While entering Brazil has been on many affiliates’ bucket lists, the country’s evolving player base and the latest iGaming regulatory framework mean that achieving good results is far from easy – even for those with local roots. We speak to this year’s iGBA Best Streaming Affiliate winner 3C Gaming about its approach to building a thriving network of Brazilian streamers and where it sees the market heading next.
3C Gaming’s Carlos Saito first entered Brazil’s betting scene in 2020 while overseeing esports tournaments for the Counter Strike platform Gamers Club. Then in 2022, he joined the iGBA award winning marketing agency to lead early commercial deals with Blaze and Stake.
Now a major player in the Brazilian gaming landscape and a partner to mainstream consumer brands like Coca-Cola and Amazon Prime Video, it might come as a surprise that 3C was only established five years ago. Founded by Fernando Hamuche and Rehan Philip in late 2020, the company set out to connect Brazil’s gaming talents, brands and communities. Since then, it has developed a full ecosystem including live event production, consulting services and an influencer network – one of its most high-profile streamers is Nobru, the Gen Z Free Fire player with over 15 million Instagram followers.
A “very challenging journey”
In 2024, 3C doubled down on iGaming by launching a separate division dedicated to the Brazilian online betting market, with Saito stepping in as managing director. While he describes this move as “a natural” progression for the business, he admits its success was far from guaranteed and calls it instead “a very challenging journey”.
One of the initial hurdles was transitioning from flat-fee influencer deals to performance-based models. Despite being the industry standard for affiliates, Saito says that “it was really hard to know what was good or bad content and what streamers should do to improve their performance”. Pivoting to CPA and revenue-share arrangements proved equally tricky. Many streamers were hesitant, and performance outcomes were unpredictable.
“We’d always asked ourselves how much worthed it doing flat-fee deals, so we started doing a few hybrid deals and studied more affiliation arrangements and companies,” Saito recalls. “Some time after that, with some knowledge, contract renewal got harder, but this time we knew why and what we should do to increase performance.”
Although online casinos have become a huge part of streamers’ content, most of them didn’t know what to do to get good results
Carlos Saito
In a previous iGBA interview, Bragg Gaming’s head of affiliate marketing Aleksandar Dasic said that streamers tend to be more effective at building buzz than traditional SEO-based affiliates, but often lack understanding of how the iGaming business works. Saito agrees and says while online casino content has quickly become “a huge part of streamers’ content” in Brazil, most creators “didn’t know what to do to get good results”, with some showing little interest in outcomes at all.
There were other complications too – including scams and dishonoured commissions, which Saito describes as “a real problem” in the streaming sector. Still, 3C found its footing. By gradually growing and refining its streamer base, the agency has built what he now calls “a very strong – almost a boutique – streamers portfolio”.
Real money only
Saito credits much of 3C’s success to its careful evaluation and support for streamers. “The team’s focus is on quality over reach and on long-term performance over short-term volume. We’ve found ourselves better in campaigns where we were able to actually increase LTV and average ticket from good players other than seeking for new players with very low quality,” he says. “Better for the operator. Better for 3C.”
When selecting new talent, the team prioritises commitment, punctuality and professionalism. Content quality is only assessed once those boxes are ticked. Saito adds that not all streamers are professionals upon joining, but they all share a strong will to improve content and learn about their audiences.
Promising any gains is very wrong. We’ve always talked about the games, but never selling dreams or guaranteeing profits
Carlos Saito
Another non-negotiable is streamers’ commitment to safer gambling. Saito says 3C has long enforced a strict code of conduct to keep creators aligned. That includes clear boundaries: never promise profits, always acknowledge the risks and only stream to audiences aged 18 and over. With growing concern among player communities about influencers using fake money, Saito stresses that all creators in the 3C network have always used real money when streaming.
“Promising any gains is very wrong. We’ve always talked about the games – things like how they work, promotions operators offer and features – but never selling dreams or guaranteeing profits,” he explains.
That mindset has also helped the agency stay ahead of Brazil’s changing regulatory landscape. “Having in mind that regulations were coming and knowing how deals would have to change, we started preparing our streamers to increase KYC and deposit conversion,” says Saito. “We started shaping our operations for the regulations from the beginning, so apart from extraordinary events such as platform downtimes, we have nearly felt an impact on numbers.”
On the right path
The year 2025 marked 3C’s first time entering the iGBA Best Streaming Affiliate award. To Saito and his team’s surprise, they won.
“It’s a reminder that we are on the right path,” says Saito. “Personally, I always expect more from everyone, including ourselves, the streamers and the market itself. This award means that we are moving in the right direction. That works as fuel to go further.”
The Brazilian market doesn’t consume a lot of content on Kick… Now, in the regulated market, YouTube is unbeatable in results
Carlos Saito
As Brazil’s iGaming market matures, the streaming landscape is evolving, too. In a recent iGBA feature, UK-based streamer Josh Green said pivoting to Kick, which offers creators a 95% revenue share and now accounts for over 60% of viewership, is an essential strategy. But Saito says the team has yet to find real traction on the platform in the country.
“The Brazilian market doesn’t consume a lot of content on Kick,” he notes. “The recent moves in monetisation from Kick might change that scenario, but it really is a hard fight against, first of all, YouTube and Twitch.”
YouTube, in particular, stands out as the top performer. “Now, in the regulated market, YouTube is unbeatable in results. There are more people using it, the search engine works great and the algorithm does not punish regulated brands,” says Saito. “It’s been the best platform for both starting streamers and the biggest ones.”
Looking ahead, Saito expects iGaming content to become “something mainstream” in Brazil, with new creators entering the space and raising the overall standard. Only then will the industry reach maturity and gain wider public acceptance. He and his team at 3C are looking forward to this shift. Meantime, its mission remains steady: building player communities, training responsible streamers and navigating Brazil’s regulated market with confidence.
Watch the 3C Gaming team's reaction to being crowned Best Streaming Affiliate at the 2025 iGB Affiliate Awards below: