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The iGaming calendar is packed these days, with exciting conference taking place in different parts of the world where iGaming is rapidly growing. The Income Access team had the pleasure of recently attending two of the biggest ones in these growing markets, with SBC North America taking place in New Jersey during the month of May, while SiGMA Americas was held in São Paulo during the month of June.
These conferences bring the iGaming world together, allowing us to connect with exciting operators, affiliates and service providers who are innovating within the industry. As the North and South American markets are two of the hottest in the iGaming world at the moment, these conferences were vital for the Income Access team and provided plenty of valuable insights that we’ll break down further in this blog post!
SBC Summit North America:
SBC Summit North America took place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey from May 9th to 11th. During this time, our team got to meet with vital members of the North American iGaming market to better understand the exciting trends that are taking place in the area.
European Brands and Their Interest in North America
Firstly, there were far more European brands attending these shows than in the past, showcasing how the iGaming world is beginning to take note of the impressive growth happening in North America.
Lots of Talks about Social Casinos
In terms of verticals, there was plenty of talk surrounding sports betting, eSports and lottery as expected, but also around social casinos as well. Social casinos offer similar games to casino brands but has users playing with virtual coins and connecting socially with other users on the platform. Examples like Hard Rock Social Casino are popping up more and more, as users are interacting with this unique style of iGaming and more operators get involved.
Mobile Apps - Are They Important for the Market?
Additionally, it was mentioned to us by a variety of brands that apps are paramount in this market. The sentiment from many was that if a brand opens in NA with only a desktop site, they may struggle to connect with users who expect to be able to play on the go easily with an app.
New States on the Horizon
There’s also plenty of excitement around new states potentially opening up this year or early in 2024, with North Carolina expecting to launch in 2024 and others discussing potential regulation like Minnesota and Georgia.
SiGMA Americas:
SiGMA Americas, in association with Brazilian iGaming Summit, took place at the São Paulo Center in Brazil from June 14th to the 18th, bringing together the quickly growing Latin American iGaming market. One of the major differences from other conferences was the discussions around relationships and how valuable they are in this market. Both operators and affiliates are focused on creating meaningful, long-lasting partnerships in the area, rather than looking for a more simple, transactional business partnership.
Interest in Asian Markets and LATAM’s Next Big Geos
Despite this event being in LATAM, there was lots of talk about growing Asian markets like Philippines and Malaysia, showcasing the strength of the Asia iGaming market as well. Within Latin America, there was lots of talk surrounding Brazil which isn’t surprising, but also Peru, a potential growth market in the industry.
Localization!
While localization is a vital aspect in any iGaming market, it’s especially important in Latin America, as simply bringing over an English version of an app will likely be unsuccessful. Brands and affiliates who are having success in the market are not only providing their product in Spanish or Portuguese, but also providing their support in those languages, so their users feel properly insulated.
Real-time Data and Simple Tracking Solution for Affiliates
Additionally, there was a lot of discussion about having real-time data available for sub-affiliate tracking, which is a popular marketing strategy in the market. Brands are looking to partner with affiliate marketing solutions, like Income Access, that can provide them up-to-date figures so they can work efficiently with their affiliate marketing partners to optimize their campaigns.
Key Takeaways
Attending these iGaming conferences allows Income Access to meet with key iGaming figures in different markets to really understand the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the industry. This time was no different, as SBC Summit North America and SiGMA Americas provided Income Access with valuable insights that allows us to better understand the market and its users.
