Habanero reflects on the key takeaways from SBC Summit Americas

SBC Summit Americas: A more focused and commercially driven event

With SBC Summit Americas having just wrapped up in Fort Lauderdale, what was your take on the event and how has it differed from other years?

"The energy at SBC Summit Americas felt different this year, it was more focused, more commercially driven and with a real sense that operators across the Americas knowing where they are heading. A year or two ago, plenty of the conversations were still exploratory and driven around Brazil. This time around, operators came prepared and they know the much bigger map. They knew what they wanted, they had done their homework, and the discussions were much more specific as a result.

For us, the event was a great opportunity to showcase our full portfolio alongside Jackpot Race™, which continues to generate a plenty of interest from operators looking to increase engagement and retention across competitive LatAm markets. Brazil, while still important is a big fixture – but we’re seeing much more conversation around the other markets – which are just as important, such as Peru, Colombia and Mexico – all of which we’re focusing on at Habanero.

There is genuine excitement about where these regions are heading, and Habanero’s content is performing incredibly well in these markets".

Brazil evolves as operators think beyond quick wins

Were there any themes or talking points that kept coming up throughout the event?

"Brazil was inevitably a big topic, it always is at events like this, but the conversation is very different to how it was even this time last year. Operators are not looking at it as an easy-win, but rather are now asking the right questions, like how to localise effectively and how to build something sustainable for the long term – especially important with the ever-changing regulatory environment. With scalability and modularity embedded in our core, these are exactly the kinds of conversations Habanero is built for. Great games such as ours work anywhere.

Beyond Brazil, there was a noticeable shift in attention towards long-term expansion across the continent, as well as the new emerging markets coming onto the scene. Operators are starting to think more carefully about their broader regional strategy rather than putting all their eggs in one basket. That is a healthy sign for the industry and one that plays well for a supplier with Habanero's extensive footprint across the region – we’ve now been live on the continent for close to 10 years"

Why Peru is becoming a market to watch

Peru keeps coming up as a market to watch. What is your assessment of the market at the moment and why is it standing out right now?

"Peru is an exciting market that we have always believed in. We secured our accreditation back in 2024 and have been building our presence there steadily ever since, so the growth we are seeing now is not a surprise and a validation of the potential we saw.

What makes Peru stand out is that it is a market that has developed with a degree of patience and structure that not every LatAm market has had the luxury of. The regulatory environment is maturing steadily, operators are approaching it thoughtfully and players are responding well to quality content. For Habanero, whose games are built on strong mathematics and localisation, that is a very good combination.

The other thing worth saying about Peru is that being present early really matters. The relationships you build now, the trust you establish with operators and the content you get in front of players at this stage will define your position as the market grows. We invested early and we are already seeing the rewards of that but there is plenty more from us to come".

The value of experience in Latin America

Habanero has been in LatAm since 2019 and has watched the region transform. What does a supplier who has been here from the beginning see that the newcomers are missing?

"The difference between suppliers who have been here a while and those who have arrived recently chasing the Brazil opportunity is pretty clear when you get into the detail. LatAm rewards patience and local understanding above everything else. You cannot parachute in with a generic content stack and expect it to land the same way it does in Europe. The player base is completely different; the retail legacy is too strong - and the regulatory environment varies greatly from more mature markets.

We entered Colombia close to a decade ago and expanded into Mexico with some of the biggest tier-1 operators shortly after. Since then, we have worked market by market, building our position in Brazil ahead of regulation coming into full effect and establishing ourselves with the right partners.

It is about gameplay dynamics, how rewards are structured, the visual and cultural references that make a game feel familiar rather than foreign. A player in Peru responds differently to a player in Mexico, and both are different again from Brazil. We have had years to learn those nuances and build them into how we develop and deploy content, but it has allowed us to become more agile as a result".

Expansion plans and what lies ahead

As we head into the second half of 2026, what does the rest of the year look like for Habanero and what can operators expect?

"The rest of the year will be defined by expansion across our key markets with some exciting deals in the pipeline that will strengthen our position across LatAm considerably. Alongside that, we will continue to release high-quality content from a roadmap that has been built with LatAm players firmly in mind with proven mechanics and more of what has already been resonating strongly across the region.

What I am most excited about is that we are at a point where the foundations we have been laying for years are starting to really pay off – we’re becoming a serious name to be reckoned with and I am incredibly proud of all the hard work our team have put in. Operators are approaching us with confidence now, knowing our content performs, their players are familiar with our titles and the appetite for Habanero across the region is as high as it has ever been.

We have got a lot to look forward to, and so do the operators and players across LatAm who have not yet experienced the wonderful world of Habanero. The best is genuinely still to come so watch this space."