BiS SiGMA Americas 2024 kicked off on Wednesday 24th with a series of market discussions and an exhibition floor never seen before in Brazil. The size of the event, which was even compared to ICE London by the most optimistic, lived up to the excellent moment the gambling industry is experiencing in Brazil.
Around 250 exhibitors shared an area of 16,000 m² (25% larger than last year), where executives from all over the world took advantage of every moment of the day to establish contacts and seek lucrative business in the growing Latin American market.
“This year’s event has exceeded our expectations. It is much bigger than last year, and it is impressive how many people and companies have approached our booth to discuss business opportunities on the first day,” said Sergio Longo, Regional Director for Latin America at BetConstruct.
After the official opening and welcome speech by organizers Alessandro Valente (BiS SiGMA Americas), Carlos Cardama (BiS SiGMA Americas), and Eman Poulis (SiGMA Group), the day’s agenda, shared on two stages, featured several discussions with experts from different fields.
‘What’s New in Brazil’s State Lotteries’ provided the audience with insights into the country’s current lottery market, following authorization for the states of the federation to operate lotteries in a 2020 decision by the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
Marcello de Mello Corrêa (Axis Veritas Consultoria), Francisco Petrônio (LOTEP), Fernanda Carla de Oliveira (LOTESC), and Daniel Romanowski (Lottopar) agreed that the states are more advanced than the Federal Government in the management of lotteries and betting, so there should be more cooperation among the entities of the federation to achieve greater progress.
“Today, the Brazilian government is making use of devices that emasculate the states in their tax collection alternatives, even preventing the possibility of agreements between them. We need to work together to correct the injustices,” Petrônio affirmed.
“The lottery sector is one of the most thriving in the world. We do not need to reinvent the wheel; it is enough to import the models according to the Brazilian reality,” Romanowski added.
The panel described the prohibition of operators from operating in more than one Brazilian state, one of the biggest controversies in the sector, as a major setback. “The biggest lotteries in the world, such as Powerball (in the US), are formed by unions of states. It doesn’t make sense not to be able to operate in other Brazilian states,” Romanowski explained.
In the panel ‘Next steps: opening up through the legalization of resorts and urban casinos in Brazil’, speakers Waldir Marques (W.A. Technology), Alex Parientes (Hard Rock), and Luiz Felipe Maia (Maia Yoshiyasu Advogados) discussed the fact that Brazil is the first country in the world to first launch online gambling and then discuss the legalization of land-based casinos.
“This could work, as the public is creating the experience with online gaming and the country can learn from international markets that are already regulated, as well as using strong pillars such as its advanced banking system,” Marques said. He also argued that it has been proven that land-based and online casinos can coexist and even increase their respective budgets, as they are different gaming experiences.
As for legalization, the panel unanimously agreed that law 442/91 – passed by the Chamber of Deputies in 2022 and now stalled in the Senate – is ‘the best possible law’ after more than 80 years of gambling prohibition in Brazil.
As in other panels, the group also criticized industry disunity around the debate, as vested interests or lack of organization in discussions with legislators and government can hinder progress.
“I hear a lot of talk about uncertainties about market representation in government. I already heard from legislators that there is no unity among the actors, it is a self-criticism that we must make,” Maia pointed out.
This Thursday, BiS SiGMA Americas 2024 will once again present an agenda rich in discussions, business, and networking opportunities.
Thursday, April 25th
Itaim Stage
10:10 – 10:50 – The impact of cryptocurrency on payment solutions: Matheus Medeiro (FuTokens), Giles Whitby-Smith (Bitcashier), Rodrigo Ikegaya (Foxbit), Thales Freitas (Bitso)
10:55 – 11:35 – Beyond the boundaries: How traditional media reinvent themselves in a regulated world: Paulo Saad (Bandeirantes Group), Thiago Gomes (Agencia 999), Antonio Forjaz (Sportingbet)
11:40 – 12:20 – The importance of events for the regional iGaming industry: Flavio Raimundo (Affiliados Brasil & Gambling Brasil)
12:25 – 13:05 – Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Sports betting and integrity: Magnho José (Instituto Brasileiro Jogo Legal), Tiago Barbosa (Genius Sports), Felippe Marchetti (Sportradar)
13:10 – 13:50 – Affiliates in Brazil: Navigating the culture and establishing partnerships: Pedrão Bet (Aposta Online), Abelardo Dantas (Cactus Gaming), Luis Felipe Correia (Smart Social), Leonardo Benites (Propane)
13:55 – 14:35 – Disruptive innovations in the iGaming world: Strategies for the future: Marco Pequeno (iGaming 360), Kayky Janiszewski (Legitimuz), Tiago Silva (Cactus Gaming), Valter Delfraro (GLI)
14:40 – 15:20 – Present and Future: The influence of iGaming regulation and legislation on the Brazilian soccer industry.
15:25 – 16:05 – Understanding the demands and evolution of the B2B market: Thomas Carvalhaes (GR8 Tech), Fellipe Fraga (EstrelaBet), Ricardo Bianco Rosada (Qesh), Kainnan Pitano (Banana Games)
15:40 – 16:20 – The importance of payment methods in the competitiveness of online gaming operators
Jardins Stage
10:05 – 10:20 – AI for life and business: Live demonstration with Tony Ventura
10:20 – 10:35 – A real AI story: Free AI tools and legislation with Kenneth Corrêa (80 20 Marketing)
10:55 – 11:10 – Technology innovation and finance: RWA transformation with Fabricio Tota (Bitcoin Market).
11:15 – 11:45 – Future of cash and cryptocurrency adoption in Latin America: bullish market trends: Cal Evans (Gresham International), Matheus Moura (BRLA Digital), Guilherme Giserman (Itaú BBA), Antonio Neto (Vega), Fabricio Tota (Bitcoin Market)
11:45 – 12:00 – Crypto and gambling: risk vs. reward with Cal Evans (Gresham International)
12:00 – 12:15 – AI & Crypto: Global/LATAM practices for regulation, taxation, incorporation and licensing with Jaguar-Adva Gal
12:20 – 12:50 – Legal practices for technology and finance in Latin America: crypto, AI, BaaS, Open Finance, and more: Cal Evans (Gresham International), Jaguar-Adva Gal (Jaguar Reg&Comp), Heitor Miguel (PMZ Capital)
12:50 – 13:20 – The best Web3 tools for gaming, marketing, and community building: Heloisa Passos (Trexx), Gabriel Boni (Dsourc3), Vinícius Moraes de Carvalho (Ikigai Ventures)
13:25 – 14:05 – Building player loyalty: The impact of gamification in the newly regulated betting industry in Brazil: Tommy Kearns (Xtremepush), Nicolas Campano (Soft2Bet), Dinos Stranomitis (Altenar), Victor Sekushenko (SOFTSWISS), Maksym Tsaryk (Growe)
14:05 – 14:20 – Complexity and risks in the integration of gambling providers: Strategies for success
14:20 – 15:30 – Presentation of the startup SiGMA/SiGMA affiliates
15:30 – 18:10 – Launch of IBDJ
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/04/25/71897-first-day-of-bis-sigma-americas-2024-surprises-with-exhibition-size-industry-optimism
