New entity positions SCCG to serve international operators, investors, and technology providers entering Latin America’s largest regulated gaming market.

SCCG Management announces the formation of SCCG Brazil, a dedicated advisory entity built to serve the Brazilian gaming and iGaming market. The new division is led jointly by SCCG founder Stephen A. Crystal and Thomas Carvalhaes, a veteran of Brazil’s gaming ecosystem, who joins as Partner and co-manager of the operation.

The launch follows SCCG’s May 2026 establishment of its broader Latin American division and Miami office, which anchored the firm’s expanded presence across Spanish-speaking markets. Brazil, with its distinct regulatory framework, Portuguese-language market, and scale, has always warranted a dedicated approach. SCCG Brazil is that approach.

Why Brazil, why now

Brazil’s newly regulated gaming market is now the largest in Latin America and one of the fastest-growing in the world. In its first year under Law No. 14,790/2023, the regulated sector generated an estimated BRL 37 billion in gross gaming revenue, with 79 licensed operators serving approximately 25 million active bettors. The government collected close to BRL 10 billion in tax revenue, far exceeding initial projections. Market analysts project the sector to surpass USD 9 billion in annual revenue by 2033.

This is not a new market for SCCG. The firm has maintained a presence in Florianopolis, Brazil for nearly two decades, supporting clients across sports betting, iGaming technology, and gaming infrastructure. What has changed is the regulatory clarity. With the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) now fully operational under the Ministry of Finance and a permanent licensing framework in place, Brazil has moved from a high-potential gray market to a structured, investable, and compliance-driven environment.

“We have been working in Brazil longer than most people realize. The difference now is that the market has caught up to where we always believed it would go. With Thomas on the ground and our global network behind him, SCCG Brazil is built to move at the speed this market demands.”

— Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management

Leadership on the ground: Thomas Carvalhaes

Thomas Carvalhaes is a senior executive, board advisor, and one of the most influential strategists behind the consolidation of the sports betting and iGaming landscape in Latin America. As the CEO and Founder of TC iGaming Advisors and a founding advisory board member for Next.io LATAM, Thomas brings over 15 years of continuous leadership to the sector, specializing in market entry strategies, operational excellence, and complex regulatory compliance for global Tier-1 operators.

Throughout his career, he has steered multi-million dollar operations and commercial pipelines through evolving jurisdictional frameworks, having served as Country Manager and CEO for Stake in Brazil, alongside key leadership and strategic roles at Betway, LeoVegas, Hero Gaming, and Salsa-Betmotion. His expertise merges sharp regulatory intelligence with localized, high-performance business development, including the structuring and integration of innovative fintech solutions and instant localized payment frameworks such as the Pix ecosystem.

Thomas is a founding member of ABRAJOGO (Brazilian Gaming Association), playing an active role in driving industry-wide ethical standards and operational sustainability. Trilingual and fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he is a globally recognized industry voice who frequently features as a keynote speaker and panel moderator at the world’s premier gaming summits, including the SBC Summit, EGR, and SiGMA.

What SCCG Brazil does

SCCG Brazil will operate across SCCG Management’s established advisory workstreams, tailored for the Brazilian context:

Strategic Advisory: Regulatory navigation, market entry strategy, and M&A advisory for operators and investors targeting Brazil’s licensed market.

Capital Introductions: Connecting Brazilian gaming companies with international investors, and international operators with Brazilian capital and strategic partners.

Commercial Partnerships: Facilitating technology supplier, affiliate, and white-label distribution agreements between SCCG’s global client portfolio and Brazilian operators.

International Expansion: Supporting Brazilian operators looking to expand into other regulated markets across Latin America, Europe, and North America.

“Brazil’s regulated market has moved from potential to proof, generating billions in its first year under a fully structured licensing framework. International operators and investors need a partner who has navigated this market from the inside, through the regulatory buildout, the payment infrastructure, and the commercial realities on the ground. SCCG Brazil is that partner.”

— Thomas Carvalhaes, Partner, SCCG Brazil

The formation of SCCG Brazil reflects three converging forces. First, regulatory maturity: Brazil’s licensing regime is permanent, the SPA is actively enforcing compliance, and over 25,000 unlicensed sites have been blocked. Second, market scale: with a population exceeding 200 million and mobile penetration driving nearly all betting activity, Brazil offers the largest addressable audience in the region. Third, international demand: SCCG’s global client portfolio includes dozens of technology providers, platform operators, and investors actively seeking structured pathways into the Brazilian market.

SCCG Brazil operates as a division of SCCG Management, the gaming industry’s global advisory firm. With more than 30 years of experience, over 120 active client-partners worldwide, and offices spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, SCCG provides end-to-end advisory services across iGaming, sports betting, sweepstakes, tribal gaming, and casino technology.

For partnership inquiries or to schedule a meeting, contact SCCG Management at sccgmanagement.com or reach Stephen Crystal directly via WhatsApp at +1 (725) 502-5033.

Explore SCCG Brazil’s full workstream breakdown, market data, and newsletter sign-up at sccgmanagement.com/sccg-brazil.

Esportes Gaming Brasil (EGB), the group behind the Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu brands, has won Gold and Silver at the ClienteSA Awards 2026, held during the ClienteSA X-Summit 2026.

EGB said it won Gold in the Customer Success category for its case study, “Customer Success through Responsible Gaming and Intelligent Monitoring”, and Silver in the Customer Service Operations category for its case study, “From Startup to Maturity”.

Maria Neves, Director of Customer Experience, Customer Support and Reputation Channels, was also named Personality of the Year, an award that recognises leaders in customer experience management in Brazil. “This recognition validates the work of many people, built through listening, team development and a commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience. In a constantly evolving market, putting the customer at the centre of every decision is fundamental to the way we operate,” Neves said.

EGB executives also took part in the summit programme. Neves moderated a panel titled “Responsible Gaming as Part of the Customer Experience Journey,” featuring Carol Luna, Head of Compliance at the company, and Ricardo Magri, co-founder of the Brazilian Support Company for Compulsive Gambling (EBAC), which EGB described as a partner organisation.

During the session, the panellists discussed Brazil’s regulated betting market and how customer service, compliance and responsible gaming processes are being positioned as part of a safer customer journey. EGB highlighted initiatives including specialist support teams trained to identify signs of customer vulnerability, self-exclusion tools, platform usage limits and referral processes to specialist partner organisations.

CIRSA, a leading multinational company in gaming and entertainment and a leading company in the sector, announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Slots del Sol, Paraguay’s leading online casino operator.

The company operates a successful online casino offering through slotsdelsolonline.com, complemented by two casinos and two gaming halls in Paraguay. This omnichannel structure is fully aligned with CIRSA’s strategy.

With this acquisition, CIRSA enters Paraguay, an adjacent market that fits closely with the company’s international diversification strategy, offering a stable and growing economy with sustained development within a fully stable gaming regulation since long time ago.

This transaction will allow CIRSA to continue strengthening its omnichannel strategy, with a leading position in a structurally growing market. This accretive transaction is expected to be highly positive for the company in terms of value creation and profitability.

Joaquim Agut, Executive Chairman of CIRSA, said: “This acquisition reinforces CIRSA’s strategic commitment to accelerating growth in the online gaming space. Paraguay represents an attractive and highly stable regulated market, with strong fundamentals, and Slots del Sol provides us with a leading platform from which to continue expanding our online capabilities in the region.”

Antonio Hostench, CEO of CIRSA, said: “Slots del Sol has demonstrated exceptional performance, with outstanding capabilities in online operations. We are delighted to partner with its founding shareholders and are confident that we will be able to combine our global experience and best-in-class capabilities with their local knowledge and expertise to drive future growth. The transaction will contribute to improving the margins of our online gaming business.”