Challenger sports betting supplier First.bet has confirmed the appointment of Victor Arias as its new VP and Head of Commercial Latam.
Arias spent six years at Pragmatic Play, where he built one of the strongest regional structures in the Latin American iGaming industry from the ground up.
He joined Pragmatic Play in 2020 to open its Latin America hub, helping the company become the category leader in casino across the region.
Before Pragmatic Play, Arias accumulated close to two decades of iGaming experience across both B2C and B2B business models throughout Latin America.
His earlier career included a period at Salsa Technology, where he focused specifically on Latin American business development for the provider.
First.bet has already made inroads across several Latam markets, including Brazil and Peru, onboarding major operators onto its B2B sports betting solution.
The Bulgarian-based iGaming provider said Latin America is currently the centre of its commercial strategy, citing Arias’ deep operator networks as a key reason for the hire.
Tom Light, Founder and CEO of First.bet, said: “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.”
Amram Vita, Chief Commercial Officer of First.bet, said: “Victor has spent years earning the trust of the operators who set the pace in these markets, and that trust does not transfer to just anyone.”
Vita added that Latin America is where the sharpest growth in the industry is happening right now and cannot be won from a distance.
Arias himself said: “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.”
He also confirmed the company’s approach will combine Tier-1 sportsbook technology with a completely localised strategy across the region.
