FIRST.bet has appointed Victor Arias, a seasoned LatAm veteran, to head its commercial strategy across the region.

Arias joins the sportsbook tech provider as Vice President of LatAm and Regional Head of Commercial, in which role he will leverage his previous experience with Pragmatic Play, where he built his former employer’s domestic business strategy from its early market entry days into the market leading position it finds itself in now.

He first joined Pragmatic in 2020 to open the company’s hub in Latin America. What followed was years of strong regional adaptation with a carefully selected localised team to turn Pragmatic Play into one of the leading iGaming companies on the domestic market.

Arias’ Latin America expertise doesn’t stop there, however, with him having previously also worked for Salsa Technology and focusing on its Latin America growth as well. In total, Arias brings almost two decades of experience across B2C and B2B iGaming roles.

He brings an in-depth knowledge of some of the biggest South American markets, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, being versed in each of their pace, regulations and player profiles – while also holding close ties to the operators whose work shaped the local dynamics.

Tom Light, Founder and CEO of FIRST.bet, welcomed Arias to the team by praising his regional expertise: “LATAM has to be serviced by LATAM. That is how we are building the business, and Victor has run that playbook at the highest level already. 

“He knows these markets are not one market. Having him lead our commercial effort in the region is the strongest signal we can send about how seriously we take it.”

The appointment of Arias is also not coincidental. He joins FIRST.bet at a time when the company is switching its Latin America focus into fifth gear, which requires seasoned business leaders.

FIRST’s business operates with localisation at the heart, treating it as a core element of its expansion strategy that relies on multiple layers as opposed to just translation – localised service, localised trading, localised content, and localised teams.

Having already built a hub to tap into LatAm’s sportsbook demand, FIRST is well on its way to establishing itself as a category leader in the region, which Arias will certainly help accomplish.

On his new venture, Arias added: “I am honoured to take on Latin America for FIRST.bet. This is a market I know deeply, having led Pragmatic Play’s growth into the leading provider in the region, and the opportunity here is immense. 

“We are bringing Tier-1 sportsbook technology together with a completely localised strategy. The goal is ambitious but simple: to make FIRST.bet the number one sports betting partner in Latin America, with a truly local identity.”