How Bold Marketing Helps Game Studios Stand Out in Brazil

During BiS SiGMA South America in São Paulo, The 3rd edition of The Real Roadshow recorded Episode 50 of iGaming Real Talk exploring some interesting angles of Marketing. 

Surya Palli had a talk with Dorota Gruszka, Head of Marketing at Booming Games, to talk about what actually works when you're trying to build a brand in Brazil and across Latin America.

Here’s what stood out.

Marketing needs to take more risks

Dorota believes the industry needs bigger ideas.

She says she hasn't seen many campaigns in recent years that really made her stop and look.

For her, that applies to everything like marketing campaigns, event activations and even the games themselves.

She expresses how she has experienced some studios whose games do not work for every operator, but that's part of what makes them interesting.

The point isn't to make everyone happy.

It's to make people remember you.

And Dorota wants to see more of that instead of another version of the same fruit or animal-themed game.

Booming Games made a bold marketing move with Ronaldinho

Booming Games didn't just enter Brazil with games and hope people noticed.

The company made a bold marketing move by partnering with Ronaldinho, one of the country's most recognisable football figures.

The choice made sense beyond his fame. Ronaldinho already had a strong connection with Brazilian audiences, making him a natural fit for a company looking to build its presence in the market.

The partnership also helped Booming Games get certified early and build connections with major operators.

For Dorota, that's the bigger lesson: the right ambassador can become part of your market strategy, not just your marketing campaign.

It's about finding someone who already has the trust, recognition and cultural connection that your brand is trying to build.

Live slots are bringing people into the game

Booming Games is also experimenting with live slots.

The format puts a presenter on screen, gives players the chance to interact with them and adds features such as money drops.

It makes the experience feel more like you're playing with a person rather than simply playing a game.

The product started with one operator and is now opening up to more.

It's another example of studios looking beyond the traditional slot format.

Local streamers can get you closer to players

Booming Games also works with local streamers to reach players directly.

But Dorota believes this comes with a big caveat: authenticity matters.

Not every creator will give an honest opinion if they're being paid.

For her, the relationship has to go beyond a sponsored post.

The team invests time in its relationships with streamers and ambassadors through sending gifts and merchandise and inviting them to events.

The same thinking applies to brand ambassadors.

You can pay for visibility.

You can't buy genuine trust.

Regulation can make bold marketing harder

Brazil's regulatory environment also creates limits for marketing teams.

Dorota says she hasn't noticed major changes in player behaviour following regulation, but the rules themselves remain strict.

And Brazil isn't the only market where this is happening.

As more markets introduce detailed marketing rules, studios have to think harder about what they can say, where they can say it and how creative they can be.

Sometimes, the challenge is being allowed to run it.

AI is becoming part of the everyday workflow

AI is already being used across Dorota's marketing team.

She also keeps up with AI communities and discussions to understand where the technology is heading.

But there is still a line.

On the creative and product side, the team wants to make sure AI doesn't make everything look the same.

Artists still work on and change designs to keep the final product distinctive.

For Dorota, AI is useful but people still need to be in control of how it's used.

What we took from the conversation

• Bolder ideas are needed if game studios want to cut through the noise.
• Local relevance matters, especially in a market as big as Brazil.
• The right ambassador can open doors, but only when the fit is genuine.
• Live interaction could make casino games feel more social.
• Creators and streamers work best when there's real trust behind the relationship.
• Regulation can limit creative freedom, even when the marketing idea is strong.
• AI can speed things up, but the human creative layer still matters.

Brazil is becoming one of the biggest markets to watch in iGaming. But the question for studios isn't just how to enter the market.

It's how to actually stand out once you're there.

Would you take a bigger creative risk to stand out in Brazil? Or would you play it safe and follow what already works?

As part of the 3rd edition of The Real Roadshow, episode 50 is brought to you by Evoverse and Blokotech helping us take iGaming Real Talk beyond the studio and into the conversations happening across the industry.