Bruno Candido Barroso, CEO of BetPass, signals a turning point in iGaming: operators and affiliates are now placing trust, compliance, and transparency at the center of every partnership. Influencers, analytics, and data-driven networks are converging to create sustainable growth models that were previously impossible.
Bruno, affiliate marketing has evolved rapidly in recent years. From your perspective as CEO, what trends are currently shaping how operators and affiliates collaborate?
Bruno Candido Barroso: Affiliate marketing is evolving beyond purely transactional relationships. Operators are increasingly seeking partnerships that go beyond traffic generation, placing greater emphasis on intelligence, compliance, and sustainable growth. At the same time, affiliates are demanding improved technology, transparent payments, and closer collaboration.
Industry observers, including BetPass, note a growing shift toward platformization — the development of interconnected ecosystems that allow operators and affiliates to collaborate with shared visibility, data-driven decision-making, and long-term strategic alignment.
BetPass manages a large and diverse affiliate network. What have been the biggest challenges in maintaining transparency and quality, and how have you guided the team to address them?
Bruno Candido Barroso: The biggest challenge in managing a large and diverse affiliate network is balancing growth with control. Bringing in hundreds of affiliates is relatively easy; ensuring they are compliant, high-quality, and genuinely delivering value is much harder.
To address this, we have combined technology and process: automated fraud detection, tiered onboarding, and continuous performance monitoring. Equally important is fostering the right culture — emphasizing quality over volume. The focus is on developing a smaller group of high-performing affiliates who can grow sustainably, rather than relying on large numbers of low-value partners.
How do you, as CEO, use data and analytics to support affiliates and operators in making more effective campaign decisions?
Bruno Candido Barroso: Data is at the heart of everything we do. Operators and affiliates don’t just want dashboards — they want insights they can act on. We use analytics to see which campaigns, regions, and creatives deliver the best ROI, and we share that intelligence across the network. My role as CEO is to make sure data actually drives decisions, not just sits in reports. That means building systems that are simple, transparent, and focused on real results rather than vanity metrics.
Based on your leadership experience and BetPass’s work in Latin American and global markets, what lessons do you think the wider affiliate marketing industry could learn?
Bruno Candido Barroso: One key lesson is that emerging markets like Latin America require a different playbook. You can’t just copy-paste European or North American models. Payment methods, cultural nuances, and regulatory frameworks are unique. The industry needs to respect these differences and design solutions with local context in mind. Another lesson is that innovation often comes from constraints.
In LatAm, we had to build leaner, smarter systems to deal with volatility. That forced us to innovate faster, and those innovations are now proving valuable globally. This ability to turn challenges into scalable solutions has been essential, positioning us on the world stage with recognitions like winning the Startup Pitch competition at iGB London, Sigma São Paulo, and being a finalist at the upcoming SBC Lisbon 2025.
In regulated markets like Brazil, how do you ensure that BetPass complies with local laws while maintaining the integrity of your network?
Bruno Candido Barroso: Compliance has been part of BetPass’s DNA from day one. Even as the Brazilian market was still shaping its regulatory framework, we designed our technology to meet every requirement from the start.
Today, our operations include:
- An anti-fraud system with nine verification variables
- KYA (Know Your Affiliate) to validate each affiliate’s strateg
- Real-time link monitoring for full transparency
- Automated KPI-based performance analysis to support data-driven decisions
By embedding compliance and transparency into every layer, we not only ensure trust and security for our partners but also set a standard for the industry — turning regulation into a strength rather than a hurdle.
With social media and influencers becoming more important in player acquisition, how is the affiliate ecosystem adapting, and what opportunities does this create for operators and companies like BetPass?
Bruno Candido Barroso: Influencers and content creators are becoming central to the next wave of iGaming growth. Players increasingly trust individuals over brands, and that shift is here to stay. They reach audiences and niches operators would never access directly, while lending credibility to the brands they promote — generating higher engagement and conversions than traditional banners or SEO alone.
The challenge is integrating these creators into structured affiliate models with proper tracking, compliance, and monetization. The future lies in a hybrid approach: traditional affiliates provide scale and performance, while creators bring authenticity and engagement. BetPass is developing tools to enable this integration, giving operators a safe, scalable way to combine performance and storytelling — capturing both reach and trust.
With a background in digital media and a keen eye for emerging technologies, Ronaldo bridges the gap between players and platforms through clear, insightful reporting to the iGaming industry.
