Playtech shared a new report entitled Responsible Gaming: Consumer Perspectives and Trends in Latin America 2022, where it analyzes the gaming interests and perspectives of users in the region based on a survey conducted among 2,500 people in five key markets: Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.
This study, which is a second edition of Playtech’s report, was carried out to know in depth the perceptions about responsible gaming, the improvement of communication channels, and the responsibility of the companies in the sector, as well as the governments in charge of laws and regulation.
On average, 70% of respondents said they had gambled online in the last few months, with Peru having the highest number of active players. According to Playtech’s report, 82% of Peruvians said they had played or gambled online in the last six months, the highest average in the region, while only 18% said they had not.
Meanwhile, three out of four respondents (75%) in Colombia said they had gambled online in the last six months. There are currently 17 authorized operators in Colombia and, as of December 2022, there were more than 8 million active accounts on these platforms. According to Coljuegos, growth has been steady, with gambling generating close to $1.7 billion in 2020 and $3.5 billion the following year. In 2022, the regulated market generated approximately $4 billion in revenues.
In Chile, on the other hand, 68% of those surveyed said they had played online in the last six months. According to the Chilean Association of Gaming Casinos (ACCJ), more than 900 online gambling sites, which are not yet regulated, can be accessed from Chile, and the market generates around $170 million a year.
On the other hand, six out of 10 (60%) Brazilians claim to have gambled in the last six months, according to Playtech’s report. As Brazil moves forward in the regulation of online sports betting, with the publication of Provisional Measure 1.182/2023, in 2021 the country had the third highest per capita income among the countries surveyed in Latin America, an example of the most promising market for sports betting companies.
In the case of Argentina, 53% of respondents said they had gambled online in the last six months. However, 90% stated that they are responsible gamblers and that gambling and betting do not affect their daily lives. According to the financial services company Barclays Plc, the Qatar 2022 World Cup caused an increase in gambling in this country, generating $35 billion in bets.
Responsible gaming in LatAm
Taking into account the economic and cultural nuances prevalent throughout Latin America and to better understand the similarities and differences of consumers across the region, Playtech’s survey examined players’ perceptions and definitions as well as their approach to responsible gaming.
49% of respondents highlighted lack of anxiety as the most important factor in defining responsible gambling. This figure was highest in Peru (57%), followed by Colombia (54%) and Chile (51%).
In Brazil, the key factor for players is the possibility of gambling on legal websites (60%), which highlights the need for adequate regulation of gambling in the country. The legality of websites is also an essential factor in Colombia (52%), which has a defined regulation of gambling and casinos. This contrasts with Argentina (29%), Chile (32%) and Peru (38%), where legality is less of a priority for respondents.
Regardless of the results, “having fun playing online” was the number one factor for Colombians (55%) and the third most important factor among Peruvians (52%). However, it was less relevant in Argentina (46%) and Chile (46%), where “not spending money one cannot afford to lose” on gambling was considered the most critical factor in defining responsible gambling in both territories (cited by 53% and 56% of respondents, respectively).
To assess players’ opinions of their own behavior, the survey asked users of platforms, such as casinos and bookmakers, to self-assess their responsible gambling behavior.
93% of respondents at the regional level said they consider themselves responsible gamblers, split between 58% who play for fun and 35% who said that gambling does not affect their daily lives.
Looking in more detail at the results for each country, 64% of Argentines said that fun is their main motivation, compared to 61% in Chile and Peru and 56% in Colombia. These figures contrast with Brazil, where only 46% of respondents expressed this opinion.
Meanwhile, 45% of Brazilians said that gambling does not affect their daily lives, followed by Colombians (37%), Peruvians (33%), Chileans (30%) and Argentines (28%).
Only 4% of respondents in Latin America do not consider themselves to be responsible gamblers, while 3% believe that gambling is becoming a problem (4% in Brazil). 1% of respondents are certain that gambling is harming them.
On the other hand, 2% of Latin American respondents said they are not sure what responsible gambling is, with peaks of 3% in both Brazil and Peru.
Click here to access Playtech’s full report.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2023/09/07/68671-latin-america-93-of-online-platform-users-consider-themselves-responsible-gamblers
