Brazil’s betting and online casinos ban dominates SBC Summit Lisbon 2026

The three-day event in Lisbon, held from September 29 to October 1, centred on industry reaction to the provisional measure signed by President Lula on September 25, which bans online betting and casino games in Brazil, while SBC confirmed Lisbon as host city until 2030.

Key takeaways:

• SBC Summit Lisbon 2026 ran from September 29 to October 1 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and MEO Arena, its third year in the Portuguese capital.
• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s provisional measure banning fixed-odds betting and online casinos in Brazil, signed on September 25, was the main topic on the show floor and in the panels.
• Executives from different igaming companies criticised the Brazilian ban on the Super Stage.
• SBC signed an agreement with Turismo de Portugal, the Municipality of Lisbon and Lisboa FCE to keep the summit in Lisbon until 2030, with the next edition on September 21-23, 2027.

Portugal.- SBC Summit Lisbon 2026 closed on October 1 with Brazil’s betting ban the main topic of conversation across the show floor and conference stages. The three-day event at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, now in its third year in the city, also added a standalone Affiliate Leaders Summit and two new forums, on prediction markets and African gaming.

According to organisers, attendees travelled from 178 countries, generating an estimated 85,000 room nights across the Portuguese capital, with final attendance figures still being confirmed.

The 2026 edition of SBC Summit included a Leadership in Sports Business keynote headlined by basketball icon Michael Jordan, appearing alongside Carsten Koerl, founder & CEO of Sportradar, and Jason Robins, co-founder, CEO and chairman of the board of DraftKings. Together, they explored the evolution of sports, technology, media, data, and fan engagement from the perspective of three leaders who have helped shape the modern sports ecosystem.

The event also included a standalone summit for the affiliate and performance marketing community, Affiliate Leaders Summit, alongside the Global Prediction Markets Forum and the African Gaming Forum.

Over the three-day event, discussions centred on regulation, new technologies, prediction markets, the current state of the industry in different regions, and the challenges operators face when entering a country where new rules have been introduced. However, one issue dominated the agenda: the provisional measure signed by President Lula on September 25, which bans online betting and casino games in Brazil.

On the Super Stage, different executives criticised the measure. Tom Bowry, chief strategy officer of Flutter International, said the company was “very disappointed” after investing in the market. Kresimir Spajic, CEO of Allwyn Digital, said the ban took the company by surprise, while Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson, described it as a matter of trust that would have a lasting impact.

Focus Gaming News at SBC Summit Lisbon 2026

Focus Gaming News welcomed its partners and visitors to the event at its stand (ME210), where it discussed the general industry landscape and recent developments in Brazil.

Fernando Saffores, CEO and founder of Focus Gaming News, said: “SBC was incredible: the show floor was packed and there was a real buzz of business in the air. The exhibitors we spoke with were very happy with the traffic and the number of meetings they were able to close.

“But of course, the big topic was Brazil. With everything that’s happening, it was the conversation at every booth and every coffee break, and the whole market is watching closely to see how it all settles.”

Victoria Coates, managing director, added: “SBC Lisbon was intense, inspiring and incredibly valuable for us. What I take away most are the conversations: spending time with our partners, meeting new people and hearing first-hand what companies across the industry are working on and where they are heading next. These moments are a reminder that Focus Gaming News is not only there to report on the industry, but to be close to the people shaping it. We leave Lisbon with stronger relationships, new ideas and plenty to build on..

“Brazil was undoubtedly one of the biggest talking points this week, but we also heard a lot about the wider evolution of Latin America and the growing interest in African markets.”

SBC Awards 2026 winners

On the final day of SBC Summit, the 13th edition of the SBC Awards took place, recognising the achievements of operators, suppliers, and individuals from across the global betting and gaming industry.

The ceremony was hosted by Dutch former footballer Edgar Davids and broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher, celebrating excellence across 39 award categories, spanning company leadership, player protection, payments and product innovation.

Among the winners, on the supplier side, Pragmatic Play secured Casino / Slots Developer of the Year – Large for a third successive year and added Live Casino Supplier to its honours. Pascal Gaming won the medium developer category, while Gameburger Studios claimed the small category.

BetConstruct AI also celebrated a double success, winning Sportsbook Supplier of the Year and Land-Based Betting & Gaming Product. Meanwhile, Sportradar collected Marketing & Services Provider of the Year and reclaimed Live Betting Product, an award the brand previously won in 2024.

Digitain was named Platform Provider of the Year, SOFTSWISS secured Aggregator of the Year, Amusnet collected Multi-Channel Supplier and Soft2Bet secured Innovation in Casino Entertainment for a third consecutive year.

In the payments categories, OKTO Payments collected Payment Innovation of the Year.

TaDa Gaming collected Rising Star in Casino Innovation / Software.

The evening also celebrated leadership and workplace culture. Alea was named Employer of the Year – Supplier, while Allwyn Hellas secured Employer of the Year – Operator.

The Leader of the Year honours went to Vladimir Dokov (CEO, EGT Digital) and Alina Mihaela Popa (CCO, ICONIC21).

SBC Summit will stay in Lisbon until 2030

SBC also signed a long-term agreement with Turismo de Portugal, the Municipality of Lisbon and Lisboa FCE, which secures Lisbon as host city through 2030. The next edition of SBC Summit will take place at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena on September 21-23, 2027.