The first half of 2023 finished with several regulatory changes for the online casino and sports betting industries in Latin America. The biggest progress was experienced by Peru, which finally approved a law that updated the online regulation passed in 2022. Chile and Brazil, while taking small steps, have worked on different areas to improve their current situation. In addition, Betsson made great strides in the sponsorship world by signing a front of shirt deal with Boca Juniors. SBC Americas compiled the most important news of June 2023:
Peru updates its betting regulation
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte signed Law 31.806 which updated the sports betting and online casino regulation approved in July 2022. With this new regulation, Peru now has a framework in place to make the online industry official and move forward as one of the most exciting markets in South America. As part of these provisions, operators will need to pick between five different domains to offer their services: “.bet.pe”, “.bet”, “.com”, “.pe” or “.com.pe”.
Rio approves the first betting platform in Brazil
Despite the fact that the sports betting regulation continues to be a pending issue for the Brazilian government, the state of Rio de Janeiro approved the launch of the first authorized platform in the entire country, through a lottery license of the Loteria do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Loterj). Rede Loto, through its LoteriaCarioca site, officially became the first licensed site in the country in June.
After all, there’s still hope for Chile
Following numerous bills preventing the sports betting industry in Chile from being legal and prohibiting sponsorship deals, the Economic Commission of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies approved at the beginning of June the Bill 031/2022, which regulates the online sports betting sector. While it still awaits other approvals, the bill started different debates surrounding sponsorships and agreements. The Ministry of Finance also published provisions to include a new tax regime.
Puerto Rico expands its betting market
At the end of June, the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission announced that Caesars Entertainment and Stadium obtained their permanent licenses to operate sports betting. Even though the market was already operational, these companies had temporary permits. Caesars (along with Casino Metro) and Stadium (working with IGT), join BetMGM, which is operating with its local partner Casino Del Mar of Hotel La Concha Renaissance Resort.
Betsson scores major sponsorship deal through Boca Juniors
The Swedish operator Betsson expanded its sports sponsorships in Latin America through one of the most iconic soccer teams in the continent, Boca Juniors. Until the end of 2024 and for $7.5m – the highest contract in the Argentinian league – Betsson will stamp its brand in the front of the team’s jerseys. This is the first time that Boca features a sportsbook in its clothing, while Betsson had also secured the back of the shirt sponsorship of Racing Club, another Argentinian giant.
Ronaldinho unveils Bruxo10bet
The legendary Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho Gaúcho announced the launch of his own sports betting and online casino platform, Bruxo10.bet. The site features different sports, a wide online casino offering with titles from Play’n Go, Vibra Gaming and Pragmatic Play, among others. In the past, the former player partnered with different operators as brand ambassador.
