Global Prediction Markets Forum joins SBC Summit week

• SBC will run its first Global Prediction Markets Forum on 1 October at the Myriad Hotel in Lisbon, held alongside SBC Summit 2026.
• The programme pairs regulators such as Andrew Lyman of Gibraltar and Charles Mizzi of the Malta Gaming Authority with operators and lawyers across four dedicated panels.
• A €399 ticket, separate from an SBC Summit pass, includes SBC Insights’ Prediction Market Report 2026.

SBC has confirmed a full day of sessions for its Global Prediction Markets Forum, a standalone conference set for 1 October at the Myriad Hotel in Lisbon.

Running in parallel with SBC Summit 2026, the event gathers operators, regulators, lawyers and technologists around a single question: what exactly is a prediction market, and who gets to regulate it?

Regulators split on classification

Nowhere is that question sharper than in the panel “Regulating futures: bridging the gap between the US and Europe.” Andrew Lyman, Gambling Commissioner and Executive Director for the Government of Gibraltar, will sit alongside Charles Mizzi, CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority, Terence Cassar of GTG Legal, Zach Doctor of WagerWire and moderator Ron Segev of Segev LLP to map how jurisdictions are diverging on oversight.

A companion session, “The legal conundrum: are prediction markets gambling?”, takes the classification debate further. Matt Kane, Head of Legal at Betr, joins Arthur Stadler of Stadler Partner Attorneys and Steve Humenik, Chief Legal Officer at Crypto.com, to argue whether event contracts function as gambling products or financial instruments. Quirino Mancini of WH Partners Italy chairs the discussion.

That regulatory tension has already played out in US courts. A Ninth Circuit panel recently upheld Nevada’s power to treat Kalshi as gambling, and the CFTC has separately cautioned event-contract platforms against sportsbook-style odds displays, giving the Lisbon panel live case studies to draw on.

SBC founder frames the stakes

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said the forum responds to how quickly interest in the sector has built.

“Prediction markets have quickly become one of the biggest talking points in the industry, but as with any sector moving at this pace, the opportunities come with a lot of questions.”

He said the day is designed with market entrants in mind.

“For operators considering entering the space, the question is how to do so effectively, safely and compliantly. That is the purpose of this forum: to bring newcomers and experts into the same room, tackle the questions and build a clearer understanding of where the sector is heading.”

Building the product, testing the model

The technical side of launching event contracts gets its own session, “Time to market.” Andrew Gonzalez of ParlayX, Henrich Tauber of Limitless, Amit Mahensaria of Pred.app and Guy Dotan of WireMarkets will weigh integration routes and compliance overhead for operators building or licensing the technology, with Jeff Haas of Binara.ai moderating.

A closing panel, “An industry on the cusp of boom or bust,” turns to longevity. John Aristotle Phillips of PredictIt, Joey Levo of Betr and Noah Traisman of Winible will debate whether prediction markets can run alongside traditional sportsbooks long-term, drawing parallels with how poker and daily fantasy sports each found a lasting niche. Further sessions across the day cover media partnerships aimed at mainstream reach, the practical split between prediction markets and sportsbooks, and peer-to-peer versus fixed-odds models.

A forum ticket costs €399, bought separately from an SBC Summit pass, and includes a copy of SBC Insights’ Prediction Market Report 2026 for delegates to reference during the panels.

SBC first confirmed the forum’s launch in early August, and it now joins a packed week of Summit news, including a new Compliance Tech track and a five-strong First Pitch startup shortlist.

For operators still deciding whether to enter prediction markets, the Lisbon sessions offer something rarer than another opinion piece: regulators and rival platform builders arguing the same question in the same room.