Muriel Le Senechal, Fast Track: “CRM is not just a tool for sending communications. It’s a holistic operational engine”

Focus Gaming News spoke with Muriel Le Senechal, Regional Commercial Manager LatAm at Fast Track, about Brazil’s evolving market, the importance of CRM retention strategies and the upcoming Fast Track Spark.

Exclusive interview.- As Brazil’s regulated gaming market moves into a more competitive and disciplined phase, operators are increasingly shifting their focus from rapid acquisition to sustainable player engagement. In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Muriel Le Senechal, regional commercial manager LatAm at Fast Track, explains why 2026 is set to become a defining year for CRM strategy in the region and how operators must rethink retention to remain competitive.

Le Senechal also discusses how artificial intelligence, real-time data and gamification are transforming the way operators manage player lifecycles in regulated markets such as Brazil.

Brazil has shifted from an emerging opportunity to an immediate battleground. What makes 2026 such a defining year for Fast Track in the region, and what are operators still underestimating about CRM in this market?

2026 is when Brazil shifts from rapid growth to structured competition. Regulation is stabilising the market, acquisition costs are rising, and operational efficiency is becoming critical. In that environment, retention is no longer a support function; it’s the core growth driver.

What many operators still underestimate is that CRM is not just a tool for sending communications. It’s a holistic operational engine. When built correctly, it connects real-time data, AI-driven decision-making, gamification, and bonus control into one system that improves engagement while reducing waste.

With Fast Track AI, teams can interact with their data through natural language and turn insight into action instantly. With Rewards, operators can personalise gamified experiences that increase loyalty without relying solely on bonuses. And with Greco integrated, bonus abuse can be controlled while optimising retention spend.

In Brazil’s next phase, CRM is not about sending more messages; it’s about orchestrating smarter experiences, protecting margins, and scaling efficiently. The operators who recognise that shift will define 2026.

As regulation reshapes Brazil, how does the CRM conversation evolve from acquisition-led growth to long term lifecycle value and operational discipline?

Regulation shifts the mindset from volume to efficiency.

When compliance tightens and promotional flexibility narrows, every bonus, every communication, and every incentive must be justified by value. The CRM conversation moves from “How many players did we acquire?” to “How intelligently are we managing player lifetime value?”

That means structured journeys, predictive modelling, clear segmentation logic, and automated orchestration, not reactive campaigns. CRM becomes the operational core of profitability.

Fast Track is hosting Fast Track Spark in São Paulo this March. Why was it important to launch this workshop in Brazil now, and what will operators walk away with?

Brazil is entering a more structured and competitive phase, and that requires stronger CRM foundations. We launched Fast Track Spark now because operators don’t just need tools — they need clarity, process and confidence in how they approach retention.

Day one focuses on foundation and strategy: understanding the Brazilian iGaming landscape, building strong CRM and retention frameworks, and applying those concepts in hands-on sessions. It’s about getting the basics right, from lifecycle thinking to structured execution.

Day two moves into data, practice and innovation. We dive into retention metrics and KPIs, campaign planning around major events like the World Cup, AI-driven engagement, CRM calendars, and gamification techniques.

The goal is simple: attendees leave with a structured CRM strategy for the year, practical tools they can implement immediately, and a certification that reflects real operational capability. In a market like Brazil, that maturity is what turns retention into a competitive advantage.

“Brazil is entering a more structured and competitive phase, and that requires stronger CRM foundations.”

Muriel Le Senechal, regional commercial manager LatAm at Fast Track.

Natural tools and AI are dominating industry narratives. In real operational terms, where are they genuinely improving decision-making and efficiency, and where is the industry still overhyping the impact?

AI is already delivering real operational value, especially when it’s connected to live CRM data.

With Fast Track AI, teams can use natural language to analyse their own player base and instantly turn insights into action. For example, during the World Cup, operators can upload the match calendar, generate segments based on team preferences, and trigger communications with real-time odds, all in minutes. That dramatically reduces manual work and increases relevance at scale.

Where the industry overhypes AI is in strategy. AI accelerates execution and improves efficiency, but it doesn’t replace lifecycle structure, value modelling or commercial judgement. Without strong foundations, it simply automates noise. Used correctly, AI doesn’t remove humans; it frees them to focus on smarter decisions and better player experiences.

If an operator entering Brazil today could focus on just one CRM priority to secure a competitive advantage in 2026, what should it be and why?

Build a disciplined, value-driven retention infrastructure from day one.

In Brazil’s increasingly competitive and regulated environment, growth will not come from who spends more on bonuses or acquisition, but from who manages player value more intelligently. Operators need a CRM setup that connects real-time data, AI-driven decision-making, gamified engagement, and controlled bonus allocation into one cohesive system.

That means understanding true player value early, automating lifecycle journeys, using gamification to deepen loyalty beyond pure incentives, and protecting margins through smarter bonus control.

Acquisition opens the door. But in 2026, competitive advantage in Brazil will come from operational efficiency, and that starts with a CRM strategy built for long-term value, not short-term spikes.

“In Brazil’s increasingly competitive and regulated environment, growth will not come from who spends more on bonuses or acquisition, but from who manages player value more intelligently.”

Muriel Le Senechal, regional commercial manager LatAm at Fast Track.