The scheduled list of speakers at SBC Digital North America includes some of the most important voices in the expanding sports betting and igaming markets. Joe Asher of William Hill, Bill Hornbuckle of MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment’s Jan Jones Blackhurst will be featured at what’s become a premier gaming industry event.
‘It’s really a who’s who on these panels,” says SBC Vice President of Marketing, Americas, Cristian Robalino. “Our speaker lineup is really packed with senior executives and specialists in our industry who are ready to share their experiences and ideas.”
SBC Digital North America takes place June 9-10 online.
The virtual discussions at the conference include state-by-state gaming regulations, Tribal sports betting, and an exploration of the Canadian gaming market. With sports betting and igaming the buzzwords of the exploding gaming market, Robalino thinks SBC Digital North America provides a road map of the quicksilver gaming landscape.
“The pace of change is perhaps the biggest reason why SBC Digital North America is so important to the industry as a whole,” Robalino says. “We have an agenda in our conference program that addresses how to prepare for and manage these changes, as well as delivering a lot of valuable information for the next generation of products that are going to be out there. It’s a great learning opportunity.”
Perhaps no panel better illustrates the emergence of sports betting than It’s a Team Sport – The Role of Sports Organizations in the Sports Betting Ecosystem on June 9. Featuring representatives from NASCAR, the New York Jets and the NBA, it’s a panel that was unthinkable prior to 2018 when the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
Robalino says the panel reflects how far sports betting has come, and where it is headed.
“There’s a lot more opportunities,” he says, “a lot more markets are being opened. This is where it begins. These are the senior level people. SBC Digital North America provides this platform and that opportunity for people at that level to connect.”
New this year is more extensive coverage of the igaming market, which is often overshadowed by sports betting. While Jamie Foxx (BetMGM), Brett Favre (TwinSpires) and Michael Jordan (DraftKings) grab headlines for sports betting operators, igaming may ultimately prove more profitable.
During the recent Bernstein 37th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, MGM’s Hornbuckle said the real value and economic opportunity online is in igaming,
There is a huge interest and intersection (between sports betting and igaming), obviously, at the moment,” Robalino says. “And as more states are considering legalizing igaming, delegates are looking forward to hearing from some of the people behind the success of these markets.”
