EGT and EGT Digital arrived in Brazil with a consolidated track record across more than 85 jurisdictions — and a deliberate choice not to replicate an international model in a market that demands local adaptation.

At the centre of that strategy is Celina Guedes, who leads the company’s expansion in Brazil’s gaming, casino and VLT markets.

With over 20 years of experience across land-based and online casino segments in Brazil and Latin America, Guedes has built her approach around what she calls “glocalization” ,  applying global technology standards to the specific behaviour, regulation and expectations of the Brazilian player.

The results are becoming visible. EGT won the Best VLT Solution category at the BiS Awards 2026. The Paraíba rollout validated the VLT model at operational scale, with user recurrence and engagement exceeding initial projections. In Rio de Janeiro, the solution passed the Proof of Concept with Loterj, opening the door to one of the country’s most strategic gaming markets.

In this interview, Guedes discusses what differentiated EGT in a competitive Brazilian market, how omnichannel integration works in practice, and why she believes the industry’s long-term growth depends on regulation, transparency and responsible gaming, not despite them, but because of them.

Celina, congratulations on the BiS Awards 2026! EGT and EGT Digital won in the Best VLT Solution category. In your view, what was the “X factor” that set your product apart in such a competitive market as Brazil this year?

Celina Guedes – I believe our key differentiator was the combination of robust technology, player experience, and adaptability to the Brazilian market. EGT already has a consolidated global track record across more than 85 jurisdictions, but in Brazil we did not simply replicate an international model, we localized the solution.

The Brazilian market demands performance, stability, regulatory security, and at the same time accessible and intuitive entertainment. We were able to deliver exactly that balance through an omnichannel VLT solution that is highly scalable and widely accepted by players.

In addition, the integration between EGT and EGT Digital allowed us to offer a complete ecosystem for operators and state lotteries, which is essential in an increasingly competitive and regulated environment.

You mentioned that EGT seeks to establish “higher new standards.” How does the company balance global technology from Bulgaria with the cultural and regulatory specifics of the Brazilian player?

This balance is achieved precisely because EGT has global expertise but operates locally with teams that deeply understand each market.

Brazil has very specific characteristics: player behavior, consumption profile, evolving legislation, and even visual and gameplay preferences. That is why we work closely with operators and regulatory bodies to adapt interfaces, user journeys, payment methods, communication, and features to Brazilian expectations.

At the same time, we maintain international standards of security, compliance, and technological stability, which are globally recognized. This combination of global experience and local intelligence is one of the pillars of our growth in the country.

The Paraíba operation was a large-scale rollout milestone. What were the key learnings from this project, and what do the initial performance numbers say about user acceptance of the VLT format?

Paraíba was extremely important because it validated, in practice, the potential of the VLT model in Brazil at operational scale.

The main learning was the strong demand for a regulated product that is safe and offers a high-quality entertainment experience. The audience responded very positively from the first months of operation.

Initial indicators exceeded our expectations in terms of user recurrence, engagement, and operational stability. This shows that Brazilian players are open to the VLT format when it is presented within a regulated, transparent, and reliable technological environment.

Regarding Rio de Janeiro: the product passed the Proof of Concept (PoC) with Loterj. What can the Rio market expect from this launch, and how does EGT plan to scale this solution to other states shaping their lotteries in 2026?

Rio de Janeiro is a strategic market for the entire industry, and the PoC approval was a highly relevant step.

The market can expect a modern, secure solution designed to deliver an integrated physical and digital experience. Our goal is not only to deploy terminals, but to build a sustainable ecosystem for operators, lotteries, and players.

We believe many states are closely observing the models being implemented now. Therefore, our focus is to demonstrate operational efficiency, revenue generation capacity, and regulatory responsibility.

EGT is prepared to scale quickly, as it already has technological infrastructure, international experience, and regulatory adaptability to support new state projects at different stages of maturity.

 The EGT solution is described as fully omnichannel. For our audience, how does this integration between physical terminals and the digital platform work in practice? Does the player move between both worlds with a single account?

Yes. That is one of our main differentiators. Players can start their experience on a physical terminal and continue in the digital environment using the same account, wallet, and interaction history. This creates a seamless, modern, and convenient journey.

The omnichannel integration allows operators to have a unified view of user behavior, enabling smarter campaigns, loyalty programs, and advanced compliance mechanisms.

In practice, we connect the best of both worlds: the convenience of digital with the physical presence and reach of VLT terminals.

In a scenario where the government is blocking platforms without economic substance, how does the security and transparency of the EGT Digital ecosystem protect both operators and end users?

This regulatory movement reinforces something EGT has always supported: sustainable growth depends on regulation, transparency, and responsibility.

All EGT Digital infrastructure operates under strict international standards of compliance, certification, and technological security. We work with auditable systems, anti-fraud controls, operational traceability, data protection, and continuous monitoring.

This protects operators from a regulatory and financial standpoint, but also gives consumers the confidence of using a legitimate, secure, and supervised platform.

In a rapidly maturing market, solid companies with a consistent international track record naturally gain prominence.

We are seeing an intense debate in Brasília about gambling addiction and household debt. How does EGT VLT technology incorporate Responsible Gaming mechanisms and spending controls to prevent compulsive behavior?

Responsible Gaming is a core topic for EGT globally and also in Brazil.

Our technology includes tools for session time control, deposit and betting limits, risk behavior alerts, and self-exclusion mechanisms. In addition, operators can monitor suspicious behavioral patterns much more effectively through our technology.

We believe regulation and innovation must go hand in hand. The industry’s goal should be to provide safe, sustainable, and transparent entertainment.

This is an important and healthy debate for the sector’s maturity, and EGT wants to be part of building a long-term responsible market.

Celina, to close: EGT Group is already present in 85 jurisdictions. With Brazil reaching maturity in 2026, where do you see EGT Digital in the national ranking over the next two years?

Brazil has become one of the most strategic gaming and betting markets in the world, and EGT sees enormous growth potential here.

Over the next two years, our goal is to consolidate EGT and EGT Digital among the leading technology and omnichannel solution providers in the country, expanding presence in both physical and digital segments.

We are heavily investing in operational expansion, local partnerships, technological innovation, and institutional relationships. We believe we are still at the beginning of the transformation of this market in Brazil.

Our focus is not only growth in numbers, but building a solid, sustainable operation recognized for technological excellence and market trust.