The 2026 edition of ICE Barcelona opened its doors on Monday at the Fira Gran Via, marking the beginning of what is already shaping up to be the biggest gathering in the history of the global gaming industry. By the close of day one, the scale of the event was impossible to ignore: ICE and its co-located sister show iGB Affiliate Barcelona now span a record 143,000 square metres, a dramatic expansion from the final London editions and a clear signal of the show’s growing international ambition.
From the first keynote to the evening awards, the opening day set a confident tone for a week that aims to redefine how and where the industry meets. Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter framed the day as more than an exhibition opening, positioning Barcelona as the focal point of a broader “World Gaming Week” that runs from 18 to 23 January.
“There’s no doubt that Fira Gran Via Barcelona is hosting the best ever line-up of international gaming exhibitors, comprising the biggest and most respected innovator brands covering every vertical,” Hunter stated. “Aligned to this, Barcelona will welcome gambling industry executives from throughout the world for what will be the biggest ever gathering of the global industry.”
With executives arriving from every major market and beyond, Hunter projected up to 1.5 million business engagements during the week, driven by both pre-arranged meetings and spontaneous encounters on the show floor. “It is these conversations, involving game creators, operators, regulators, politicians, and policy makers, that define the future of gaming across continents during 2026 and beyond,” Hunter added.
Soo Kim opens the World Gaming Forum
ICE’s sense of momentum was reflected in a packed programme that included Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally’s Corporation, delivering the opening keynote of the ICE World Gaming Forum. Widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential leadership programmes, the Forum opened with Kim outlining Bally’s vision for integrating digital and land-based gaming operations on a global scale.
However, his address quickly shifted from general strategy to specifics, including one of the most closely watched turnaround stories in the industry: Bally’s recent acquisition of Australia’s Star Entertainment Group. Speaking candidly, Kim described Star’s collapse as “the greatest bit of mismanagement I’ve ever seen,” while insisting the troubled operator now represents “a generational opportunity” for Bally’s to demonstrate what it does best: acquiring distressed assets and rebuilding them into sustainable businesses.
Drawing on Bally’s track record across its 19 casinos, Kim told delegates that reversing Star’s fortunes was central to the group’s long-term vision. “This is really what we do,” he said. “We’ve picked up casinos through distressed sales and abandonments and turned them around.”
Despite Star’s revenues falling from more than AU$500 million four years ago to effectively zero today, Kim said the underlying value of its Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane assets runs into the billions, calling the opportunity “not even close when you think about the replacement value of those assets.”
He also stressed the wider importance of the recovery for Australia’s major cities. “These are world-class destinations,” he said. “The ability for Sydney, the Gold Coast and Brisbane to offer integrated resorts for tourism and local patrons is critical. Star might be the greatest opportunity in the world. It’s a generational opportunity, period.”
Sustainable gambling and regulation take centre stage
Beyond the headline keynote, the opening day also placed a strong spotlight on responsibility and sustainability with the official opening of the Sustainable Gambling Zone. Long regarded as one of ICE’s most important features, the award-winning platform brings together regulators, operators, suppliers and charity partners to advance safer and more sustainable gaming practices.
For 2026, the Zone has been given a more prominent open-plan location between Halls 4 and 5, designed to maximise visibility and visitor engagement, as delegates gathered to explore emerging technologies such as AI, hear from charities and individuals with lived experience, and contribute to discussions shaping the next phase of safer gambling regulation.
Innovation was equally central to the day’s agenda at the Innovating Lotteries Conference, which examined how one of the industry’s most tightly regulated sectors is adapting to structural and behavioural change. With almost 20 speakers from lottery providers worldwide, sessions explored new player demographics, non-monetary prize models and the evolving definition of what constitutes a lottery product.
As ICE Conference Producer Hannah Meakes noted, the growth of unusual raffle formats and experiential prizes is reshaping both who plays and why they engage, raising new questions for operators and regulators alike. The programme included contributions from leaders such as Veikkaus CEO Olli Sarekoski, offering rare insight into the realities of opening a former monopoly market to competition.
Regulation and the fight against the black market formed a third pillar of the opening day through the World Regulatory Briefing, which brought senior figures from operators, regulators and governments into unusually candid discussion. With jurisdictions across Europe raising taxes and tightening controls, speakers addressed the growing risk of players migrating to offshore sites and the long-term consequences for consumer protection and state revenues.
This year’s introduction of Chatham House Rules, with no press in attendance, was designed to encourage frank exchanges on international cooperation, enforcement and supply-chain integrity. As Conference Manager Damien Ashton-Wellman explained, the aim was to create a space where the industry’s hardest conversations could finally take place, laying the groundwork for a more resilient regulated market.
Brazil steps into the spotlight at ICE Barcelona
A further strategic signal of ICE Barcelona’s global priorities came with the launch of Casa Brasil, a new space dedicated exclusively to one of the industry’s fastest-evolving regulated markets. Opened shortly after 10:30 am, the initiative marked a milestone moment for Brazil, which is now entering its second year under a formal regulatory framework for sports betting and online gaming.
The opening session brought together Liliana Costa, Clarion Gaming’s Latin America Manager; journalist and editor Magnho José, appointed as ICE’s official “Brazil Ambassador”; and Plínio Lemos, President of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), who outlined the motivations behind creating a permanent Brazilian presence at the show. The aim, they explained, is to provide a dedicated forum for dialogue at a time when the country’s market is undergoing rapid structural change.
“Casa Brasil is without doubt one of the major innovations of this year’s ICE and represents an important milestone for the Brazilian market,” said Magnho José. “We have just completed the first year of regulated sports betting and online gaming in Brazil, which marks the beginning of a new phase for the sector. This new scenario significantly expands opportunities for Brazilian operators, suppliers and investors, and ICE Barcelona is a crucial space to debate, analyse and seize those opportunities.”
He added that Casa Brasil is intended to function as a strategic meeting point throughout the week, bringing together regulators, executives and service providers to shape the next stage of Brazil’s regulated market. In a show defined by its international ambition, the creation of a dedicated Brazilian hub underlined the extent to which Latin America is now central to the global gaming agenda.
The action continues today, Tuesday. Check out the program below:
10:00 – ICE Day 2 Keynote: A Year of Worldwide Sports Betting
(Press must leave this room following the keynote session) – CC5.1
10:00 – ICE Esports Arena: Semi Finals and Grand Final – Esports Arena
10:15 – ICE Innovators Challenge + Microsoft Keynote Presentations – Enterprise Stage
10:45 – Sustainable Gambling Zone
10:45 – JDigital: Combating Illegal Gambling Report Presentation – La Plaza
11:00 – ICE Pitch – Pitch Stage
11:00 – Sports Leaders Conference – CC4.1
11:30 – DGOJ Priorities: Coffee and Q&A Session with DGOJ – La Plaza
12:30 – Converging Regulations: One Market, a Shared Regulatory Vision – La Plaza
13:45 – Tribal Partnerships Seminar – Enterprise Stage
14:00 – Esports Betting Conference – CC5.1
14:00 – iGaming Customer Journey Workshop – CC5.2
14:00 – DEIB Programme – Pitch Stage
16:30 – Action Day in Europe Against Illegal Gambling: Results Achieved in Spain by the National Police – La Plaza
17:00 – European Casino Floor Excellence Awards – Enterprise Stage
17:30 – Africa Drinks – CC4 Delegates Lounge
Inside ICE Barcelona 2026
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/01/20/117216-from-keynotes-to-regulation-ice-barcelona-sets-the-agenda-for-global-gaming-in-2026
