The company had a very successful launch a few months ago. How would you evaluate the feedback to the XLiMa proposal within the gaming sector? What can its contribution to improve the industry?
The team would have considered this very much a soft launch to the industry, but you are correct to say that it was extremely successful. From the initial exposure at G2E Las Vegas, we raised the profile further at SBC Latam in Miami. It was essential for the XLiMa team to present the new platform technology solution following an extensive period of development. Feedback from industry operators was highly valuable to understand any missing components and identify where further improvements can be made. However, it is important to state that our strategy has always been to listen to the market. It was for that reason that the XLiMa concept was originated, because we listened. Our team has been regularly engaged and constantly communicating with iGaming and sportsbook industry professionals to determine what they have been missing from the incumbent market platform providers. Here at XLiMa, our team has more than thirty years operating sportsbook solutions, and what has been evidently clear from the feedback we have received from the market is that providers who attest to delivering full turnkey platform technologies continually fail to meet the basic necessary requirements for success. XLiMa will primarily focus on the LatAm market, but our interests are also extending to the USA as the country speedily embraces a much required regulatory framework. As a business, we are the only full turnkey sportsbook platform provider actually based within the LatAm region, which delivers significant advantages over our European based counterparts. Our knowledge, understanding and experience within this territory specifically remain second to none, and it is for that reason that we are confident about the future success of XLiMa.
How does the company express that differential knowledge in LatAm and their work philosophy?
Let’s consider other market platform suppliers, who continually have a misconception that LatAm is a region where ‘one size fits all’. That has been their business model and quite simply how they deliver their solutions, often accompanied by exorbitantly high set-up fees. It is essential that every LatAm territory is managed individually in accordance to the cultural diversities towards sports, players and their betting preferences, patterns and behaviors. Consideration towards accepted payment methods and favored channels of engagement remain simple principals that other platform providers continually overlook. The XLiMa solution and philosophy are simple. We deliver a solution that operators want and need in order to be successful in highly competitive markets. We ensure that operators have an immediate competitive advantage, both in terms of their business offering and financial liquidity, as well as a sportsbook product that fully meets the needs and requirements of their players within the chosen territory of operation.
In the first months of 2023, XLiMa will participate in various industry events in LatAm and abroad. What will be your main strategy when presenting your solution to potential clients?
The schedule has now been finalized for 2023 and the intention is certainly to increase the XLiMa presence at major industry events throughout the year. The primary focus will be LatAm and the US, but the team will also attend the ICE Gaming show in London next month (February). Regarding the question on the main strategy, it remains precise and to the point! We aim to the growth of the business and to ensuring that operators finally have a solution that fully meets their needs and requirements. We will be openly demonstrating the advanced capabilities of the platform solution, combined with our risk and line management tools that far exceed anything that is currently available in the market today. In this sense, we will be presenting the full suite of casino and live dealer content, as well as other unique verticals specific to the business. But primarily, it will be about sending a message that XLiMa has arrived and finally operators have an option that delivers success for their sportsbooks. I insist that this is something that has been sought for a significant period of time, but the market has failed to provide.
How trends are evolving in the LatAm iGaming sector? What are your expectations on the advancement of regulations in different countries of the region?
Without a doubt, the current trend in LatAm has to be the fact that operators are now embracing and adopting regulation throughout the territory. Sports betting is here to stay and nothing will change that situation. It’s a business that is not only recession proof, but also resilient to pandemic situations, as we have witnessed over the past couple of years. So no matter where the region of choice will reside for the operator, be that LatAm, the USA or India: the common denominator that remains is REGULATION. Taking the example of Colombia, other regions are now following suit. Operators and suppliers are focusing on expanding their operations across other territories. However, with legislation comes complexity, and so often the process can be lengthy. Argentina, as a case in point, remains complex, with individual states determining their own legislative policies. Lottery-based products continue to gain momentum across the territory, but their barriers to entry as operators attempt to work with restrictive currencies such as the Dollar Blue. In other areas across the LatAm region, for example, traditional land-based casino operators are now realizing the necessity for a truly Omi-channel approach, giving their bricks and mortar players a wider, more personalized experience through online technologies, that can bring the sportsbook and casino experience beyond that of the physical location. It ensures that players become increasingly engaged and for longer durations of time. Regulation, however, will certainly be the key driver, albeit at a much slower pace, and XLiMa’s fully compliant, GLI certified solution is designed to positively meet these changes head on.
Looking into the future, what are the advantages of XLiMa’s business model and how will you continue bringing a great sportsbook experience, through one of the most innovative platform solutions in the market?
This is certainly not about the future, as the platform technology is here now and available for operators to deliver the ultimate sportsbook experience for their players. There are so many examples of operators who outsource their iGaming and sportsbook requirements, all at a significant cost through the set-up and minimum monthly fees. This immediately places the business in a negative situation and with a competitive disadvantage. The XLiMa business model guarantees that operators are cash flow positive from day one. Furthermore, they take full advantage and comfort in the knowledge that their sportsbook is being delivered through leading edge technologies, enabling them to differentiate their offering, secure player loyalty and achieve exponential growth.
