Matias Montero, Managing Director for Latin America at EveryMatrix, spoke to SBC’s Fernando Noodt for an in-depth conversation about some of the challenges, opportunities and top tips for success in LatAm markets. 

With regulatory changes on the horizon, a myriad of idiosyncratic markets and a World Cup looming large, Montero outlines some of the key things operators need to keep in mind to succeed across the diverse region.

What is your career background and what expertise of the LatAm iGaming sector have you brought with you to EveryMatrix?

I’ve spent a large part of my career in iGaming, working across Latin America and Europe. 

For the last five years, I worked at Vibra Gaming, a developer of games and platforms, focused on offering products for LatAm, where I was responsible for leading operational and commercial teams, working in a very close relationship with operators across different markets.

Joining EveryMatrix has given me the chance to bring practical understanding of the region. How the region works, and how to translate that into commercially viable solutions – from regulatory issues that have an impact, to issues of payments and local partner ecosystems.

For me, it’s an extremely interesting challenge. I had the previous experience of establishing a brand like Vibra, which, being a local brand, tried to give it strength against large international brands. Now in this stage, the idea is to take what EveryMatrix has already done in the region, expand it and achieve sustainable growth.

How can operators navigate the diversity that we see across LatAm and find success in that ever-evolving landscape?

The truth is that we are one market on a geographical level, and perhaps on a language level – obviously with the exception of Brazil. But in practice, we have many markets. It’s clear that there is a need to adapt.

Things that work in Argentina don’t work the same way in Peru or Mexico. Being able to integrate and build a bridge between retail and online is also very necessary. 

Omnichannel has been talked about for a long time; it’s one of those words that suddenly becomes fashionable and I think we still haven’t managed, in many cases, to integrate both worlds. There are still many land-based operators that are looking at going online. I think there are also regulatory issues. 

The key is having local partners who have an understanding of the distribution and behaviour of the player to be able to adapt solutions more effectively.

What are the main barriers to entry in those regulated markets and how can EveryMatrix’s solutions help them to overcome them?

Currently the main barrier is stability. You have regulations that come out and tax burdens that change relatively quickly, the rules of the game are modified. 

Policies regarding iGaming change from one side to the other. So it seems to me that one of the challenges or one of the barriers is regulatory and institutional stability, which somehow guarantees a more predictable operation. 

At EveryMatrix, we offer a fully compliant solution that is already proven and operating in multiple regulated markets globally, and we bring that experience to LatAm to guarantee a product that meets local regulations and needs.

How can EveryMatrix help both domestic and international operators strike the right tone and offer the right products for players across the region?

One of the factors is having content that reflects player preferences. For example, you have crash games which have been very popular in Argentina. 

Then, the UX and the UI, the promotions you offer, and offering local payment methods are all key factors that allow you to enter the market and operate there. 

Regarding that, EveryMatrix has the largest aggregator in the market with more than 45,000 titles and 180 integrations, so the offering is very varied and includes both internationally proven content, as well as local providers or games targeting specific markets. 

EveryMatrix’s Engage Suite, includes different promotional and gamification tools that achieve player engagement, which is crucial for acquisition and retention. It offers the ability to customise the front end, together with CRM strategies that help attract players and keep them. 

The important thing is that the operators we work with globally don’t feel like imported operators here, so we have to make those necessary adjustments so that the outside touch isn’t noticeable.

A landmark event for the industry this year is the World Cup. How should operators in LatAm approach the World Cup and how can EveryMatrix’s expertise assist?

The World Cup is the event, at least in Latam, for acquisition and engagement. It’s also a time of seeing operationally how ready you are from the operator side because it puts you to the test. In that sense, I think there is a focus on performance, on scalability and stability during peak moments.

EveryMatrix has a high-performance sportsbook capable of handling traffic during peak moments. It has risk management and trading tools incorporated, and as I said before, the engagement features work both through the casino and the sportsbook to maximise player activity during the tournament. 

How can EveryMatrix’s turnkey solutions cater to the needs of any type of operator looking to gain market share across LatAm markets? 

Our turnkey solution includes all the tools an operator needs to launch a complete system, with a PAM for player registration and account management, the sportsbook, casino platform with content aggregation, a suite of promotional and engagement tools and obviously payment gateways and CRM systems. We also have a back-office tool called Data Hub, which is a real-time data streaming that allows you to monitor certain KPIs or certain performance data to be able to make decisions about the business in real time. 

What is the biggest challenge you see coming down the road for LatAm operators in 2026, and what is your top tip for anyone looking to overcome it?

The biggest challenge is a combination of regulatory demands that don’t just get established but increase over time, added to a competition that also increases and establishes itself in the local market. 

The markets become a bit more rigid and structured, and then margins shrink. Operators need to be compliant on a regulatory level but also very efficient financially and commercially to have a sustainable operation. This will likely lead to a consolidation of some operators in certain markets.

My advice is to focus on being sustainable in the long term rather than just securing short-term acquisition. When a market regulates, everyone rushes in to grab market share, but as rules change and competitors enter, you need a viable operation.