This Wednesday, March 4, the Riocentro venue opens its doors for the first day of the exhibition and conference program at SBC Summit Rio 2026. With an expected 15,000 attendees, the event turns Rio de Janeiro (RJ) into a meeting point for the gaming and betting industry for the third consecutive year.
The landscape now is very different from 2024, when the first edition of the trade show took place. In 2026, Brazil’s regulated online betting market is entering its second year of operation. This moment allows for a clearer view of the direction the country is taking in iGaming, while Congress discusses imposing restrictions in areas such as gambling advertising.
In addition, just over three months remain until the largest FIFA World Cup in history. With 48 national teams and 104 matches, the tournament is seen as a golden opportunity for the sector, particularly in a country so passionate about football. The topic will not go unnoticed at the event.
“The Brazilian market never stops,” says Rasmus Sojmark, founder and CEO of SBC. “In the third year, the conversation becomes more in-depth. Companies want clarity, direct dialogue with regulators, and connections with operators who are active on a daily basis. That’s what we prioritised in Rio.”
On the conference agenda, attendees will hear from more than 150 experts across three stages, covering leadership, technological innovation, payments, marketing, and affiliation.
The program includes discussions on the main challenges facing the Brazilian market: balancing agility and fraud prevention in Pix payments, compliance with rules from the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar) and advertising platforms, changes in taxation and jurisdictions, and how to turn compliance, user experience, and customer acquisition into competitive advantages.
Chris Kypriotis, former CEO of Nike Brazil
The event’s opening keynote will be delivered by Chris Kypriotis, former CEO of Nike Brazil. Starting at 11:00 a.m. (Brasília time), he will speak about how a high-performance culture generates sustainable results.
Following that, at 11:20 a.m., a panel featuring regulators from the online betting market will take place. Daniele Correa Cardoso (Acting Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance) and Giovanni Rocco Neto (Secretary of Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport) will share insights into building a regulated ecosystem that, in 2025 alone, generated R$37 billion ($7 billion) in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
Throughout the day, representatives from major market players will take the stage in various panels. The list includes Guilherme Figueiredo (Institutional Relations Director at Betano Brazil), André Sapuca (Product Manager at BetMGM Brazil), Renato Silva Siqueira (CEO of Caixa Loterias), Hugo Baungartner (Institutional Relations Director at Grupo Esportes Gaming Brasil), and Fellipe Fraga (CBO at EstrelaBet), among others.
The full conference schedule can be accessed via the event website. In addition to the main Leadership stage, discussions will also take place on the Tech Innovation and Affiliate Leaders Summit stages.
In the 70,000-square-meter exhibition area, attendees will be able to explore services and solutions from operators, providers, developers, payment institutions, and other companies within the gaming and betting ecosystem.
Among the approximately 400 confirmed exhibiting brands are 1xBet, EGT Digital, BetConstruct AI, Digitain, Altenar, Amusnet, BETBY, BMM Innovation Group, Sportradar, GLI, NGX, InPlaySoft, Pragmatic Play, Kambi, Blaze, Esportes da Sorte and Novibet.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/03/04/117881-sbc-summit-rio-2026-kicks-off-at-decisive-moment-for-brazils-igaming-industry
