EP617: How can AI drive sustainable iGaming growth in Latin America?

Carolina Vallejo (0:05)

Hello, we are here at SiGMA North America with Beatriz Melges, Latime Director for BetConstruct AI. Beatriz, welcome.

Beatriz Melges (0:13)

Hi, thank you. Thank you for having me. You and SiGMA, it's a pleasure to be here.

Carolina Vallejo (0:18)

Okay, Beatriz, let's start now. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for sustainable iGaming growth across Latin America?

Beatriz Melges (0:27)

One of the things that we have been doing as BetConstruct giving away international company, it's how to approach from a global perspective, but within local markets. I don't think there is any other way to be special in Latam. If you're not local, if you don't have the proper, not just culture, but the people, the understanding, especially in such a changing environment. With all the regulations, the regulated markets that are coming in, so this is a little bit of the concept that we're trying to bring over here.

Carolina Vallejo (0:55)

Beatriz, how can operators build a regional strategy while adapting to the different regulations and player behaviors across Latam?

Beatriz Melges (1:03)

I think we have a really important word here, that's governance.

We're trying to sustain markets that are completely complex, diverse and big at the same time, with a really high qualified user. So what we need to look into is governance. How do we bring all the aspects of regulations that are difficult, but at the same time we still have safe user journeys, safe experiences and have something that's still fun, because by the end of the day we're selling fun, we're selling entertainment. So while we're changing the culture from having natural gut feelings environments, we need to understand that we need to be a little bit more consolidated in order to incorporate both sides and understand that both sides go together. They're not necessarily against each other.

Carolina Vallejo (1:49)

Okay, Betriz, let's move to AI. Where do you see AI having the biggest impact on consumer acquisition, personalization, and rotation in iGaming?

Beatriz Melges (1:58)

For sure, I'll actually start with one missed concept that we actually have in BetConstruct, not by chance. We now call ourselves the BetConstruct AI because we did have a huge investment. When we're talking about AI, there's something that in beginning of the journey, we can work with risk management. That also goes along with the idea that I just brought of the whole concept, of having basically environments that have government. When we're bringing AI into this, the journey starts safe. You're able to use data in the proper form with the human concept behind it, because we're never going to be able to teach AI the human behavior of everything, but we're able to use the tools that we have in order to customize the journeys and everything. For BetConstruct, for instance, few of the products that we have, we have recommendation systems, we have predictions for churns, for VAPs, so we're using that every step of the journey and not just as one tool.

Carolina Vallejo (2:56)

Very well. Looking ahead, what do you think will differentiate the brands that build lasting player relationships across the region?

Beatriz Melges (3:05)

I think it's thinking of the long-time value. This is where we need to focus now. We've been focusing a lot in the past decade in acquisition and how to make quick wins, and we need to change your mindset from that to actually make healthy relationships. How to build trust, how to build loyalty and have that lifetime value of the user and consequently, for instance, for us as B2B, also our partners. How do we keep them? It's how do we build that kind of relationship that's based not on the quick wins, but actually the long journey.

Carolina Vallejo (3:36)

Beatriz, thank you very much. Thank you for being with us and we hope to see you again.

Beatriz Melges (3:40)

Thank you.