CEEGC 2019
Bulgarian gambling industry becoming more and more interesting for international companies
EGT Interactive Legal Counsel / Compliance Manager to share industry insight about the Bulgarian market at CEEGC 2019 Budapest.
Recent headlines in the gambling industry media outlets have reported that the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance has appointed Alexander Georgiev as the new Head of Bulgaria’s State Gambling Commission, however, there has been quite a few movements in the region that need mentioning.
The former head, Maria Filipova, is appointed as the deputy chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) and is now in charge of the Investment Activity Supervision Division.
The naming of the new and now former Head of Bulgaria’s State Gambling Commission comes after the dismissal of Ohnemir Mitev, who was accused by media publications in regards to the commissions’ inaction against the aggressive advertising of gambling on national televisions.
Besides the shifts in the state-wide industry management, there have been quite a few large names mentioned that have entered the market or established strategic offices.
Kambi Group plc is now powering the international sports betting expansion of Bulgaria’s National Lottery JSC after the two companies strengthened their partnership by signing an extended sportsbook agreement.
The new deal which is already in effect enables Kambi to continue to provide its Sportsbook and managed services to the National Lottery JSC’s 7777.bg brand in Bulgaria and in addition, support the operator’s planned entry into Moldova this summer.
Scientific Games has also successfully launched the first in a series of online slot games with National Lottery Bulgaria and within 24 hours following the initial launch of nine player-favorite digital games, the games generated over a half million Euros in sales.
Scientific Games’ partnership with National Lottery Bulgaria builds on the Company’s presence in regulated European gaming markets, where it is reaching new players with a portfolio of immersive online games. The launch in Bulgaria included globally renowned favorites like 88 Fortunes®, Giant’s Gold®, and Rainbow Riches™. Scientific Games plans to launch more titles with National Lottery Bulgaria in 2019 to entertain a broader audience and drive player engagement.
Microgaming, one of the industry’s leading software providers, is also now live with National Lottery AD to provide its award-winning poker platform in Bulgaria.
The major poker deal, signed through Prima Networks Limited, marks the first time that Microgaming’s poker network has been made available in the Bulgarian market. The move is in line with Microgaming’s strategic goal of continuing to expand its presence in key regulated markets.
All these movements are recorded on the supplier side, however, when we examine the operators’ side, it is a totally different story. However, this doesn’t mean that the industry isn’t booming at the moment in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry’s (BTAMOI) has reported in at the end of 2018 that the country’s online gaming revenues showed a growth in the last financial year. The industry paid €57 million in taxes to the government, which corresponds to a 17 percent rise year on year. BTAMOI said in a press release: “For the period 2017/2018 the gaming industry in Bulgaria has shown very good results at a national level, based on the country’s upward economic performance.”
The online gambling segment in Bulgaria represents about 10 percent of the country’s total gambling market. The segment posted revenue of €89 million in the nine months to September 30, a spike of 30 percent compared to the figure same time last year.
At the 4th edition of the yearly Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference, which takes place on the 24th of September at the Ritz-Carlton Budapest, Georgi Dimitrov, Legal Counsel / Compliance Manager at EGT Interactive will join the “Regulated Central and Eastern European jurisdictions” compliance panel discussion and share the latest insights on the subject and how Bulgaria can be a good opportunity for operators to expand in regulated markets.
About Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov is a legal counsel at EGT Interactive Ltd., with a focus on legal, regulatory and technical compliance matters related to the iGaming industry. He specializes in international gambling regulation and provides guidance on licensing and certification frameworks, policy drafting, and compliance processes. His line of work involves communication with local stakeholders in the business such as testing labs, regulators and operators. He has background in company structuring, M&A, business and corporate development and extensive expertise in competition law. As a lawyer, he has advised the Bulgarian operations of large-scale corporate clients and public authorities.
Make sure you take advantage of this unique opportunity of learning and networking with the gambling industry in the CEE and Balkans region via the CEEGC platform which is committed to bringing together industry shareholders and government officials from the region on a yearly base.
Register here or View the Agenda!
Browse the official event website here: www.ceegc.eu
Baltics
European Gaming Events in 2020, Sustainability, Gender Diversity and Goals for 2025
We are announcing major developments and implementations for the upcoming years.
We are ready to reveal the calendar of events for 2020 and also some of the major developments we will be implementing in the upcoming years.
The 2020 Calendar
First off, in 2020, we are once again organizing 4 conferences in different regions, each one targeting a different audience and topics.
The already confirmed dates and conferences for which you can already register are:
- Prague Gaming Summit – 6 March 2020 – Register here
- MARE BALTICUM Gaming Summit and the Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming Awards – 7 May 2020 – Register here
The confirmed conferences and proposed dates for the second semester are:
- CEEGC and CEEG Awards Budapest – Proposed date: 29 September 2020 – Pre-Register here
- European Gaming Congress and the Southern European Gaming Awards – Proposed date: 5 November 2020 – Athens, Greece – Pre-Register here
We are also happy to reveal the plans which include the implementation of measures that will make us further stand out from all gambling industry and non-gambling industry conferences in Europe.
Sustainability
The first measures have been added to have a positive impact on the environment and respect the principles of sustainable development. The action taking is the direct result of a two-year experiment which was observed by our team at European Gaming Media and Events.
“Starting with 2019, we have experimented with recycling the badges, lanyards, flyers, magazines and have seen that it was well taken by our delegates. While our conferences are boutique style and are capped at 125-150 delegates, we have managed to save up to 45% from the lanyards which were later washed and cleaned by eco-friendly washing services, then reused at later conferences. We encourage large event organizers to also try and take action as it is certainly a good way of preserving our ecosystem. We are also encouraging sponsors to opt for earth-friendly when it comes to promotional materials.” commented Zoltán Tűndik, Head of Business at European Gaming Media and Events.
While recycling and reusing certain materials at the conferences are important steps towards achieving sustainability, the team is also sending a clear message about how conference organizers can directly impact the conservation of the planet’s ecosystem and biodiversity.
“Starting 2018, we have asked the delegates to fill out a field when registering in which they would state their dietary need and we are amazed to see that the choice of plant-based foods has risen with 30% in 2019. While some might argue at this point, but meat-eating is one of the biggest environmental hazards facing our planet. So, for 2020 we decided to go for a fully plant-based menu at all our conferences and we are happy to say that we have the full support of the venues which think that is a great idea and already working on delicious plant-based meals for our delegates to enjoy in Prague, Tallinn, Budapest, and Athens” added Zoltán.
Gender Diversity
In 2020, the programs of the conferences will also embrace the subject of Gender Diversity in the gambling industry and will have special panel discussions in which female leaders and role models are invited to join the evolving conversation of achieving true equality within the sector.
Those interested to join the Gender Diversity panel discussions are invited to send an email to [email protected] in order to be included.
Goals for 2025 are HIPTHER
European Gaming Media and Events will join sister brand PICANTE Media and Events under a parent brand which further expands the exposure palette of services the company offers.
The parent brand is titled HIPTHER Agency and starting from November 2019 the platform serves as a gateway for ticket/delegate pass purchasing for events organized under both brands, press release service contracting, outsourcing and more. For more details, visit hipther.agency
Under HIPTHER Agency, we will organize 6 conferences (4 gambling + 2 in tech) in 2020 and the future plans include launching several more in order to reach a minimum of 12 conferences yearly by 2025. Among the future plans, we are also planning expansion into North America and Asia.
With this occasion, we are now offering investment opportunities to those interested in helping us implement further projects that are in the pipeline. For more details contact [email protected]
CEEGC 2019
Post-Event CEEGC2019 Budapest: Another one for the history books
CEEGC gets better every year and possibilities for learning and networking are endless!
The 4th edition of CEEGC Budapest took place over two weeks ago at luxurious Ritz-Carlton Budapest and we would like to thank all speakers, delegates, guests and last but not least the supporters of the event!
The 2019 edition of the conference recorded 14 sponsors and most of them have already shown interest in the 2020 edition. The big thank you goes to the following supporters of CEEGC Budapest:
- Iforium – MAIN STAGE SPONSOR
- SBTech – LANYARDS SPONSOR
- UltraPlay – REGISTRATION SPONSOR
- BDK Advokati – BALKAN REGULATORY SPONSOR
- PLANZER LAW – EUROPEAN REGULATORY SPONSOR
- TAL RON, DRIHEM & CO LAW FIRM – LEGAL AND BANKING SPONSOR
- Digital Choo (DC) – DELEGATES BAG SPONSOR
- BETEGY – TECHNOLOGICAL SPONSOR
- BtoBet – DIGITAL SPONSOR
- Altenar – PEN, PAPER AND PAMPER SPONSOR
- NSoft – GENERAL SPONSOR
- Digitain – GENERAL SPONSOR
- Netshop ISP – GENERAL SPONSOR
- Magellan Robotech (Stanleybet Group) – GENERAL SPONSOR
“We are happy to say that CEEGC Budapest has now truly become the traditional yearly autumn conference and we love seeing the happy faces at the conference. We are also happy about the support we received by the sponsors and I have to tell you that 14 is a pretty high number for a boutique-style conference. This support enables us to further increase the quality of the conference and we will continue to bring this opportunity year by year in Budapest” stated Zoltán Tűndik, Head of Business at European Gaming Media and Events.
You can view the full official image gallery on the following link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/165468093@N04/albums/72157711142443497
The conference brought together compliance experts, leading gambling industry operators, marketing experts and several service providers from the Central and Eastern European region, the Baltics, the D-A-CH region, but also from several other European regions.
The agenda of the conference included several panel discussions, an exclusive IMGL MasterClass about North America, a unique and informative keynote presentation, a fireside chat and several networking opportunities.
The attending delegates had the unique opportunity to hear the recent updates and enjoy networking sessions with some of the leading names of the industry. You can find the full list of speakers below at the end of this press release!
The audio recordings of the panel discussions are available for European Gaming PREMIUM Members.
During the 4th edition of CEEGC Budapest, attending delegates also had the opportunity to decide the winners in the 20 categories of CEEG Awards 2019 (Central and Eastern European Gaming Awards).
As in earlier years, the winners were announced in the final session of the conference, after the secret vote casted by the attending delegates. You can view the full list of the winners per each category on the following link.
Special thank you goes to the presenters of the awards for their professionalism, Kamila Spalińska (WH Partners – Polish Desk) and Dan Iliovici (ROMBET)
Congratulations to all the winners and the organizers look forward to welcoming you back in 2020!
Make sure to also subscribe to the social media channels of the conference for continuous updates regarding the 2020 event: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram
The next edition of CEEGC Budapest will be held in September 2020, you can Pre-Register here to get the latest notification about the official date, location, and speaking possibilities.
The team is already working hard on the next events and the look forward to seeing you soon in Milan for the second edition European Gaming Congress!
Here are a few of the testimonials that have left by the attending delegates of the 2019 edition of CEEGC Budapest:
“We had an excellent time at the CEEGC networking and participating in the payment discussion panel. Not only was it a great chance to catch up with some of the CEE region’s major players, but also to stay on top of such a dynamic region’s evolving trends and developments.” – Simon Dorsen, Director of Gaming, OKTO
“CEEGC in Budapest 2019 was my first of hopefully many European Gaming Media events. Combining a balanced and interesting range of topics presented by quality speakers and an excellent networking environment, the organizers did a great job of demonstrating that they know what they are doing to make a great conference.” – Jessica Maier, LLM, Partner at MELCHERS law firm
“CEEGC 2019 was a very well organized event that included multiple great panels with some of the industry experts discussing the trends across different markets and gaming verticals. Moreover, this event offered excellent networking opportunities with a wide range of representatives from the industry, including operators, providers, suppliers, and regulatory experts. I will definitely attend next year because events like this one add a lot of value to the work I do at Trustly and allow me to stay up to date with the industry changes but also create new collaborations and partnerships.” – Vasilije Lekovic, Director of Gaming Accounts at Trustly
“Thank you very much for inviting me to speak at CEEGC 2019 in Budapest. I speak at a lot of conferences over the years and this was very well done and one of the best. It was well organized, substantive, great venue and excellent networking.” – Bill Pascrell, III, Partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc.
“CEEGC is an event every serious gaming and betting industry expert from the region has to add to her/his calendar. With an agenda full of valuable content and many key professionals from the market gathered in one place, it is a conference you cannot miss.” – Jakub Myszkorowski (Chief Commercial Officer at STATSCORE)
“For us at Inplaynet, it is important to get the latest information and take the pulse of the whole betting market from other companies. At the conference which European Gaming organizes, we always have the possibility to get a meeting at the meeting. The family atmosphere you create give us the possibility to find and create relationships, while also having the opportunity directly contact, give information and get information for and from the whole market.” – Deniz Yildirim, Co-Founder, and Shareholder at Inplaynet
“The event is a great opportunity to get deep insights about the regulations and the markets in the area.” – Domenico Mazzola, Commercial Director at Altenar
“I am very glad that I had the opportunity to be a delegate at CEEGC 2019, already looking forward to 2020 :)” – Natalia Černáková, Compliance Officer at SYNOT Games
The lectures and industry insight during the conference were given by:
Dan Iliovici (Vice President at Rombet), Georgi Dimitrov (Legal Counsel / Compliance at EGT Interactive), Jan Řehola (Director at IFGR and Partner at PS Legal), Jaka Repanšek (Media and Gaming Expert), Petrica Soptelea (EEME Senior Sales & Account Manager at Magellan Robotech), Zlatan Omerspahić (Data Protection Officer at NSoft), Luka Popović (Partner at BDK Advokati), Alex Kornilov (CEO at BETEGY), Gábor Helembai (Senior Associate at Bird & Bird Budapest), Ewa Lejman (Head of Polish Desk at WH Partners), Andrei Andronic (General Counsel at Playson), Domenico Mazzola (Commercial Director at Altenar), Dr. Alan Littler (Gaming Lawyer at Kalff Katz & Franssen), Robert Dowling (Chief Commercial Officer at Singular), Michele Magro (Chief Counsel – Policy & International Affairs for the Malta Gaming Authority), Hannah Kennish (Legal and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Playtech), Jessica Maier, LLM (Partner at MELCHERS LAW FIRM), Robert Toth (Key Account Manager at Global Bet), Cédric Schlosser (Board Member of the Swiss eSports Federation), Lyubomira Petrova (Chief Marketing Officer at UltraPlay), Oleg Profatylo (Chief Strategy Officer at Digital Choo), Bill Pascrell, III (Partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc.), Andrew Cochrane (Chief Development Officer at SBTech), Ilkim Hincer (Partner at McCarthy Tetrault), Jeremy Kleiman (Partner at the New Jersey law firm of Saiber LLC), Vasilije Lekovic (Director of Gaming Accounts at Trustly), Simon Dorsen (Director of Gaming at OKTO), and last but not least Max Krupyshev (CEO at CoinsPaid).
Special gratitude is also extended to the panel moderators for keeping the discussions flowing and educative:
Andrius Gabnys (Attorney At Law – Gabnys Law Firm), Joe Ewens (Managing Editor of GamblingCompliance), Dr. Simon Planzer (Partner at PLANZER LAW), Jaka Repanšek (Media and Gaming Expert), and last but not least Tiago Aprigio (CEO at All-in Global)
For further inquiries about the 2020 edition of CEEGC and CEEG Awards, speaking/attending/sponsoring options, make sure to send an e-mail to [email protected] or subscribe to the weekly newsletter on the following link.
CEEGC 2019
CEEG AWARDS: Magellan Robotech – Stanleybet GROUP WINS “Best Lottery Service Provider”
Great success of Magellan Robotech, the B2B brand of Stanleybet Group, a company that creates gaming solutions for gambles and virtual 3D games, at the fourth edition of the CEEG Awards, among the most important in the industry of the game, held on the 24th of September at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Budapest. In fact, the brand won the coveted “Best Lottery Service Provider” award, beating fierce competition.
The whole group was enthusiastic, in particular Christian Maglia, the company’s new sales director: «Receiving this award is a source of great pride and satisfaction for us. Magellan Robotech and Stanleybet Group are firmly focused on Central and Eastern Europe. Our presence in Romania, Croatia and soon Serbia, Bulgaria and Poland confirms it. The success of our numerical games and lotteries is confirmed with the CEEG Award “Best Lottery Service Provider”.
After the success in Romania and Croatia, we aim to bring over 80 lotteries available, as well as Keno and Greek Keno also in Africa, Latin America and in the European countries where it will be allowed. I also would like to congratulate – concluded Maglia – with the organizers of the CEEG, in particular Zoltan Tundik, who have shown great professionalism bringing this event dedicated to the Central and Eastern European market to the highest levels in the sector ».
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