The organisers of next month’s Brazilian Gaming Congress (BgC) are pressing ahead with a ‘glass half-full’ approach to gaming legislation, despite recent political setbacks in progress towards a regulated gambling sector in the country.

Returning to Sao Paulo’s Tivoli Mofarrej, from April 22-24m, BgC is aiming to build on its traditional role of bringing together the most prominent operators, investors and legislators exploring and developing a regulation model that best harnesses the potential of the Brazilian gaming market.

The central focus of this year’s event will be to convince Brazilian legislators that a regulated gaming sector will deliver social benefits to Brazil as well as generate much needed revenue for the government.

Organiser Clarion noted: “With legislative delays still dominating the Brazilian landscape, a commitment to increased dedication by key stakeholders in the region is required. By refocusing on its roots in 2018, BgC is reaffirming that commitment. Hopefully, an effective regulation model that makes legislators see the light of social benefit from gaming regulation can come out of BgC 2018, with all attendees having the opportunity to contribute to that cause.”

Currently, more than 400 industry players are confirmed as attending BgC to discuss a variety of sectors including lottery, sports betting, land-based casinos and legislation. Of key importance is which bills are most likely to be passed and when a vote on a Brazilian gambling bill can be realistically expected.

Speakers confirmed for BgC 2018 include eBrainz CEO Beto Vides; Sortis and Golden Lion Casino COO Francisco Javier Vidal Caamano; Secretary for Economic Monitoring (SEAE) at the Brazil Ministry of Finance Mansueto Facundo Almeida Junior; EMBRATUR President Vinicius Lummertz; and Belgian Gaming Commission Director Peter Naessens. Sponsors and exhibitors include BetRadar, JCM Global, and Microgaming among others.