SiGMA Americas 2023: An Overview of the Premier iGaming Event in Latin America

A major event in the South American gaming sector, BiS SiGMA Americas brings together players and professionals from various sectors, including sports betting, online gaming, affiliate marketing, lotteries, and crypto. From June 14th to 18th, this year's edition was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Taking place at the Transamerica Expo Convention Center, the event was the largest of its kind in Latin America. Over 5,000 participants from more than 50 countries attended BiS SiGMA Americas, which featured 200 exhibitors and more than 100 speakers, allowing attendees to network, meet potential business partners, and gain unique insights.

The official opening featured BiS CEO Alessandro Valente and SIGMA Group founder Eman Pulis. In his speech, Valente discussed the implementation of the third edition of the Brazilian iGaming Summit (BiS), which is now coordinated in partnership with SiGMA Group. He emphasized the importance of the collaboration and their joint commitment to making this year's event even more successful than before.

Eman Pulis echoed Valente's remarks, saying, “We are extremely happy to carry out this partnership with BiS. And we look forward to a bright future in the coming years.”

A major focus of the event was Brazil's impending regulation of sports betting and gambling.

Carlos Vianna, secretary of sports for Sao Paulo, welcomed the public, saying, “It is a pleasure to welcome you on behalf of Mayor Ricardo Nunes. My warmest embrace to you and my best wishes for the regulation of this sector to boost its activity.”

José Francisco Manssur, Brazil's Ministry of Finance special advisor, participated in the panel to confirm that Brazilian regulations for sports betting and gambling are imminent.

Manssur emphasized that the discussions with parliament have been fruitful, with all sides showing a willingness to cooperate and compromise for the best outcomes for the Brazilian economy.

“Despite the delay and anxiety, there is a positive side: we are debating too much, we are listening too much, this is fundamental. The last step is already being discussed with parliament. Everything that is being done now, which may seem like a delay, is so that we have less problems in the process,” he said.

There was also a speech from Daniel Homem de Carvalho, chair of the Special Committee on Sports, Lotteries, and Entertainment Law of the OAB (Brazilian Association of State Lawyers). Carvalho emphasized that the regulation should be tailored to create a competitive, open market, safeguarding the interests of both players and operators alike.

“It is necessary that companies are here in free competition. The first role does not belong to the government. It belongs to the market. The market has to have the potential to conserve itself,” he explained.

In addition to upcoming regulatory changes, the event focused on the opportunities open to the market and the evolution of the industry. There was a series of short talks on artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and other cutting-edge technologies.

ABCripto CEO Bernardo Srur presented an overview of the crypto market in Brazil, which is undergoing regulatory intervention as well. Brazil's president has signed a decree empowering the central bank to regulate virtual asset service providers. Crypto securities will remain supervised by the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission.

"The crypto industry is experiencing a great moment in Brazil and globally," he said.

Furthermore, Foxbit CEO & co-founder João Canhada praised crypto as a global payment method. “Crypto as a means of payment is an excellent option because you actually become global,” he said.

Münzen, a crypto processing service for businesses, which launched Pix and Brazilian real support recently, also introduced its innovative product. The company’s representatives pointed out the importance of providing a secure and reliable platform that makes it easier for businesses to accept crypto payments.

Ivan Ilin, Chief Operating Officer at Münzen, said, “SiGMA Americas was huge this year. There were a lot of business participants we had already met at other events. All of them had high hopes for the new opportunities that Latin America, especially Brazil, could bring. The market is growing and attracting new players while adapting to new regulations. As a result, the overall atmosphere was electric with anticipation and excitement.”

He added that the event allowed Münzen to establish partnerships with both local and international businesses in the iGaming and crypto industries.

“There was a lot of networking going on and a great vibe in the air. Numerous projects were looking to expand to Latin America. Overall, it was a well-organized event with a clear purpose and lively energy,” said Ilya Romanov, Chief Marketing Officer at Münzen.

Münzen's Head of Sales, Evgenia Batura, also commented on the event, “Seeing so many people from all over the world – Europe, Asia, and even the CIS countries – and networking with companies from Latin America and beyond was truly amazing. The best part was learning that so many attendees knew us and wanted to talk to us. The magnitude of the event was unbelievable, a testament to the immense potential of the Latin American iGaming market. We felt energized and excited to be a part of this vibrant community.”