—TechRound does not recommend or endorse any financial, investment, gambling, trading or other advice, practices, companies or operators. All articles are purely informational—
When Gurhan Kiziloz decided to enter the Brazilian gaming market, everyone told him he was too late. International operators with billions in resources were already circling, and the regulatory framework was still being hammered out. He went in anyway.
“Brazil was the biggest opportunity I’d seen in my career,” Gurhan Kiziloz recalls. Over 200 million people, growing smartphone adoption, increasing comfort with digital payments, and a regulatory system about to legitimize online gaming. I didn’t care that bigger companies were interested. I cared about who would move fastest.”
That decision to move fast has paid off spectacularly. Spartans.com, the gaming platform operated by Nexus International, became one of the first licenced operators in Brazil. The platform now processes hundreds of millions in transactions annually, accounting for a substantial portion of the company’s $1.2 Billion revenue.
The Pix Revolution
Gurhan Kiziloz’s Brazilian strategy began with understanding what local users actually wanted. Whilst international competitors planned to import their existing platforms with minimal changes, he invested heavily in local payment integration.
“Everyone in Brazil uses Pix,” he explains, referring to the instant payment system managed by Brazil’s central bank. “It’s not like Europe, where credit cards dominate. If you don’t have Pix integration, you’re dead in the water. We built it from day one whilst our competitors were still debating whether it was necessary.”
The payment infrastructure gave Spartans.com a critical advantage. Users could deposit and withdraw instantly through their preferred method, whilst competitors relying on international payment rails faced friction that killed conversion rates. By the time larger operators caught up, Spartans.com had already captured significant market share.
Licencing Race
The regulatory window was narrow. Brazil announced its licencing framework with tight deadlines for compliance. Operators needed local servers, verified customer identification systems, responsible gambling tools, and extensive documentation proving financial stability.
Whilst larger gaming companies convened legal teams to assess requirements, Gurhan Kiziloz started building. “I hired local lawyers, local compliance staff, local technical teams,” he says. “We didn’t wait for perfect clarity on every regulation. We made our best interpretation and got the infrastructure in place.”
The approach worked. Spartans.com received licencing approval and launched operations whilst many international competitors were still navigating bureaucracy. The timing proved crucial – unlicenced operators faced enforcement actions that drove users towards licenced platforms like Spartans.com.
The Revenue Surge
Brazil’s contribution to Nexus International’s revenue growth has been enormous. The market went from grey-market operation to regulated licencing in a compressed timeframe, creating a massive opportunity for compliant platforms.
“We went from zero revenue in Brazil to hundreds of millions annually in less than 18 months,” Gurhan Kiziloz reveals. “That’s what happens when you’re first to market in a country of 200 million people where gaming just became legal. The growth was unlike anything I’d seen before.”
The success has enabled further expansion. Profits from Spartans.com’s Brazilian operations fund development in other Latin American markets and support the growth of Spartans.com. Brazil didn’t just contribute to Nexus International’s revenue – it became the engine driving the entire company’s expansion.
What Others Missed
Looking back, Gurhan Kiziloz identifies what he believes separated Spartans.com from competitors who struggled in Brazil. “They approached it like a side project,” he says. “Another market to eventually enter when everything was perfect. I treated it like the main event.”
That focus meant dedicated teams, localized product development, and a willingness to invest heavily before revenue materialized. It also meant accepting that some decisions would be wrong and fixing them quickly rather than waiting for certainty.
“Brazil made Nexus International what it is today,” Gurhan Kiziloz concludes. “Without Spartans.com’s success there, we’re probably still a $400 Million company. Instead, we’re at $1.2 Billion and growing. That’s what happens when you see an opportunity and take it seriously whilst everyone else is still thinking about it.”
—TechRound does not recommend or endorse any financial, investment, gambling, trading or other advice, practices, companies or operators. All articles are purely informational—
