Tiago Almeida, Oddsgate: “We are very excited about our growth towards Latin America”

Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate, discusses the company’s expansion in Latin America and the impact of Brazil’s regulation.

Exclusive interview.- As ICE Barcelona 2026 concluded, Oddsgate emerged from the event with a clear focus on regulated growth, technological expansion, and long-term sustainability across Latin America.

In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate, reflects on the company’s recent momentum, highlighting strong performance in Brazil following the country’s first year of regulation, alongside new partnerships in markets such as Chile and Peru.

Almeida discusses the operational and regulatory realities of Brazil’s newly regulated environment, the lessons learned from navigating compliance and reporting demands, and the opportunities that lie ahead as the market moves from disruption to consolidation. He also shares his perspective on the challenges facing the wider igaming sector, including the impact of black markets, and outlines why Oddsgate remains firmly committed to operating exclusively in regulated jurisdictions as it looks toward 2026 and beyond.

Oddsgate has been expanding its operations over the past year. What are the key markets and strategic priorities driving this growth, and how do they fit into your long-term vision?

Well, these past months have been months of very good growth for OddsGate and our group. We are now consolidating into a bigger group of companies. Our growth in Brazil was tremendous and reflects the success of the regulation as Year Zero in the market. At the same time, we have closed important partnerships in markets like Chile, in markets like Peru, and, naturally, the expansion of our technological assets is also following up the effort that our business development team is doing, and we are very excited about this growth towards Latin America.

You recently launched a microsite marking one year of regulation in Brazil. Looking back, how would you assess the impact of regulation on the market and on Oddsgate’s operations in the country?

The regulation was disruptive, as it naturally introduced several ordinances that were prepared in a very short period of time. Platforms had to adapt, content providers had to adapt, operators had to adapt; also, the regulator had to come in and oversee different aspects of this market of ours. Naturally, before quick expansion and growth, you always have a brief period of chaos, but I think that is part of any market of that dimension—that is, a sub-continent, as we know, with 220 million people—and seeking regulation for the first time in more than 70 years, online for almost 20 years. So, it was a demanding period of time.

After chaos, we have a period of bonanza. This is where we are. Operators were able to secure their licences, the regulator was able to draft and impose the ordinances. New measures came in, tax hikes came in; it’s all part of, let’s say, a moment that we understood the market was going to have. And now, we are focusing on getting better quality of delivery, delivering key innovations to our partners, and expanding our gaming portfolio.

“We are focusing on getting better quality of delivery, delivering key innovations to our partners, and expanding our gaming portfolio.”

Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate.

What have been the main operational and regulatory challenges in Brazil so far, and what lessons can other companies entering the market learn from your experience?

I think the main obstacle is always the reports, because operators might have three different brands on three different platforms, so you end up having three different technological partners, and you need to consolidate the delivery of the reports in just one go. So, the operator here is also our technical compliance partner, even if we do the delivery by ourselves, because, under the scenario where the operator is using different platforms, you need to coordinate the delivery of these reports in a way that doesn’t affect the consolidated accounting of the day and the consolidated accounting of the month. So, this is naturally demanding.

We have created a Technical Compliance Department that works with a specific SLA with our clients. We have delivered a specific and proprietary tool that allows us to understand how the API of the regulator is doing, if we are delivering on time, if we are not delivering on time, if certain transactions have issues that can eventually block this process. And it also creates an alarm where operators can understand: ‘I don’t have an issue with the brand that is with OddsGate, but I might have an issue with the brand that is with someone else,’ and the other way around. So, this allows us to monitor our effort and to be fast and agile doing this delivery that is so important for operators, also to avoid fines. I think that’s the main blocker, but it’s important to always highlight it.

As the industry matures, what do you see as the biggest challenges—and opportunities—for Oddsgate and the wider igaming sector heading into 2026?

Black markets? I think we are all against black markets. OddsGate is a company that is doing business only in regulated markets. We don’t do black, we don’t do grey, but we understand this is a very important variable that impacts our industry. Naturally, these operators are not paying any taxes. The platforms don’t need to go into extensive research and development to deliver certified solutions for the markets. They don’t pay the same salaries, they don’t pay taxes, they can deliver perhaps very generous dividends, because they are headquartered in some tax haven somewhere. So, this is a factor that is there, right? It’s a threat.

For our partners and clients and friends, the message is always the same: it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort to create something sustainable, something that delivers value, that pays taxes and contributes to our societies and the countries where we are doing business, but it’s the only way to do it. So, my message to partners and to content providers is: let’s do the right thing.

“OddsGate is a company that is doing business only in regulated markets. We don’t do black, we don’t do grey, but we understand this is a very important variable that impacts our industry.”

Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate.