The betting boom in Brazil, the consolidation of Las Vegas as the home of American sports and the future of the United States industry were the topics of an exclusive interview with Stephen Crystal, founder of SCCG Management and one of the references in the international gaming market.
With decades of experience and business in the sector, Crystal spoke about this new moment for Las Vegas, as a headquarters for sporting teams and events with a global reach.
“In my 35 years in the industry, I have spent most of my time based in Las Vegas. I have operated casinos here since 2000, so I have seen first-hand the growth of early casinos and now sports betting in the United States.”
“We have Formula 1, the Superbowl, NBA, MLB, among others. So, Las Vegas has become the capital of American sports, in addition to gaming. This is all very exciting,” he added.
Stephen Crystal classifies regulation of online betting as ‘historic’ for Brazil
Furthermore, he believes that Brazil can follow the example of the United States. “50 years ago, casinos were open in only two states around here; they are now in 42 states. I think something very similar will happen soon in Brazil.”
And he declared: “What happened last year was historic after decades without regulation. It is a matter of time before Brazil also starts looking at casinos. I think Brazil has the chance to become the new gaming capital of the world.”
According to the interviewee, Brazil has unique characteristics, such as a significant population number. In addition, it has sports betting and online gaming legislation valid for the entire national territory.
“A regulamentação permite que os investimentos sejam feitos no Brasil. As melhores empresas da Europa e dos Estados Unidos tentarão ingressar no país em parceria com empresários e empresas brasileiras”.
“Não é ideal trazer algo de outro lugar para o Brasil. O objetivo é entender o mercado brasileiro e o que o mercado local deseja. Eventualmente, haverá coisas que EUA e Europa poderão aprender com o Brasil”, complementou.
Por fim, Stephen Crystal foi enfático ao afirmar que “a oportunidade será maior no primeiro dia no Brasil do que nos Estados Unidos”.
