SBC Summit Barcelona 2021
The 2021 SBC Summit Barcelona ran from the 21st to the 24th of September and Language Bear was there, enjoying the remnants of the Spanish summer and watching a showcase of global betting and gaming innovations.
A sports betting showcase
SBC Summit Barcelona puts sports betting centre stage and focuses on the latest advancements and innovations in the industry. The 2021 event was no different, and on the second day of the event, attendees heard insights from some of the biggest players in the industry.
The CEO of Entain, Jette Nygaard-Andersen, joined a panel that also included the founder of Yggdrasil Gaming, and the founder of Sportradar to talk about the sports betting industry and the advances that it has made.
It was an eye-opening discussion, and as the sports betting industry struggled during 2020 and is only now getting back to its feet, it was an incredibly important one, as well.
Changes in marketing
Marketing also played a big role at SBC Summit Barcelona, with attendees learning about the ever-changing role that it plays in the iGaming landscape. Unsurprisingly, the COVID pandemic was mentioned many times and was central to most of the discussions. Representatives from major companies (gambling and non-gambling related) all offered their two cents, talking about how their companies thrived in these unprecedented times.
There were also discussions about how iGaming marketing could be focused only on legal age gamblers, a topic that is becoming increasingly important as big brands and governments continue to engage in a tug-of-war.
Affiliate marketing
Ruslan Legenzov, the head of affiliates at King Billy Casino, was one of the attendees discussing affiliate marketing on day 2 of the SBC Summit Barcelona.
Legenzov stressed the importance of keeping up to date with trends and maintaining a strong relationship with affiliates. He was joined by representatives from other major affiliate marketing companies, including the CEO of iGamingNuts and the chief growth officer at Betmaster.
For the most part, the discussion was centred on “negotiating the perfect deal”, something that is crucial for both sides of the affiliate arrangement.
Gambling in new territories
As is often the case with these events, many topics inevitably turned toward new and emerging markets. A couple of years ago, a lot of attention was focused on Latin America and countries like Colombia and Mexico. At SBC Summit Barcelona 2020, it was all about Eastern Europe, as a few new markets opened in early 2021.
During 2021’s event, there was talk of emerging markets in the United States. Things are moving slowly over there but compared to the industry’s evolution over the last few decades, the advancements are rapid.
Big gambling brands are getting very excited about the prospects of a more relaxed US sports betting and online casino market, and it’s easy to see why.