In part of his interview with Insider Sport, Santiago Gandara, Chief Marketing Officer at BetWarrior, breaks down the dynamics and goals of the betting group’s deal with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Partnering with national associations like the AFA – a three-time FIFA World Cup winning association no less – is not just a matter of revenue generation and customer acquisition, he stresses. Betting marketers must instead look at the depper picture and how to make deeper connections with these associations.
IS: How do you work with sporting partners to ensure fan engagement is carried out in a responsible manner?
Santiago Gandara: At BetWarrior we have very clear and efficient rules prohibiting minors and responsible gambling and this is what we transmit to our partners. The way we operate is very important to us and I believe it is a differential value when a club or sports association chooses one betting brand over another.
We have very clear policies on how to manage our sponsorships, what audiences we target, what types of messages we give, etc. and we work with our partners to make all of this happen.
To give some examples, our AFA sponsorship includes all divisions, but we do not do any action or generate any content that involves the lower divisions, the same with active players, whom we prefer not to involve individually with our brand (we do not have active players as ambassadors).
IS: How do you work with sporting partners to reaffirm that these deals are about more than monetary gain and reaching new customers?
SG: Sponsoring a national association is not just about generating users or making money and associations know this very well. It is a matter of positioning, not only of BetWarrior but of the entire category and the way in which it wants to be linked to the sport.
Betting has existed for as long as sport has existed and this exponential growth that it has had in recent years forces both operators and clubs to address the issue in a responsible manner, not everything is the same and, beyond money, clubs have to know what brand they work with.
At BetWarrior we have a common agenda with our partners because I believe that the future of these sponsorships depends on the way in which operators, clubs, regulators and the media work together to define the rules and short-term money cannot be the only variable.
IS: What about protection for athletes themselves? How does BetWarrior corporate with its sporting partners on integrity issues?
SG: At Betwarrior we decide not to work with active athletes, precisely to protect them from potential claims that question their sporting integrity. We also work with associations to train them on the risks associated with betting, gambling addiction, match fixing and other issues that involve them.
Athletes are the protagonists of this industry and on whom the integrity of sport falls on their shoulders, that is why as operators we have to help them, so that they do not see betting as a threat but as a strategic ally when it comes to defending the integrity of the sport they love.
IS: Without giving too much away, what else can we expect to see from BetWarrior and its relationship with the sporting world?
SG: At BetWarrior we have worked hard over the last two years building a disruptive product, team, strategy and work model. Luckily, the result in Argentina has been very good and that is why we are not only going to promote it, but we are also going to seek to expand it to the rest of the region.
This year we have obtained the IOM licence, two licences in Peru and we are applying for the one in Brazil. Without a doubt 2025 is going to be a year of expansion for us and the relationship with sport is a key point of our strategy so we hope to keep growing!
IS: To round things up, and thanks for taking the time to speak with us, what do you think will be the main talking points at the SBC Summit Latinoamerica around responsible sports marketing?
SG: I believe that the different actors in the industry are seeing the issue of sponsorships as a very relevant point in the development of the industry in the region and since there are different points of view on the issue, I believe that having the opportunity to discuss it will be fundamental to lay the foundations for the coming years.
Taking place between 29-31 October 2024 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Miami, the SBC Summit Latinoamerica will feature insights from panellists and keynote speakers across the betting, gaming, sports and payments sectors in Latin America. Check out the agenda and buy your ticket HERE.
