A huge thank you to SBC Events for inviting me to be on a panel at Casino Beats Malta 2024! I’ve spoken at several previous SBC events but they have all been purely digital and this is the first time I’ve appeared in person. This year’s event brought together thousands of industry people (some Malta based, some not) in the lovely (and air conditioned) setting of the InterContinental Hotel Malta.
I have been trying to attend Casino Beats for several years. I was due to attend in March 2020 but due to the pandemic it was first postponed till June then cancelled altogether. In 2023 I was unable to attend because of a diary clash. This year, however, I knew I would be available and so when Natalie Lees of SBC asked me if I was interested on being a panel, I jumped at the chance! Especially given the topic of the panel – “Bingo – it’s all about numbers”.
Moderated by Lewis Phillips from Square in the Air, the panel also featured Gary Keaney, Bingo & Poker Director at Entain and Kat Arnsby, Head of Product Marketing (Network Games) at Kindred Group. Despite being last on the programme we attracted a decent sized audience – if you were in it, I hope you enjoyed the lively discussion of where we are now with the bingo vertical and where it might be going.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the conference too. The excellent programme covered affiliation, tech, SEO, game design, regulation and many other topics and a particular highlight was a fireside chat with the UK regulator which included the opportunity to ask questions about the ongoing implementation plan for the UK White Paper. This was mere hours after the general election was called and it’s going to be very interesting to see how a change in government (and at DCMS) will affect things.
I also had the opportunity to participate in the roundtable sessions. Here, delegates could choose between 19 different geos with the hottest topics of discussion being Germany, Brazil and Curaçao. I was stationed at the UK table where the lively discussion included possible restrictions on wagering requirements, affordability checks and game design changes all of which are to come in the next few months.
And then there were the social events which gave many opportunities to connect with industry friends both old and new. As well as three fantastic parties (two of which took place in rooftop bars and one in a nightclub) I attended the Women in Gaming Breakfast Meet Up and the Affiliate Leaders VIP Dinner.
All in all – very much worth the trip to Malta! Thanks again to SBC for having me.
