Poll results: Readers split on Latin American promise

Despite its undoubted potential, respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll are undecided on whether 2015 will be the year Latin America becomes a key market for more than just a few operators.

Earlier this week Ladbrokes confirmed its entry into the Mexican online gaming market through the launch of a Sportium-branded sportsbook and a casino product while leveraging the local brand of joint-venture partner Cirsa’s land-based casino, Casino Life.

The move followed Playtech’s entry into the same market in October last year with land-based operator Caliente, and some observers have tipped the rush to cash in on the region’s potential to gather pace this year.

Ladbrokes and Playtech join GVC’s Brazil-facing brands BetBoo and Sportingbet, themselves plotting to add Argentina and Mexico to their roster this year, as the early LatAm pace setters and 36% of respondents said now was the right time for others to get in on the act.

However, the regulatory landscape in the region is far from certain. Despite Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies voting in favour of an online framework in December, countries including Argentina and Brazil are yet to press ahead with legislation despite previous attempts to do so.

As such, 33% of readers considered that while LatAm might become a key market for operators this year, regulatory uncertainty in the country remains its biggest barrier.

The remaining 31% were unconvinced by LatAm’s potential and regard other international markets to offer bigger, more sustainable opportunities for egaming firms with Eastern Europe set to be of particular interest this year.