iGaming professionals, senior executives and operators descended on Stamford Bridge last week for Betting on Sports Europe – one of the most high-profile events for members of the sports and betting industries.
Held on Nov 9 – 11, registered delegates enjoyed access to a series of exhibitions from sixty operators as well as talks from a host of influential industry speakers.
Operator Attendance
Some of the most revered names in sports betting and gambling were at the event to showcase their latest innovations, including 888 Holdings, Bet 365, Betfred Sports, Ladbrokes Coral and Sky Bet.
We’re pleased to note that the affiliate sector was well-presented too, with the likes of 90 Min, Atemi, Bookmaker Ratings and Racing Post in attendance.
Conference Speakers
Some 200 senior executives were at hand to offer their insights into the latest industry developments, among them Michael Daly, Catena Media CEO, Monica Rangel from 888 Holdings and Tina Southall of GameSys. Topics ranged from responsible marketing practices to the future of white label services. Here’s a flavour of the some of the topics covered over the course of the three day event:
Affiliate Leaders – Adapting to a Changing Landscape
Speakers: Michael Daly (Catena Media), Jonathan Edelshaim (Natural Intelligence), Marcos Oliveira (Clever Advertising Group)
Outsourcing – The Future for White Label Services
Speakers: Monica Rangel (888 Holdings), Morten Pedersen Tonnesen (Shape Games), Elliott Banks (Betconstruct)
The Challenges Facing Live Betting and Data Provision
Speakers: Amir Mirzaee (Bayes Esports), Isabel Hale (Catena Media), Will Flyer (Spotlight Sports Group), Sam Depoortere (Nederlandse Loterij), James McKiernan (Genius Sport)
Responsibility in Marketing
Speakers: Ben Cove (Pinnacle Sports), Martin Lycka (Entain), Ricardo Pinto (Darwin Gaming)
M&A in the Affiliate World
Speakers: Gary Gillies (Acroud), Matthew Smith (Akur Capital), Lee Gwilliam (Gambling.com)
VIP Networking
As with previous iterations, the 2021 event brought together the great and the good from across Europe. So unsurprisingly there were plenty of high-level networking opportunities, in particular an invite-only VIP dinner hosted by Affiliate Leaders and a closing party at the iconic Natural History Museum. Needless to say, Sue Dawson was in attendance for both!
Affiliate Leaders VIP Dinner, Closing Party
The Affiliate Leaders dinner was hosted at the beautiful Fossil Way Venue which is part of the Waterhouse Building. It was attended by 100 VIPs who were treated to a champagne reception, a luxury buffet and complementary drinks. This was followed by a rather lively and well-attended closing party culminating in the Sports Betting Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Sports Betting Hall of Fame
The Sports Betting Hall of Fame was set up in 2016 by SBC to honour key industry contributors. The fifth edition of this prestigious ceremony saw the announcement of nine inductees:
- Yolanda Acuna
- Joe Brennan Jr
- Jo Asher – President of Sports Betting, IGT
- Jimmy Vaccaro – Sports Marketing Director, South Point Hotel & Casino
- Jonny Avello – Head of Sportsbook, DraftKings
- Birgitte Sand – Former Director General, Danish Gambling Authority
- Clive Hawkswood – Former CEO, RGA and Former Chairman, RAIG
- Jan Svendsen – Founder, Coolbet, Nordicbet and Triobet
- Ludovico Calvi – President, GLMS
So another successful event from SBC then, with Affiliate Leaders also laying on an enjoyable soiree for some of iGaming’s most prominent people.
