Watch: Maltas ambassador to Brazil calls iGaming a two-way street at BiS SiGMA Americas 2025
S?o Paulo, April 2025 H.E. Ambassador John Aquilina, Maltas envoy to Brazil and a familiar face at SiGMA Group summits, including a recent feature in SiGMA Magazine issue 32, addressed delegates at BiS SiGMA Americas 2025 with a message grounded in clarity and purpose: Malta and Brazil are deepening ties, and the iGaming sector is at the heart of that connection.
From S?o Paulos commercial centre, Ambassador Aquilina highlighted during an interview with SiGMA TV how Malta, a small Mediterranean nation with over 25 years of regulatory experience in iGaming, is positioned to support Brazils newly regulated market with legal guidance, commercial insight, and collaborative exchange.
Brazil has legalised iGaming, but the real work is in regulation, Aquilina stated. This is where Maltas experience becomes invaluable. We are ready to assist, not to dictate; this is a partnership.
5 takeaways from the ambassadors address:
- Rapidly growing bilateral engagement: Aquilina noted a sharp rise in commercial exchanges between Malta and Brazil, with Brazilian interest in Malta increasing at an exponential rate. This includes a growing presence of Brazilian nationals in Maltas educational and tourism sectors.
- Regulatory support for a transparent industry: With 25 years of iGaming oversight, Malta offers Brazil a tested model to combat illegal gambling and create a regulated responsible industry. The aim is not just legality, but transparency protecting players and ensuring integrity, said Aquilina.
- iGaming as an anchor for wider commercial links: Beyond gaming, the Ambassador stressed Maltas potential role in trade, shipping, and aviation, encouraging Brazilian businesses to look beyond traditional European trade routes and explore Maltas strategic Mediterranean positioning.
- SiGMAs expanding global role: Aquilina commended SiGMA Group for facilitating meaningful commercial diplomacy through its global expos and its charitable wing, the SiGMA Foundation. This is more than commerce; its a community, he noted, referencing projects supporting vulnerable youth in Brazil and beyond.
- Responsible growth is key: Stressing the importance of player protection, Aquilina called for Brazil to incorporate not just technical regulation but also healthcare and social support. Betting will always exist. What matters is that its done transparently, legally, and with support structures for those at risk.
As the Ambassador aptly put it, Were not here to take over; were here to work together. With Brazil entering a decisive phase in its regulatory journey, the MaltaCBrazil partnership stands as a model of constructive, commercially intelligent cooperation.
The dialogue between Malta and Brazil is just beginning, with iGaming acting as a vital bridge. Continue the conversation and explore the future of global iGaming regulation at SiGMA Asia, taking place in the Philippines from 1C4 June, where key industry players will converge to tackle the most pressing topics shaping the sector.
