Betting on Sports Europe agenda to explore future direction of sports betting industry

The conference and exhibition at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge stadium on 9-11 November is set to be the UK’s biggest gambling industry event of 2021, with 2,000 delegates from operators, affiliates, suppliers, media and regulators ready to participate.

It will provide a setting for stakeholders to learn about the latest developments and to exchange ideas on the next steps for the industry. Leading those discussions will be a speaker line-up of 160 senior executives and specialists handpicked to provide perspectives from markets across Europe and a range of key business functions.

They include Niels Onkenhout (CEO, Nederlandse Loterij), Alexis Murphy (CEO, betFIRST), Apostolos Dousias (COO, Betsson Group), Temur Mikeladze (Chairman, Crocobet), Dan Levy (COO, Smarkets), Tina Southall (Chief People Officer, Gamesys), Yannick Essoh (Global Head of Payments, Editec), Maris Catania (Head of Responsible Gambling and Research, Kindred Group), Chris McKenzie (Sportsbook Commercial Director, 888 Holdings), Sophie Wood (Learning & Development Partner, Lottoland), and Jens Nielsen (Sports Betting Director, Danske Spil). 

The year’s largest dedicated sports betting conference has a heavyweight six-track agenda that will examine both the immediate issues that operators must address and the most effective ways to develop a sustainable long-term future for the industry. 

On 10 November, it features a Leadership track that will see C-level executives sharing insights into the changing nature of corporate stewardship, the shift in operators’ underlying technology strategies, the importance of creating a diverse workforce, the future of the trading room, and how to make long-term investment plans in volatile market conditions.

Delegates will also have access to the Innovation & Operations track, which will examine the key product-related challenges faced by sportsbook operators, and the Payment Expert Forum, which will deliver detailed insights on best practice for effective affordability checks, user-friendly onboarding practices, efficient AML strategies, and improving KYC procedures.

The following day’s programme features the Future of Sports Betting track, with sessions devoted to implementing the lessons from Euro 2020, the new challenges faced by data suppliers, making the most of the esports opportunity, and the changing relationship between horse racing and the gambling industry.

Rounding off the track will be a special Sports Betting Hall of Fame Panel, which will see inductees answer questions from the audience. 

The agenda for 11 November also includes the Marketing & Affiliation track, evaluating the latest strategies for sports sponsorships, advertising, branding, and player acquisition, and the Betting Around Europe track, with sessions on regulatory developments in key markets such as the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, and Italy. 

Ramsus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “It’s two years since we were last able to stage an event in our home city of London and a lot has changed in the industry during that time. 

“The agenda for Betting on Sports Europe 2021 covers the impact of those changes and also many of the big strategic decisions that operators still face as they look towards 2022 and beyond.” 

In addition to the conference, Betting on Sports Europe delegates can look forward to an exhibition that features 30 leading sportsbook suppliers showcasing their latest innovations, and three nights of networking events, culminating in the Sports Betting Hall of Fame ceremony in the spectacular setting of the Natural History Museum. 

Find further details of the agenda, speaker line-up and how to attend at the Betting on Sports Europe website.