Coffman: “We combine customization and socialization to offer a highly interactive experience between users on a secure and fun platform”

The executive underlines that the next step will be to expand to other LatAm markets, and, in the future, to penetrate continents such as Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

How did Wanna come about and why do you think you are having such a big and fast repercussion on the Brazilian betting market?

The original idea behind Wanna actually came up about 10 years ago. I was a professional athlete. I am super competitive and betting with friends was a habit that arose very naturally, not only inside sports, but outside as well. We bet in card games or video game competitions, for example. What I noticed was that, in all social networks, people would get together and interact to discuss sports and, of course, each one had a different opinion. The discussions about who was the best team, or who are the best players, often became heated, because the sports lover usually has a huge passion for his or her team and defends it fervently. There was, until then, no way to transact money, should these people want to turn this debate into a bet. This was the idea behind the creation of Wanna. I believe that the repercussion in the Brazilian market occurred because Wanna is very passionate about sports, community, and competition. Brazil is a country of people who share these same passions. Brazilians cheer fervently, celebrate, and compete with friends, family, and fans of other teams. The culture of Brazil, the people and this love for sports are all that Wanna represents. We want to bring this passion to Wanna, connecting sports lovers in a unique way and revolutionizing the market as we know it today.

To what age do you point your product? What qualities of Wanna stand out the most to bettors?

Wanna can only be used by players over the age of 18. There are several qualities in what make the app attractive to the bettor. The biggest differentiator is that the power is in the hands of the users. Before Wanna, there was little differentiation between players in the sports betting market. Users choose based on the sports available, or the sign-up bonus on the platform which, in the long run, adds little to no value. We created the app with the goal of changing this reality, developing a model never before seen in the market. We combine customization and socialization to offer a highly interactive experience between users on a secure and fun platform. To understand what this means, we must first explore further the other sports betting platforms that are on the market. In their models, as a sports bettor, your competition is the betting company itself. It is your job to take money from them and it is their job to take money from you. And that’s not a fair competition, since they are the ones creating the bets. This scenario contributes to the bad reputation of sports betting today and is responsible for the mechanical dynamics, focused only on gains, we see in the market today. That’s exactly what we aim to change. Unlike other sports betting companies, Wanna is not your competition. We do not have anything to gain if you lose your bets. We want you to win! We are here to help you become a better sports bettor and teach you how to do it. Not only that: at Wanna, you have control of your own decisions. You are the one creating bets, or taking bets from users as real as you, testing your sports knowledge against each other. Our job is to create a safe and fun environment for you to connect and interact. With this model, we are sure to change the sports betting industry stigmas.

What is Wanna Buck? What payment methods does the app allow? How do you manage the security of users’ data and that of the transactions made on your platform?

Wanna was created to be a global platform, so we needed a single currency that would allow users around the world to bet against each other on the sports they love without having to worry about making monetary conversions on each bet. Wanna Buck was the solution we found. It represents one euro and the platform does the conversion automatically, which means that you can use your local currency to deposit or withdraw amounts. Users can track the value of their Wanna Bucks converted to their local currency in the app at any time. Currently, users can add funds to their wallets through a bill of exchange, bank transfer, or digital wallet. Wanna was created to be the safest platform for placing sports bets. Therefore, we invest heavily in the security of transactions. Whenever two people place bets within the platform, they can trust that we perform all the proper security checks so that the bet is guaranteed and the money is paid to the winner.

How do you combine in the same solution a practical tool to place bets and a means to capture more users from the socializing character of the app? What marketing strategies are you implementing to expand your brand? Have you thought about using sports or music figures, influencers and other referents to associate them with your product and reach more players?

The combination between the ease of creating bets on Wanna and the socialization between users is one of the great differentiators of the app. Sports is, in its essence, a social activity. Betting emerged as a consequence of this, stimulated by the preference for certain teams and by competitiveness. What we observed, however, is that, a long time ago, betting lost its essence and passion for sports; the social aspect disappeared. We have come to change this, bringing the focus back to the user and its experience. We put the power back in their hands, so that they can test their skills by creating a bet with their friends and interacting before, during and after matches. This translates into our Marketing strategies. The users, their experience and interaction will always be our focus. We want to transmit in a clear way that Wanna is the best app for sports lovers to debate their opinions and, of course, solve the differences with a bet. An example of this is the Wanna Cup, the first competition between bettors in the history of the market. It brought together the professionals Fabio Bambi, Nettuno, and Danilo Martins, from Quero Apostar, who, in the role of coaches, formed teams with eight Wanna users each, who competed in duels between Punter and Trader bettors. Exclusive to the app, the only one capable of putting users face to face in a bet, the Wanna Cup should have new editions soon. But it is not only with personalities from the betting world that we seek to associate ourselves. We have also worked with sports figures, comedians, and influencers. The important thing is that they are as passionate about sports as we are!

How would you define the relationship of Brazilians with sports? What are the preferences around sports betting? Is it possible that, in the future, you will include non-sports betting in your platform?

Brazilians are one of the most passionate people about sports, which is in absolute alignment with Wanna and led us to choose the country to officially launch the app. It is exciting to see the determination of Brazilians to defend their team or their favorite players. It is exactly this emotion that we want in the interactions between our users. Brazilians are, however, passionate about other subjects and we see no barriers in the expansion of Wanna to include non-sports betting. We will soon include bets that are more common in the betting world, like horse racing and Esports, but we will also innovate with new ones, like political debates and reality TV results. The possibilities are endless and so is our ambition for Wanna.

What is your opinion about the legalization process of betting and iGaming in Brazil? Are you optimistic about the advancement of regulation?

We are in favor of the regulation of sports betting in Brazil, with clear rules for both the operators of this market and the bettors. Our vision is that regulation is a win-win process. The State gains with the revenue generated by gaming, the bettors with laws that protect them, and the operators with well-defined limits. We are optimistic that Brazil will soon move in this direction. We follow closely every step in this direction as supporters and enthusiasts.

What projects does Wanna have up its sleeve? Do you think about expanding to other territories in Latin America?

At Wanna, we are always thinking of new ways to engage users and bring more people to the platform. We recently launched the Wanna Cup, which I mentioned earlier, but there are other initiatives that we will soon communicate to the market. We also invest heavily in continuously improving our app. Here, we really listen to all feedback from our users. After all, their experience is our focus and we need to adjust everything that means improving it. Wanna was developed to be a global company. We are committed to becoming the safest place in the world to gamble. Our next step is to expand to other markets in Latin America. In the future, we also plan to install in continents such as Africa, Asia, Europe and, eventually, North America. Our dream is that one day we will be able to place bets between users from different parts of the world. Imagine how this would affect global events, such as the World Cup or the Olympics!