Brazil betting ban dominates discourse at SBC Summit Lisbon 2026
Industry leaders at the event criticised President Lula's recent prohibition and discussed prediction markets and social media's role in illegal gambling.
LISBON — Industry reaction to Brazil's sudden ban on online betting dominated discussions at the SBC Summit Lisbon 2026, which concluded this week.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a provisional measure banning online betting and casino games on September 25, just days before the three-day event began in Lisbon.
We and the global community that we represent do not support a blank prohibition on Brazil’s regulated sports betting market. Dismantling the regulated market is not the answer.
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, said this during the event. He added that the state must act with "evidence and proportionality, and a credible transition."
READ MORE: UK gambling market hits £17.5bn as online growth outpaces retail decline
Tom Bowry, chief strategy officer of Flutter International, said the company was "very disappointed" after investing in the country.
Beatriz Melges Lopes, LATAM director at BetConstruct AI, raised concerns about pushing players towards the black market, adding that the global industry "needs to be together" as Brazil "isn’t doing anything properly".
ANJL Legal Counsel Bernardo Cavalcanti Freire said Lula’s ban is illegal, though he affirmed he remains "very optimistic" of an intervention.
Prediction markets eye Europe
Interest in prediction markets expanding into Europe was another key topic, particularly during the Global Prediction Markets Forum.
"They [prediction market operators] are applying," said Charles Mizzi, CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority. "There is a lot of interest. Over the last months, we’ve seen huge interest from operators."
Alex Gowar, chief growth officer at Matchbook, noted the challenge would be customer education. "I think it all comes down to how it’s presented to the customer, and I don’t see that there’s an overwhelming demand for it in a world where sportsbook opportunities are there," he said.
On Kalshi's potential expansion, Chief Risk Officer Udesh Jha said, "We would love to. We are talking to regulators across the pond like ESMA and others."
Conversations also focused on the role of social media platforms in illegal gambling. Björn Fuchs, chairman of Dutch trade body VNLOK, discussed its decision to sue Meta.
"You can see how much advertising there is on Meta platforms. We have tried to communicate but they have only offered automated responses," Fuchs explained.
In contrast, Jesper Eliasson, director at PAF, revealed an experimental partnership with Meta to share license documents and URLs to help identify regulated operators.
The event, held from September 29 to October 1 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, also featured a keynote with basketball legend Michael Jordan.
"When I get involved in deals, be it with Sportradar or DraftKings, I need to know it’s authentic to what represents me," Jordan said during a panel with Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins.
Organizers said attendees travelled from 178 countries, generating an estimated 85,000 room nights in Lisbon.
On the final day, SBC signed a long-term agreement with Turismo de Portugal, the Municipality of Lisbon and Lisboa FCE, securing Lisbon as the host city for the summit until 2030.
The 13th SBC Awards were also held, with Pragmatic Play winning Casino / Slots Developer of the Year, Large for a third year and BetConstruct AI winning Sportsbook Supplier of the Year.
The next edition of SBC Summit is scheduled for September 21-23, 2027, in Lisbon.