Exclusive: Axel Antillón, WA.Technology Regional Director for Latam, Gaming Americas Interview

WA.Technology’s Regional Director for Latam, Axel Antillón, recently sat down for an in-depth discussion with Gaming Americas to share his thoughts on success in Latam and why it requires bespoke personalisation, flexibility, and a deep understanding of the market. Axel delved into the individual nuances of each market and WA.Technology’s full spectrum of iGaming solutions. 

For those who might not be overly familiar with WA. Technology, please give us a brief introduction of who you are as a company.

Of course! WA.Technology is by far one of LatAm’s most established providers, with an incredibly long history of success on the continent. With our team’s 20+ years of experience here, it’s safe to say that we are now viewed as one of the “go-to” providers for the full spectrum of iGaming solutions required for any operator to be a true market leader. Our years of experience have allowed us to become fully entrenched with some of LatAm’s biggest operators and have a thorough understanding of the unique dynamics within each market. 

We’re very fortunate that our team consists of top-level professionals across almost all of LatAm’s major markets, each with extensive experience in the B2B gambling space. This is something that puts us in a firm position to understand the unique demands of each country and offer the best possible turnkey solutions for our partners across the region. Our long history of success and localised delivery here is a testament to that. 

Costa Rica and Mexico are two of WA Technology’s first LatAm markets. How important have these two been for your journey on the continent? 

Ultimately, our journey started in Costa Rica. But it is Mexico, which has proved to be our primary platform for expansion in the early years of WA.Technology. And there are several reasons for that. 

Sports, and particularly gambling, are very much ingrained into Mexican culture. The market has been regulated since 1947, meaning that players are well-versed in gambling products - they know what they like, what they don’t like, and what they expect from operators. From an operator perspective, this ultimately means you don’t have to spend time educating bettors on the different types of products available to them. 

If you look at the market’s projections over the next five years, revenue is expected to hit $3.09bn (USD) by 2029, which is very promising. Data from Zendesk Consultancy also suggests that 4.2/10 Mexicans regularly take part in gambling activities - if you compare this to the broader Latin American region, the average is 3.5. This shows just how prevalent gambling is across Mexico.

The market proved a fantastic platform for further south expansion, with significant successes in Brazil and Ecuador following soon after. Peru and Colombia will be next for us – but more on that later. 

Given you’re now one of the continent’s most sought-after providers, what’s your current take on market trends and growth outside of Brazil? Which countries offer the best examples of regulation done correctly? 

If we start with Mexico, we have seen high activity volumes across both lottery and casino. Both verticals have proved to be incredibly popular with players. Another trend we have noticed is the increasing adoption of mobile. Of course, this has always been prevalent in the major cities, but that’s now expanding to rural areas at pace, and we’re capitalising on this trend as the balance shifts from retail. Of course, this preference for technology-first experiences makes Mexico a desirable proposition for operators – one we’re leading the way on.

In Peru, the younger, tech-savvy audience also strongly prefers mobile betting over retail and desktop betting. That’s a fascinating insight for us, given the previous dominance of retail, but that’s changing fast. Looking at demographics, the market also has a fast-growing middle-class which is growing year-on-year, many of whom are not only familiar with the range of betting products at their disposal but also enjoy traditional sports, casino and esports, making this a significant market for anyone looking to expand their Latin American footprint. 

From a B2B perspective, Peru’s regulatory framework is also very favourable, – and we commend the government’s regulatory authorities. Introduced in 2023, the legislation gives a solid base for people to invest in the market and for operators to enter and paves the way for a successful long-term operation.

Ecuador’s regulation is again very conducive to good business. The liberal approach allows operators to offer a vast range of betting products, which has diminished the black market, where players cannot be protected. While the country has flown under the radar for many, it’s one to watch. 

Next up is Colombia, the first market to regulate in Latin America and has grown tremendously since online was regulated by ColJuegos in 2016. The richness of its festive culture and the acceptance of gambling make it arguably a shining example of a market done right. Colombia is already accustomed to bingo and lotteries, but it still has a lot of growth projections at the strategic level. Live casino is also becoming particularly popular here – with ColJuegos estimating it was already taking 8% of the market back in 2023. 

Peru and Mexico have both been trendy markets in the news recently. What would you say are your main USPs here?

One of our offices in Mexico is in Reforma, which is very central to Mexico City. Our legal team for this market has extensive knowledge of the local regulations and can help operators obtain a licence from Secretaría de Gobernación (The Ministry of Interior). 

We are also able to support our partners when it comes to integrations, including payment gateways, which really sets us apart from the crowd. In addition, we belong to AIEJA, the Gambling Association in Mexico, which helps connect operators to various suppliers. On top of that, we also have a deep understanding of player preferences and the culture. We know how to reach new audiences, what players want and how best to achieve that. Localisation is critical to our strategy in every LatAm market, and Mexico is no exception. 

In Peru, we are currently in the process of receiving our certifications. We are about to conclude the vendor registration, which is expected very soon and will open the doors for new growth at WA.Technology. 

This market has been on our radar for many years now. We have been researching it extensively to fully understand how we can gain a competitive edge and how we can best serve our partners. From an operator perspective, this market is already high on the agenda for many domestic and international companies. The regulator received 145 licence applications during the pre-registration phase alone!  

Peru’s gaming industry has also been growing at a double-digit rate over the last five years, with casino leading the way, followed by sports betting and lottery. Market data suggests that revenue for the country’s online gambling markets could hit US$314.8m this year, expected to grow to $403.5m by 2028. If the market continues to grow at this pace, the opportunity for WA.Technology will be massive! 

It’s safe to say that Peru will undoubtedly be one of our main target markets over the next few years, alongside Brazil and Colombia, where we’re also gaining certification. We’re very excited to see what these markets hold for us!

And what are your USPs for Ecuador and Costa Rica, given that we see less media attention on these markets?

In a word, localisation. This is essential for any market, particularly in Latin America, where each jurisdiction is unique. 

In both Costa Rica and Ecuador, we have been closely monitoring regulatory developments and changes in player behaviours - research that has allowed us to support our commercial initiatives and help shape our future partnerships with operators in the market. We also offer localised payment solutions, which is incredibly important. There’s not much point in providing a product if your players can’t deposit or withdraw their winnings, right?

We also offer bespoke betting markets for operators across both of these markets. I don’t just mean tweaking the language to suit the local dialect. We provide everything operators need to engage with players across these markets - be it markets on local football leagues or products tailored to popular sports within that particular market. 

This goes beyond sports betting, too. On the casino side, we offer a tailor-made solution to operators so they can effectively meet the needs of their player base. For example, casino games that might be popular in Mexico might not gain the same traction in Costa Rica. Again, this is where the retail heritage comes into play – and it’s essential to understand how the unique retail legacy in each market has shaped slot preferences for each country. In a competitive environment of acceptable margins, edges like these mean we can provide the tools for our operator partners to quickly gain an edge. 

Speaking of player preferences, we’ve seen a shift towards the online space in recent years. How do you keep up with changing trends?

As we’ve already covered, you have to remember that many of these markets started solely focused on the brick-and-mortar space. Players would visit casinos and betting shops, and that’s how they engaged with gambling since the 1990s. Now, however, we have a mix of both online and retail, with many land-based players transitioning away from the more social-based area of retail to mobile betting, which players can enjoy from home, on the commute, or anywhere in between. 

To capitalise on this, after extensive research into what these players enjoyed from their land-based experiences, we asked our casino team to integrate our brick-and-mortar offer into the online space. This has worked incredibly well because it allows players to recognise their favourite products and games and enjoy them from the comfort of their own home. 

Last but not least, as a significant takeaway for our readers - how can we showcase that you are the best provider for understanding the market? 

We have already touched upon localisation, as that’s a significant point for us that no outside platform provider can match. We demonstrate this by offering local currencies, payment service providers, languages, local betting markets and even the creation of “specials” - betting markets developed particularly for one jurisdiction. For example, we have our dedicated teams and models for pricing up the likes of Mexican wrestling, the famous “luchadors” - which, again, very few outsiders can match in detail like us! 

It also goes without saying that our WA.Platform is also the most comprehensive, solid platform available to any operator looking to make a name for themselves on the continent. We offer both scalable and customisable solutions, meaning that operators can continue to drive future growth as they expand their international footprint. 

Read the full interview at Gaming Americas.

WA.Technology is committed to Responsible Gaming practices. Read our Responsible Gaming Statement to learn more.