Mario Rattner - Sales Manager LATAM at bwise Media AG
Mario Rattner – Sales Manager LATAM, bwise Media AG
Professional Journey
What did you dream of becoming as a child before entering this industry?
An F1 driver.
What was your first paid job?
At 13 I wanted an Atari, so I worked all February until I saved enough to buy it at my father’s factory. By 16 I had already started my first company, manufacturing surfboards and fiberglass kayaks.
And your first job in the betting and gambling industry?
At NeoGames (now Aspire Global) as Internal Marketing Director.
What do you enjoy most about this industry?
The intensity, meeting new people, and the teamwork with our people.
What current trends will shape the future of betting over the next 5 years?
Sports betting will be shaped by more live and micro-betting, hyper-personalization with AI, alternative payments (especially crypto and fintech), and a strong regulatory wave, particularly in LatAm.
How do you see the relationship between responsible gambling and sustainable market growth?
In LatAm, the connection between growth and responsible gambling is almost a market entry requirement: consolidating markets use responsible gambling to filter and channel money into the regulated ecosystem. At the pace regional GGR is growing, anyone without serious responsible gambling will face loss of player trust, sanctions, and ultimately much tougher regulation.
What concerns you most about problem gambling?
That a person loses real freedom to decide because they are trapped in addiction. When problem gambling appears, the person no longer chooses with a clear head: impulse takes over, and that breaks the idea of responsible choice, which is exploited by illegal betting.
What skills do you consider essential for a leader in this industry?
A very clear business vision, a visual map and deep product understanding, and very clear ethics around data and responsible gambling. Without that mix, it’s easy to grow volume, but very hard to build something that can withstand regulatory cycles and market shifts.
If you had to choose one boss who shaped your professional journey, who would it be?
Gil Peretz gave me my first professional opportunity, he was my mentor, and also a father figure while I was far from my country.
What was the toughest decision you made in your career, and what did you learn from it?
Leaving a stable corporate role to move into the private sector and launch my own company. It meant taking risk and leaving my comfort zone, but I wanted autonomy and real business learning. I learned to make decisions with fewer certainties, to manage pressure, and to value transparency when closing professional chapters.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
One my father taught me: “Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.” Always choose learning, not just comfort. It stayed with me because I realized real growth often comes from discomfort: changing environments, taking on more responsibility, or entering new sectors.
If you had to sum up your leadership philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
For me, leadership is about giving clarity and confidence, helping the team move with conviction even in uncertainty, and always making decisions based on data and open communication.
If you hadn’t worked in this industry, what other profession would you have liked to pursue?
Functional medicine, the branch of medicine that aims to identify and treat root causes, not just relieve symptoms.
Quick-Fire Rounds
A book you’d recommend?
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, by Jordan B. Peterson.
A movie that stayed with you?
What Dreams May Come, with Robin Williams, based on the novel by Richard Matheson.
A favorite meal?
Israeli-style falafel in a lafa, with hummus, tahini, pickles, roasted eggplant, and lots of zhug (spicy sauce).
A place in the world to live?
Jerusalem for the spiritual side, Aguas Dulces (Rocha) for peace and quiet, or La Barra (Maldonado) for the hipster vibe.
A dream still on your list?
The one I haven’t discovered yet.
A hobby or passion outside of work?
Spending time with family.
Coffee or tea?
Tea, hibiscus or rosehip.
Working from home or the office?
Hybrid.
Casino or sports betting?
Sports betting.
Messi or Cristiano?
Pelé and Messi.
Sweet or savory?
Savory.
Netflix or Disney+?
Neither, I dropped both after they adopted a woke agenda.
Paper book or e-book?
Always paper.
Data or intuition?
Data, data, and more data, then make a strong decision from within.
Cold or heat?
Team winter.
Formal or informal?
Informal.
Window or aisle?
Emergency exit aisle: cheaper than premium, same seats, and you always board with group 1 or 2.
Wine or beer?
Chopin vodka (Polish) or Russian Standard (Russian).
Are leaders made or born?
Part of it is innate (traits, inclinations), but the biggest weight is what you learn, practice, and train over time.
The Legacy
How would you like to be remembered?
As a “mensch”.
Who is someone, far away or no longer physically here, that you’d like to hug?
My parents.
What was the best decision of your life?
It may sound kitsch, but marrying my wife. She’s my best friend and my toughest critic, and practically the reason why I do everything.
If you had to give someone a life lesson, what would it be?
A quote from Pirkei Avot I learned in my teenage years: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14).
What question have you never been asked in an interview that you’d like to answer? What would the answer be?
The question I’ve never been asked and would like to answer is: “What truly motivates you to keep growing in this industry?” My answer: what motivates me isn’t just closing deals, it’s building relationships that last, leaving teams and clients better than they were before I arrived. I’m driven by seeing something I helped build, a strategy, a partnership, a team, keep working well even without me. That sense of professional legacy is what I enjoy most about the work.
Which industry colleague would you like to see answering this interview?
Two young talents: Federico Brancatto and Ethan Tubol.