SiGMA South America 2026: What LatAm’s top igaming event leaves behind

Focus Gaming News shares a recap of the main topics that set the tone at the 2026 edition of the event that brought together the main stakeholders of LatAm’s igaming industry.

Brazil.- A new edition of SiGMA South America came to a close on Thursday, April 10, with attention firmly focused on the future of the industry across the region and, in particular, in Brazil.

One year on from the entry into force of Law 14.790, which regulates the igaming market in the country, the majority of debates and talks on the event’s agenda centred on how the sector has grown and what challenges remain ahead, against a backdrop of political and regulatory complexity that extends beyond Brazil, where President Lula has recently stated his intention to ban online casinos, to the wider Latin American market, which is grappling with tax increases, regulatory shifts, new restrictions and ongoing debates over the legalisation or prohibition of igaming.

Regulation, the fight against the illegal market and the road ahead

Over the four days of SiGMA South America, thousands of operators, regulatory authorities, public officials and the leading figures of the igaming sector gathered at the Transamerica Expo Centre in São Paulo to forge new business connections, strengthen existing ties, showcase products and, above all, gain a clearer understanding of where the industry is heading.

This year’s agenda offered a broad range of sessions covering a wide variety of topics, from regulation, governance and legal clarity to debates on the illegal market, player experience and consumer protection, responsible advertising and marketing practices, and discussions around the World Cup, the most important sporting event of the year.

One year of igaming regulation in Brazil: balancing growth and oversight

On the first day of SiGMA South America 2026, the Itaim stage hosted the panel “One Year of Regulation and the Fifth Largest Global Market in Online Betting Revenue”, which brought together sector experts to analyse how igaming rapidly integrated into Brazil’s economic and cultural landscape following the introduction of the regulatory framework.

Participants included Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL); Fabio Macorin, deputy secretary of supervision and control at the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance; Giovanni Rocco Neto, national secretary of sports betting and sport economic development at the Ministry of Sport; and Bárbara Teles, director of legal affairs and compliance and founder of PlayTech Brasil, AMIG.

The discussion focused on the key factors behind Brazil’s meteoric rise in online betting, from regulatory frameworks and market confidence to consumer adoption and economic impact. The panellists also examined the balance between growth and oversight, underscoring the importance of responsible gambling, transparency and long-term sustainability in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.

Advertising and responsible gambling

Another prominent theme at the event was the regulation of gambling advertising, the legal challenges involved in developing creative campaigns and how to establish guidelines that effectively promote responsible gambling.

According to a SiGMA press release, at the panel “Responsible Advertising in the Gaming and Betting Market in the Age of Algorithms”, Mariana Kannebley, director of marketing at TQJ/Grupo Silvio Santos, said: “Regulation is not a barrier to creativity; in fact, it drives us to develop innovative campaigns that align with the values we want the industry to uphold.”

Udo Seckelmann, head of gaming and crypto at Bichara and Motta Lawyers, said: “As an industry, we must embrace education and not just regulation. It’s about building a sustainable and responsible market that can thrive long-term.”

Vitor Hugo, from CONAR (Conselho Nacional de Autorregulação Publicitária), noted that Brazil’s advertising sector has grown considerably in recent years and said: “Responsible advertising has gone through phases of implementation, and we are now in a stage of consolidation, where we continuously adapt to new challenges.”

The panellists closed with a clear call to the industry: to keep responsible advertising as a key priority within their marketing strategies.

A further panel, “Responsible Marketing: Where Creativity Ends and Risk Begins”, saw representatives from the affiliate and digital marketing space examine how performance-driven campaigns can balance innovation with ethical responsibility.

According to a SiGMA press release, the debate challenged from the outset the notion that creativity and regulatory compliance are in conflict. “Risk is not the limit of creativity… it is the product of the lack of creativity,” one of the speakers said, framing responsibility as an opportunity rather than a restriction.

The role of content creators and influencers was also examined. Panellists agreed that this group carries a significant responsibility: to communicate honestly, without deception and avoiding misleading or ambiguous messaging.

Technology as an ally in the fight against illegal gambling

In an increasingly connected world, where boundaries become ever more blurred as technology advances, the fight against the illegal betting market is one of the industry’s most pressing challenges – one that cuts across the entire gaming ecosystem, from regulators and governments to operators and players.

Initially, national authorities responded by imposing internet blocking measures. Today, however, that tool appears to have lost its effectiveness. At the panel “Effective enforcement against illegality without national boundaries”, Susan Bala, director at ACT – Advanced Compliance Technology, said that targeting only the front end does not solve the problem since blocking a site leads to mirrors and new domains emerging, with user traffic continuing to flow towards the unregulated grey market. Bala also explained that these platforms operating from abroad form part of an entire chain encompassing payment providers, domains, customer support, distribution channels and marketing, and stressed that enforcement measures must be applied across the whole circuit.

Fernanda Batistella, partner and lawyer at Maia Yoshiyasu Advogados, added that excessive restrictions and uncontrolled tax increases do not help combat illegal gambling either. According to him, if a licensed operator cannot offer a competitive product, is limited in terms of bonuses, faces rising costs and constantly confronts new prohibitions, part of the audience will inevitably migrate to spaces with fewer barriers.

This debate has been playing out across Latin America, where recent tax hikes on operators have sparked widespread complaints over what many consider an overreach – even as a significant portion of that revenue is earmarked for improvements to public health, security and education systems.

Focus Gaming News at SiGMA South America 2026: networking and a new award

As in previous years, Focus Gaming News played an active role in the 2026 edition of SiGMA South America. The media outlet, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary, welcomed visitors at Stand #M123, conducted a series of interviews at its Media Lounge, held productive meetings with clients and established new connections with a wide range of influential figures in the industry.

Fernando Saffores, CEO and founder of Focus Gaming News, said: “After three intense and productive days at SiGMA South America, the balance couldn’t be more positive. This event has solidified São Paulo as the true capital of igaming in the region, and being part of these discussions is vital for our mission.

“It has been an incredible week of networking with over 18,000 delegates and exploring the regulatory evolution of the Brazilian market.

“Last but not least, thank you to the organisers and everyone who joined us in São Paulo! We leave this edition with a strengthened network and a clear vision of the industry’s booming future in Brazil.”

Focus Gaming News was named “Best iGaming Media 2026″ at the SiGMA South America Awards 2026. The award marks the fourth consecutive prize the publication has received in the region and the eighth in the same category globally.

Saffores said: “For Focus Gaming News, winning the ‘Best iGaming Media 2026’ award is not just an honour, but a validation of our commitment to delivering high-level content to the Latin American market.”

With more than 100,000 readers across its five editions – Global, LatAm, Asia-Pacific, Brazil and Africa – and more than 30,000 subscribers to its daily newsletters, the publication has established itself as one of the leading specialist outlets in the sector.