Tag: Industry News

The 2024 edition of iGB L!VE, the last to be held in Amsterdam prior to its 2025 relocation to London, opened today (17 July) with attendees participating in the biggest edition of the show on record.

A sustained level of international interest has seen iGB L!VE registrations increase 40% year-on-year with industry professionals from 121 nations heading for Amsterdam.

Delegates will have access to 300+ exhibitors and sponsors occupying over 21,000 square metres of gross space, up 35% on the 2023 figure.

The iGB L!VE Conference Program features 50+ speakers across 21 sessions. Built around four core themes of: Markets and Convergence, Player Engagement, Building for the Future and Protecting Your Business – headline sessions include a live masterclass on ways to engage players in the world’s hottest online casino markets, innovation in slot game design, navigating cyber threats in the aftermath of an attack, the role of ESG in boosting M&A valuations, parasite SEO, surviving the search bar squeeze, link localisation in Spain and LatAm, and how affiliates should respond on player protection.

iGB L!VE got off to a dynamic start with Michel Groothuizen, the chair of the Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) making the opening address. The appearance was Michel Groothuizen’s first in front of an international igaming audience following his appointment as Chair of the KSA effective 1 July.

This was followed by a Keynote delivered by Sam Sadi, CEO of LiveScore Group. Sadi who has worked across the sports media and betting industries for more than 25-years presented how to drive growth through media partnerships and convergence.

In a number of ‘firsts’ iGB L!VE is hosting the ASCEND Women & Allyship Meet-Up, a new year-round mentoring and leadership initiative aimed at supporting women early in their gaming careers. The show will also witness the launch of the iGB LaunchPad which provides a platform for five trailblazing start-up businesses and the first Sustainable Gambling Zone showcasing the industry’s latest thinking and approach to safer gambling.

Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), a world-leading technology, content, and media company specialising in sports betting, has partnered with both William Hill and Betfred to deliver content hubs for Euro 2024.

The upcoming international tournament provides a prime opportunity for operators to generate revenue, and Spotlight Sports Group assists in that right through industry-leading content hubs. SSG Content Hubs allow sportsbooks in any territory the chance to offer a premium and rich content experience, without the technical burden.

The end-to-end product and content solution provided by SSG includes expert editorial, data and statistics that are delivered across multiple formats and customisable for individual bookmaker websites. Designed and created in-house, the specific event hubs allow customers to provide interactive betting experiences, compatible across all devices and include live odds and add-to-bet-slip functionality.

In addition, the content hub provides a Best Bet widget that features daily accumulators and Bet Builder picks, as well as the best daily offers and enhanced odds from the bookmaker partners. Video tipping content is also available for every match, as is a scouting report for every team and every fixture, highlighting the most popular players for Bet Builder selections.

Lee Phelps, William Hill Spokesperson said: “The Euros is one of the biggest tournaments around for bettors, and having Spotlight Sports Groups content hubs, means we can provide a real experience for our customers throughout the tournament with editorial, bet prompts and data”.

Mark Hartley, Head of Sports Product at Betfred, was similarly pleased with the deal: We’re delighted to partner with SSG ahead of Euro 2024. We’re excited by the opportunities it brings to us ahead of one of our busiest periods of the year as a bookmaker.”

Sam Houlding, Spotlight Sports Group’s Managing Director of B2B, has shared his excitement at partnering with two of the UK’s leading bookmakers: “It’s great to have two of our key partners taking our content hubs for the biggest tournament of the year. Our content has a proven record of driving revenue, and as it is available in any language globally it appeals to customers all around the world”.

Spotlight Sports Group’s Content Hubs are proven to drive revenues with a rich content experience for betting audiences.

Summing up the submission process for the Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards, it is the high time to buckle up and start the voting.

This year’s competition has seen record-breaking submissions, with over 100 games developed by more than 70 innovators who have joined the B.F.T.H. Arena Awards and Ortak initiative.

The participants are invited to cast their votes until June 10th across various categories:

• Best Online Casino Game,
• Best Game Design,
• Best FTN Casino Game,
• Best Game Storytelling,
• Best Bahamut Game,
• Best DECA Game,
• Best Arcade Game and
• Best Game Achievement.

Following this, an independent third-party auditor will confirm compliance with all regulations, after which the jury board will commence their deliberations.

The B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2024 also introduces public voting this year, aimed to reveal the winner in the new Players’ Game of Choice category. The public voting for this category will take place until June 16, allowing gaming enthusiasts to directly impact the awards by voting for their favourite games. The public is invited to engage in this vibrant celebration of gaming culture and innovation.

Clarion Gaming is advancing preparations for the migration of iGB L!VE to London in July 2025 establishing a roadmap of activities in partnership with the senior team at ExCeL London which will host the leading global event.

The latest meeting between the two organisations featured:

• iGB L!VE Portfolio Director Naomi Barton,
• Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter,
• Head of Operations Richard Logan and
• Head of Marketing Jody Frost with the senior team from ExCeL led by the venue’s
• Chief Commercial Officer Simon Mills.

Expanding on the meeting Naomi Barton said: “This was the second senior level planning meeting that we have held with our colleagues at ExCeL London in order to move the home of the igaming community to a city which is the heart of the igaming industry in a country which is igaming’s largest market.

“The roadmap is being created in order to anticipate industry needs, address pain points and to exceed the expectations of customers. The migration of what is already a top performing Tier One igaming event is set against the backdrop of iGB L!VE’s 5-year growth plan which is focused on delivering 35,000 visitors and over 550 exhibitors and sponsors by 2029.

“Our vision is to harness the tremendous momentum created by the iGB L!VE brand and to take the event to a whole new level in a new venue, and a new exceptionally well-connected global home in the city of London.

“ExCeL London has a fantastic track record of helping events to fulfil their potential, and all of the building blocks are in place for iGB L!VE and its customers to accelerate their businesses to new heights in London.

She added: “Placing our customers at the heart of everything that we do is central plank to the iGB L!VE growth strategy, and the roadmap for 2025 is underpinned by a clear customer-focused programme that will ensure maximum cost-effectiveness as well as global growth for all of our stakeholders.

“We will be using July’s edition of iGB L!VE not only to reflect and celebrate our time in Amsterdam and say thank you to our fantastic partners for many years RAI Amsterdam, but also enable our vendors and customers to secure their presence at ExCeL London in 2025.”

The European Casino Association (ECA) which represents the interests of 700 casinos with over 60,000 employees in 29 countries is preparing for what it anticipates will be a record attendance of casino industry professionals when ICE 2025 launches in Barcelona (20 – 22 January).

ECA Secretary General Hermann Pamminger, who has worked in the industry since joining Casinos Austria International in 1991 confirmed the growing sense of anticipation surrounding the relocation to Barcelona. He stated: “Whether it has been held at London Olympia, Earls Court London or most recently ExCeL London,  ICE has served the industry superbly well with ECA members contributing  to the show’s success story helping it to achieve its status as the world-leading business event for the global industry.

“2025 will be the first time that ICE and its predecessor ATE will have been staged outside the UK since launching nine decades ago and the momentous decision to relocate to a new and much bigger venue in an exciting vibrant city on mainland Europe has captured the imagination of the ECA and its members.

“The ECA’s elected Board of Directors which consists of senior and experienced representatives of the European licensed and land-based casino industry is planning the presence in Barcelona in line with our core aims to address and promote issues related to casino operations and increase awareness of the industry amongst EU policy makers and stakeholders.

“The feedback that we are receiving from ECA members who are based in 29 countries suggest that more casino industry executives than ever before will be at ICE meeting with colleagues, participating in the world-leading content programme and being inspired by the innovations presented by the largest collection of exhibitors, curated for all sectors and verticals of the industry. This includes our UK members who are excited to explore this new location to engage with the wider European industry.

“I believe that the move to Barcelona will accelerate the number of casino executives and buyers from across Europe attending. Every successful brand needs to evolve and  the relocation will dawn a new era of opportunity for Europe’s land-based casino industry. ICE 2025 promises to be a landmark celebration and the excitement amongst our members is palpable. We are also looking to maintain and possibly increase the number of our formal meetings and events that take place during ‘ICE’ week such as our Board Meeting and General Assembly as well as the traditional CEO dinner – to cater to this increased need”

The first edition of ICE to be held outside the UK will feature a record 1,000 exhibitors comprising world leading innovators representing every sector and from every jurisdiction. ICE and the co-located iGB Affiliate – which will occupy 120,000 square metres of The Gran Via, Barcelona compared to the 100,000 sqm used in London – connect the entire global industry and provide access to the very latest cutting-edge innovations, technological solutions, regulatory updates, and insights which assist entrepreneurial businesses to enter new jurisdictions and build market share. The Convention Centre which is located in Hall 8 comprises a modular and versatile space with seating for between 3,000 and 12,000 people.