SBC Summit puts player protection in focus

• The Player Protection Symposium takes place on 30 September as part of SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon.
• Four expert panels will cover AI-driven harm detection, responsible gaming accountability, advertising ethics, and black market risk
• A new Regulatory Meet-up initiative, organised with IAGR and IMGL, will run alongside the symposium.

The SBC Summit will host a dedicated Player Protection Symposium on 30 September, gathering regulators, operators, responsible gambling specialists, and technology providers to address how the industry can shift from a compliance-led model to a genuinely preventative one.

The symposium forms part of a broader programme running from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa & MEO Arena, where SBC Summit expects to welcome 40,000 industry professionals across three days.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said:

“Gambling harm prevention is a challenge shared by every regulated market. While different jurisdictions may take different approaches, the goal remains the same: protecting consumers and creating safer gambling environments.

“SBC Summit provides a platform to bring those perspectives together, share lessons from around the world, and help delegates understand what effective player protection looks like in practice. Ultimately, sustainable growth is only possible when player protection sits at the heart of the market.”

Technology and accountability

The symposium opens with Innovation in Tech: How Can Technology Keep Players Safe from Harm?, examining how operators are deploying AI and data analytics to detect risk earlier and deliver more effective interventions.

Speakers include Scott Burrows, Head of Technical Compliance at Superbet, Rupert Ecker, CEO of Grand Casino Kursaal Bern AG, Paula Murphy, Head of Commercial at Mindway AI, and Larrie York, CEO of CallsU.

The second session, Whose Shoulders Does Responsible Gaming Fall On?, turns to where accountability ultimately rests between operators, regulators, and players.

The panel includes Matt Burgiss, Head of External Affairs at Gamstop, Christopher Dalli, CEO of L&L Europe, Savvas Iliopoulos, Responsible Gaming Expert at Allwyn, Adam Warrington, Vice President of Responsible Gambling at Underdog, and Peter Wilson, Founder of Peter Wilson Legal.

Speakers will also examine how industry professionals should identify and respond to at-risk players.

Advertising and black market

The Ethical Tension in Gaming Advertisements takes up the challenge of promoting gambling products without undermining consumer protections.

Panellists Floris Assies (Founder, Better World Casino), Nicolas Fleiderman (General Manager, Holland Casino Online), Jesper Kärrbrink (Group CEO, Immense Group), Peter Marcus (CEO, Savvy Hill Marketing), and Rian Overy (Responsible Gaming Officer, Allwyn) will examine where the line should be drawn between driving engagement and protecting consumers.

The final session, Regulations are getting stronger: What it means for the black market, asks whether stricter rules reinforce the legal market or risk driving consumers towards unregulated alternatives.

Speakers include Pierre Tournier, Senior Director at EGBA, Ivan Kurochkin, Partner at 4H Agency, Carmelo Mazza, CEO of Betaland, Katie Reynolds-Jones, CEO of Gamstop, and Eric Sjöden, Head of Mission for European and International Affairs at ANJ.

Regulatory meet-ups

SBC is also introducing Regulatory Meet-ups, a new networking initiative for 2026 developed in partnership with the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) and the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL).

Sessions will span regulatory developments across Asia, Africa, LATAM, Eurasia, and the Balkans, alongside market-specific discussions covering the UK, UAE, Finland, Italy, Greece, and Portugal.

Conference passes for SBC Summit are available at three tiers: €599 for a Conference Pass, €799 for a Business Pass with structured networking access, and €999 for a VIP Pass covering all sessions and evening events.

Operators treating player protection as a strategic priority, rather than a compliance obligation, are likely to find themselves better placed as regulatory demands tighten across key markets.