SBC Summit unveils emerging markets track for 2026

• SBC Summit will run a dedicated Emerging Markets track on 29 September 2026 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa.
• The programme spans Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the Far East across five panel sessions.
• The track opens the new Global & Emerging Markets Stage, one of six conference stages at SBC Summit 2026.

SBC Summit has unveiled a dedicated Emerging Markets track for its 2026 Lisbon event, covering Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the Far East.

Taking place on Tuesday, 29 September, the track opens the new Global & Emerging Markets Stage and brings together operators, regulators and regional experts to examine market entry, regulation and commercial conditions across these regions.

Africa’s growth agenda

The track opens with two consecutive sessions on Africa. The Africa Advantage: High Growth, Fast Regulation, Huge Potential features Christopher Coyne of 888Africa, Jason Gibson of SportPesa, Aggrey Sayi of Maybets, William Scott of Meridian Bet and Ronnie Whelan of Kingmakers.

Panellists will examine how player preferences differ across markets and where regulation is shifting activity away from the grey market.

A follow-up session, Africa’s New Rulebook: How Regulators Are Shaping a 45-Market Boom, breaks down licensing, taxation, anti-money laundering and data protection rules across the continent.

CEE and Eurasia shifts

Attention then turns to Central and Eastern Europe with CEE in Transition: From Established Giants to Emerging Opportunities, featuring Ionut-Valeriu Andrei of Loteria Română, Mikolaj Cymerman of Entain CEE, Giorgi Gvenetadze of Flutter CEE and Gega Topuridze of Betlive. The panel explores rising taxes and tighter regulation across mature markets.

The discussion moves to Eurasia with From Kazakhstan to Georgia: Who’s Opening Up and Who’s Shutting Down in Eurasia?, covering Central Asia and Georgia in the Caucasus, where compliance frameworks and licensing regimes are diverging sharply between jurisdictions.

Far East and access

The track closes with The Far East: Opportunity Rising, Tolerance Shrinking, assessing regulation across the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan and Macau. Speakers include Dominique Laconico of MegaBet+ & Scorebet, Keith McDonnell of KMI Group and Japneet Singh Sethi of iGaming NDA.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, said:

“In today’s gaming landscape, spotting growth opportunities is only part of the challenge. The real question is where to focus your time, investment and resources.”

Sojmark added that the track brings together people who understand local regulation and how to build a sustainable business in each market.

Beyond the conference stage, delegates can continue regional conversations through new regulatory meetups covering Africa, Asia, the Balkans, CEE, the Emirates and Eurasia, available to VIP, Business and Networking Pass holders.

The track sits alongside other 2026 additions, including a dedicated sports betting innovation track.

SBC Summit runs from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, with 40,000 industry professionals expected across three days of conference content, exhibition and networking. Conference access is included with Conference, Business and VIP Passes.

iGaming Republic readers can save 30% on VIP, Conference, Networking and Business passes using code IGRPARTNERVIP at checkout.

With five regional panels spanning three continents, the track gives operators and investors a concentrated read on where licensed growth is accelerating, and where grey-market activity is still proving hardest to shift.