Conferences in Europe
The inaugural Prague Gaming Summit surpasses all expectations and becomes a huge success for EEGEvents
The inaugural Prague Gaming Summit became a huge success and has managed to surpass a competitive event which was held 2 weeks prior to 8th of June! We have to add, that the mentioned event has a long tradition in Prague and focuses on an Eastern European Briefing.
The feedback during the event was music to the organizers ears, especially given the fact that the attendees have expressed gratitude for the initiative of having such a well-organized program during the 2 days of the conference.
The organizers would like to thank the sponsors for once again helping conferences in the region grow. Special thank you goes to NetEnt(Main Stage Sponsor), Betting Gods(Gold Sponsor), SBTech(Silver Sponsor), Nsoft(Silver Sponsor) and BetConstruct(Lanyards and Badge Sponsor).
With +80 delegates attending the event, the attendees had to chance to take advantage of some very informative content and of course had the chance to network in specially scheduled breaks and side-events.
Jan Urbanec(VP of Sales at Endorphina) has stated that, “The quality of the event and attendees exceeded my expectations. The information from the panels was relevant and well presented. I enjoyed the informal networking atmosphere, that helped create good connection between delegates.”
As you may already know, the event took place at Andel’s by Vienna House Prague and the venue provided the ideal location to spending some pre-event time for the delegates because of its location.
From the beginning till the end….
After a smooth registration process and a refreshing morning coffee, the delegates took their seats in the conference room and the first panel commenced.
The first panel (Focus on the Czech Republic) was specially designed to point out the flaws and the negative points of the new regulatory framework which came into force starting with the 1st of January 2017 in the Czech Republic and had a seasoned speaker lineup which was applauded by the attending delegates.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Joerg Hofmann (Melchers Law Firm in Germany) who has introduced the 4 Czech speakers, DR. Robert Skalina (WH Partners), Jan Rehola (PS Legal), Vojtěch Chloupek (Bird & Bird) and Jan Urbanec (Endorphina). The panel was very informational and very interactive, given the expertize of Dr. Joerg Hofmann, who has been moderating and speaking at gambling events for well over 20 years.
Jan Rehola(PS Legal) has shared his views about the newly enforced legislation and has stated that there is still a long way to have a good regulation in place, but he trusts the Czech Republic Gambling Department and he is positive about the outcome.
The experts of the panel have highlighted the main concerns which are in their perspective a hazard to the operators, but are looking towards the new amendments that were announced in rumors prior to the event.
The biggest concerns were expressed about the many pending license applications and of course about some of the local operators who have already received a license to operate.
The first panel has been well received by the audience, especially since the Q&A session has managed to shed light upon some of the less transparent inside news about the Czech Republic’s online gambling market.
The event continued with a 30 minute Networking Break during which the delegates got the first chance to network with attending peers, enjoy coffee or tea and of course some delicious cookies.
The panels continued after the Networking Break and the second panel commenced at 11:30. The second panel focused on The Benefits of the European Gambling Laws, where the speakers have expressed their positive overlook on the online gambling market in the European Union.
The panel was moderate by Yancy Cottrill (Nsoft) and the main stress points of the discussions focused around regulations and amendments which shape the future of global operators. Businesses that set a transparent course of doing business and apply for local licenses are benefiting of exposure and safety of the market regulations.
The panel was missing two speakers, however the experts on the podium have managed to point out each benefit of countries that have regulated their markets and enable remote operators to apply for a license.
The discussion was presented by high level experts of the industry such as DR. JOERG HOFMANN (Melchers Law Firm in Germany), DR. SIMON PLANZER (Planzer Law) and JAKA REPANSEK (Republis d.o.o.).
The Benefits of the European Gambling Laws panel was followed shortly by a 30 minute presentation, part of the Innovation Talks series(launched by EEGEvents) and focused on a preview of Snapscreen, presented by Thomas Willomitzer.
“Snapscreen joining the Prague Gaming Summit 2017 was a huge success for us. The organizers were extremely helpful in connecting us to the right people and also provided Snapscreen and the other participants with a very professional platform to engage in meaningful and fruitful conversation. A special thanks for giving Snapscreen the occasion to present its solutions in front of the all the participants – including a live demo that was well received.” – Thomas Willomitzer, CEO Snapscreen
The second Networking Break included a complimentary lunch during which the delegates have had a new round a talks and exchanged cards while enjoying a specially sorted meal.
The second part of the day and the third panel has started at 2 PM(Prague Local Time) and had the focus of bringing some inside information about the correctness of the market directly from the two regulators which were present at the event. The panel was moderated by Zoltan Tundik(EEGMedia/EEGEvents) and had guest speakers from the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Finance, Czech Chamber of Lottery Industries and local gaming provider Endorphina.
The regulators have addressed a warm welcome for all the delegates and had also informed the attending audience about an amendment which is going to be introduced in a couple of days for the voting session. The amendment contains a correcting of the challenges that the Supervision of Gambling Department has noticed during the first 6 month after the law has been passed and were signaled by the operators.
Ms. Tereza Cejpová and Ms. Jiřina Jůzlová have asked the audience to sign up for the round table talks which was scheduled for the late afternoon or to send their queries via e-mail to avoid the delays with the technical replies for the questions that could have been addressed during the panel.
The panel was also joined by JAKUB KOLOMICENKO (Endorphina), STANISLAV BRUNCLIK (Czech Chamber of Lottery Industries (ČKLP)), who both have pointed out that even if the current standing regulatory law isn’t perfect, it is still a good start and exciting times are awaited in the Czech Republic’s online gambling market.
The panel was followed shortly by an affiliate industry aimed panel which was titled as Affiliates in regulated markets.
The panel was moderated by TAL ITZHAK RON (Tal Ron, Drihem & Co., Law Firm) and had also been attended by the whole audience with seasoned keynote speakers on the podium.
The speakers of the panel have stressed on the new emerging markets which regulate the status of the affiliates. The positive and negative aspects of such regulations which move towards a safe affiliate eco-system were discussed by EMAN PULIS (SIGMA & AGS), ASSAF STIEGLITZ (Odds1x2.com) and KLAS WINBERG (Catena Media).
“I found the panel discussion about regulatory issues facing affiliates to be very pertinent given the central role affiliates play these days in the overall business model of many operators. We touched upon a number of state regulations, such as the one in Romania, where affiliates have to pay a yearly license. We also discussed law of the land, which often are quite clear, as well as laws of the likes of Google, social media giants like Facebook and others. The latter laws are at times more ambiguous, making it harder for the affiliate to adopt best affiliate practices.
Love these more intimate conferences because they allow delegates to nurture a working relationship. Love the guys behind this event! I’ll be back next year.” EMAN PULIS (Founder and CEO of SiGMA, the summit of igaming in Malta & AGS(Affiliate Grand Slam))
All the affiliate talks got everyone excited and the event continued with a 30 minutes Networking Break to prepare for the final presentation and the Exclusive Round Table discussion with the regulators.
The final presentation of the event was presented by Knut-Olaf Skarvang (Deloitte Legal) and focused on a Norwegian Market Update.
Knut has highlighted the main taxing brackets of the Norwegian market and shed light upon the current and expected situation about any licensing possibilities.
The panels have ended with a thank you speech held by organizer, Zoltan Tundik, who has thanked the attending delegates and speaker for their presence and has also mentioned that Prague Gaming Summit will be back next year as well.
The agenda of the day ended with the Exclusive Round Table discussion with the regulators, where 25 delegates have addressed their questions for the two government representatives and have also addressed their complaints.
“Prague Gaming Summit was a focused and well-organized event, that shed light to the local market specifics, bringing together all the main stakeholders. We look forward to the next edition, as well as the other upcoming events, for more market insights and networking opportunities.” – Anastasios (Tassos) Panagiotaros (Sales Director at Golden Race)
Even if the panels and discussing have ended at 17:30, the treatment of the delegates hasn’t ended there. All delegates have been invited for a Networking Party sponsored by the organizers at a nearby bar which has been recommended by the locals working at Endorphina.
The Networking party took place at Back Doors Prague and has been a great relaxing get together for all delegates who have enjoyed some of the finest beer Prague has to offer and of course some even danced.
The second day(9th of June) has been planned as a short sightseeing tour for the delegates that have remained in Prague and concluded with a river cruise networking lunch which has been enjoyed by +25 top delegates.
“The Prague Gaming Summit was a refreshing change to the usual gaming conferences. The first day of talks included a great line up of industry professionals covering both the Czech market and wider European regulation. The second day provided a relaxed networking session and a lovely tour of Prague! Thank you to Zoltan and all at EEG for organising such a fab event.” – Michele Spiteri, Business Manager, All-in Translations
The organizers would like to thank all delegates once again for attending and look forward to welcoming the guests at the next events!
The next event in the EEGEvents Calendar is CEEGC Budapest(Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference and Awards) and will be held between 19-20 September 2017. You can find more details about the event by visit the official website of the event: www.ceegc.eu
Baltics
HIPTHER Announces the BALTIC & Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2024 Shortlists
HIPTHER, the leading event organizer for Gaming and Technology industries in Europe, is excited to announce the Shortlists for the Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards (BSG Awards), that will honour iGaming industry excellence in the Baltics and Nordics regions for 2024.
Hosted under HIPTHER’s Pioneering GameTech Event in the Baltics, the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit, the BSG Awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of the very best of the iGaming industry, as voted by their peers.
The Final Vote will be cast at the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit by the participants of the conference, and the Winners will be crowned at the BSG Awards 2024 Ceremony that will take place during the event on 4 June 2024.
HIPTHER is thankful to all the esteemed industry professionals who voted online and decided the Shortlists across a series of streamlined Categories covering iGaming Operators, B2B Providers, and Connected Services such us Testing Laboratories and Payment Service Providers.
View the Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards Shortlists
Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards – BSG Awards 2024 Categories
Baltics: Operators Categories:
- Best Online Casino in the Baltics
- Best Sports Betting Operator in the Baltics
Baltics: B2B Categories:
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best eSports Service Provider in the Baltics
- Best Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports Provider in the Baltics
- Rising Star in Baltic Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports
- Rising Star in Baltic Sports Betting Technology
- Best Sports Betting Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Online Casino Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Slots Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Live Casino Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Rising Star in Baltic Online Casino Technology
- Connected Services – Best Payment Service Provider in the Baltics
- Connected Services – Best Testing Laboratory Provider in the Baltics
Nordics: Operators Categories:
- Nordics: Best Online Casino in the Nordics
- Nordics: Best Sports Betting Operator in the Nordics
Nordics: B2B Categories:
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best eSports Service Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Sports): Rising Star in Nordic Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports
- B2B Providers (Sports): Rising Star in Nordic Sports Betting Technology
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best Sports Betting Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Online Casino Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Slots Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Live Casino Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Rising Star in Nordic Online Casino Technology
- Connected Services – Best Payment Service Provider in the Baltics
- Connected Services – Best Testing Laboratory Provider in the Baltics
- Connected Services – Best Hosting Provider in the Baltics
Congratulations and best of luck to all the Shortlisted Companies!
See you in Tallinn & the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024 – Register Now
Compliance Updates
IAGR & IMGL Open Ticket Sales for 2024 Conference in Rome
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has opened registrations for its annual conference, taking place in Rome, Italy, from October 21 to 24.
With the theme Navigating the Future of Gaming Regulation in a Transforming World, this year’s event is a partnership with the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL).
“IAGR and IMGL’s Rome conference is a four-day event that brings together regulators, industry thought leaders and experts to share ideas and shape the future of gaming regulation across the world,” the President for the IAGR, Ben Haden, said.
The conference follows last year’s event in Gaborone, Botswana, which brought together the largest number of attendees in IAGR’s history.
“This year, participants can look forward to diving into themes that are at the forefront of the gaming regulation landscape including advancements in technology, the evolving regulatory challenges and strategies for future-proofing the global gaming industry,” Haden said. “In an era where technology is rewriting the rules of our industry, the question isn’t whether to adapt, but how swiftly we can. IAGR 2024 is about coming together as a global community to not only keep pace with change but to drive it.”
Confirmed speakers will be announced from May.
Conference highlights:
- Expert-led sessions and panel discussions on the latest in gaming regulation
- Joint conference sessions and events with IMGL, providing further networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities
- Networking events set in the heart of Rome including an opening reception and gala dinner featuring the International Regulatory Awards ceremony
Early-bird pricing is available until July 31 with super-early bird prices available until May 31. Head to the IAGR website for more details and ticket sales.
Conferences in Europe
CasinoBeats Summit 2024: Providing the Tools to Balance Innovation and Regulation in the Digital Age
As the industry seeks optimal methods to responsibly integrate innovative technology, the upcoming CasinoBeats Summit will provide delegates with an exploration of the latest emerging technologies, regulatory frameworks and future trends to ensure a safe yet immersive gaming experience for players.
The Industry and Leadership track will take place across both core days of the CasinoBeats Summit, May 22 to 23 at the InterContinental Malta. Panel sessions will delve into key topics such as global gaming regulations, the evolving digital payment landscape and an in-depth exploration of the world of M&A.
The panel entitled Responsible Gambling in the Digital Age will delve into the latest responsible gambling initiatives influencing the digital landscape. Expert speakers Pedro Romero (RG Consultant and psychologist, University of Gibraltar), Matthew Curtis (Head of Responsible Gaming, L&L), Georgia Wise (Head of Responsible Gaming, PlayNorth), Eduards Jakubovs (Head of Responsible Gaming, Betsson) and panel moderator Maris Catania (Senior SG Consultant, SG: Certified) will analyse the impact of landmark regulatory guidelines such as the 3.4.3 regulation on remote customer interaction and the United Kingdom’s ‘white paper’ as well as discuss the latest distinctions between regulated, grey and black markets.
The Industry Trends and Future Predictions panel will look at the future of the casino sector, examining upcoming industry trends and their potential impact. Industry leaders Itai Zak (Executive Director, Digicode, and former/ex-Chief Executive Officer, SBTech), Matthew D’Emanuele (Chief Executive Officer, Yolo Entertainment), Alexander Martin (Chief Executive Officer, SKS365), Inesa Glazaite (Chief Commercial Officer, iGaming Platform), Dmitry Starostenkov (Chief Executive Officer, EvenBet) alongside panel moderator Martyn Elliott (Project Director, SBC Media) will offer insights into key emerging markets, innovative game formats and strategies to effectively cater to evolving player needs.
Commencing the second day is the panel entitled The Evolving Landscape of Gaming Sector Payments, which will explore the current state of the industry’s payment sector. Expert speakers Sean Spiteri (Head of Payment Solutions, PressEnter), Enrico Giancaterina (Managing Director, Funtech) and Ian Perrygrove (Chief Risk Officer, Kwiff) will discuss the current payment innovations driven by the casino sector, analyse the future of digital payment methods and the potential risks of such rapid innovations.
The Navigating the Future: Global Gaming Regulations panel will explore strategies to effectively address the challenges posed by current and future global regulations. Regulator representatives Aideen Shortt, (Advisor to the Minister, Curacao), Andrew Lyman (Gambling Commissioner and Executive Director, Gibraltar), Andrew Rhodes (Chief Executive, Gambling Commission) and Brandon Debattista (Deputy Chief Regulatory Officer, Malta Gaming Authority) will provide insights into their respective markets whilst assessing the possibility of a unified global regulatory standard and the importance of cross-market collaboration.
Additionally, track attendees will have the opportunity to garner insights into the world of acquisition and investment during an exclusive IMGL-led masterclass, Acquisition Strategy: Gearing up for Investment, which is set to take place on Thursday, May 23, the second core day of the event.
For groups of three or more, you can purchase the Group Pass Ticket and gain access to all three days of the CasinoBeats Summit for the discounted price of €400 per person (a saving of €200 per ticket). Additionally, operators and affiliates can apply for a free pass to the event.
You can keep up-to-date with the latest news, speakers and exhibitor additions and conference content by subscribing to the bi-weekly CasinoBeats Summit LinkedIn newsletter.
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