First day of BiS SiGMA Americas highlights new betting legal framework, optimism for the sector's future

It was just past 10:30 AM when the ribbon was cut for the opening of BiS SiGMA Americas 2025 on Tuesday, April 8. At the same time, booths at the Transamerica Expo Center in São Paulo (SP) were already filling up with executives, entrepreneurs, and other visitors.

The opening ceremony was led by a select group: Eman Pulis (founder of the SiGMA Group), Alessandro Valente (Co-Founder of BiS SiGMA Americas), Carlos Cardama (Co-Founder of BiS SiGMA Americas and CEO of Games Magazine Brazil), Regis Dudena (Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance), Rubens Barrichello (motorsport icon and Non-Executive Director at SOFTSWISS in Latin America), and John Aquilina (Ambassador of Malta to Brazil).

In their speeches, they praised the importance of the event at a time when online betting has just been regulated in Brazil.

"Today we celebrate not just the success of BiS SiGMA. We celebrate a milestone, a moment to look back with pride and look forward with responsibility. We end a cycle with the same courage with which we started it, and maybe at the same time we create space for new beginnings that match what we’ve already built. So, more than kicking off the official program of this fifth edition, this is a moment of celebration, recognition, and, above all, gratitude," said Valente.

In his remarks, Pulis described regulation as "the only path," regardless of the size of the obstacles. "A country like Brazil, one of the most Catholic in Latin America, managed to enact regulations and establish a legal framework to protect its players. Other countries can do it too," he stated.

"If governments want to protect their citizens, turning a blind eye is not the solution; regulation is," added Pulis.

After that, a full schedule of conferences began, covering regulatory discussions, technological innovations, responsible gambling, advertising, and more.

One of the most attention-grabbing panels discussed the legalization of physical casinos in Brazil — a proposal currently awaiting a vote in the Senate. The bill’s rapporteur, Senator Irajá Silvestre, debated the issue alongside Alex Pariente (Senior Vice President of Casino and Hotel Operations at Hard Rock), Magnho José (President of the Brazilian Legal Gaming Institute), and Cardama.

Throughout the expo’s halls, operators, providers, payment companies, and tech firms showcased their solutions, services, and the latest innovations. Some of the companies present included SOFTSWISS, BetConstruct, Belatra, Pragmatic Play, BGaming, EGT, EGT Digital, Pay4Fun, PayBrokers, Sportradar, DATA.BET, Control F5, DIGITAIN, BETBY, 1XBet, Esportes da Sorte, Blaze, BMM Innovation Group, NGX, and Oddsgate.

Wednesday schedule

BiS SiGMA Americas continues on Wednesday, April 9, with its exhibition and conference agenda. Check out the day’s scheduled panels across the three stages:

Itaim Stage

11:05 – 11:35
Lotteries in Transformation: Tradition and Innovation in Brazil's New Gaming Landscape
Speakers:

• Paulo Horn – Founding Partner, Paiva & Horn Advogados Associados

• Ricardo Amado Costa – President, Febralot

• Fabiano Jantalia – Founding Partner, Jantalia Advogados

• Daniel Romanowski – President, Lottopar

11:40 – 12:20
The Current Challenges of State Lotteries in Brazil
Speakers:

• Marcello Corrêa – VP, Special Commission on Sports Betting, Lottery and Entertainment Law, OAB-RJ

• Alexandre Manoel – President, Winning Bet Consortium Council – SP

• Daniel Romanowski – President, Lottopar

• Hazenclever Lopes Cançado – President, Loterj

12:25 – 12:55
Lotteries and Gaming in General as Economic Drivers: What Role Will Lotteries Play in Brazil's Economic Landscape?
Speakers:

• Marco Taurisano – CEO, Kroopie

• Nelson Wilians – CEO, Nelson Wilians Advogados

• Roberto Brasil – Partner, Brasil Fernandes Advogados

• Waldir Marques – Director of Regulatory Affairs LATAM, W.A Technology

13:00 – 13:40
Playing for Good: Lotteries as Funders of Social Programs for State Governments
Speakers:

• Edson Kikuchi – 2S Consulting

• Diego Campos – Director of Business and Innovation Environments, City of Osasco

• Dep. Marcus Vinícius – State Representative

• Adhemar Neto – Director of Regulation, Winning Bet Consortium Council – SP

13:45 – 14:25
State and Municipal Lotteries: A Systemic Analysis of Risks and Opportunities
Speakers:

• Amilton Noble – CEO, Hebara

• Evaldo Bazeggio – CEO & Founder, Bazeggio Consulting

• Marcello Corrêa – VP, Special Commission on Sports Betting, Lottery and Entertainment Law, OAB-RJ

• Fernanda Carla Oliveira – Director, Lotesc

14:30 – 15:00
The Gaming Market and the Thin Line Between Legality and Criminal/Consumer Risk
Speakers:

• Ana Helena Pamplona – Founding Partner, AHP Advocacia

• Tagiane Gomide – Legal & Compliance Director, Grupo Ana Gaming

• Cristiano Heineck Schmitt – Lawyer, Cristiano Heineck Schmitt Advogados

• Fabio Kujawski – Partner, Mattos Filho

15:05 – 15:35
Tax Incentives and Taxation: How Reform Can Transform the Betting Market
Speakers:

• Udo Seckelmann – Head of Gambling & Crypto, Bichara e Motta Advogados

• Bárbara Teles – Legal & Compliance Director, Stake

• Paulo Reales – Founding Partner, Sterling Corp.

• Pedro Lameirão – Partner, BBL Advogados

15:40 – 16:10
Responsible Gambling: Inspiring Stories in the Fight Against Gambling Addiction
Speakers:

• Cristiano Costa – Director of Knowledge, EBAC

• Bruna Verdi – Lawyer & Betting Specialist

• Rodrigo de La Rocha – Psychologist and Storyteller

Jardins Stage

11:05 – 11:35
ABRAJOGO Joining Forces: How Cooperation Between Companies and Government Can Strengthen the iGaming Market
Speakers:

• Olivério Júnior – Journalist & Partner, Tuddo Assessoria

• Witoldo Hendrich Júnior – President, ABRAJOGO

• Alessandro Valente – Co-Founder, ABRAJOGO

11:40 – 12:10
The Crucial Role of Associations in Building Brazil’s iGaming Market
Speakers:

• Ana Bárbara Costa Teixeira – Director, ABRAJOGO

• Lucas Bernini – Lawyer, ABRAJOGO

• Bernardo Cavalcanti Freire – Lawyer, ANJL

• Natalia Nogues – Founder & Director, AMIG

12:15 – 12:45
Building Bridges: How Associations Facilitate Dialogue Between Government and iGaming Market
Speakers:

• Witoldo Hendrich Júnior – President, ABRAJOGO

• Plínio Lemos Jorge – President, ANJL

• Udo Seckelmann – Head of Gambling & Crypto, Bichara e Motta Advogados

• Bárbara Teles – AMIG

12:50 – 13:30
Behind the Operations: Trends and Challenges of Betting Platforms
Speakers:

• Alexandre Tauszig – NGX

• Guilherme Buso – Genius Sports

• Thiago Faustino – Weebet

• Águeda Yoshii – OpenBet

13:35 – 14:05
Addressing the National Streaming Content Law for the Local Market
Speakers:

• Alessandro Valente – Founder, Brazilian iGaming Summit

• Rafael Marcondes – CLO, Rei do Pitaco

• Sergio Floris – Managing Director, Sportradar

14:10 – 14:40
Sports Integrity: Technology and Innovation as Allies Against Match-Fixing
Speakers:

• Filipe Rodrigues – CEO, Jogo Positivo

• Felippe Marchetti – Integrity Partnership Manager, Sportradar

• Ruy Peixoto – CTO, Esportes Gaming Brasil

• Ian Cook – Managing Director, StoneTurn

• Dan Kraft – President, CD Prêmios e Apostas

14:45 – 15:15
Building Lasting Partnerships: How Operators Can Impact the Bettor's Journey
Speakers:

• Thomas Carvalhaes – Country Manager, Stake

• Hugo Baumgartner – CEO, Polanco Consultoria

• Fernanda Beato – Executive Sales Director, Unico

• Felipe Maia – Country Manager, Blaze

• Guilherme Figueiredo – Country Manager Brazil, Kaizen Gaming

15:20 – 15:50
Real-Time Excitement: How Live Games Transform the Betting Experience
Speakers:

• Alberoni "Bill" Castro – President, Brazilian Poker Confederation (CBTH)

• Carlos Aureliano – Commercial & New Business Director, Sorte Online

• Marco Pequeno – Country Manager Brazil, Amusnet

• Felippe Fraga – CBO, EstrelaBet

15:55 – 16:25
A New Phase: The Behavior of Brazilians in the Regulated Gaming World
Speakers:

• Fabíola Jaeger – Co-founder & CEO, Caleta Gaming

• Sebastian Perrier – Founder & Director, Neko Games

• Eliane Nunes – Chief Growth Officer, Salsa Technology

• Rocío Moitino – Director of AE Latam, Air Dice

• Ariel Litvac – Compliance Director, Vbet

Paulista Stage

11:05 – 11:40
Stablecoins and the Payment Ecosystem: User Acquisition, Infrastructure and Regulatory Challenges
Speakers:

• Alexandre Ludolf – Head of Investments, Transfero Group

• Nathaly Diniz – Head of Institutional Sales & Public Affairs, Lumx

• Meryem Habibi – CRO, Bitpace

• Guilherme Giserman – Country Manager, ANDX

• Guilherme Prado – Regional Manager, Bitget

11:45 – 12:15
AI Workshop & Live Demo: Creating an AI Strategy for Your Business
Speaker:

• Tony Ventura – Innovation and Technology Speaker

12:20 – 12:50
How AI Agents Are Transforming Businesses
Speakers:

• Tony Ventura – Innovation and Technology Speaker

• Kenneth Corrêa – Head of Strategy, 80 20 Marketing

• Fabrizio Perciantly Conrado – Founder & Chief AI Architect, Eluminal

• Conrado de Sá – Founder & CEO, Acolity

12:50 – 13:05
Fighting for Change: How the SIGMA Foundation Is Creating Impact in Sports and Beyond
Speaker:

• Keith Marshall – Chief Philanthropy Officer, SIGMA Foundation

13:10 – 13:35
Poker in Brazil: Status and Updates
Speakers:

• Ivonne Montealegre – Poker Tour Operations Manager, SIGMA Group

• Simon Isbäck – Head of Poker, Cubeia Sweden

• Lukas Robinson – Player / Streamer / SIGMA Poker Tour Ambassador

• Jon Vlogs – CEO, Jon Bet

13:40 – 13:55
Best Responsible Gaming Practices Around the World and Their Application in the Brazilian Market
Speaker:

• Stephen Crystal – Founder & CEO, SCCG Management

14:00 – 14:30
Performance Best Practices with Meta
Speaker:

• Felipe Zulato – Client Solutions Manager, Meta

14:30 – 14:55
Is Brazil's iGaming Manual a Jackpot or a Gamble?
Speakers:

• Harmen Brenninkmeijer – Managing Partner, NYCE International

• Gabriel Quiliconi – Founder, Quiliconi Consulting

• Stefano Andrade – Country Manager Brazil, Betbit

• Dario Leiman – Head of Business Development – Latam, SOFTSWISS

• Laura Morganti – Customer Relationship & Advocacy Director, BetBoom

15:00 – 15:15
The Brazilian Online Market in Numbers
Speaker:

• Ed Birkin – Managing Director, H2 Gambling Capital

15:20 – 15:45
The Sports Betting and eSports Scene in Brazil
Speakers:

• Salah-Eddine Mimouni – CEO, Richmedia

• David Carruthers – Founder & CEO, David Carruthers Consultancy

• Oliver Lietz – Founder & CEO, Nano Cosmos

• Felipe Funari – Founder, WTM Esports

• Semeniuk Vitalii – Esports Product Manager

Inside BiS SiGMA 2025