels of income, growth in access to the internet and the evolution of online gaming websites. Gaming has a community of more than 250 million users in the region and large growth is expected in the coming years.
Brazil is a dynamic market and will become even bigger after the regulation. Soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil and with regulation for sports betting, demand for soccer content in the region is likely to increase. According to research, Brazilian spending on online gaming and betting reached around US$11B in 2023.
Brazil has been a strategic focus for us and we have partnered with main leagues like CONMEBOL and CBF while serving many clients who operate in the region.
Sportradar is well positioned to address this emerging market with our industry-leading portfolio of products and solutions: Integrity, Managed Trading Services, ORAKO platform, Marketing Services (ad:s) and AV.
“Latin America is becoming an increasingly important region, due to the increase in levels of income, growth in access to the internet and the evolution of online gaming websites.”
Mateo Lenoble, regional sales director LatAm at Sportradar FGN.
Are you working on new alliances in Brazil?
Sportradar is recognized for its wide range of products and services for the sports betting industry, including data, a full sportsbook platform and managed services, and has established a strong presence in the Brazilian market. I can highlight Sportradar’s Managed Services as a key risk management and betting trading product for traders.
A good thing about Sportradar is that the Brazilian market already knows us very well. Every time there is a new trader or a new person interested in creating an operation, we are already approached. We are starting from a very high point where we are already known in the market.
2024 has been an exciting year at Sportradar and it has us well-positioned and looking forward to the opportunities ahead of us in the next months.
What other industry events do you plan to attend next in the region and why do you believe it is important to participate?
Sportradar, as a leading global sports technology company, is also present at all relevant events to discuss the present and future of the industry. We will be attending SPORTEL in Buenos Aires, SBC North America, Peru Gaming Show, G2E in the US, plus events in the US, Europe and APAC throughout the year.
