The Future of Lotteries in Latin America: Innovation and Adaptation in the Region (Part II)

The first part of the panel concluded with a strong message: innovation and adaptation are essential for the future of lotteries in Latin America. Technological advances not only modernise the sector, but also broaden its social impact. 

With this as a backdrop, the second part of the debate focused on two key questions that the moderator, Javier Milián, President of CIBELAE and the Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia de El Salvador, posed to the panellists: What is currently happening in their respective countries in terms of Gaming? and What is the future vision for the sector in that country?

Milián, in turn, highlighted the importance of addressing the prevention of money laundering within the sector. Milián underlined that CIBELAE not only seeks to be a regulator, but also a strategic ally for the lotteries that are part of the corporation with the objective of supporting operators in improving their turnover and building stronger commercial relationships, especially in El Salvador.

During this second part of the panel moderated by Javier Milián, from El Salvador, at the GAT Showcase Santo Domingo, speakers Roberto Beltrán Burgos from Lotería de Concepción, Chile and Esmeralda Britton from Lotería de Costa Rica shared their experiences on the impact of digitalisation in their respective lottery markets, as well as the regulatory challenges they face and their vision for the future, answering questions posed by Javier Milián.

Roberto Beltrán, Innovation and Development Manager Lotería de Concepción Chile underlined how the pandemic accelerated their digital transformation process. ‘We closed our entire agency, but we kept selling,’ he said, referring to the creation of a TV show called La Hora de Jugar, which managed to merge the physical and digital worlds. This programme, where the audience played live games and participated in online sweepstakes, attracted a multitude of participants. ‘We had demand from 200,000 to 300,000 people trying to connect immediately,’ he explained, noting that this strategy enabled more than 1,600,000 new customers to register on its digital platform by 2020.

In terms of transparency, Roberto Beltrán, highlighted the importance of working on responsible gaming certifications, mentioning that ‘we are certified at level 4 responsible gaming’ by the World Lottery Association. In addition, he shared his focus on the prevention of money laundering, recalling that the recent update of the Chilean law increased the crimes associated with money laundering, which has forced his organisation to redouble its efforts in terms of regulatory compliance.

On the other hand, Esmeralda Britton, President of Junta de Protección Social Costa Rica, spoke about the digital transformation in her country, highlighting how they have implemented online gaming and sports betting, despite the challenges of public procurement in the gaming sector. ‘It's very complex and it's very challenging for us to be competitive,’ he said, alluding to the strict rules they must follow to procure products and services. He also mentioned efforts to integrate street vendors in the sale of electronic products, providing them with mobile equipment to improve their outreach.

Regarding responsible gambling, the Costa Rican representative highlighted that her country is certified at level 2 along with El Salvador, and that they are working to advance to level 3. In relation to the prevention of money laundering, she highlighted the collaboration of a criminologist who advises them on this issue, and emphasised that ‘52% of the market is in the hands of the illegal market’, a problem that they continue to combat in order to generate greater income for social welfare.

To end the panel, Javier Milián underlined the importance of these events to promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge between countries in the region. ‘This type of event increases the possibility for us to come together and share information,’ he concluded, highlighting the value of cooperation in the fight against the problems affecting the Latin American gaming industry.