SAGSE Paraguay 2026 opened on Wednesday at the Hotel Casino Acaray in Ciudad del Este, bringing together operators, regulators, government authorities, C-level executives, international sponsors, technology providers, compliance and security specialists, online gaming and sports betting professionals, and regional industry leaders.
The opening day, held under the SAGSE Summit / University format, exceeded organizers’ expectations, attracting more than 345 registered attendees from across Latin America, highlighting the growing interest in the Paraguayan gaming market.
According to the organizers, one of the most notable aspects of this year’s edition was the quality of the audience. The event achieved an operator-to-supplier ratio of approximately 2.75 operators for every provider, reinforcing SAGSE Paraguay’s boutique approach, focused on qualified networking, real business opportunities, and decision-makers.
Adriana Gorchs
Institutional opening
The day began with a VIP luncheon sponsored by Apostala and Evolution, bringing together authorities, operators, sponsors, regulators, and speakers for executive networking ahead of the conference program.
This was followed by SAGSE’s official welcome and an institutional address from APEJA, delivered by acting president Adriana Gorchs.
Carlos Liseras, President of Conajzar, and Oscar Orué, National Director of the DNIT, then led the institutional presentation on behalf of Conajzar / DGJA / DNIT. Their session covered the current state of Paraguay’s gaming industry, ongoing market professionalization, regulation, industry development, and the challenges facing operators, regulators, and oversight bodies.
Oscar Orué
Conference sessions
Present and future of Paraguay’s regulated gaming market
The panel featured representatives from Conajzar / DGJA, Apostala, Georges Didier (GLI), Erick Méndez (Evolution), local operators, gaming suppliers, and was moderated by Argentine gaming attorney Tomás García Botta.
Topics included Paraguay’s new regulatory framework, Law 7438/2025, Conajzar’s role, market liberalization, sports betting, online casinos, certification, compliance, technical standards, legal certainty, omnichannel strategies, and opportunities for local operators.
Illegal online gambling in Paraguay
This panel formally launched an institutional discussion on combating illegal online gambling by identifying regulatory gaps, coordination challenges, and potential cooperation between public authorities and licensed operators.
Speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration between regulators, the judiciary, and the private sector to prevent illegal betting operations through stronger compliance, due diligence, traceability, and enforcement mechanisms.
Technology, minors and prevention: LUCA and NOVA+
The session introduced LUCA and NOVA+, two solutions developed by the Córdoba Lottery and previously presented at SAGSE South America.
NOVA+ was presented as a home application allowing parents to monitor and block illegal betting platforms on devices used by minors. LUCA (Unified Academic Cyber Protection Line) was showcased as a solution for schools and sports clubs that blocks illegal gambling websites on Wi-Fi networks without compromising user privacy.
The discussion focused on protecting minors, preventing illegal gambling, parental controls, cybersecurity, institutional responsibility, and preventive tools for regulators and operators.
Antifragile leadership in FANI environments
Gustavo Adamovsky, Dean of UCES Argentina, delivered a keynote on decision-making under uncertainty, error management, psychological safety, herd behavior, extreme pressure, and intergenerational leadership.
Operational security for management and operators
Presented by José “Pepe” Casapia Bardales, Ambassador of ALASCA, the session addressed risk prevention, internal and external fraud, security culture, surveillance, asset protection, casino floor control, and regional cooperation.
The first day concluded with a closing discussion on the strategic challenges facing Paraguay and the wider region, focusing on regulation, operations, security, compliance, technology, responsible gaming, sports betting, online gaming, and industry professionalization.
José “Pepe” Casapia Bardales
Executive networking
The day closed with an executive networking cocktail sponsored by APEJA at the Acaray Casino Snack Bar.
The event allowed attendees to continue discussions from the conference sessions and strengthen relationships among operators, regulators, sponsors, suppliers, and institutional representatives.
According to the organizers, the opening day represented “a key meeting point” to discuss the present and future of the gaming industry amid regulatory transformation, market professionalization, omnichannel expansion, online gaming growth, and the need for stronger public-private cooperation against illegal gambling.
SAGSE Paraguay 2026 continues on Thursday, August 6, with a second day dedicated entirely to technical and operational training. The program is designed for technicians, gaming floor staff, operations managers, and security professionals, covering online systems, machine connectivity, communication protocols, ticketing systems, performance monitoring, operational controls, AI-assisted slot machine diagnostics, and machine-level auditing.
SAGSE Paraguay 2026 – Visitors and exhibitors
