SBC Summit Canada’s return to Toronto last week brought the industry together at a pivotal moment for the Canadian gaming sector. Alberta’s upcoming regulated market launch in July accelerated conversations around regulation, responsible gambling, advertising reform, cybersecurity and future market expansion.
At the Metro Toronto Convention Centre May 19-21, the event marked the first edition under the SBC Summit Canada name after its rebrand from the Canadian Gaming Summit.
“This year’s event showed just how important Canada has become within the global gaming industry conversation,” SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark said in a statement. “The level of discussion, the caliber of attendees and the urgency around topics like Alberta, regulation and player protection demonstrated a market that is evolving rapidly.”
Across three days, the summit brought together operators, suppliers, regulators, government representatives, affiliates, sportsbooks, responsible gambling organizations, payment providers and technology companies for what attendees described as the industry’s central meeting point in Canada.
The timing of this year’s event placed Alberta firmly at the center of industry discussions, with Alberta Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally delivering a keynote, Launching Alberta’s Safe, Regulated iGaming Future.
Alberta’s forthcoming market remained one of the defining themes across the summit, with representatives from Alberta iGaming Corporation and AGLC in attendance. Dan Keene, AiGC CEO, joined Martin Lycka for a live edition of The Safe Bet Show to discuss the province’s evolving regulatory framework and responsible approach to market launch.
Keene noted the event played a crucial role in helping industry stakeholders prepare for launch discussions.
“We’re not here to grow the gaming market, we’re here to channel the illegal market into the legal and regulated space,” he said. “If my schedule over the past two days has been any indication, it’s been great. It’s been back-to-back meetings and engagements. Very fulfilling and full of meaningful connections.”
Across the conference agenda, discussions focused heavily on the regulatory and operational challenges shaping the industry’s next phase of growth. Panels explored advertising reform, AI, cybersecurity, compliance, player protection, payments and evolving omnichannel strategies, alongside the opportunities presented by the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Everybody’s really excited about Alberta and the World Cup, and I think a year from now, when we’re all back at this summit, we’re going to look back on those two moments as ones that transformed the industry a little bit,” said FanDuel Marketing Vice President Tom Burdakin.
Burdakin also highlighted the increasingly international profile of the event.
“It’s amazing how many folks are coming up from the U.S., from Europe, in order to attend this event in Toronto,” Burdakin added.
While 64.6% of attendees were based in Canada, the summit also attracted an international audience, reinforcing Canada’s growing importance within the global gaming industry conversation.
The exhibition floor featured companies spanning sportsbook technology, payments, compliance, marketing, AI, data, lottery and casino solutions, reflecting the breadth of the Canadian gaming ecosystem and the increasingly interconnected nature of the industry.
Responsible Gambling Council Senior Vice President, Accreditation, Advisory & Insights Tracy Parker noted the event reflected the increasingly collaborative nature of the Canadian industry.
“The cross-sector collaboration is something that I see happening in the creative content and the programs,” Parker said. “There is a really vibrant mix of land-based gaming, igaming, charitable gaming, and lottery stakeholders here.”
“You really get your name out there, you get to tell your story, you get to have productive dialogue about where the industry is going with other CEOs,” said Lotto.com CEO Thomas Metzer.
“It is the only event in Canada where you will get balanced representation from across all types of players in the industry,” said Hard Rock International Vice President – Global Social Responsibility Paul Pellizzari.
Nearly half of attendees held senior decision-making positions, reinforcing the summit’s position as a high-level business and policy forum for the Canadian market. Executives, regulators and industry leaders used the event to drive strategic conversations and build new partnerships.
“When you look at the type of networking events that take place here and the caliber of people who are attending, you’re definitely seeing a lot of C-suite VIP-level and above,” said Canadian Gaming Association Senior Vice President Policy & Communications Amanda Brewer.
Optimove Director of Sales Jeff Laniado highlighted the breadth of representation across the industry.
“Earlier today, I met with a C-level executive from a tier-one operator, so really everybody from every size operator and every area of these companies seems to be represented,” Laniado said.
F1 Head of Betting Mark Wrigley said the seniority of attendees was key to the value of the event.
“It’s crucial that we’re speaking to those decision-makers at that high level because that’s ultimately where we want to have those dialogues, really drive things forward, and get buy-in from the whole company,” Wrigley said.
“SBC Summit Canada has become the place where the industry comes together to discuss what happens next, and we’re incredibly proud to provide that platform,” Sojmark added.
