SiGMA and SBC Detail 2026 Conference Plans: Mexico City Summit and Lisbon AI Academy

Two leading iGaming event organisers have laid out detailed programmes for their 2026 conferences, each targeting distinct industry needs. SiGMA North America 2026 will make its Mexico City debut from 1–3 September at Centro Banamex, while SBC Summit is introducing a dedicated AI Academy at its Lisbon gathering from 29 September–1 October.

SiGMA North America 2026: Mexico City as a Regional Hub

Organisers expect 4,000 delegates, 1,000 operators, over 150 speakers and more than 200 exhibitors at the inaugural Mexico summit. Nearly half of attendees are projected to be C-suite executives. The event positions Mexico City as a complementary hub to BiS SiGMA South America in Brazil, with a stronger focus on North America and Spanish-speaking markets.

A key draw is Mexico's strategic location—a base for companies crossing borders between Latin America, the US and Canada. Citing Horizon Databook, organisers note that Mexico's online gambling market could reach $3.61 billion by 2033, with the online casino segment nearly doubling from $441.5 million in 2024 to $943.7 million by 2030. There are currently over 350 licensed land-based casinos and more than 30 digital operators under the ".mx" domain, according to DGJS data quoted by SiGMA News.

The conference agenda tackles market entry, regulation, AI, affiliate performance, fraud and KYC. Day 1 includes a panel on global operators in Mexico with Victor Arias (ARRISE), Cristhian Gomez Villa (Betsson) and Germán Sarmiento (Betcris), as well as an interactive session on US and Canadian market expansion. Day 2 focuses on affiliate marketing, with a keynote by Fernanda Figueroa (1win Partners) on AI and personalisation, and a session on fraud and KYC in Mexico's market of 8 million players. Other features include the SiGMA North America Awards on 1 September, the SiGMA Pitch startup competition on 3 September, and a post-summit Affiliate Retreat in Cancun from 4–6 September for 50 top affiliates.

SBC Summit 2026: AI Academy Moves Beyond Theory

In Lisbon, SBC Summit is launching an AI Academy as part of its premium Education+ programme on 29 September at MEO Arena. The academy aims to help delegates apply artificial intelligence practically, moving beyond headlines into live demonstrations and hands-on workshops.

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “The biggest mistake businesses can make with AI is treating it like a shortcut.” He added that the academy gives delegates the chance to test, question and experiment with AI, leaving with skills they can immediately put into practice.

The programme opens with Behshad Behzadi, Chief Technology Officer at Sportradar, demonstrating AI’s limits and lessons in data analysis. A live showcase by Javier Troncoso (Insightplay.ai) and Jeffrey Haas (ID8 Global Gaming Business Accelerator) will explore voice agents as autonomous representatives. John Caldwell (i3Soft) will demonstrate AI wearables, robotics and human augmentation. A case study on deepfakes and AI fraud—featuring Shelley Langan-Newton (SQR), Lluis Mora (Entain), Donald Tabone (Betsson) and Roberta Nicholls (AI Collective)—will show how businesses can protect trust. Delegates can then build their own AI assistant in a workshop led by Mayank Pachauri (FalconDive).

Access to the AI Academy requires an Education+ Pass, available as a €249 add-on to any SBC Summit or Affiliate Leaders Summit ticket. The wider SBC Summit, expected to attract 40,000 industry professionals, also includes AI sessions on payment, game design, marketing and responsible gambling.

Both events underscore the industry's growing focus on targeted regional strategies and applied technology, with SiGMA betting on Mexico's market potential and SBC doubling down on practical AI education.