SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Eyas Gaming has stepped up preparations for the upcoming launch of its Lance! sportsbook betting brand in the yet-to-be-regulated Brazilian market, partnering with ID verification firm Caf.
Based in Sao Paulo, Caf will provide Eyas with local knowledge of regulations and market conditions before and after Lance!’s planned entry to market, whilst also checking the identity of Brazilian bettors to ensure safe customer onboarding.
An additional focal point of the partnership is general social responsibility and safer gambling policies and practices, including the provision and self-exclusion and deposit limit options.
Andrejs Cuzans, Head of Fraud, Risk and Payments of Eyas Gaming, said: “We are looking at our partnership with Caf as a long-term relationship and we are confident that as we grow and evolve in the Brazil market, Caf will continue to meet our ever-changing needs.
“This is an exciting time for the gambling market in Brazil and we could not have found a better partner as we establish a foothold and continue to grow here.”
Part of the Gauselmann Group, Eyas Gaming’s plans for Brazil were unveiled earlier this month when a partnership with Lance, a sports media firm, was announced.
The agreement enables the company, which is based in Malta and supported by Gibraltar-based international gambling group Gauselmann, to operate a sportsbook brand using the Lance! branding.
Eyas desire to expand its presence in Brazil and Latin America at large comes off the back of international experience in the UK and Gibraltar, whilst also taking Guaselmann’s Merkur casino brand live in several territories.
The company has secured sportsbook support from Swedish B2B firm Kambi, with the Caf deal further bolstering the group’s backing as it prepares for Brazilian market entry.
On Caf’s services, Cuzans added: “We take player safety and responsible gambling very seriously, and ensuring that we have robust age and identity verification is critical as we enter this new market.
“Caf’s identity verification capabilities will help ensure we are only serving those who are legally allowed to gamble, and doing so responsibly.”
After stalling in late 2022 when former President Jair Bolsonaro failed to meet the deadline to introduce legislation, new life has been breathed into hopes for a regulated Brazilian sports betting market under newly-elected Lula da Silva.
As it stands, sports betting is set to be regulated in Brazil but online casinos are unlikely to be included in the framework. Other confirmed changes include the introduction of a betting Secretariat, a 16% tax rate on gross gambling revenue (GGR) and five-year licence with a fee of BRL 30m (€5.5m)
Emma Lindley, Caf’s Managing Director of International Expansion, remarked: .”We are very excited to be partnering with such an innovative and respected company as the Gauselmann Group and Eyas Gaming, especially during this transformative time in Brazil.
“As the government prepares to regulate sports betting in Brazil, gambling operators that can quickly and accurately identify customers and conduct age verification, provide a great user experience and fight fraud will become the market leaders. The new Brazilian regulations put a big emphasis on player safety and that is a priority for us in this partnership as well.
“Brazil is a massive market for gambling, but one that is still largely untapped. We are excited to help Eyas and Lance! on their journey to provide market-leading online gambling services, as they provide a compliant and secure experience for Brazilian consumers.”
