SBC Summit to Showcase Growth Across Africa, Eurasia and the Far East

Spotlight on High-Growth Markets

SBC Summit will equip delegates with the strategies needed to identify and capitalise on gaming’s fastest-growing regions, including Africa, Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the Far East, through its dedicated Emerging Markets track.

Taking place on Tuesday, 29 September 2026 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, the track will bring together operators, regulators and regional experts to examine market entry, player behaviour, regulatory change and the commercial conditions shaping growth across these promising regions.

The track will open the Global & Emerging Markets Stage, one of six dedicated conference stages at SBC Summit, alongside Regulation & Compliance, Technology, Payment Expert Summit, Product Innovation Showcase and the Super Stage at Lisbon’s MEO Arena.

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.

“That’s what makes this track so valuable. It goes beyond naming which markets to enter by bringing together the people actually operating in them, people who understand what it takes to navigate local regulation, build a sustainable business and succeed long term. That’s priceless guidance for anyone looking to enter.”

The programme will begin with two consecutive sessions focused on Africa, giving delegates insight into both the commercial forces driving the continent’s growth and the regulatory frameworks shaping how businesses operate.

Africa Takes the Lead

The Africa Advantage: High Growth, Fast Regulation, Huge Potential will open the track with an overview of the forces shaping growth across the continent. Featuring Christopher Coyne (CEO, 888Africa), Jason Gibson (Chief Commercial Officer, SportPesa), Aggrey Sayi (CEO, Maybets), William Scott (Chairman, Meridian Bet) and Ronnie Whelan (CEO, Kingmakers), the panel will examine how player preferences vary between markets, which countries are expanding fastest and where regulation is beginning to transition activity away from the grey market and towards the licensed sector.

Attention will then turn to Africa’s shifting regulatory landscape in the panel Africa’s New Rulebook: How Regulators Are Shaping a 45-Market Boom. The panel will break down how key African markets are approaching licensing, taxation, anti-money laundering, data protection and player safety, while examining which regulatory models can support licensed growth.

Central and Eastern Europe in Transition

The focus of the track will then turn to Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus, where markets are moving in sharply different directions.

The panel CEE in Transition: From Established Giants to Emerging Opportunities will examine how rising taxes, tighter regulation and greater competition are reshaping mature markets, while also identifying where new opportunities are emerging across Central and Eastern Europe. Featuring Ionut-Valeriu Andrei (CEO, Loteria Română), Mikolaj Cymerman (Chief Commercial Officer, Entain CEE), Giorgi Gvenetadze (COO, Flutter CEE) and Gega Topuridze (Deputy CEO, Betlive), the panel will explore how operators are adapting to changing market conditions across the region.

Eurasia and the Far East

The discussion will then move to Eurasia with From Kazakhstan to Georgia: Who’s Opening Up and Who’s Shutting Down in Eurasia? The session will explore how markets across Central Asia and the Caucasus are taking different approaches to regulation, examining where compliance frameworks are strengthening, where licensing regimes are expanding and which markets offer more sustainable routes for long-term growth.

The track then closes with The Far East: Opportunity Rising, Tolerance Shrinking, assessing how regulation and enforcement are evolving across the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan and Macau. Featuring Dominique Laconico (President & CEO, MegaBet+ & Scorebet), Keith McDonnell (Director, KMI Group) and Japneet Singh (Japs) Sethi (Chief Growth Officer, South Asia, iGaming NDA), the panel will examine where reform is creating credible routes into regulated markets, where restrictions are intensifying and how authorities and licensed businesses are responding to offshore activity.

Networking Beyond the Conference

Beyond the conference stage, delegates can continue these regional conversations through SBC Summit’s new Regulatory Gaming Meetups. Sessions aligned with the track include dedicated meetups for Africa, Asia, the Balkans, CEE, the Emirates and Eurasia, giving attendees a focused setting to meet regulators, legal experts and regional decision-makers, discuss market entry and compliance challenges and build relationships with the people shaping each jurisdiction’s future. Access is available to VIP, Business and Networking Pass holders.

Taking place from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, SBC Summit will welcome 40,000 industry professionals for three days of conference content, exhibition and networking. 

Access to SBC Summit’s conference is included with Conference, Business, and VIP Passes.