Betting on Sports has experienced rapid growth over the last four years to establish itself as the leading international event for the sports betting and igaming industry, and the 2019 edition promises to be the biggest and best yet.
If you’ve not previously attended and wonder why so many people in the industry view the event as the key date in the calendar – to learn from their contemporaries, make contacts and do business – organisers SBC have put together a guide to why you should definitely be at Olympia London from 17 – 20 September for Betting on Sports 2019.
1. The largest collection of gambling industry decision makers
You will not find such a large number of senior executives from the sports betting and igaming industries gathered in one place at any other time of the year. With 3,500 delegates from operators, suppliers, regulators, affiliates, payments providers, and sports clubs and governing bodies, the decision makers you want to meet will be at Betting on Sports.
The event is well established as an important date in the calendar for both leading and growing operators, with more than 160 represented on the delegate list. They include GVC Group, Flutter Entertainment, Kindred Group, Stars Group, William Hill, DraftKings, Betsson, Betcris, ComeOn!, Betway, Pinnacle, Smarkets, Parimatch, Casumo, Svenska Spel and BetVictor.
And reflecting the growth of online sports betting and igaming into truly global industries, the attendee list for 2019 has a truly international composition, with delegates from more than 60 countries ready to share knowledge of their local markets and learn from companies operating in other territories.
2. The strongest ever betting industry speaker line-up
Betting on Sports is renowned for the quality of its conference content, and the 2019 edition features its most extensive speaker line-up yet. The 300 experts sharing their precious knowledge and experience are drawn from around the world and include numerous C-level executives.
Among those ready to offer you insights about the crucial issues shaping the future of the industry are JD Duarte (CEO, BetCris), Sergey Portnov (CEO, Parimatch), Paris Smith (CEO, Pinnacle), Dominik Beier (CEO, Interwetten), Lahcene Merzoug (CEO, ComeOn!), Jesper Svensson (CEO, Betsson), Stanley Willers Ho (CEO, HoGaming), Stan Reoutt (CEO, Fonbet), Alexander Stevendahl (CEO, Videoslots), Fredrik Wastenson (CEO Sport & Casino, Svenska Spel), Tomas Bachman (CEO, Hero Gaming), Niels Erik Folmann (CEO, Danske Spil), Jan Jones Blackhurst (EVP Public Policy & Corp. Responsibility, Caesars Entertainment) and Richard Flint (former CEO, Sky Betting & Gaming).
3. Comprehensive coverage of key issues
Whatever part of the industry you work in, you will find plenty to interest you on the packed agenda for Betting on Sports and the associated CasinoBeats Summit. The 13 content tracks include specialist subjects such as the latest in technology and regulation, specific regional focuses on the USA, Europe and Emerging Markets, and big-picture tracks looking at the future of the sports betting and online casino industries. View the full agenda.
4. The US is coming to Europe
Since the repeal of PASPA last year, the US sports betting market has been one of the most exciting and growing sectors in the world and has the very real potential to become the largest sports betting market globally.
This also means that existing US gambling firms are now hungry to discover more, which is why they are coming over in force to fact find at the world’s biggest dedicated sports betting conference.
Betting on Sports once again has a track dedicated to the exciting market, with representatives from US firms such as Sugarhouse Casino, DraftKings, FanDuel, theScore, Parx Casino, Hard Rock International, Golden Nugget, Covers Media Group, Sidelines and the NBA.
5. Get up to speed with your gaming theory
CasinoBeats Summit is the place to learn about the latest developments and upcoming innovations in the igaming sector, with an extensive content offering focused on the future of gaming, new markets and attracting new players. It’s all delivered by industry experts, with senior figures from Olympic Entertainment, Jackpotjoy, Videoslots, Kindred, Betsson, Royal Panda, LeoVegas, Casumo, Caesars Entertainment, LVBet and Marathonbet among the speakers.
In addition to being an unmissable opportunity to hear insights from and network with online casino operators from around the world, you can also meet the sector’s leading suppliers and view their latest games at the Summit, which has its own dedicated floor and exhibition space at Olympia London.
6. Specialist forums to share specialist knowledge
SBC are always keen to provide opportunities for the industry to debate the latest important issues, so we have organised three specialist forums to complement the Betting on Sports and CasinoBeats Summit content. The inaugural Safer Gambling Forum is a chance for operators, charities and regulators to share their knowledge of responsible gambling initiatives and discuss how they can be improved.
Payment Expert Forum, staged in partnership with PaymentExpert.com, brings together operators and payments technology suppliers to discuss the latest innovations and the changing requirements of the industry. The Digital Marketing Forum, organised in conjunction with AffiliateINSIDER, looks at developments in customer acquisition and marketing techniques and their impact on online marketing and affiliate stakeholders.
7. We’ve made connecting with other delegates simple
SBC take great pride in the fact that every year delegates tell us they have formed new business relationships at Betting on Sports, often leading to valuable contracts. To help facilitate that, we have launched the SBC Connect app which allows delegates to connect, message and arrange those all-important meetings with other attendees in just a few clicks.
The app also features the full conference agenda, an exhibition floor plan and details of evening networking events, giving you all the information you need to build a custom schedule around your meetings.
8. All-inclusive hospitality and networking events
We consider networking to be as vital to the success of our events as the content and exhibition are. That’s why networking at Betting on Sports is all inclusive. Arrange a business meeting in one of the many networking areas at Olympia London and you can enjoy complimentary food and drink, while your pass also gives you access to the official evening networking parties at stylish venues such as Flight Club and the Natural History Museum.
The lavish closing party in the stunning setting of the Natural History Museum features the 2019 Sports Betting Hall of Fame induction ceremony, so as well as world-class hospitality you can enjoy the spectacle of some of the industry’s historymakers being honoured.
9. It’s a showcase of the latest innovations
Betting on Sports is where the leading technology and platform suppliers come to showcase their latest innovations. Take a walk around the exhibition floor, which is 25% bigger than last year, and you will see the newest offerings from Betgenius, Playtech, OPTIMA, SG Digital, Golden Race, BetConstruct, SB Tech, FSB, Digitain, Betradar, Trustly, Sporting Solutions, Delasport, Intertops and Ecommpay, among many others.
10. Attendees LOVE it!
We know this because we’ve checked. The post-event attendee survey from 2018 found that 92% of delegates would recommend attending Betting on Sports to a colleague and 94% would attend again, while 90% picked out the quality of the conference content as a particular highlight.
And the comments from delegates were every bit as positive, with Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, saying: “Betting on Sports has been fantastic. It gets better and better every year.”
Jamie Mckittrick, Head of Commercial for GVC Group, said: “Betting on Sports always has the highest proportion of relevant contacts, suppliers and content for sportsbook operators.”
Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO of EvenBet, added: “The conference is absolutely astonishing. Keeping the tremendously high level of speakers and topics, whilst growing the audience each year.”
Jari Vahanen, Senior VP of Veikkaus, commented: “Based on my 27 years experience I would say that it was the best sports betting event I have attended, and one of the best events in the gambling business ever!”
Mark Blandford, Founder of Sportingbet, concluded: “If you are not here, quite frankly you are missing out, there is just so much happening! I really find the quality of the speakers on the panels to be very good, and it’s surprising how much valuable information they actually give. For anyone in the industry, or researching the industry you need to be here.”
Book your tickets for Betting on Sports 2019 at Olympia London, 17 – 20 September.