Grupo Slots debuted its online casino and sportsbook in Buenos Aires on Thursday along with a host of other operators who received licenses in Argentina earlier this year. The gambling site at Jugadon.bet.ar operates on the Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) iGaming platform.
Codere Online and Bplay (888) have reportedly gone live as well with two other operators – Super7 and BetWarrior chomping at the bit to take part in the newly opened regulated market after gaining regulatory approval.
Super7 is operated by the Ivisa Group of Argentina, and BetWarrior is no stranger to the region with operations in nearly a dozen Latin American countries already. BetWarriors is owned and operated by the Boldt Group which comprises Binaires and Intralot, and 888 is operating with the Boldt Group under the bPlay brand. The 888 offering carries games from Microgaming and Pragmatic Play. Caba is also available online for players in Santa Fe with live dealer tables.
Online gambling regulations in the country are currently handled at the state or provincial level rather than nationally.
San Luis, Argentina is the home of Grupo Slots. The company runs Jugadon.com in the province of San Luis, as well as about 20 entertainment and leisure services in Argentina including lottery, gambling and bingo halls, casinos, the Epic Hotels chain, and restaurants.
Long Agreed Deal Comes to Fruition
Grupo Slots and GiG finalized their agreement to provide online gambling services in November 2020. GiG provides everything from the online platform and proprietary sportsbook to custom solutions the Stockholm company has been developing for several years such as GiG Logic, a data and platform engine, Content Management Systems, and front-end development.
GiG was founded in 2012. The company has undergone a complete shift in business and focus over the last couple of years after making a much welcome splash in European online gaming with the iGaming Cloud platform and casinos like Guts and Rizk, to a focus on the platform and services needed to run a successful casino and sports betting operation. With a regulatory environment available the company can expand its presence in Latin America. With Grupo Slots, GiG holds one of only 7 available licenses in Buenos Aires after receiving it on April 8 this year.
General Manager for Grupo Slots Juan Ignacio Torres, said “Today we had set a new milestone in the history of Grupo Slots because the beginning of Jugadon in the City of Buenos Aires is a great leap forward that enhances the wide experience of the company in the gambling industry. We built a great team with GIG, and have developed a solid and safe platform that matches regulators’ specifications as well as Buenos Aires Citys’ market requirements. We want to thank our team for their outstanding work over the last months that allowed us to successfully reach this goal.”
Richard Brown, CEO GiG, said “I am excited to have gone live in the city of Buenos Aires with a prominent brand like Grupo Slots. Buenos Aires is a dynamic market, set to be one of the largest within Argentina with significant growth potential in the interactive space driven by regulation and growth of a digital online gaming penetration. I am extremely proud to be one of the early movers entering this market and look forward to growing our presence within the region.”
Pros and Cons of Entering the Argentine Market
The upside to operating in the near greenfield of online gambling markets in LatAm includes Argentina’s distinction as having one of the highest GDPs in South America, a fanatical football fan base, and a population of over 45 million people with 75% internet penetration.
The downside includes a high inflation rate and a fairly unstable economy and the need for operators to apply for, receive, and maintain licenses in each province that welcomes them rather than a single nationwide license tender.
Source: Gaming Innovation Group powers Grupo Slots’ new online Casino launch in Argentina, GiG News, December 10, 2021