SBC Summit Western Europe Track to Address Regulation, Black Markets, and Tech for Retention
TL;DR — SBC Summit’s Western Europe track on 30 September will cover regulation, technology for retention, and black-market competition across the Netherlands, UK, Italy, Scandinavia, and Portugal. Panels feature executives from LeoVegas, Playtech, and regulators plus prediction market analysis. The Lisbon event from 29 September to 1 October expects over 40,000 attendees.
SCCG Take — Operators should extract concrete tactics from these sessions to balance compliance costs against offshore threats while testing technology that genuinely supports retention in high-tax environments.
SBC Summit is dedicating a track to the pressures facing Western Europe’s mature gambling markets. Tighter regulation, black-market activity, and player retention stand out as core concerns for operators.
The dedicated track takes place on Wednesday, 30 September on the Global & Emerging Markets Stage. Discussions will span developments in the Netherlands, UK, Italy, Scandinavia, and Portugal, plus the rise of prediction markets and technology’s part in safeguarding revenue. Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said: “Western Europe is home to some of the world’s most established regulated gambling markets, but maturity doesn’t necessarily mean stability. Rising taxes and shifting regulation mean companies now have to navigate a genuinely complicated period. This track is about understanding what operators can actually do next. 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.”
Sessions on Tech, Dutch Rules, and Regional Pressures
The opening panel, The Impact of Tech on Operator Revenues and Player Retention in Europe, features Andrew Cochrane (Chief Commercial Officer, Soft2Bet), Paddy Desmond (Group Chief Operating Officer, Tote), Eberhard Dürrschmid (CEO, Golden Whale), Elena Rousseva (CEO of Managed Services, Playtech), and Marinos Shiapanis (CEO, Campeon Gaming). It will weigh innovations that drive player value against those that add complexity without return.
The Dutch Dilemma: Deposit Caps, Ad Bans and the Black-Market Boom follows, with Cristiano Blanco (Chief Executive Officer, Spincore Group), Björn Fuchs (Chairman, VNLOK), Eric Olders (Chairman & CEO, JOI Gaming / JVH Gaming), and Frank Op de Woerd (CEO, CasinoNieuws.nl). Parallel sessions will examine Scandinavia’s high taxes and standards, the UK’s affordability measures, Italy’s post-reform landscape, prediction markets, and Portugal’s growth trajectory.
Regulatory Meetups and Summit Details
Dedicated Regulatory Gaming Meetups will address individual markets including Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, the UK and Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics. These sessions let operators, regulators, and legal experts examine jurisdiction-specific challenges and form ties with decision-makers. The full SBC Summit runs from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena, drawing more than 40,000 industry professionals. Conference access requires conference, business, or VIP passes, though operators and affiliates may qualify for complimentary entry. As reported by iGaming Future, the track supplies direct exposure to which approaches hold up under current conditions and which create gaps offshore operators can exploit.
Reporting: iGaming Future
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
The real value is in comparing what's working across tightly regulated markets under similar tax and black-market pressure.
Western Europe is where compliance costs collide with offshore competition. At SCCG we've helped partners navigate every major regulated market in the region—this track surfaces the patterns that separate sustainable operators from those losing margin to unregulated competitors and misallocated tech spend.
- Sessions span Netherlands, UK, Italy, Scandinavia, Portugal—tech for retention, deposit caps, affordability checks, tax impact
- Panels feature LeoVegas, Playtech, Soft2Bet, regulators, and local market specialists on black-market and compliance trade-offs
- Lisbon, 29 Sept–1 Oct; 40,000+ attendees; dedicated Western Europe track 30 September
SCCG angle: SCCG works with regulators, platform providers, and brands across every market on this agenda. We connect clients to the right tech partners who've already solved retention under tight rules and broker introductions to licensed operators testing what actually works versus what burns budget in high-tax jurisdictions.
Gaming, betting and prediction markets — the desk’s read, every weekday.
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