BiS SiGMA Americas 2025 opens with bold dialogue on compliance, cooperation, and regulations
BiS SiGMA Americas 2025 C Itaim Stage | 8 April 2025 | S?o Paulo, Brazil
Brazils journey toward a fully regulated betting and gaming market took centre stage on the opening day of the conferences of BiS SiGMA Americas 2025, as policymakers, legal experts, enforcement authorities, and industry representatives converged to shape the countrys regulatory future on the Itaim stage. With three heavyweight panel discussions anchoring the days agenda, the event offered not only insight but also strategic clarity on how Brazil intends to govern its rapidly expanding gaming ecosystem.
What emerged from these panels was a compelling narrative: effective regulation in Brazil must rest on three core principlescompliance as a standard, interministerial cooperation as a structural necessity, and regulation as the anchor of trust and transparency.
Compliance in Action: The Key to Effective Regulation in Brazil
The day opened with a resounding message: Compliance is no longer a box-ticking exercise but a strategic function that underpins market legitimacy. With the moderator, Roberto Armelin, Chief ESG, Risk, and Compliance Officer at S?o Paulo Football Club, the session titled Compliance in Action: The Key to Effective Regulation in Brazil brought regulatory intent into an operational context.
Raiana Falc?o, Deputy Secretary for Sanctioning Action at the Ministry of Finance, outlined the governments ambitions to embed accountability into the licensing and oversight process. She described a framework in which transparency and enforcement mechanisms form the basis of investor and consumer trust.
Supporting this position, Jacqueline Favraud of Sportingtech said that compliance must serve as both shield and compassprotecting operations from reputational risk while also steering strategic decision-making. Chantal Pillet, Associate Managing Director at Kroll Associates, took this further, advocating for a more data-led approach to compliance. Real-time analytics, she suggested, will be vital in preempting regulatory breaches before they escalate into risks.
Together, these voices painted a picture of compliance as a living, evolving functioncentral to Brazils success in developing a well-regulated, investor-attractive marketplace.
The Path to Interministerial Cooperation in Advancing Regulation
If compliance is the operational cornerstone, cooperation between ministries is the architectural blueprint. The second panel, The Path to Interministerial Cooperation in Advancing Regulation, convened under the moderation of Luiz Felipe Maia, Founding Partner at Maia Yoshiyasu Advogados, turned its attention to the structural realities of policymaking in a multi-agency landscape.
Giovanni Rocco Neto, National Secretary for Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sports, framed sports betting not only as a regulatory matter but as a socioeconomic lever. He advocated for a governance model where betting revenue supports the wider sporting ecosystemrequiring seamless collaboration between ministries.
Echoing this, Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, emphasised the risk of disjointed policy if regulatory authorities act independently. He called for alignment on enforcement, taxation, licensing, and social impact measuresdelivered through shared frameworks and synchronised oversight.
Adding an international perspective, Martin Lycka, a leading authority on gaming regulation, pointed to best practices abroad, urging Brazil to avoid regulatory siloing. His remarks focused on task forces, unified compliance protocols, and centralised data governance as practical pathways to efficiency and effectiveness.
In a country as complex and decentralised as Brazil, the consensus was unequivocal: policy coherence can only emerge from institutional cohesion.
The Power of Rules: Next Steps for Assertive Regulation
The final session of the day tackled perhaps the most pivotal question in the entire regulatory conversationhow can Brazil strike the right balance between encouraging market growth and protecting consumers?
Titled The Power of Rules: Next Steps for Assertive Regulation, this panel shifted the focus from theoretical frameworks to legislative execution. Chaired by legal and political heavyweights, the conversation moved beyond technicalities to tackle the broader implications of regulatory philosophy.
Luiz Felipe Santoro, President of the Games Commission at OAB-SP, opened with a clear assertion: assertive regulation is not about overreach, but about credibility. He argued that clarity and enforceability must become the hallmarks of Brazils emerging framework.
Pietro Cardia Lorenzoni, representing ANJL, highlighted the urgent need to ensure legal stability for operators. Investors, he noted, seek environments where rules are transparent, proportionate, and consistently applied.
Adding legislative insight, Federal Deputy Newton Cardoso Jr discussed the interplay between regulatory clarity and national competitiveness. With neighbouring countries evolving their own gaming laws, he warned that Brazil must legislate with purposeor risk falling behind.
Legal experts Jos Francisco Cimino Manssur and Simone Vicentini rounded off the session by emphasising that regulation must remain responsive. In an industry shaped by rapid technological change, periodic review mechanisms and adaptable licensing structures will be essential to prevent legal obsolescence.
Brazil at the Crossroads: Regulatory Maturity within Reach
As day one of BiS SiGMA Americas concluded, one theme resonated above all: Brazil is not merely preparing to regulateit is preparing to lead.
Through robust compliance frameworks, coordinated governance, and assertive legislative action, the country is taking critical steps to convert regulatory intent into institutional reality. What remains now is executionan endeavour that will require political resolve, legal precision, and ongoing engagement between the public and private sectors.
Stakeholders across the gaming and betting ecosystem are watching closely. For Brazil, the opportunity is clear: to construct a regulatory framework that is not only enforceable and ethical but also globally admired.
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