Tiago Almeida: “At SBC Summit Lisbon, Oddsgate will showcase its new Oddsgate Connect solution”

Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate, spoke to Focus Gaming News about the company’s upcoming attendance at SBC Summit Lisbon.

Exclusive interview.- Oddsgate has had a busy first half of the year. In April, the company launched the study “Gate to 2050″ about the future of igaming, and won the “Brazilian Market Breakthrough” award at the SiGMA Awards in São Paulo. Then, in May, it added ISO 37001 and ISO 37301 to its certification portfolio. Now, the company is heading to SBC Summit Lisbon to showcase its new Oddsgate Connect solution.

To find out more about the company’s latest developments and its presentation at the event, which will take place from September 16 to 18 in Lisbon, Focus Gaming News spoke to Tiago Almeida, Oddsgate’s CEO.

What solutions will Oddsgate be showcasing at the SBC Summit Lisbon?

At SBC Summit Lisbon, Oddsgate will showcase its new Oddsgate Connect solution – a groundbreaking three-pillar market entry strategy specifically designed for Brazil’s newly regulated igaming ecosystem. This unprecedented solution combines award-winning technology, federal licensing access, and an institutional-grade liquidity management solution into one comprehensive package that eliminates traditional market entry barriers.

Oddsgate Connect addresses the estimated 60 per cent of Brazil’s gambling market captured by unauthorised operators, generating approximately R$1bn monthly in unregulated revenue. Our solution democratises access to Brazil’s regulated market by eliminating the traditional BRL 30+ million capital requirements, enabling legitimate operators of all sizes to compete effectively against illegal platforms.

Oddsgate has a strong presence in the new Brazilian market. Has hailing from a Lusophone nation been an advantage?

Absolutely, and this advantage is fundamental to Oddsgate Connect’s success. Portugal’s shared Portuguese language has been a strategic advantage, as countries with Portuguese as their mother tongue are the primary focus of Oddsgate’s commercial and marketing efforts. This cultural and linguistic alignment has enabled us to understand the nuances of Brazilian consumer behaviour, regulatory expectations, and business practices in ways that international competitors cannot easily replicate.

Our lusophone heritage has been particularly valuable in navigating Brazil’s complex regulatory landscape and building the relationships necessary for our federal licensing partnerships, which will be a core component of Oddsgate Connect. This cultural understanding, combined with our Lisbon, Porto, and São Paulo teams, gives us unparalleled insight into what Brazilian operators and players truly need.

The company has consistently been commended as one of Portugal’s best workplaces. What makes it a great employer, and how does that impact client relationships?

Our workplace recognition is extraordinary and directly impacts our client relationships. Oddsgate has achieved 7th place in the Great Place to Work® 2025 national ranking for companies with 51 to 100 employees, with 19 out of 25 evaluation dimensions scoring 90 per cent or higher and no indicator below 84 per cent. We’ve also been awarded a silver medal as “Best Workplace in the IT Sector”.

Our success stems from careful recruitment, focusing on finding people who share our values and ensuring employees feel heard, respected, and valued. This creates a virtuous cycle – engaged, motivated employees deliver exceptional service, crucial for Oddsgate Connect’s success. Trust and reliability are paramount when offering institutional-grade liquidity management and handling operators’ most critical business functions. Our award-winning workplace culture ensures we attract and retain the talent capable of delivering this level of service.

“Our success stems from careful recruitment, focusing on finding people who share our values and ensuring employees feel heard, respected, and valued.”

Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate.

What are operators demanding most today, and how does Oddsgate respond in product and tech?

Today’s operators demand three critical things that traditional solutions cannot provide together: immediate market access without massive capital requirements, competitive positioning against established players, and predictable cash flow models. Oddsgate Connect uniquely addresses all three through our integrated approach.

Our liquidity-as-a-service innovation is revolutionary – operators receive 80 per cent of expected value regardless of bet outcomes, transforming volatile gaming operations into stable, predictable cash flow businesses. This enables operators to compete with industry giants by offering tier-1 betting limits from day one, without requiring the typical BRL20-30m in bankroll reserves. Meanwhile, our technology platform and federal licensing partnerships eliminate the traditional license fee of more than BRL35m and complex compliance challenges.

The company recently published a major study into what the future of igaming could look like in 2050. What do you think were the most important takeaways from that?

Our #GateTo2050 study, developed with ALVA Research & Consulting, identifies five critical megatrends: AI as infrastructure automating everything from odds compilation to customer service; blockchain enabling smart-contract settlements and DAO-style governance; extended reality with AR/VR creating photorealistic casino experiences; hyper-personal CRM requiring Netflix-level recommendation engines; and the imperative of sustainability with AI-driven harm detection and carbon-aware infrastructure.

The most important takeaway is that survival will depend less on killer odds algorithms and more on systems-level thinking. By 2050, AI will commoditise technology, so brand trust, ethical data use, and niche community curation will separate leaders from low-margin operators. This insight directly influenced Oddsgate Connect’s design – we’re not just providing technology, but creating an integrated ecosystem that addresses the full spectrum of operator needs, positioning our partners for long-term success in this evolving landscape.

With AI, blockchain, and Web3.0 gaining traction, how is Oddsgate integrating new technologies to enhance operator performance and player engagement?

Oddsgate Connect is built on the understanding that these technologies must be integrated, not added as afterthoughts. Our platform incorporates real-time data management and advanced infrastructure capable of handling high-volatility traffic spikes, with elastic scalability that auto-scales for unexpected demand surges.

Our institutional bankroll management system represents early adoption of financial technology innovations that will become standard by 2050. We’re also implementing cross-platform liquidity sharing and performance benchmarking systems that create network effects – as more operators join our ecosystem, the value increases for everyone. Our approach recognises that by 2050, failing to deliver Netflix-level personalisation will be a “404 error” for operators, so retention – not acquisition – becomes the new competitive focus.

“Oddsgate Connect is built on the understanding that these technologies must be integrated, not added as afterthoughts.”

Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate.

Oddsgate recently gained ISO 37001 and ISO 37301. How important is certification like this?

These certifications are essential for Oddsgate Connect’s credibility and the success of our partners. ISO 37001 emphasises anti-bribery management systems, including due diligence, risk assessment, and whistleblowing mechanisms, while ISO 37301 assesses how companies comply with legal obligations and incorporate ethical conduct into their operations.

These certifications mitigate legal and reputational risks while unlocking new value through stronger partnerships and regulatory credibility. This is precisely what our partners need to succeed in Brazil’s regulated market and our other core geographies.