Today, the editor of TC-GAMING will tell you about a Latin American country, Chile, which is part of the ABC power or the ABA-Chile Alliance. Chile is one of the three countries in South America with the strongest national strength, culture, economy, and military level. ABC stands for Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Chile's iGaming market is relatively mature. The Chilean government legalized and regulated the iGaming industry early on and set up a special agency to supervise and manage the iGaming industry.

Basic Facts about Chile

Chilean economy

Chile, the richest country in South America, is famous for its diversified economic structure and abundant resources. After decades of development, Chile has become one of the more developed economies in South America. In terms of economic aggregate, Chile is low. During the epidemic in 2019, the epidemic declined, and in 2021, it quickly returned to the pre-epidemic economic level, lower than Argentina but higher than Peru. At the same time, in terms of per capita income, it is several blocks higher than Argentina and Brazil, more than twice that of Brazil, and 1.5 times that of Argentina. Compared with China's per capita economy, Chile's per capita economy is more than 1.3 times that of China, almost reaching the level of moderately developed countries.

Chile's GDP

Chile's GDP per capita

Chile's population and language

As of January 2022, Chile's population is about 19.62 million. Between 2022 and 2023, Chile's population will increase by 23,000 people (+0.1%). Chile's education is highly developed, and its educational quality and standards are generally recognized in developed countries. Citizens over the age of 15 account for 69.96% of the country's population and are Catholics. Meanwhile, 15.14% of Chileans are Evangelical Christians; 1.06% are Jehovah's Witnesses, 0.92% are Mormons and 0.13% are Jews. Chile's population is 50.4% female and 49.6% male. As of early 2023, 88.0% of Chile's population lives in urban centers and 12.0% in rural areas.

Chile's official language is Spanish, but it has tended to be localized in Chile, creating some new words and colloquialisms. There are also Mapudungún (the language of the Mapuche people), Aymara (the language of the northern Andean countries), and Polynesian (Rapa Nui (the language of the Polynesians on Easter Island).

Chilean population age group

The median age of the Chilean population is 35.6 years.

5.8% of the population is between 0 and 4 years old.

10.4% of the population is between the ages of 5 and 12.

6.5% of the population is between the ages of 13 and 17.

9.4% of the population is between the ages of 18 and 24.

16.0% of the population is between the ages of 25 and 34.

14.4% of the population is between the ages of 35 and 44.

13.0% of the population is between the ages of 45 and 54.

11.4% of the population is between the ages of 55 and 64.

13.2% of the population is aged 65 and over.

Internet situation in Chile

Chile is a country with sound infrastructure and policy support. Chile has a very high Internet penetration rate. As of January 2023, there were 17.69 million Internet users in Chile, and the Internet penetration rate reached 90.2% of the total population. Chile is one of the countries with the most developed telecommunications network in Latin America and has the title of one of the countries with the highest Internet penetration rate in Latin America. According to the Inter-American Development Bank, Chile has one of the highest internet penetration rates in Latin America. As of the beginning of 2023, 1.92 million people in Chile do not use the Internet, accounting for 9.8% of the total population.

There is a digression: (According to a report by Mercado Libre and GfK, Chilean e-commerce has reached a high penetration rate in 2021, and 9 out of 10 people have shopped online in the past 6 months .) It also shows that online payment channels have become popular among the Chilean people.

Internet connection speeds in Chile

Internet users in Chile will enjoy faster Internet connection speeds by early 2023. Specifically, mobile Internet connections via cellular networks will reach speeds of 25.85 Mbps, while fixed Internet connections will reach speeds of up to 216.46 Mbps. These data all show Chile's great progress in Internet technology.

Additionally, according to Ookla, mobile internet connection speeds in Chile have increased by 11.71 Mbps by early 2023, a year-on-year increase of +82.8%. Over the same period, fixed internet connection speeds in Chile increased by 43.38 Mbps, a year-on-year increase of +25.1%. This proves that Chile is continuously strengthening its network infrastructure and providing its residents with a better online experience.

Chile Social Media Statistics

As of January 2023, Chile had 16.55 million social media users, accounting for 84.4% of the total population (note: social media users may not represent unique individuals, and it is possible for a person to have multiple accounts). Compared with 2021, the number of social media users in Chile has increased by 1.9 million, an increase of 11.6%. This figure shows that the use of social media in Chile continues to rise, and Chileans are increasingly using social media for daily communication, information, and entertainment. This also reflects the importance and popularity of social media in modern society.

According to data released by the top social media platform advertising planning tool, as of the beginning of 2023, there will be 16 million users aged 18 and over in Chile using social media, equivalent to 104% of the total population aged 18 and over. It can be said that in January 2023, 93.5% of the total Internet users in Chile (regardless of age) used at least one social media platform. 52.0% of social media users in Chile are women, and 48.0% are men.

What social media platforms do Chileans generally use?

Chile's social media penetration rate is also very good, as high as 81.1%. The most popular social media platforms are YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc. Chileans aged 18-29 spend an average of 4.1 hours on social media.

Previously, Facebook was the most widely used platform in Chile. However, as the pandemic played out, WhatsApp overtook Facebook as the most popular platform in mid-2020 during social distancing and related restrictions. Therefore, WhatsApp cannot be underestimated.

(Chile accounts for % of the total population)｜Source: OOSGA Analytics; eMarketer, Napoleon Cat, Facebook, ByteDance, Microsoft｜LinkedIn data only after September 2019

Overview of FB in Chile

Facebook has 12.15 million users in Chile. Data published in Meta's own tool suggests that between 2022 and 2023, Facebook's potential ad reach in Chile will decrease by 350,000 (-2.8%). This means that between October 2022 and January 2023, the number of users on Facebook in Chile where marketers could advertise decreased by 0.35 million (-2.8%).

Note: (Audience size is not indicative of monthly or daily active users, nor is it indicative of engagement. Estimates are not intended to match the population, census estimates, or other sources and may vary depending on how many accounts a person technically has. So changes in ad coverage don't necessarily indicate any changes in the platform's overall user base.)

Overview of Instagram in Chile

According to data published in the Meta advertising tool, Instagram will have 10.95 million users in Chile in early 2023. Ad coverage is equivalent to 55.8% of the total population at the beginning of the year. Regardless of age, Instagram's advertising coverage in Chile is equivalent to 61.9% of the local Internet user base, of which 53.3% of advertising audiences are women and 46.7% are men.

Between 2022 and 2023, Instagram's potential ad reach in Chile will decrease by 0.7 million (-6.0%). A large part of this is that TikTok users are on the rise.

Overview of YouTube in Chile

In early 2023, YouTube had 15.4 million users in Chile, according to a Google inventory update. Ad coverage is equivalent to 78.5% of Chile's total population at the beginning of the year. YouTube ads reach 87.0% of Chile's total Internet user base regardless of age. Among them, 50.8% of advertising audiences are women, while 49.2% are men.

Overview of TikTok in Chile

TikTok now has 11.25 million users aged 18 and over in Chile in 2023. The ad reached 73.4% of all Chilean adults aged 18 and over. Regardless of age, the advertising coverage is equivalent to 63.6% of the local Internet user base. 57.9% of the advertising audience was female, while 42.1% were male.

From early 2022 to early 2023, TikTok’s potential ad reach in Chile increases by 2.7 million (+31.6%). At the same time, data shows that the potential reach of TikTok ads in Chile increased by 742,000 (+7.1%) between October 2022 and January 2023. Therefore, TikTok's current momentum in Chile can be said to be rising rapidly. This also hits the advertising coverage of FB and YOUTUBE at the same time.

Overview of Messenger in Chile

According to data published in the Meta advertising inventory, in early 2023, the number of users of advertisements on Facebook Messenger in Chile reached 8.15 million. Advertising coverage is equivalent to 41.5% of the total population at the beginning of the year. Messenger ad coverage in Chile equals 46.1% of the local internet user base regardless of age. In Chile, 53.4% ​​of Facebook Messenger ad audiences were women, and 46.6% were men.

Overview of LinkedIn in Chile

Data published in LinkedIn’s advertising inventory in early 2023 shows that there are 6.9 million “members” in Chile. Ad coverage is equivalent to 35.2% of the total population. Data published in the LinkedIn planning tool shows that between 2022 and 2023, LinkedIn’s potential ad reach in Chile will increase by 700,000 (+11.3%). The company’s quarterly data shows that between October 2022 and January 2023, LinkedIn’s advertising audience size in Chile increased by 300,000 (+4.5%).

Overview of Snapchat in Chile

According to the data released by Snap Advertising Resources, as of the beginning of 2023, Snapchat has 1.05 million users in Chile, and the advertising coverage is equivalent to 5.4% of the total population of Chile. Across all age groups, the ad coverage is equivalent to 5.9% of the local Internet user base. In addition, the main audience of Snapchat ads in Chile is women, accounting for 75.1% of the total number of users, while men only account for 23.9%.

Although the number of Snapchat users in Chile is not large compared to local Internet users, the number of people using Snapchat should not be underestimated. Snapchat’s ad coverage in Chile also shows that the app’s audience is gradually growing. In this case, Snapchat could be a very promising option for companies looking to launch an advertising campaign in Chile.

Overview of WhatsApp in Chile

Now WhatsApp has more than 11.1 million users in Chile. WhatsApp saw a sudden increase in users during the epidemic. This is mainly due to the need for more users in trade.

Overview of Twitter in Chile

Twitter has 3.65 million users in Chile as of early 2023, equivalent to 18.6% of the country's total population, according to data published in Twitter's advertising resources. About 22.1% of the "13 years old and above" users are advertising audiences. Regardless of age, the ad coverage is equivalent to 20.6% of the local internet user base. In addition, 38.9% of the advertising audience was female, while 61.1% were male. These data show that the Twitter user base in Chile is quite large, and the number of male users is significantly more than that of female users.

Overview of Pinterest in Chile

According to data published in Pinterest’s advertising resources, at the beginning of 2023, Pinterest had 3.57 million users in Chile. Ad coverage is equivalent to 18.2% of the total Chilean population. 71.8% of advertising audiences are women, and 21.5% are men.

Overview of mobile connections in Chile

According to GSMA Intelligence, there will be 28.84 million cellular connections in Chile by early 2023.

Note: (Many people use multiple mobile connections - for example, they may have one for personal use and another for work).

Equivalent to 147.0% of the total population. The number of mobile connections in Chile increased by 1.2 million (+4.4%) year-on-year.

Attract more betting users by using each of the above social media platforms. In addition to posting content about iGaming platforms on social media, advertising can also be used to promote iGaming platforms to a wider audience. In addition, it is possible to cooperate with various online communities and forums to increase the popularity and exposure of the gambling platform. These collaborations can include collaborations with bloggers, social media influencers, online advertisers, and other relevant parties. Through these co-operations, iGaming platforms can expand their audience and gain better publicity in the local area, thereby achieving their business goals.

Current State of iGaming in Chile

Gambling can bring in tax revenue, investment, tourism, employment, and the local economy. Many countries know this and are doing it. Chile, as a country in South America, certainly has not given up on iGaming, which plays an important role in its economy. The Chilean iGaming market is a relatively mature one and enjoys a variety of legal forms of iGaming. The Chilean government has legalized and supervised the iGaming industry and set up a special agency to supervise and manage the iGaming industry to ensure legality and fairness of the iGaming industry.

These agencies are also responsible for ensuring the sustainability of the iGaming industry and have created a series of rules and regulations to protect the rights of gamblers. In addition, the Chilean government has attracted a large number of domestic and international iGaming companies to enter the market by providing iGaming licenses and a legal operating environment.

A draft law was presented in March 2022 aimed at regulating the development of iGaming platforms in Chile. The proposal is currently under discussion in the Chilean House of Representatives Economics Committee and could be approved by the end of 2023. The measure, which protects licensed operators from gray market activities, will allow companies incorporated in Chile to obtain a five-year (renewable) general license, or a six-month (non-renewable) temporary license, to operate any betting or iGaming activity.

It is reported that the penetration rate of online gambling applications in Chile has increased by 30% in the past two years. More than 70% of Chilean mobile device users have downloaded at least one online gambling app on their device, according to the Chilean Mobile Application Developers Association's annual report on mobile app usage in Chile.

Before 1990, the only gambling allowed in Chile was horse racing. And it is still very popular today, but other betting markets, such as football, are conducted illegally. The first legal sports betting in Chile took place in 2008, but operators will pay the Chilean National Casino and Gaming Authority an annual fee and a 20 percent tax on gross operating earnings.

In 2021, online gambling was on the rise in Chile before the outbreak, but it exploded in 2020 due to restrictions. But the iGaming industry paid 90 billion Chilean pesos (a little over $100 million) in taxes and has offered to collect between $50 million and $100 million in taxes if the industry were regulated. According to the Chilean Casino Association (ACCJ), there are around 900 illegal iGaming platforms, with wagers between $130 million and $170 million a year. Legal offline casinos create tens of thousands of direct jobs and generate 40 percent of the region’s budget.

Types of Casino Games Popular in Chile

Chileans are keen to place online bets on various sports events, especially football, basketball, tennis, and other sports. At the same time, Chileans are also very enthusiastic about classic gaming games such as slot machines, roulette, and blackjack. But the lottery cannot be underestimated. After all, the lottery types in each country are popular local gaming games. The official ones, publicity, and public acceptance are not the same.

What are the online payment channels in Chile?

1. WebPay: WebPay is one of the most used online payment systems in Chile. Many e-commerce websites and iGaming platforms in Chile support WebPay payments, and consumers can pay via bank cards, credit cards, or debit cards.
2. Mach: Mach is a Chilean payment service provider that provides convenient online payment methods for Chilean users. Users can pay through a Mach account, bank card, credit card, etc.
3. PayPal: Some e-commerce websites and iGaming platforms in Chile also support PayPal payments. Users can make payments through their PayPal accounts without directly providing bank or credit card information.
4. MercadoPago: MercadoPago is an online payment platform widely used in Latin America and also has a certain user base in Chile. Users can pay through a MercadoPago account, bank card, credit card, etc.
5. Flow: Flow is an online payment solution provider in Chile, providing payment services for various e-commerce websites and online platforms. Users can pay through a Flow account, bank card, credit card, etc.
6. Sencillito: Sencillito is a Chilean payment institution that provides offline and online payment channels for users. Users can complete the payment on the Sencillito payment center, website, or APP.

Conclusion

Chile has a large population base and growing economic strength, which provides a broad market potential for the iGaming market. Chile's iGaming market not only attracts local residents to participate in iGaming activities but also attracts tourists from all over the world. Chile's rich cultural heritage and historical traditions, especially sports betting and casino games, also provide a strong foundation for the development of online gambling. In addition, the Chilean people are not sensitive to gambling, which also provides a good social environment for the development of online gambling.

The Chilean iGaming market has great potential for development. With the popularization of the mobile Internet and the continuous advancement of technology, mobile gaming has gradually become the main trend in the Chilean iGaming market. Chileans are becoming more and more accustomed to using smartphones and tablets for entertainment and shopping, which has also increased the development of payment channels, providing online gambling with a more convenient, anytime, anywhere iGaming experience and diversified payment channels.

Therefore, Chile's iGaming is supported by the general environment, and the expansion of iGaming is irreversible, and it also caters to the expansion trend of the entire Latin American iGaming market. However, when iGaming platforms set foot in the overseas iGaming market, they need to strengthen the development and optimization of mobile terminal products to meet users' needs. For example, iGaming platforms need to consider factors such as localized language, localized vision, localized marketing methods, and types of localized games better to meet users' needs in the local market and maintain competitiveness. Therefore, it is very important to have a reliable network partner. TC-GAMING provides a one-stop service to help you save time and cost. In just 10 minutes, you can have your own website and quickly enter the highly competitive Chilean gaming market.

TC-GAMING has been deeply involved in the industry for 16 years and has received unanimous praise and recognition from thousands of iGaming platform bosses. Our white label iGaming platform has more than 10,000 sports events and thousands of video games every month. Whether you're a sports fan or a slot machine, or a lottery player, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Choosing TC-GAMING as your partner is undoubtedly the best choice to enter the Chilean iGaming market!