Inside Impressed Leisure’s LATAM playbook. By Damien Connelly
For Brooks Pierce, president and CEO of Impressed Leisure, localization isn’t only a technique, it’s a blueprint for the way forward for digital sports activities. With operations spanning 35 jurisdictions and greater than 32,000 retail venues worldwide, Impressed has constructed its fame on delivering cutting-edge, participating content material that resonates with gamers. The corporate’s latest launch of V-Play Soccer Brazil with EstrelaBet, powered by Altenar, marks what Pierce calls a “main milestone” in Impressed’s dedication to Brazil and the broader LATAM area.
On this unique interview, Pierce discusses how Brazil’s ardour for soccer makes it a pivotal market in Impressed’s development technique, why cultural tailoring is crucial for fulfillment in regulated markets, and the way balancing world partnerships with native relevance is shaping the corporate’s subsequent part of enlargement. From localized digital sports activities to hybrid-dealer improvements, Pierce presents perception into the place Impressed is heading – and the way the corporate plans to remain forward of evolving participant calls for worldwide. Our dialog has been edited for readability.
Picture: Brooks Pierce, president and CEO of Impressed Leisure
Impressed lately launched V-Play Soccer Brazil with EstrelaBet, designed particularly to replicate the aptitude and vitality of Brazilian soccer.
You known as this a “main milestone” in Impressed’s dedication to Brazil. How large of a task do you see Brazil taking part in in Impressed’s long-term development technique throughout LATAM?
Brazil is central to our long-term development technique in LATAM. As the biggest sports activities betting market within the area and a rustic the place soccer is deeply ingrained within the tradition, launching a product that’s particularly tailor-made to this viewers exhibits our dedication to establishing a significant, enduring presence in Brazil. We additionally view Brazil as a strategic springboard into the broader LATAM market. Retaining our method targeted on localized choices, forging robust partnerships and fascinating with evolving regulatory landscapes are all important for sustainable development within the area.
This product feels tailored for the Brazilian viewers. Will localization of digital sports activities grow to be a core technique in different areas – for instance, cricket in India, basketball within the Philippines or baseball in Mexico?
Localization is a core a part of our technique. Whereas globally acknowledged sports activities like soccer, basketball, and hockey have common enchantment, regional markets usually search content material that feels native and culturally resonant. Simply as Brazilian followers join extra deeply with a Brazil-themed soccer product, we see alternatives to copy this method, whether or not by way of cricket in India, basketball within the Philippines or baseball in Mexico. Our purpose is to seamlessly mix our world-class merchandise with experiences that resonate culturally.
Along with V-Play Soccer Brazil, Impressed additionally lately launched V-Play NHL, NBA Re-Play and Re-Play eSports with bet365. How do you steadiness globally acknowledged, licensed merchandise with regionally localized choices just like the EstrelaBet launch?
It’s a steadiness of breadth and depth. Globally licensed merchandise, resembling V-Play NHL and NBA Re-Play, present us with widespread enchantment. They showcase our technical capabilities and robust partnerships with iconic leagues. Localized choices like V-Play Soccer Brazil allow us to resonate extra deeply inside particular markets, demonstrating our adaptability and dedication to regional audiences. Each approaches are complementary. They permit us to construct a various portfolio that mixes world scale with regional relevance, aligning completely with what operators are in search of.
Do you anticipate Brazil being a gateway marketplace for additional enlargement in LATAM, maybe by way of partnerships with different native leaders?
Brazil serves as each a proving floor and a gateway. The teachings we study, the partnerships we construct, and our understanding of the regulatory setting and content material localization will all inform our broader enlargement throughout LATAM. We’re already exploring alternatives with different native leaders and, as laws proceed to mature throughout the area, we see Brazil paving the way in which for a wave of localized launches all through LATAM.
How do you steadiness innovation with regulatory necessities throughout totally different jurisdictions?
At Impressed, regulation and innovation go hand in hand. We function in regulated markets worldwide and compliance is the inspiration of every little thing we do. On the identical time, we’ve designed our merchandise to be versatile. We will regulate betting markets, schedules, occasion frequencies or presentation types to satisfy native regulatory necessities with out compromising leisure worth. By working carefully with our companions, we be sure that our improvements are aligned with the particular wants of every jurisdiction.
Do you view regional launches like V-Play Soccer Brazil as “blueprints” for world product localization or are they bespoke one-offs?
Every localized launch is tailor-made to its particular market, however the methodology, cultural analysis, native operator partnerships and regulatory alignment function a blueprint for replication elsewhere. V-Play Soccer Brazil is not going to look similar to future cricket or baseball merchandise, however the core rules behind its growth will stay constant. Brazil has offered us with a mannequin that we will leverage as we discover different high-growth areas requiring tailor-made merchandise.
Impressed has a robust retail and lottery presence alongside digital. How are you connecting these experiences for gamers?
We’re targeted on making a seamless expertise throughout retail, lottery and digital channels. Our Digital Sports activities are reside in additional than 32,000 retail venues worldwide. We’ve additionally introduced those self same merchandise to on-line and cell platforms. For instance, in Virginia, our VSports video games exhibit how Digital Sports activities can thrive inside a lottery setting whereas being accessible digitally. For gamers, this implies a constant, participating expertise wherever they select to play.
What do you see as the largest alternatives for Impressed Leisure within the subsequent 12–24 months?
We see three main alternatives. First, increasing in Brazil and throughout LATAM with localized content material; second, enhancing participant engagement by way of new mechanics, guess constructions and increasing digital choices past conventional sports activities; and third, constructing on the early success of our hybrid-dealer merchandise, which bridge conventional on line casino play with interactive leisure. Collectively, these areas present a robust runway for development.
How do you see participant habits evolving, and the way is Impressed adapting to remain forward of these shifts?
Gamers are more and more demanding quicker, extra genuine content material. With consideration spans shortening, there’s a rising urge for food for merchandise that mix the realism of broadcast sports activities with fast, thrilling gaming experiences and the comfort of 24/7 betting. Impressed is proactively responding by creating new betting choices that digital sports activities haven’t beforehand supplied, using the most recent expertise, and leveraging AI-driven enhancements that make it exhausting to imagine our merchandise aren’t reside sports activities. Moreover, our merchandise are extremely configurable, enabling operators to customise experiences to go well with their audiences’ preferences.
Impressed operates in 35 jurisdictions with greater than 32,000 retail, digital sports activities venues worldwide. With Brazil now added to the map, what different areas are on the prime of your precedence record for 2026?
Our rapid focus is on additional increasing inside Latin America, alongside continued development in North America. We’re additionally constructing on our success in Europe. Throughout all these areas, our precedence is focusing on regulated markets the place we will ship localized, high-quality merchandise that foster sustainable development.
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