Ahead of SBC Summit Rio, we sat down with Thomas Carvalhaes, Country Manager at Stake Brazil, a platinum headline sponsor of the event.Β
What elements of SBC Summit Rio work so well for your organisation, and why is it important for you to be there this year?
The SBC Summit Rio is a great opportunity to strengthen our local presence and support Stake Brazil’s growth ambitions for 2025 as we commence our Brazilian operations this year. This summit provides an ideal opportunity to form strategic relationships, discover new trends, and continue elevating Stake as a leader in the LATAM market.
Whatβs your key objective at this yearβs event and what are the main products/services youβll be promoting?
Stake expansion into regulated markets demonstrates its commitment to compliance, which is crucial for establishing a trustworthy brand. The attendees at the Summit will see Stake showcased with diverse gaming options and a full-on sportsbook experience. We can highlight Stake’s notable partnerships with superstars like Drake and high-profile sponsorships including the UFC, Formula1, Premier League, Copa Davis, Esporte Clube Juventude, in Brazil; Fortaleza CEIF, in Colombia, and FBC Melgar, in Peru. Additionally, we are sure that this summit will facilitate the enhancement of our affiliate strategies, ensuring alignment with emerging trends, and ultimately optimizing our overall marketing efforts.
What would you highlight as the biggest opportunity in the betting and gaming industry over the next couple of years?
Rather than pinpointing a specific geography, I believe the biggest opportunity lies in evolving the game offering itself. Over the past five years, innovation in gaming content has been somewhat static, with many products feeling iterative rather than groundbreaking. The key opportunity is in delivering more engaging, immersive, and exclusive contentβwhether thatβs through unique game mechanics, better user experiences, or fresh approaches to sports and entertainment betting. Thereβs also room to challenge the industryβs status quo by finding underserved niches and elevating fan engagement beyond traditional betting models.
What elements of your business do you feel are best placed to take advantage of that opportunity?
Our core strength is in creating exclusive, high-quality experiences for our users. Thatβs why we are investing heavily in content creation, both through our in-house studios and by partnering with the best game developers and content creators in the world.
We are also making sure we stay ahead in emerging FIAT payment trends, ensuring our users have seamless access to our platforms.
What areas of the business should we be looking to for innovation in the next 12 months?
Content remains our number one priority. New game development, exclusive IPs, and interactive betting experiences will define the next generation of engagement.
What new technology do you feel will have the biggest impact for stakeholders?
We are seeing a major shift in payment trends worldwide, and we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of innovations to provide the most seamless and user-friendly payment experiences.
What core challenges do you help solve for your customers/partners?
As the Country manager in Brazil, one of the key challenges Iβm addressing is managing the transition from an unregulated to a regulated environment. This brings a significant shift not only in the way we operate but also in how we maintain the trust and satisfaction of users who were accustomed to a more open market. My role is to be the bridge between our headquarters, the various vendors, and the product team to ensure we deliver a seamless, high-quality experience that aligns with both local regulations and user expectations.
Focusing on the local culture is critical, as we need to adapt our offering to suit the specific needs and preferences of Brazilian users, while ensuring we remain fully compliant with the new legal landscape. Maintaining the integrity of the product while meeting regulatory requirements, all while keeping the user experience at its best, is a complex balancing act. My goal is to ensure that as we introduce these changes, we continue to offer an excellent, consistent product that retains the loyalty of users who know and trust the brand.
Who have you especially enjoyed working with over the past year (partner/client) and why?
Iβve really enjoyed working with everyone involved in making this project a reality. Having been in the industry for over 10 years, itβs always a pleasure to reconnect with old colleagues and meet new ones who bring fresh, innovative solutions to the gaming sector. Seeing how everyone adapts to the new regulations and collaborates to find new ways of working has been truly rewarding.
Can you tell us more specifically how you worked with that partner and how the relationship is developing?
We had all been anticipating the regulation for some time, so when it was finally confirmed, we were ready to hit the ground running. Working closely with our partners, we quickly made the necessary adjustments to ensure full compliance with the new rules while maintaining the integrity of our product and user experience. The relationship has been really collaborative, and weβve been able to align on both the strategic and operational changes needed. Itβs been great to see how well weβre adapting together, and Iβm excited about how weβre continuing to develop the partnerships moving forward.
What are you hoping to learn from the conference at the SBC Summit Rio and which elements of the agenda will you be focusing on the most?
We are excited to be part of the SBC Summit Rio and immerse ourselves in the dynamic Latin American iGaming market. Our primary goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and future trajectory of the industry in the region.