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SBC Summit Powers Onto Lisbon After Record 2023 Performance
SBC Events has hailed the support of the global iGaming industry as the reason for a record-breaking 2023 edition of the SBC Summit Barcelona.
This year’s exhibition and conference drew an impressive crowd of around 15,000 attendees, a threefold increase from last year’s figures, solidifying its status as the industry’s fastest-growing event.
The post-event survey data revealed a Net Promoter Score of 49 for the event, highlighting SBC’s dedication to upholding high-quality standards, even in the face of substantial growth in attendance compared to the previous year.
The event kicked off with grandeur at the SBC Leaders Summit—an inaugural edition of the exclusive pre-event invite-only gathering that attracted 500 top-tier industry executives.
This full-day affair featured a wealth of conference content, including a keynote from Frank Abagnale, the man who inspired Steven Spielberg’s ‘Catch Me if You Can,’ networking opportunities, and a poker tournament.
A significant highlight of the event was the induction of Gustaf Hagman (CEO and Co-Founder, LeoVegas), Jordan Levin (CEO, OpenBet), Per Widerström (Incoming CEO, 888 Holdings – effective October 16, 2023), and Brigid Simmonds OBE (Chair, Betting and Gaming Council) into SBC’s Hall of Fame.
Taking place at Fira Barcelona Montjuic on 19-21 September, SBC Summit Barcelona boasted a massive 38,000 square metres show floor accommodating 350 exhibitors, marking a 175% increase as compared to the previous year.
Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk, VP of Global Gaming at IDnow, provider of identity verification solutions and one of the exhibitors, said: “We are being treated as a partner, not just as a company that pays money to get services. We’re being taken to events and get introduced to people. SBC is a solution-finding partner for us.”
The 2023 show floor was effectively split into five zones denoting key areas of the industry: Sports Betting; Casino & iGaming; Affiliate, Media and Marketing; Payments & Compliance; and Emerging Tech. In addition, there was a designated ‘Festival area,’ which not only showcased exhibitors but also provided the perfect casual networking setting, featuring a sangria & tapas bar, an ice cream bar, a smoothie and juice bar and various other amenities.
The exhibition area was enriched by multiple networking zones, with the SBC Connect+ Lounge serving as a central meeting hub for delegates who had organised their meetings through the official event app. Noteworthy is the fact that the app included a lead assessment feature that saw active use, totalling 2,560 interactions.
When asked what sets SBC Summit Barcelona apart as an industry event, Sab Jhooti, Founder & CEO of investment firm Bonmoja, said: “It’s the community element. Whenever I come, I have the opportunity to meet the who’s who in this industry. Everybody you want to meet comes to this event, so I don’t really have to go anywhere else.”
Spanning seven stages, the comprehensive conference agenda delivered over 80 hours of content and offered insights from over 450 industry leaders. 89.4% of the speakers held C-level positions, while 63.7% represented operators, and 8.9% came from affiliates. The remaining 27.4% of speakers represented suppliers, associations, regulators, media, sports teams, and investors. With a total of 302 questions directed at the speakers on stage, the event adopted a more interactive approach.
Based on insights from SBC Connect+, it’s evident that the following five panels were the most sought-after by app users.
- “Sports Betting’s Makeover: The Influence of Gamification, Streaming, and Stats”
- “Affiliate Leaders Panel: Leading Partnerships in Emerging Markets”
- “Sports & Sponsorship Landscape: Growth Markets and Partnerships”
- “SBC Leaders: Exploring Global Growth Markets”
- “Everything, Everywhere, All-of-the-Time: Managing Marketing, Tech & Compliance”
Highlighting the 2023 program were keynotes by Matthew Ball, a renowned metaverse expert and bestselling author, and Daniel Taylor, CEO of Flutter International. In the spirit of increased engagement, each day’s agenda in 2023 concluded with enlightening roundtable sessions — 30 in total — each dedicated to specific markets, verticals, or topics.
A distinctive highlight of SBC’s events, the First Pitch competition, designed to assist startups in bringing their innovative visions to life, announced its latest champion. SnapOdds, the victor of this competition, secured a coveted prize package worth over €60,000, which includes a two-day workshop experience in Tallinn, provided by competition sponsor Yolo Investments, among the list of prizes.
Marking its 10th-anniversary edition, the SBC Awards Ceremony unfolded in style at the iconic Caves Codorníu and recognised industry leaders across 39 featured categories. Hosting the event were the familiar face of SBC Awards, TV personality Kirsty Gallacher, and former professional football player turned manager, Clarence Seedorf, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest midfielders of this generation. The ceremony also featured a special guest appearance by Luis Figo, former World and European Footballer of the Year, who played for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and is the current brand ambassador of Digitain.
Thomas Carvalhaes, Managing Director of Brazilian operator VaiDeBob, said: “The quality and calibre of people attending is very impressive. I was on a podcast recently and they asked what my favourite event was. I said it’s SBC Summit Barcelona – for its relevance, for the people who are here and for giving us a sense of what’s about to come.”
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC said: “The Barcelona chapter for SBC came to a spectacular close. This event exceeded our wildest dreams as we worked tirelessly to make it the industry’s fastest-growing gathering. With 15,000 attendees filling the exhibition floor, this show will forever be a cherished part of SBC’s history. However, as you all probably know, we’re far from done. The success of this edition paves the way for an even more prosperous next edition. We can’t wait to welcome you all in Lisbon for SBC Summit 2024!”
In a significant development, SBC has announced the next edition of its renowned global flagship event, now rebranded as SBC Summit to underscore its worldwide prominence. The event is set to make its home at Lisbon’s Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) on 24-26 September and is anticipated to occupy a vast area exceeding 100,000 square metres. Expecting a gathering of 25,000 attendees, the event will welcome a substantial 600 exhibitors and feature insights from 500 expert speakers.
Carlo Santarelli
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Carlo Santarelli has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, a new position at the Company. Mr. Santarelli will begin his new position on August 18, 2025 and will report to GLPI President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Moore.
Mr. Santarelli brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience in Equity Research and Investment Banking to his new role and joins the Company from Deutsche Bank where he was Managing Director of Gaming & Lodging Equity Research. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Santarelli held similar positions at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. He consistently ranked highly in Institutional Investor and other sell-side analyst research polls as a thought leader in the space, providing unique perspectives on industry events and trends with his data-driven approach and stock picking talent. Carlo Santarelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2000.
Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “We’ve known and respected Carlo’s research work on the gaming, lodging and gaming REIT sectors for many years. Carlo brings to GLPI an in-depth knowledge of the industry and its participants, having experienced GLPI’s original formation of the gaming triple-net-REIT structure from a research analyst and capital markets perspective. We value his deep network of contacts among institutional investors, sell-side analysts and a wide range of gaming industry operators and we look forward to the value of his contributions.”
In his new role, Mr. Santarelli will work with Mr. Carlino and GLPI’s senior management to develop and evaluate growth opportunities and strategic relationships, and will oversee investor relations interactions.
The post Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Industry News
VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

VIP Play, a technology-driven leader in interactive consumer engagement, announced that Jim Mackey, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role, effective August 8, 2025.
The Company has initiated a transition process and is in the process of identifying a successor. Mackey will assist in an orderly transition over the coming weeks.
“We thank Jim for his contributions to the Company, particularly during a transformative period for our business. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities, including financial visibility, operating efficiency, and delivering value to our stakeholders,” said Les Ottolenghi, CEO of VIP Play.
The post VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
eSports
Esports Charts Becomes Official Viewership Analytics Partner of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Esports Charts, the leading esports viewership analytics provider, has partnered with StarLadder, a pioneering tournament organiser. The Budapest Major 2025 marks a highly anticipated comeback for StarLadder, as it is their first Counter-Strike Major since 2019 and a significant return to the top-tier esports arena.
As the official analytics partner of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Esports Charts will provide comprehensive, real-time audience data and insights throughout the event. This will empower organisers, teams, sponsors and fans with unparalleled transparency and a deeper understanding of the tournament’s global reach.
Artyom Odintsov, Co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts, said: “We are thrilled and proud to provide viewership analytics for StarLadder for the Budapest Major 2025. Since both Esports Charts and StarLadder are Ukraine-born companies, we share similar values and deal with similar challenges, which brings us even closer.
“It’s genuinely exciting to follow how viewership will develop at this Major. But knowing the expertise, drive, and passion that the organizers are bringing, I have no doubt we’ll witness some incredible things happen in Budapest.
“Esports Charts has always been driven by a mission to provide the esports community with accurate, actionable data, and we look forward to showcasing the impact and audience engagement of this world-class event.”
StarLadder has been a driving force in global esports for almost 15 years now, since hosting its first tournaments in 2011. Renowned for its innovation and reliability, the company has organised some of the industry’s most iconic events. These include the StarLadder Berlin Major 2019, which accumulated over 44 million hours watched and remains in the top 10 CS events by this metric, and the legendary StarSeries tournaments which started back in 2012.
Viacheslav Shcherbakov, Sales and Partnerships at StarLadder, said: “We’ve been working with Esports Charts since their founding and have always valued their professionalism and integrity. In a market where reliable data is essential, Esports Charts provides honest, transparent numbers, exactly the kind of insights sponsors and stakeholders rely on when assessing the potential reach of a World Championship event.
“We’re confident that this partnership will result in a high-quality analysis of our tournament’s performance and the audience data we’ll report to our partners. It’s a collaboration built on trust, shared values, and a deep understanding of what it takes to elevate esports to the next level.”
The Starladder Budapest Major 2025 will be held from November 24 to December 14 in Budapest, Hungary. The event will bring together the world’s top 32 Counter-Strike 2 teams to compete for a $1.25 million prize pool and one of the most prestigious titles in esports.
The post Esports Charts Becomes Official Viewership Analytics Partner of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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