São Paulo is at the centre of the iGaming world this week, as BiS SiGMA South America 2026 gets underway with one of its most anticipated pre-event experiences the SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil final, setting the tone for what is shaping up to be the most significant gaming summit Latin America has ever seen.
The SiGMA Poker Tour made its return to Brazil as the opening act for the four-day summit, bringing together poker enthusiasts, industry ambassadors and partners for a five-night stop at the Monte Carlo Poker Club in São Paulo. With an open bar and food available around the clock, high-stakes action at the tables, and VIP events woven throughout, the poker experience served as far more than just a sideshow. For many delegates, it was the first meaningful moment of connection before the main doors opened at the Transamerica Expo Center.
The SPT Brazil stop is part of a wider 2026 tour that takes in Malta, Manila, Mexico and Cape Town, each leg aligned with a SiGMA flagship summit. The tour is designed to blur the line between competition and conversation, turning poker tables into networking opportunities and giving industry professionals a setting to build relationships away from the formality of the exhibition floor.
BiS SiGMA South America 2026 itself runs from 6 to 9 April at the Transamerica Expo Center, powered by SOFTSWISS. The scale of this year’s edition reflects just how dramatically Brazil’s gaming market has transformed. The event footprint has doubled compared to previous years, three dual-language conference stages are running simultaneously, and the expected attendance of around 18,500 delegates makes it the largest edition yet. More than 400 exhibitors and sponsors are present alongside approximately 250 speakers drawn from across regulation, technology, payments, sports and media.
The timing of the summit could not be more relevant. Brazil’s regulated betting market is barely a year old, having launched formally in January 2025, and the industry is already deep into its next set of challenges — taxation frameworks, advertising rules, consumer protection standards and the ongoing fight against the illegal market. The event is hosting a remarkable lineup of senior figures to address these issues head-on, including a Senator from Brazil’s Federal Senate, the Secretary of Prizes and Betting, the CEO of Caixa Loterias, and the Vice President of the Brazilian Football Confederation, among many others.
Beyond the conference stages, the programme is packed. The SiGMA Nexus Elite Golf Tour opened the week at Vila de Mata Golf Club, with delegates arriving by helicopter and competing across an 18-hole format that mixed competitive play with high-level networking. Awards ceremonies for both the SiGMA Awards and BiS Awards are taking place across the first two evenings. A private speakeasy networking evening is lined up for platinum and invited guests, and the official closing party at Tokio Marine Hall brings the summit to a close on 9 April.
For those wanting the experience to continue even further, 50 of the top Latin American affiliates will depart by private jet to Florianópolis on 10 April for an exclusive three-day retreat featuring island boat trips, rafting, beachfront dinners and spa experiences.
The SiGMA Poker Tour final in Brazil was always going to generate excitement among the gaming community. But in the context of everything surrounding BiS SiGMA South America 2026, it also served as a fitting opening statement for a market that is no longer emerging it has arrived.
