Online casino and safer gambling under the spotlight on SBC Summit Barcelona - Digital’s final day

SBC Summit Barcelona - Digital will draw to a close on Friday 11 September with a roster of senior executive speakers sharing their vision for the future of the online casino sector and on working together to develop ideas to improve player protection.

Delegates attending the final day of the betting & gaming industry’s largest ever virtual conference and exhibition can look forward to two full live content tracks, while also having on-demand access to all the sessions from the first three days.

The Future of Gaming Track, sponsored by Pragmatic Play, includes the Global Outlook Panel, which will see some of the industry’s highest-profile leaders share ideas about how the sector can cope with the expected recession in 2021. The panelists are Pontus Lindwall (CEO, Betsson), Tim de Borle (CEO, Napoleon Sports & Casino), Eric Olders (CEO, JVH Gaming) and Avigail Nir (COO, Mansion Casino), with William Scott (Executive Director, Warrenside Limited) in the moderator’s chair.

There are also sessions examining the latest developments in slots management, the future of live casino, the reinvention of VIP schemes, and the fallout from Sweden’s move to introduce a regulated market. Those offering their expertise include Marco Castaldo (CEO, Microgame), Christopher Dalli (CEO, L&L Europe), Ciara Nic Liam (Product Director - Games of Chance, Betsson Group), Richard Walker (Head of Digital Table Games, Rank Interactive), Rokas Benetis (Head of Live Casino, LeoVegas) and Stefania Mincu (Head Of Casino, Ellmount Interactive).

The Safer Gambling Track, sponsored by EPIC Risk Management, will bring together specialists from major operators and organisations involved in combating problem gambling, to discuss solutions to the industry’s toughest challenge. The topics being examined include developing the right KPIs for monitoring problem gambling, the most effective way to spend operators’ RET contributions, customer advocacy, and safer gambling training programmes.

Ben Wright (Head of Safer Gambling, Sky Betting & Gaming), Martin Lycka (Director of Regulatory Affairs, GVC), Jon Duffy (SVP, Corporate Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, Genting UK), and Maris Catania (Head of RG & Research, Kindred Group) are among the operator representatives taking part. They will be joined by experts including Paul Buck (CEO, EPIC Risk Management), Lee Willows (CEO, YGAM), Yanica Sant (Head of EU Affairs & Policy, MGA), Matthew Hickey (CEO, Gordon Moody), and Minal Jain (Co-Founder, RecoverMe).

Another fascinating session on the agenda is an interview with Bill Mummery (Executive Director, Celton Manx / SBOTOP) to mark his induction to the Sports Betting Hall of Fame. Delegates can look forward to hearing about his groundbreaking career in the Asian igaming sector and the role he played in establishing the Isle of Man as one of the industry’s premier global jurisdictions.

Outside the virtual conference rooms, attendees can participate in a selection of workshops and networking activities, including a live edition of the Big Betting Balagan Podcast, complete with special guest interviews and an audience Q&A.

There’s also a masterclass on improving affiliate program performance by AffiliateINSIDER CEO Lee-Ann Johnstone, along with a networking roundtable dedicated to the African market, and the Trading Talk Q&A session with Andy Wright (Trading Director, Sky Betting & Gaming), Matt Scarrott (Director of Sportsbook, BetVictor), and Endre Nesset (Director of Sports, Coolbet).

In between attending live sessions, delegates can use the event platform’s on-demand feature to view any of the 40 earlier panels that they may have missed over the previous three days. Among the highlights of day three was a lively discussion about lotteries and responsible gambling, which addressed whether the existence of monopoly operators benefited customers.

Vincent Perrotin, Head of CSR at Française des Jeux, argued that monopoly lotteries best serve players when they broaden their product offer. He said: “What is important for a monopoly to do its job today is that it needs to prioritise customer experience. At the end of the day, if we do not do this, customers will begin to favour the illegal, unlicensed operators which subsequently endangers the monopoly. We don’t have a choice - we have to be very cautious and pay attention to what it is our customers are saying.”

Adrian Sladdin, Director of Seventh Wave Corporation, was unconvinced by that idea. He said: “I’m really not sure as to whether I buy into the notion that monopoly lotteries have a customer-first idea in the slightest. In terms of what I see here in the UK, the reality looks like people in the supermarket buying tickets in the hope that they may win. The chance of them winning is miniscule, and I’m not sure that the customer experience is really anything tangible other than people’s hopes.”

The whole session is now available for delegates to watch on catch-up

SBC Summit Barcelona - Digital takes place over four days this week (8 - 11 September) and features four main zones - Sports Betting, Casino & Gaming, Payments & Compliance, and Affiliate & Marketing - each of which have their own conference tracks, networking roundtables and interactive expo halls.

Click here to secure your free pass for the betting & gaming industry’s largest ever virtual event.

Sports Betting Zone - ZOOM

12:30-13:30 CEST

Networking Roundtable

African Market Networking Roundtable

Livescore

The African Market Networking Roundtable will bring together industry leaders from Africa and those companies developing their business here. We'll talk frankly about the issues affecting this market, where opportunities exist and how to overcome challenges. This is a chance to meet new colleagues, build your network and be at the forefront of this emerging market.

Mark Tipping, Betting Consultant

Cameron Green, Founder F9 Media

Amos Bamidele Togun, Managing Editor GBC.NG

Simon Burrell, LiveScore Africa

MA

SB - ZOOM

15:00 - 16:00 CEST

Networking Roundtable

Trading talk

"Trading directors from 3 of the biggest operators take part in a Q and A session on the challenges and opportunities facing sportsbooks today."

 

Stephen Baumohl, Director of Trading USA, Draft Kings

Andy Wright, Trading Director, Sky Betting and Gaming

Matt Scarrott, Director of Sportsbook, Bet Victor

Andrew McCarron, MD, SBC

16:00 -  16:30 - ZOOM

Networking

Sports Sponsorship Quiz

 

"Take part in a Gambling themed quiz hosted by the SBC Editorial team.

Join the SBC Summit Quizzes, where delegates battle it out to show who is the gaming industry’s quickest brain. Using the Kahoot.it app, players will compete with one another to answer as quickly as possible for the most points."

Tom Daniels, Journalist, Insider Sport