SBC Summit‘s dedicated Western Europe track will examine regulatory pressure, technology, black-market competition and changing player behaviour across some of Europe’s most mature gambling markets.
The track will take place on Sept. 30 on the Global & Emerging Markets Stage, bringing together operators, regulators and industry leaders to discuss developments in the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Scandinavia and Portugal.
“Western Europe is home to some of the world’s most established regulated gambling markets, but maturity doesn’t necessarily mean stability,” said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC. “Rising taxes and shifting regulation mean companies now have to navigate a genuinely complicated period.”
The programme will open with “The Impact of Tech on Operator Revenues and Player Retention in Europe”, featuring Andrew Cochrane, chief commercial officer at Soft2Bet; Paddy Desmond, group chief operating officer at Tote; Eberhard Dürrschmid, CEO of Golden Whale; Elena Rousseva, CEO of Managed Services at Playtech; and Marinos Shiapanis, CEO of Campeon Gaming.
The panel will examine which technologies can improve player value and retention and whether some innovations add complexity without delivering sufficient returns.
The Netherlands will be the focus of “The Dutch Dilemma: Deposit Caps, Ad Bans and the Black-Market Boom”. Cristiano Blanco, CEO of Spincore Group; Björn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK; Eric Olders, chairman and CEO of JOI Gaming/JVH Gaming; and Frank Op de Woerd, CEO of CasinoNieuws.nl, will discuss deposit limits, advertising restrictions, rising operating costs and competition from offshore operators.
The Scandinavian market will be examined in “Scandinavia: High Tax, High Standards, High Stakes”, with Fredrik Wastenson, managing director Nordics at LeoVegas; Pascal Chaffard, chief online betting and gaming officer at FDJ United; Anders Dorph, director at the Danish Gambling Authority; Jesper Eliasson, director at PAF; and Gustaf Hoffstedt, CEO of BOS.NU.
The panel will assess how taxes, bonus restrictions, payment controls and compliance costs are affecting customer acquisition and retention in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
Britain will feature in the fireside chat “The UK Squeeze: Can the Regulated Market Keep Winning?”, led by Andy Wright, managing director UK&I at LeoVegas Group, and Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital. The discussion will consider financial risk assessments, rising taxes, affordability measures and tighter advertising rules.
Italy will be covered in “Beyond the Reform: The New Italian Gaming Landscape”, with Davide Diodato, CEO of HBG Online (Novomatic); Fabio Bufalini, country manager at Stake Italy; Marco Castaldo, CEO of Microgame; Marco Tiso, managing director at Sisal; and Quirino Mancini, partner and director at WH Partners Italy. Mauro De Fabritiis, founder of MDF Partners, will moderate the session.
The panel will examine how Italy’s latest regulatory reforms and upcoming land-based tenders could affect competition, market entry and operator strategy.
The programme will also feature “Prediction Markets: The Future’s Not Near, It’s Here”, examining what European operators and regulators can learn from the rapid growth of prediction markets in the United States.
A separate session, “Portugal’s Gambling Evolution: Growth, Pressure and New Opportunities”, will examine potential growth opportunities in Portugal as online gambling revenues increase alongside player-protection and compliance requirements.
“This track is about understanding what operators can actually do next,” Sojmark said. “By comparing how mature markets are responding to similar pressures, delegates can see which strategies are working, where regulation may be creating unintended consequences, and what those lessons mean for sustainable growth across the region.”
Delegates will also be able to attend SBC Summit’s Regulatory Gaming Meetups, covering markets including Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, Britain and Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and the Nordics.
Taking place from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena, SBC Summit will bring together more than 40,000 industry professionals for three days of conference content, exhibition, and networking.
Entrance to SBC Summit’s conference agenda is reserved for attendees with conference, business, and VIP Passes.
Operators, affiliates, and some operators may be eligible for a complimentary pass. Apply here.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/09/07/126245-sbc-summit-to-examine-regulation-and-technology-in-western-europe-through-dedicated-track
