The key questions about the industry’s future, answered at Betting on Sports Europe - Digital

Next week’s Betting on Sports Europe - Digital is set to provide invaluable insights on the industry’s hottest topics, as 120 expert speakers share their ideas for the future of the sector.

Delegates at the virtual conference and exhibition on 21 - 22 October can expect to learn the answers to key questions, including:

How to approach the industry’s biggest challenges

The opening day’s Leadership track will examine how operators and suppliers can respond to the perfect storm of regulatory, reputational and pandemic-induced economic pressures they face in many European markets in 2021. It will address questions such as: How can operators improve governance? Can the industry realistically repair relationships with governments trying to cope with myriad economic problems? Could the imposition of stricter regulatory regimes be avoided by operators working together to drive up standards?

Kicking off the track is SNAITECH CEO Fabio Schiavolin, with a keynote outlining his vision for the future of the industry in Europe. The SBC Leaders: Operator CEO Panel (sponsored by Sporting Solutions) will then see Betsson’s Jesper Svensson, Danske Spil’s Niels Erik Folmann and BetFirst Group’s Alexis Murphy engage in a detailed discussion about how to tackle the biggest threats to the industry’s long-term growth. 

What do new marketing restrictions really mean for operators?

With markets such as Italy and Spain having introduced new restrictions on advertising and regulators in other countries considering following suit, operators across Europe are having to re-evaluate how they reach and engage with players. Day one’s Marketing & Affiliation track will examine what that means in practical terms.

The track’s Thin Line Between Marketing and Enticement session will shine a spotlight on the techniques used to reach players and examine whether it is time for the industry to focus more on social responsibility when developing its messaging. The expert panel includes Petros Troullinos (Head of Marketing Operations, Kaizen Gaming), Vedran Karaman (Global Director of Performance Marketing, Superbet), Neil Banbury (General Manager - UK, Kindred Group) and Vasiliki Panousi (Manager - EU Affairs, EGBA).

What can the industry do to help in the drive against match-fixing?

The battle against match manipulation and the role operators and data suppliers have to play in it is the central theme of the Sports Integrity track on day two of the event. It opens with Protecting the Beautiful Game - FIFA, a keynote by Ennio Bovolenta (Head of Integrity, FIFA), which will see him detail the work of world football’s governing body to promote integrity and educate players about ethical behaviour.

Further content on the track will see experts from throughout the betting industry supply chain sharing best practice on integrity. A key session will be Market Forces - When Are Bets Too Risky to Take? (sponsored by Kambi). Gilles Maillet (Director of Sports Integrity, FDJ), Gustaf Hoffstedt (Secretary General, BOS) and Oliver Lamb (Head Sportsbook Controller, Kambi) will evaluate if there is a correlation between identified match fixing and particular betting offers, and whether sportsbooks should limit markets or even stop taking bets on low level sports that appear vulnerable to spot fixing.

Does mass market maths still work?

A number of bookmakers pulled out of the UK in 2019, as intense competition and increased compliance demands made it ever more difficult to succeed using standard mass market trading strategies.

During day two’s Trading track, a panel featuring Matt Scarrott (Director of Sportsbook, BetVictor), Marco Blume (Trading Director, Pinnacle), and Philippe Joos (Head of Product & Innovation, Napoleon Sports & Casino) will assess whether bookies need to rethink their mass market trading strategies, in light of tighter restrictions on advertising and enhanced compliance checks.

Is esports the right sponsorship option for sportsbooks?

As the relationship between football and the gambling industry comes under ever more scrutiny, some operators are looking for alternative sponsorship opportunities. Among the options is the rapidly-growing esports sector, but does it offer good value?

The Perfect Partners session (sponsored by Neosurf) will assess how sponsorships of esports leagues and teams have evolved as the industry has surged in popularity around the world. Part of the second day’s Betting on Esports track, the panel includes Julian Tan (Head of Digital Business Initiatives & Esports, Formula 1), Serge Vardanyan (CEO & Founder, WIN.GG), Steven Salz (CEO & Co-Founder, Rivalry), Adrian Figallo (Co-Founder, World Pro Racing) and Eirik Kristiansen (CEO, PixelBet).

In addition to the eight-track conference, the event will feature an interactive product display area with leading suppliers showcasing the latest sportsbook, payments, and marketing innovations. There will also be a programme of networking roundtables to enable further exploration of the most thought-provoking topics, as well as make it easy for delegates to connect and talk business with other decision makers.

Click here to register for your free pass for Betting on Sports Europe - Digital.