Kirill Nekrasov, BETBY’s Head of Sportsbook Product, discusses the importance of Bet Builder in Brazil, revealing how local betting habits, cross-sport wagering and real-time performance optimisation shape the present of this must-have feature.
SBC: How important is the Bet Builder feature in the Brazilian sports betting market?
Kirill Nekrasov: Bet Builder has evolved from a premium feature into an essential tool for operators aiming to succeed worldwide, and the Brazilian market is no exception. BETBY’s internal data indicates that local players are highly familiar with the feature and tend to place more ambitious bets, often aiming for higher payouts, highlighting its strategic importance in the country.
Image: BETBY
This trend is driven by two main factors. Firstly, Brazil’s deep-rooted passion for sports means that bettors have a strong understanding of the games they wager on, particularly football. This knowledge encourages them to create complex and strategic bet combinations rather than relying solely on traditional markets. Secondly, local players have shown a strong preference for a social, entertainment-driven approach to betting, often following events live. This behavior leads them to place in-play bets and combine multiple selections to maximise their profits, further fueling the popularity of Bet Builder.
When it comes to operators, the significance of Bet Builder in Brazil extends beyond getting higher revenues and raising betting volumes, as the competition in the market is intensifying. With major brands entering Brazil, a diverse and flexible Bet Builder offering can be a key differentiator and guarantee an increase in customer retention. Players expect the ability to personalise their bets across multiple markets and sports, building their own narratives, and failing to meet this demand means losing engagement to more innovative platforms.
SBC: What sports do you need to cover to offer a successful Bet Builder for Brazilian users?
KN: While football remains the undisputed leader in Brazilian sports betting, accounting for nearly 10% of GGR and more than 4% of bets according to our data, other sports are emerging as key verticals for Bet Builder usage. BETBY’s experience in the country shows that, apart from football, three sports are crucial for a strong Bet Builder offering: basketball, American football and esports.
Basketball has seen strong growth, largely due to the NBA’s massive popularity in Brazil. In fact, outside the U.S., Brazil is the number 1 market in NBA League Pass subscriptions — a service that provides live and on-demand NBA games — according to the NBA itself. In this case, bettors frequently combine player performance markets with game outcomes, such as total points, rebounds and assists, adding an extra layer of strategy to their wagers. Additionally, Brazil’s domestic league, the NBB, has gained traction, particularly when local teams compete internationally.
American football has also carved out a dedicated following in Brazil. The NFL has built such a strong and engaged audience in the country that there are ongoing discussions about Brazil hosting multiple NFL games annually. According to our experience, bettors favour markets that allow them to combine multiple statistical components. Many users enjoy mixing touchdown scorer predictions, passing yards and winning margins in a single bet slip, showcasing the strategic mindset of Brazilian bettors.
Last but not least, esports has become another crucial component of the Bet Builder experience. Brazil has one of the most passionate esports audiences in the world and the largest number of professional players in Latin America, with the big four — CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant — being widely followed. The younger demographic, in particular, is drawn to markets that leverage in-game analytics, team performance trends and individual player statistics, making Bet Builder an essential tool for combining these insights into a personalised betting narrative.
SBC: What makes a Bet Builder stand out from the competition in Brazil?
KN: Offering a wider sports and esports coverage than competitors is a crucial advantage. For instance, to stand out in football, an operator must go beyond basic markets like winner and number of goals, incorporating unconventional options and advanced metrics such as VAR decisions or expected goals (xG). Additionally, given Brazilian users’ deep knowledge of individual player performances, it is essential to provide player metrics like goals, shots on target and other successful actions, as well as yellow and red cards received, which BETBY offers as part of its Bet Builder solution.
However, one often-overlooked factor that defines the success of a Bet Builder is its performance. Imagine a scenario where users build complex, multi-event bets, but the platform fails to process selections smoothly or struggles to recalculate odds in real-time. The frustration caused by slow or unreliable functionality can be a dealbreaker for players.
User experience must be seamless, which is why according to our metrics combination takes less than a millisecond across all sports on our platform. We aim to provide the highest level of service with instant and accurate pricing and instantaneous odds recalculations because if Bet Builder cannot keep pace with user demands, players will lose trust and switch to competitors that can deliver the reliability they expect. In Brazil, where betting is fast-paced and engagement is high, this make-or-break factor determines the success of a Bet Builder.
SBC: How is BETBY prepared to offer a Bet Builder that meets the specific demands of Brazilian users?
KN: BETBY has recently showcased its enhanced Bet Builder at SBC Summit Rio, highlighting our commitment to the Brazilian market and its users’ needs. This new version offers a wide range of sports and esports coverage, including the most popular options in Brazil. More importantly, it now covers 100% of football matches, allowing us to provide any national or international league or tournament on demand. For a football-loving country like Brazil, this means a vast array of betting opportunities across all-tier events of the sport.
Another key addition in our latest version is the introduction of cross-sport wagers. Most Brazilian bettors follow multiple sports simultaneously, and they want to leverage that knowledge to increase their potential winnings. With cross-sport Bet Builder, users can combine selections from different sports into a single bet slip, creating more strategic, engaging and rewarding wagers. This allows them to maximise their winnings, while also providing them with a more immersive and entertaining experience, enhancing loyalty.
Recognising the dominance of mobile betting in Brazil, BETBY has also ensured that the new Bet Builder is fully optimised for a mobile-first experience. The interface is designed for simplicity and ease of use, enabling players to build the most complex bet combinations effortlessly. The detailed and intuitive bet slip ensures that selections are clear and easily accessible, reducing friction and making the entire betting process more seamless.
Moreover, accurate pricing, regardless of combination complexity, ensures that users never feel limited or restricted when placing their bets. This level of precision and efficiency delivers the smooth, responsive user experience that Brazilian bettors expect.
September 15 will see SBC organise a ground breaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/.
