At the end of December 2023, Brazilian federal government enacted Law 14.790/23, regulating sports betting in the country, outlining guidelines regarding taxation for companies and bettors, as well as defining rules for the provision of services, among other topics. About three months later, Brazil hosted the SBC Summit Rio 2024, featuring lectures and exhibitions from last Wednesday (6) to this Thursday (7). Recognized as one of the main events in the industry, the SBC Summit arrives in Brazil to highlight the national gaming and betting market.
With opportunities to foster networking and insights for developing the national market, the event occurs as the government begins to publish regulations to adjust the sector's regulation in Brazil. In this regard, Hans Schleier, COO of Casa de Apostas, a company with the presence of its entire executive team at the convention, emphasizes the importance of the SBC Summit Rio within this context.
"Major events like this bring together an enormous amount of know-how and opportunities to share experiences. This will be fundamental for the development of the sector in Brazil," points out Schleier. "It's a place where we can exchange experiences with other companies in the sector and generate networking for everyone," adds Tiago Silva, CRA of Cactus Gaming, which was a Premium Sponsor of the event and had its own booth in the conference hall.
To expand the discussion about the betting industry and provide more market knowledge to companies, the current edition of the fair brings together the main players in the market through exhibitions, lectures, and networking spaces.
Among the networking meetings, for example, last Wednesday (6) saw the participation of more than 70 people from companies in different sectors directly involved with betting and sports services.
"We are very happy to make this special meeting happen, bringing together agents from the betting, marketing, and football segments. It's a way for us to fraternize and at the same time discuss advances for the betting sector," emphasizes Fernando Paz, commercial director of Absolut Sport in Brazil, an agency specializing in sports experiences and an official partner of Conmebol, which organized the meeting, along with companies like Z.Ro Bank, Impulse Max, and Onbus.
The SBC Summit Rio 2024 also took place amidst a scenario of growth in the betting sector in Brazil, which, only between August 2022 and August 2023, recorded a 135% increase in the country, according to data from Datahub obtained by Aposta Legal Brasil.
In this context, galera.bet CEO Marcos Sabiá also highlights the sector's expansion in recent years and reaffirms the convention's importance: "Conferences like the SBC Summit Rio provide contact with a much broader view of the betting sector. Besides the opportunity to highlight the best market practices, the fact that the event is hosted in Brazil also speaks volumes about the growth of the segment nationally. The expectation for the fair is very good, based on continuous learning and experiences during these days. The conference only serves to strengthen the Brazilian market, which presents great prospects for 2024."
"Having an event of this magnitude focused on the Brazilian market is undoubtedly a great opportunity to discuss and develop the national market. We are aware of the relevance that the betting sector has already achieved here in Brazil, and we understand that this exchange of experiences, here on national soil, is very welcome," evaluates Rafael Borges, Country Manager of Reals, a company that was also be represented at the SBC Summit Rio by the commercial and operation managers, Jhonny Klayton Novaes Santos and Carlos Augusto da Silva, respectively, as well as the IT director, Lucas Maia Oliveira.
During the SBC Summit, organizers expected the presence of over 3,000 professionals from the betting sector, along with approximately 900 operators and 100 speakers. Among the planned topics, regulatory structures, sponsorships, data rights, and other issues stand out.
In addition to featuring executives from the main betting companies operating in the national market, the fair also attracts professionals and experts from the football market, such as Fábio Wolff, managing partner of the sports marketing agency Wolff Sports, with extensive experience in brokering sponsorship contracts in Brazilian football. "Brazil is the focus of the world's betting market. Therefore, I view the hosting of major events in Brazil to foster the industry in a positive light," projects Wolff.
Meanwhile, sports marketing expert Renê Salviano, CEO of the Heatmap agency, which was also present, emphasizes the importance of the conference held in Brazil: "Our agency has been serving betting companies for almost 3 years, we have learned a lot, and it's a market that is undergoing huge evolution. Events like this bring benefits for everyone; it's very important to have serious companies so that regulation brings security to all," he affirms.
Representatives from Brazilian football teams were also present, including those from century-old clubs like Coritiba and Botafogo, to address issues related to the market in general. In the case of the Paranaense team, for example, Marketing and Business Director Arnaldo Garcia was a speaker in an exhibition covering topics related to sponsorships and commercial properties. "Based on our commercial experience, we can highlight themes on how SAFs position themselves in the market and how this process must be carried out responsibly," explains Garcia.
Source: GMB
