Brazil is not 'Europe translated into Portuguese', says Leonardo Benites
Brazil may be one of the world’s most promising betting markets, but many international operators still treat it as little more than an adaptation of Europe. According to Leonardo Benites, CEO of Propane and Deputy Director of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), this is one of the biggest mistakes companies make when entering the country.
Speaking on a panel at the True Ways Conference, Benites offered a broad overview of Brazilian consumer behaviour and argued that success in the regulated market depends far more on understanding local culture than on replicating strategies used in other jurisdictions.
“Brazil is not just another market. We have completely different behaviours,” he said.
With the introduction of Brazil’s new sports betting regulations, competition among operators has intensified, with companies competing for consumer attention across virtually every digital channel. According to Benites, however, the battle is no longer about the volume of advertising. The real challenge is producing content that can capture users’ attention in an environment saturated with advertisements.
“The problem is not the amount of content. The problem is the quality.”
According to Benites, creating more meaningful connections also requires recognising a characteristic of the Brazilian market that is rarely discussed: the population’s limited familiarity with gambling. Decades without legal casinos have meant that many consumers remain unfamiliar with basic gambling concepts, creating a knowledge gap that the industry itself must help address.
This view is also reflected in Blask’s research into Brazilian betting behaviour. According to the market intelligence company, 50 per cent of respondents said betting makes sporting events more exciting. Another 42 per cent cited the enjoyment of the experience as their primary motivation, while 40 per cent said they were looking for adrenaline.
Education through entertainment, not instruction
Rather than approaching this through traditional educational campaigns, Benites believes information should be embedded within entertainment. In his view, players do not want a lesson before placing a bet, but they can naturally learn through content created by creators, influencers and communities that are already part of their daily lives.
This approach also helps explain some of the Brazilian market’s unique phenomena. One example highlighted by Benites was the success of Fortune Tiger. He argued that the game’s popularity is not linked to its character or Asian theme, but to the simplicity of its mechanics. Players only needed to look at the screen to immediately understand how the game worked, an important factor in a market where many consumers are experiencing online gaming for the first time.
The same logic applies to sports betting. Unlike more mature markets, where decisions are often driven primarily by odds, Brazilian bettors are heavily influenced by emotion and their passion for football. Many fans, for example, avoid betting against their favourite club, even when doing so would represent the more rational choice.
This emotional connection also makes communities one of the most valuable assets for brands. Benites noted that Brazilians enjoy sharing betting tips, discussing matches and exchanging opinions about betting, allowing small groups of friends, colleagues and content creators to exert significant influence over new players.
In this context, influencers become more than media channels and instead serve as trust builders. Credibility is particularly important in a country affected by a high number of digital scams. Before even signing up with an operator, many consumers research the company’s reputation, read reviews and verify whether the platform appears trustworthy.
“Promotions earn the click. Storytelling keeps people engaged.”
To illustrate this approach, Benites presented a case study developed by Propane for a gaming supplier. Instead of focusing solely on product promotion, the campaign relied on content creators, ongoing storytelling and mobile-first content over a four-month period, integrating the game organically into the daily routines of influencers and their communities. According to the results presented during the session, the initiative exceeded its original impressions target by 236 per cent and resulted in the renewal of the commercial partnership.
Before concluding the panel, Leonardo Benites summarised his main message for operators seeking to grow in Brazil:
“In a market overloaded with content, the winning brand is not the one that speaks the loudest. It is the one that succeeds in becoming part of the player’s culture through the people, platforms and communities they already pay attention to.”
This article was first published on the Portuguese SiGMA News page on 15 July 2026.
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