GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 40- February 2018

One of your sites focuses on sports betting in Brazil. Why did you decide to target Brazil specif- ically? Brazil is an emerging market when it comes to online betting. The competition isn’t very fierce at the mo- ment, and the growth is exponential. Because of that, I didn’t think twice when it was time to decide whether I should advance with the Brazilian website or not. The Brazilian bettor is still very immature and uninformed when it comes to online betting. Most of the people still think that the bonuses are free money that the bookmakers put on their account, just to give an example. Another problem is the Brazilian govern- ment’s protectionism when it comes to transactions with foreign countries. The Brazilians only practically have one way of making deposits on the bookmakers, if the bookmakers offer that same option: Boleto. That naturally fends off most of the Brazilian bettors. How do you decide what sports- books to promote? That is a tricky question. It depends on the markets. In the Brazilian market there are bookmak- ers that are heavily focused on Brazil, while in the Spanish or Latin American ones, there are others. I always look for the ones with more quality and the ones that are more popular in each region. But that’s something that is volatile. Some- times you reach the conclusion that a certain bookmaker isn’t going anywhere, so you look for a replacement. It is not an exact science. Sports betting can be a tough sec- tor, especially when players are doing well. How do you handle the volatility? There’s one thing called sav- ing! I save every month as a way to have a nest egg when things go wrong. But thank god, most of the times things go well. Do you gamble online? Of course, I love to gamble online; I gamble every day. I don’t like brick-and-mortar casinos. I don’t like to play in casinos or work with casinos. What traits do you look for in an affiliate manager? How about in an affiliate program? Competence, professionalism and availability. I already dealt with everything. Unfortunately, in this business there is a lot of swindle. You always need to be very alert; I’ve had my fair share of crooks. The affiliate programs are, for the most part, efficient, but nothing compares to the one offered by bet365. What’s your preferred method of communication with affiliate man- agers? Skype. In the age that we’re living, everything is possible remotely and for that effect, Skype is, for me, the best tool. What prompted you to join the GPWA? At the GPWA I finally found the best website and forum about web- masters of online gambling. The ideas shared and the news you publish have been incredibly helpful. What do you like about the indus- try? The alliance between sports, money and advertising. Making deals all the time with people all around the world, How often do you get to see and inter- act with other people in the industry? Have you attended any conferences? Every day! Normally via Skype or e-mail. I knowhundreds of people in this industry, and I work with them on a daily basis. I attend conferences with some frequency, especially the LAC in London, but I’ve also gone to others. As I always say, talking in person is the way to make the best deals. besides the dozens of friendships I made in this industry. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why? The rules the bookmakers must comply with regarding affiliates should be the same for all of them worldwide. I’ve seen some unbelievable situations where the bookmaker changed the rules out of no- where or even cancelled affiliate accounts. That’s inadmissible. That’s what happens when they can pick and choose, and can afford to do what they want. Whenever a bookmaker/affiliate partnership is made, there should be a contract signed to avoid situations like that. What do you think the industry will look like in five years? Affiliation as we know it today will end. Unfor- tunately, I have full conviction that the bookmakers will end the affiliate programs and start to make marketing offers to the websites they are more interested in. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? At first they considered it a waste of Brazil is an emergingmarket when it comes to onlinebetting . The competition isn’t very fierce at themoment, and the growth is exponential . Because of that, I didn’t think twice when it was time to decidewhether I should advance with theBrazilianwebsite or not. 55 W W W . G P W A T I M E S . O R G