The Shifting Focus Towards South America and Asian Gambling Markets
February 24, 2017 10:38 amSouth America has a 422.5 million strong population with an average age of 30.6 years, while Asia has 4.436 billion people with an average age of 30.7 years, making both continents a particularly attractive target for the poker industry. Furthermore, interest in the game continues to rise exponentially in these regions, in the process attracting the interest of online gambling brands such as PokerStars and Bodog.
The shift in focus by PokerStars becomes a lot clearer when one takes a look at the brand’s sponsored live tournament series in 2017. The PokerStars Festival, which has become an amalgam of previous tours including the LAPT and APPT, already have schedules in place for Chile, Uruguay, Korea, Manila, and Uruguay this year, with the brand’s PokerStars Championship is also heading to Panama in March, followed by Macau in May.
In the meantime, stops on the PokerStars Festival and PokerStars Championship includes the Czech Republic, Marbella, Monte Carlo and Barcelona, but there are presently no stops in Italy or France, highlighting the changing centre of focus for the world’s biggest online poker brand.
In recent time, Bodog has also indicated its increasing focus on the South American market, and has announced its expansion into 15 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. By contrast, Bodog withdrew from the European market in 2012, but still maintains a strong presence in China and Vietnam. Commenting on the company’s plan going forward, Ed Pownall, a Bodog spokesman, explained:
“The LatAm region has long been seen as a growth area for the online gaming industry but we felt leading with poker was the best point of entry as we have made such a strong name for ourselves in this arena.”
Furthermore, the innovative brand has also introduced Bitcoin payment processing as part of its service in those countries, together with more familiar deposit and withdrawal options.