Lottery business owners are urging Caixa to regulate the use of WhatsApp in digital sales.

Business leaders from the lottery sector presented data revealing a transformation in the business model during a panel held on Wednesday (April 9th) at the BiS SiGMA event. The debate brought together Ricardo Amado, president of Febralot, Valdir Marques, from Todos Querem Jogar, Amilton Nobre, from Hebara, Alessandro Montenegro, from Loteria Aldeota, and Marco Taurisano, from Croupier Consultoria.

Participants discussed strategies for digitization, product diversification, and improving the relationship with Caixa Econômica Federal (a Brazilian bank). The panel 'Lottery of the Future: From the Counter to Digital — Omnichannel and New Revenue Models' focused on the urgent need to adapt to consumers' digital behavior.

Experts agreed that the traditional model of in-person service, based on queues and counter transactions, is no longer sustainable. The lottery network faces a need for reinvention to maintain market relevance in the face of changing consumer habits. According to data from Febralot, Brazil currently has around 13 lottery outlets in operation, distributed throughout the country, forming one of the largest retail networks in Brazil.

Numbers reveal the abandonment of the traditional counter.

Alessandro Montenegro presented data that illustrates the ongoing transformation in the sector. The businessman, known as the King of Lottery Betting, revealed that nine out of ten sales in his operation occur outside of traditional counter sales.

Ricardo Amado reinforced this trend by presenting figures from his own operation. He revealed that 65% of his revenue from lottery pools already occurs outside the physical environment of the lottery outlet. The data shows that the model centered on in-person service has lost prominence.

Amado stated that lines at lottery outlets will not return. The president of Febralot argued that the sector needs to adopt omnichannel strategies, establishing a presence in the channels where the customer is located.

Digital transformation has gone from being a strategic option to a survival requirement. The integration between physical service and digital tools emerges as a way to maintain commercial relevance. The lottery sector handles approximately R$ 20 billion in bets annually, according to estimates from Caixa Econômica Federal, demonstrating the economic potential of this distribution network.

Business owners are demanding official recognition of WhatsApp.

The official recognition of WhatsApp as a sales channel emerged as a priority demand during the debate. Montenegro highlighted that the app has become a survival tool for lottery retailers.

Montenegro and Ricardo Amado requested that Caixa Econômica Federal regulate and formalize the use of WhatsApp. The request considers that half of the network already uses the application out of necessity. The reality shows that a large part of the network has adopted the tool to maintain contact with clients.

The panelists explained that lottery operators face risks and bureaucratic hurdles when using WhatsApp without official regulation. Formalizing this channel would allow for safer and more structured operations.

The lack of regulation forces lottery operators to operate in a gray area. Business owners face bureaucracy and take unnecessary risks in a practice that has become a matter of commercial survival. It is worth noting that lottery outlets are responsible for generating approximately 65 direct jobs in the country, according to data from Febralot, reinforcing the social and economic importance of regulating these commercial practices.

Criticism of Caixa's slowness in creating products.

Valdir Marques argued that there is a lack of cooperation on the part of Caixa Econômica Federal (Brazilian Federal Savings Bank) regarding the lottery network. The creation of new products is happening slowly, limiting the possibilities for revenue diversification.

Amilton Nobre stated that, although the partnership between Caixa and lottery retailers is long-standing, the network needs new products to expand its revenue streams. Nobre and Amado emphasized that the current portfolio is insufficient to meet the sector's needs.

Reliance on traditional products and banking services no longer offers adequate sustainability. Diversifying the product catalog is essential for lottery retailers to compete in an increasingly digital and competitive market.

Caixa needs to expand its product offerings beyond the three main ones that dominate 85% of the market, allowing lottery retailers to have more options to attract customers and generate revenue. The relationship with Caixa Econômica Federal has received additional criticism regarding state bureaucracy.

Montenegro and Taurisano cited the institution's slow processes as an obstacle to the innovation and agility that the market demands. Caixa acts more as a distant regulator than as an effective partner in the development of the lottery business, hindering quick responses to the sector's transformations. The average remuneration of lottery operators by Caixa varies between 6% and 8% of the value of bets, a percentage that entrepreneurs consider insufficient given the increasing operational costs and the need for investments in digitalization.

The sector has forgotten how to sell games, says consultant.

Marco Taurisano identified a critical gap in the network's knowledge regarding lottery ticket sales. The consultant from Croupier Consultoria stated that lottery operators need practical training on ticket management and sales, going beyond basic tutorials.

Taurisano observed that the network, in many cases, has forgotten how to sell its main product, which is the game. Complacency due to the past success of banking services has contributed to this scenario.

The focus on banking services, which guaranteed stable revenues in the past, ended up diverting attention from the sector's core business . Regaining the prominence of games as the main product requires retraining and a change in mindset among lottery business owners. Industry data indicates that banking services once accounted for up to 70% of lottery revenue in previous periods, but this share has been gradually decreasing with the digitalization of financial services.

Taurisano criticized the quality of current training programs. Current programs focus on basic tutorials about operating systems.

The panel presents seven practical recommendations.

The debate resulted in a set of practical suggestions for the sector. The first recommendation is the official adoption of WhatsApp by Caixa, eliminating risks and bureaucracy for entrepreneurs who already depend on the tool.

The second proposal involves a complete overhaul of the training model. Technical tutorials should be replaced by training programs in business management and sales techniques.

Diversifying the product portfolio appears as a third necessary action. Expanding the offerings by Caixa would allow lottery retailers greater commercial flexibility given the current concentration on three main products.

The fourth recommendation reinforces the adoption of omnichannel strategies. This strategy integrates in-store and digital customer service and explores new commercial spaces beyond the reliance on physical store traffic.

Proactive customer relations constitute the fifth practical suggestion. Montenegro cited methods such as teaching the customer how to play, inviting them to participate in betting pools, and conducting post-game analysis and sending results.

The proposal aims to transform lottery outlets into entertainment centers, not just passive points of sale. The strategy seeks to create bonds that compensate for the reduction in spontaneous face-to-face contact. Febralot estimates that the average bet in Brazilian lottery outlets ranges from R$15 to R$25, a value that can be increased with closer and more personalized relationship strategies with bettors.

Strengthening dialogue with Caixa appears as the sixth recommendation. Febralot and industry leaders should maintain constant pressure and debate with the institution to align expectations and reduce bureaucracy.

The action seeks to ensure that Caixa acts as a true partner in business development, not just as a regulator of processes. The goal is to build a level of cooperation that business owners feel is lacking in the current relationship.

The seventh suggestion emphasizes a focus on results management. The lottery business owner should treat the operation like a retail business, monitoring sales metrics and seeking operational efficiency.

The recommendation calls for stepping outside one's comfort zone and professionalizing management, regardless of the limitations imposed by the state model. The survival of the business depends on the entrepreneur's own initiative in the face of market transformations.

Cautious optimism marks the sector's outlook.

The panelists expressed cautious optimism about the future. Experts believe that, with the right adaptation, the lottery network has the potential to achieve excellence within the next three years.

Success will depend on how Caixa Econômica Federal and lottery operators manage the transition to a more agile, digital, and entertainment-focused model. The need to adopt an omnichannel strategy was a consensus among the participants.

Montenegro and Amado emphasized that digital transformation is a matter of survival, not just optional modernization. Alessandro mentioned that 90% of his sales occur outside of a physical store, and Ricardo cited 65%.

The panel concluded with the message that innovation is not an option, but a condition for the sector's survival. The lottery network faces an increasingly competitive and digitized market, which demands quick and efficient responses. With a presence in more than 5 Brazilian municipalities, lottery outlets represent an important channel for financial inclusion and access to services in regions where traditional banking presence is limited, reinforcing the need for modernization without losing the capillarity that characterizes the sector.