CIBELAE’s Rodrigo Cigliutti discusses innovation, cooperation, and the role of state lotteries ahead of his appearance at SBC Summit Americas 2025.
In recent decades, the lottery industry in Latin America has undergone a profound transformation driven by technology, regulation, and product diversification.
From traditional physical lotteries organized by state entities, the sector has evolved toward digital platforms, public-private partnerships, and more interactive gaming models, adapting to an increasingly connected and demanding public.
Rodrigo Cigliutti , executive director of the Ibero-American Corporation of State Lotteries and Betting (CIBELAE), gave an exclusive interview to SBC News to talk about his experience in the sector, his vision of the changes that have occurred in the industry in recent years, and gave an advance look at some of the topics that will be discussed during the SBC Summit Americas 2025 panel that he will moderate.
SBC News: With more than 28 years of experience in the gaming industry, and a career that began at the world’s southernmost lottery, how would you describe the evolution of the state lottery sector in Latin America over the years?
Rodrigo Cigliutti: This is going to make me feel like a real dinosaur, but let’s just say that the evolution of the industry has been dizzying. Thirty years ago, cell phones were just starting out, which were used only for communication, and our ally in the lottery was the fax (many people will have to Google it to see what that was).
Many lotteries have improved and optimized their processes thanks to technology, but I must admit that there are lotteries that have kept their processes virtually unchanged for the past 30 years. The Internet, telephony, digitalization—everything that has been at our fingertips—many lotteries have successfully employed it.
SBC News: One of CIBELAE’s core priorities is the exchange of information and experiences among its members. What are the main demands emerging from these exchanges today?
RC: We’ve long been supporting three important pillars: responsible gaming, security, and modernization. Starting in 2024, we’ve included the prevention of money laundering. These are the main demands of the region’s lotteries and regulators. We have a large gap between those at the forefront of these issues and those who are behind. We must work to ensure that those ahead of the curve help and collaborate with those behind, while also training them.
SBC News: A few days ago, the 1st Ibero-American Lottery Marketing Seminar, organized by CIBELAE, took place. What were the main lessons learned from the event?
RC: CIBELAE events aren’t crowded, with attendees ranging from 120 to 200. Our strength is that within this small group, we have 12 to 16 lottery presidents or regulators, and the CEOs of the most important global companies.
The Buenos Aires event was incredible. We invited high-level speakers from outside our industry to learn about what marketing is doing in other industries, and it was brilliant. It must be the event we’ve received the most thanks to since 2018.
The ONCE of Spain (National Organization for the Blind) was the one who created the theme of the “challenges” to be addressed in the seminar, and it was truly like “sticking your head out the window,” seeing what’s happening in other industries, what the best communication channels have been, the benefits of market research, and a myriad of ideas that we’re still processing.
SBC News: CIBELAE is preparing a new seminar in Foz do Iguaçu on safe, responsible, and sustainable lottery gaming for the end of June. What are the sector’s main concerns regarding these issues?
RC: 2025 is a challenge for us. We’ll once again have three events in a year, part of our region’s busy trade show schedule. Brazil is a highly valued market, and the fact that they’ve approached us to organize there is very important.
Foz Iguazú will be a highly attended event. Many Brazilian state lotteries have already announced their participation; I believe we will have more than 12. We will surely have many Argentine lotteries, in addition to those that regularly attend, such as Chile, Uruguay, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Honduras, among others. Also, the president of the World Lottery Association will be attending our event with part of the organization’s responsible gaming team.
We want to reinforce the importance of responsible gaming; we must communicate where the funds raised by lotteries go. It’s important to work on sustainable products and processes, and we’ll be working on this at the meeting.
SBC News: You will be moderating the talk “The Role of Laboratories and Certifications in the Latin American Industry” during the SBC Summit Americas 2025 event. Why do you think these players have become so essential to the industry’s value chain?
RC: I started in the industry in 1994 (last century), we didn’t have these certifications for the different processes that the lotteries had, that is, we didn’t have “security” guarantees, we’re not talking about success, we’re talking about security, a public body, a company or a safe product, gives peace of mind to those in charge and confidence to those who buy our products.
Trust is something that takes a long time to build in our industry, and a long shot to destroy, and obviously, even longer to rebuild. Internationally recognized and reputable laboratories (many of which are part of CIBELAE) are the ones with that expertise; they allow us to work forward, with the confidence that what we did was correct, and that our mistakes are corrected during the certification process. Everyone has a role in this industry, and we must know and identify each one’s role.
SBC News: With the Miami meeting just weeks away, what are your expectations for the event?
RC: I always say, and I remember, that I was a guest at the first SBC, back in 2021. I had perfect attendance. The growth of the event has been truly incredible: just looking at the photos from 2021 and the latest ones from 2024, one sees the magnificent increase.
It will surely be a highly attended event; we’ll be all of the Americas together. It’s a great idea; the venue is bigger, the challenge is greater, but the SBC team is very professional and hardworking. It will be a resounding success, and we’ll be there to celebrate. Finally, I just want to invite readers to experience it because the SBC Summit is incredible.
Join CIBELAE at SBC Summit Americas
SBC Summit Americas will be held at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from May 13-15 .
You can get one of these three types of passes:
Group Pass 3+ (All-Access Pass): Available for groups of three or more, this pass provides full access to conference sessions, the exhibit floor, networking events, and evening parties. All for a discounted price of $500 per person. Get your Group Pass .
Exhibit Pass+: Includes access to the exhibit floor and all conference sessions (does not include access to evening networking events). Get your Exhibit Pass+ for $95.
Free passes for operators and affiliates: Operators and affiliates may request free passes, subject to approval.
