Portugal.- After much anticipation, the latest edition of the SBC Summit, which gathers key figures from the gaming industry, began today. For the first time, the event is being held in Lisbon, Portugal, until September 26, on an exhibition floor spanning 100,000m2.

Over three days, more than 450 speakers will be bringing their expertise in a variety of dynamic conference formats. Attendees will also be able to explore innovations from 600 exhibitors and connect with more than 25,000 industry professionals.

The venue is separated into themed areas like the Casino & iGaming Zone, Sports Betting Zone, Player Protection Zone, ESI Lisbon – Esports, Gaming & Creators Zone and two summits: Payment Expert Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit.

The main attraction this year is the ‘Super Stage’ at the MEO Arena, one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe. It will showcase a lineup of stars, such as skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, World Wide Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee, soccer greats Peter Schmeichel and Luís Figo, UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvilli, and renowned sports presenter Laura Woods, throughout the event’s three main days.

An all-star conference program

SBC Summit showcases an 8-stage conference program, including the Super Stage, with each focusing on different areas like sports betting, casino & igaming, payments & compliance, affiliation, player protection, and esports.

The SBC Summit’s conference line-up this year features top industry figures from various gaming sectors. The agenda kicks off today with a session titled “Sportsbook Masterclass: Introduction to Odds Compiling” by Jonathan Smith, founder of Sportsbook Training Services. It will continue with a panel, moderated by Ross Parkhill, CEO of Rhino Entertainment Group, discussing future trends and analysing the latest player data.

There will also be conferences on artificial intelligence, the future of the web, and the growing phenomenon of Bet Builders. Noteworthy is Martin Collins, chief business development officer at Soft2Bet, who will moderate a panel titled “The Leaders of Tomorrow: The Talent, the Tech, and the Trends of the Next Decade,” where key professionals will debate the future of gaming in an increasingly challenging landscape.

In the afternoon, a conference on the UK’s white paper will discuss its implications for players and operators, while another session will explore the future of grey and black-market casinos, featuring SOFTSWISS CCO Max Trafimovich. 

Narek Harutyunyan, CEO of FeedConstruct, will be part of a panel titled “Pricing Niche Sports: An Olympic-sized challenge?” which will examine how bookies can change the outlook on the Olympics and use it to drive betting activity on niche sports, while also leveraging the star power of the NBA players, tennis greats and high-profile football players that participated in Paris. 

David Yatom Hay, general counsel of Soft2Bet, will take part in a panel that will explore how operators can find the balance between having to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and driving commercial growth. 

Day two will focus on payment gateways, player retention and sports betting. there will also be a conference titled “Unleashing the Future: How AI and Immersive Tech are Revolutionising Sports” where Carsten Koerl, CEO and founder of Sportradar, together with sports host Laura Woods, will explore how AI and immersive technologies are not just buzzwords but game-changers in sports consumption and betting.

The event will conclude on September 26 with the launch of the Women Empowerment Initiative (WE). WE aims to connect, educate, and empower women, fostering a community of strong, inspired leaders ready to make an impact. The initiative is further strengthened by the support of several remarkable organisations, including AMIG, GGW, ASFEG, WIG Malta, United Women of Tribal Gaming, All in Diversity, SheEOs, and Women in Gaming, African Chapter. Together, these partnerships exemplify a unified commitment to advancing gender equality and creating meaningful opportunities for women across the industry.

The summit is also set to include 30 sessions specific to different regions in the Global Markets Lounge, as well as roundtable discussions and leaders’ panels. Participants will have the opportunity to delve into the complexities of important markets like the UK, Africa, USA, Latin America, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Eurasia, Brazil, India, UAE, and more.

The SBC Awards are also scheduled to occur at the MEO Arena during the last day of the SBC Summit. The SBC Awards recognise the achievements of operators, affiliates, as well as suppliers from across all the major disciplines including payments, marketing, platform providers and data.