SBC Summit 2026 reaches its second major day and grand finale today, Thursday October 1, closing three intense days that turned the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and the MEO Arena into the largest meeting point the betting and gaming industry has ever seen. After an opening day headlined by Michael Jordan and a record 40,000 attendees, the closing program shifts the focus to recognition, affiliation and Latin America.

The exhibition floor at FIL remains at full capacity, with more than 800 exhibitors and sponsors wrapping up a week of meetings, while the conference agenda dedicates its final sessions to affiliate marketing, media and the regulatory questions shaping the next cycle of growth in regulated markets.

Affiliate Leaders Summit closes with its strongest edition

The Affiliate Leaders Summit, which debuted in 2025 as a standalone event within the SBC Summit ecosystem, closes its 2026 edition having confirmed its status as the industry's largest dedicated affiliate gathering. According to Affilitizer, the summit brought together 10,000 delegates and more than 150 exhibitors across two days of panels, networking and an exhibition floor devoted entirely to acquisition and performance marketing.

The final day's agenda addresses SEO in the age of AI search, the economics of media buying in regulated markets and the growing role of content creators inside affiliate programs, a theme that resonated across corridors where operators, affiliates and agencies compared notes on what actually converts in 2026.

LATAM regulation takes center stage

Latin America has been one of the dominant threads of the closing day. The LATAM and Brazil Regulatory Gaming Cocktail Hour gathered regulators, operators and legal experts to discuss the region's fast moving frameworks, including the ongoing debate around advertising reform in Chile and the maturing licensed market in Brazil, now the region's regulatory reference point.

For marketers, the message from these sessions is consistent: markets that were once treated as gray territory now demand the same compliance discipline as Europe, and acquisition strategies built on creators and affiliates must be designed with local advertising rules from day one.

SBC Awards and Infinity Lisbon close the week

Tonight the industry celebrates itself at the SBC Awards 2026, held at the Salón Tejo of the MEO Arena, where operators, suppliers and affiliates receive recognition across dozens of categories voted on by industry judges.

The night continues with Infinity Lisbon, the official closing celebration at the MEO Arena starting at 20:00, headlined by Tiësto. According to SBC Events, the closing party caps a week that began with The Script at the opening celebration, keeping the summit's tradition of pairing business with stadium scale entertainment.

Miela is on the ground in Lisbon

Miela's CMO Nicolás Sánchez Negrete and Business Development Manager Pedro Landa are in Lisbon for the full event and remain available for meetings today, the final day. If you want to talk creator-led acquisition for gaming and iGaming in LATAM or Europe, this is the last window to catch the team on site before they head back.

FAQ

When does SBC Summit 2026 end? Today, October 1, 2026, closing with the SBC Awards at the Salón Tejo and the Infinity Lisbon party with Tiësto at the MEO Arena.

What is the Affiliate Leaders Summit? A standalone summit within SBC Summit dedicated to affiliation and performance marketing, which gathered 10,000 delegates and more than 150 exhibitors in its 2026 edition.

Is Miela attending SBC Summit 2026? Yes. Miela's CMO Nicolás Sánchez Negrete and Business Development Manager Pedro Landa are in Lisbon and open to business meetings during the event.

Miela Insight

Closing day at SBC Summit always reveals what the industry actually prioritizes once the keynote spectacle fades, and this year the answer is clear: affiliation and LATAM. The fact that a dedicated affiliate summit filled 10,000 seats while regulators debated Chilean advertising reform in the same venue tells you where acquisition budgets and compliance attention are converging.

For brands planning 2027, the lesson from Lisbon is that creator and affiliate channels are no longer experimental line items but core acquisition infrastructure, especially in Latin America. Our team leaves Lisbon with new meetings booked and a confirmed view: the brands that win regulated LATAM markets will be the ones that pair local compliance with measurable, creator-led growth.