IGI Expo

Moderator Miranda concluded proceedings with her own position:

The population today is used to illegal gambling, so oversight needs to be more present. The same applies to municipal lotteries. The Supreme Court needs to understand that it is a relevant activity that delivers some results and needs a proper regulation.

Ana Gatti claims:

We need a more transparent communication channel that makes more sense to society regarding how lottery funds will be allocated. What does society seek from the lottery? That's an important question.

Motta gave us his clear perspective on that question:

The main objective of lotteries is to give back to society in the form of resources, for health, construction. The lottery was born from this principle and the desire to return part of the money received to the population.

Leonardo Benites:

There is still a lot of potential to be explored in existing football sponsorships. The next step is to improve how they can and should be worked.

But now...

A back and forth on how marketing regulations also affect influencers: Nogues:

Operators also have a strong responsibility regarding which influencers they hire to talk about their services.

Murakami: Speaking from an influencer perspective, we need to talk about legitimate operators without unintentionally promoting illegal ones. After all, a player might think,

Oh, so you're telling me there's a different platform there and I can bet with a credit card?

and go there. The difference is that illegal operators can't work on good branding.

Teresa Caeiro of Playtech Brazil added her thoughts:

More than thinking about restrictions, we need to think about what the operator can do to reach the bettor responsibly, without targeting minors and by following the rules of the advertising regulator. We all want to promote our operations, but we can't avoid our responsibilities. Simply putting 'play responsibly' under a campaign is not enough, we also need to use our communication networks to talk to bettors. The industry's image is tarnished due to illegal players, but we have the power to change that. Nothing is lost, it is up to the ethical operators to change this image.

Some thoughts from Marco Elias:

The sector is part of a public service that therefore needs to safeguard its integrity. We are in the infancy of regulation and the problems are not in the current restrictions but rather in the new proposed restrictions. An educational campaign should not only talk about illegal gambling, but also inform its audience and potential audiences.

Evaldo Bazzegio:

The evolution of AI must be taken into account in any industry that wants to grow.

Tiago Pinto:

Could it be that AI will actually improve our human interaction if, through AI, you can deliver a personalised experience to customers?

Flavia Merlo:

A smart bettor cannot be seen as a threat, but rather as the maturity that the sector needs to reach.

Bruno Motta:

The industry needs to learn how to engage responsibly with bettors who already use AI.

Day one at IGI Expo! ✅ A whirlwind of debates, insights and cool people. My brain’s full, my notebook’s fuller and now let’s see what day two has in store!

The panellists agreed that municipal lotteries are no longer a theoretical debate but an operational reality unfolding across Brazil. Diego Campos (Osasco) stressed that

it’s no longer a question of whether it can or cannot be done, we need to move quickly and put it into practice,

highlighting the city’s progress toward launching its own lottery. Camilo Brito (Analome) reinforced that the focus should not be on whether municipalities can operate beyond their borders, “because the answer is clearly no,” but on improving processes and learning from those already implementing local models. Paulo Horn argued that

the only way to end illegal gambling is through legalisation and integration between federal, state and municipal systems,

calling for unity within the industry to avoid fragmentation and strengthen responsible gaming frameworks. The panel concluded that municipal lotteries represent both a regulatory challenge and an opportunity, a chance to decentralise revenue generation while advancing toward a more cohesive, transparent and sustainable gaming market in Brazil.

Diego Campos:

We are on track to establish our lottery very soon; it's no longer a question of whether it can or cannot be done. We need to move quickly and put it into practice because this change is happening anyway. We are focusing on the legal phase so we can begin exploring it much sooner.

Paulo Horn:

It's up to all of us in the industry to have a direction, a guiding principle, to have a regulated industry that operates responsibly. As long as we remain divided and the Government maintains its monopoly, we end up not combating illegal gambling. The only way to end illegal gambling is by legalising it and integrating it into the federal operating systems, with states and municipalities. Gambling isn't going to stop, so we need to seize the opportunity with people who want to become legal.

In a late switch, Paulo has been replaced by his namesake: Paulo Horn, former Director of Loterj. During the panel, Diego Campos says:

The reality is that municipalities are already in the process of having their own state-lotteries. The important point is: how will this be operationalised?

The idea that municipal lotteries can only operate within their own territory is, in my opinion, quite outdated.

Today's second panel, “Federal lotteries: past, present and, above all, future,” focused on how the lottery network can adapt to an increasingly digital landscape without losing its social and community role. Márcio Malta (Playtech Brasil) defended the launch of Caixa Bet, arguing that

it makes no operational sense for Caixa not to have a platform to compete for market share,

as online channels are now cheaper and more accessible for players. Ricardo Costa (Febralot) stressed that “the world is no longer analog,” and that integrating physical and digital channels is essential for the sector’s survival. Meanwhile, Alessandro Montenegro (Loteria Aldeota, Rei do Bolão) pointed out the need for more accessible investment alternatives so smaller operators can participate, while Amilton Noble (Hebara) emphasised collaboration as key to growth. He also reminded that fixed-odds betting

shouldn’t be promoted as a way to change your life, but seen as pure entertainment.

The discussion closed on a note of optimism, with Noble highlighting the sector’s maturity as the Mega-Sena da Virada, the New Year's game, widely popular in Brazil, approaches the symbolic BR1bn ($180m) mark. This may act as a proof that lotteries remain a pillar of Brazil’s gaming culture, blending tradition with digital transformation.

Some highlights from fellow panellist Amilton Noble:

Fixed-odds betting shouldn't be promoted as a way to change your life; it should be seen as pure entertainment.

The formula for success is not being afraid to share. If you share with your colleagues and they also achieve it, everyone in the sector wins.

Some thoughts from Ricardo Amado Costa of Febralot:

The world is no longer analog, and that changes the business model we have to follow.

The challenge for lottery companies in Brazil right now is to unite the physical with the digital; this is a fundamental step.

The opening panel at IGI Expo set the tone for a day of candid debate on regulation, collaboration and the road ahead for Brazil’s maturing betting sector. Leaders from ANJL, Abrajogo, AIGaming, ABFS, BCBet and AMIG discussed how trade associations can unite operators, protect consumers and rebuild trust in a market still facing stigma and uncertainty. Plínio Lemos Jorge (ANJL) warned that the current tax debate risks driving bettors to illegal platforms, arguing that

an unfair tax above the operators’ limit has the opposite effect, the illegal market benefits much more from it.

He also said betting has “become a bargaining chip” in broader fiscal negotiations, stressing that the legal industry must defend itself collectively to survive. Ana Clara Barros (AIGaming) emphasised the need to protect society and bettors as key stakeholders, while Ana Helena Pamplona (Abrajogo) highlighted the blurred boundaries of what defines the illegal market, urging greater association membership to promote compliance. Amilton Noble (BCBet) and Rafael Marcondes (ABFS) both underlined the need for certification, international learning and coordination, noting that “when the market matures, its agendas will align.” All speakers agreed on one point: fragmentation weakens the industry’s voice. As Pamplona concluded,

From outside the sector, people see us as one, disunity reflects on everyone.

Our panellists and their thoughts on what associations bring to Brazil (and gaming). Plinio says:

It's necessary to have the support of several associations because, by defending the same agendas, we have more strength.

Ana Helena comments:

The union of associations needs to happen because, from outside the sector, people see us as a unit. Disunity reflects on everyone.

Ana Clara ( of AIGaming) adds:

A very important stakeholder is the bettor. We need to protect the client; if there are no bettors, there is no market. This agenda is non-negotiable and it's not just for one association, it's for all of them. There are causes that shouldn't belong to just one association, but to the entire industry. And, looking to the future, Rafael Marcondes says:

I believe that when the market matures, there will also be a maturation and better structural alignment of our agendas; that's the likely path.

From from Plínio Lemos, President of the ANJL:

We've become a bargaining chip. They don't want to increase taxes and benefits for other sectors, so any movement that is aimed at more established sectors ends up using betting as a bargaining chip in Brazil.

We are a new sector with a tarnished image and we are fighting to improve that.

- says Plínio Lemos Jorge, President of ANJL