When Brazil opened its newly regulated iGaming market in January 2025, figures across gaming sat in anticipation of how the country would meet its vast potential. As the country’s iGaming market continues to rise, so too does the coverage of its highlights, lowlights and most prominent headlines.

SiGMA South America 2026, to that end, has unveiled new expansions to support the region’s growing customer demand. The conference will take place from April 6–9 in São Paulo, featuring gaming experts, operators and investors who help drive business and foster essential discussions.

SiGMA South America has doubled its expo floor in anticipation of a larger audience in 2026 and will provide three dual-language stages for attendees from around the globe. Approximately 18,500 delegates are scheduled to be in attendance, as well as more than 250 speakers who will take part in the conference’s panel discussions and keynote addresses.

Brazil: Home advantage

The conference has also confirmed approximately 1,400 operators will be taking part, in addition to over 400 exhibitors and sponsors, as well as host roughly 2,600 affiliates for this year’s event. Indeed, there will be plenty to discuss in São Paulo, especially after 79 licensed operators in Brazil reported that 25.2 million residents placed bets during the year, while more than 25,000 illegal betting websites were blocked in partnership with the National Telecommunications Agency. Operators also produced approximately BR37bn (US$7.2bn) in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for 2025, while total tax collection related to betting eclipsed $1.93bn. 

With just a small portion of Brazil’s potential met in 2025, forming a presence across the region continues to be a priority for many in gaming, including those which may be relatively new to the scene. On December 23, 2025, Kalshi Co-Founder Luana Lopes Lara confirmed Brazil is firmly on the operator’s radar, as it plans its next phase of international expansion and explores how its regulated model could eventually be introduced to the country. 

Prediction markets captured the attention of many throughout the prior year and in the early stages of 2026, with theories as to how the gaming type could make its way to Brazil potentially serving as a leading topic of the São Paulo conference. While operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket press on with regulatory battles in the US, extending their capabilities to a blossoming market could represent the next phase of expansion.

LatAm: Around the houses

Elsewhere in South America, Paraguay’s gambling sector generated PYG18.7bn ($2.9m) for January 2026, representing an increase of 23.4% from the country’s previous monthly record set in January 2025. In 2025, Paraguay’s gaming regulator reported its strongest annual revenue performance in a decade, as total fees collected by regulators reached $33.5m and increased 22.9% year-on-year.  

Chile’s municipal casinos recorded CLP39.48bn ($45.1m) in gross gaming revenue during 2025, posting a modest real increase of 0.5%. Specific gaming tax accounted for $96.4m during the full-year period, split equally between regional governments and host municipalities to finance public works and development projects. Land-based gambling operators in Colombia increased their contributions to the country’s subsidized healthcare system by 9.3% in 2025, transferring an estimated COP 
378.268bn ($100.6m). 

In Argentina, IAFAS – the gambling regulator for Argentina’s Entre Ríos province – transferred ARS 6.55bn ($4.6m) to provincial social programs in 2025, representing a 267% increase compared to the previous year. The growth was supported by higher revenue across the province’s regulated gaming operations, as well as the scale of gaming activity in Entre Ríos and the weight of regulated gambling in provincial fiscal planning.

Responsible gaming on the agenda

Safer gambling strategies will certainly be a talking point of SiGMA South America 2026, especially as the region continues welcoming new operators and suppliers into the market. Prior to the event, senior representatives from key government bodies, regulatory institutions and enforcement authorities will meet in Rio to speak on Brazil’s legal betting framework.

The meeting, which took place in March, provides a rare opportunity for direct dialogue, practical clarity and alignment at a pivotal moment in the market’s development. What’s discussed between the senior representatives could eventually lead to broader examinations of regulatory and responsible gambling strategies at SiGMA South America. Notably, the March event also welcomed representatives from Brazil’s state-run lotteries, who represent long-standing public operators that have helped shape the country’s regulated betting landscape. 

Perhaps obstructed by the headlines surrounding iGaming and sports betting, Brazil has also looked to expand its lottery services to additional jurisdictions, including in Rondônia where Governor Marcos Rocha recently submitted legislation to create a state-run lottery. This move positioned the northern state alongside a growing number of Brazilian jurisdictions that have attempted to establish their own betting frameworks during 2026. 

Initiatives to build a stronger gaming foundation have also been introduced in Brazil, as the Brazilian Olympic Committee set a strategic objective in February to reduce its financial dependence on lottery and betting transfers, which accounted for 75% of total revenue in 2025. The organization recorded BR594m in revenue during the prior year, representing the highest figure generated in a half-decade. President Marco Antônio La Porta signaled that diversification is now a priority, however, and highlighted the structural vulnerability of relying heavily on public transfers related to lotteries and regulated betting.

A global stage

The advancements listed above all factor into what should be an enthralling SiGMA South America 2026 event, as those in attendance are sure to bear witness to required discourse that could help shape the region’s gaming market for years to come. With 18,500 delegates confirmed to be in attendance for the April conference, the progression which could stem from SiGMA South America 2026 may serve as a thorough reminder of how gaming events around the world help spark change.

One of the main topics of discussion at SiGMA South America 2026 – much to the entertainment of attendees and non-sports fans – should be the upcoming 2026 World Cup in June, given the country represents one of football’s most popular markets. Perhaps some (hopefully lighthearted) debates will be sparked between more local supporters and those visiting from around the world, but the global competition will assuredly take over gaming this summer.