CasinoBeats Malta Digital’s Future of Gaming track will see some of the leading lights of the igaming industry share their ideas about the next major developments in online casino, slots and poker, and how they will impact on both players and operators.

The virtual conference and exhibition takes place on 30 June – 2 July 2020, with the Future of Gaming content staged over the final two days and accompanied by a programme of themed networking events. 

Highlights of the track include the Leaders Panels that will open each day. On Wednesday, a session sponsored by ICS Digital will examine how operators adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and what opportunities emerged during the changed market conditions of recent months. Speakers include Mårten Forste (COO, LeoVegas) Petra Zackrisson (CCDO, Betano Stoiximan), Americo Loureiro (Director, Solverde) and Shelly Suter-Hadad (CEO, Casumo), with William Scott (Director, Warrenside) handling moderator’s duties. 

Thursday’s panel features a group of high-profile executives offering their insights on how to tackle the major challenges facing the gaming industry today and where the best long-term opportunities may lie. It features Pontus Lindwall (CEO & Founder, Betsson), Jesper Karrbrink (Chairman, Green Jade Games), Ariel Reem (CEO, Genesis Global) and Alexander Martin (CEO, SKS365), with Dinos Stranomitis (COO, Alternar) in the moderator’s chair. 

Stewart Darkin, Managing Director of CasinoBeats, said: “The gaming industry is evolving rapidly to keep pace with constantly changing player tastes and technological advances, and it can be difficult to stay up to date with all the latest developments.

“The high-level speakers on the Future of Gaming track will help CasinoBeats Malta Digital delegates to stay one step ahead, by sharing expert insights on the direction of the industry from the perspectives of major operators, games developers, platform suppliers and leading affiliates.” 

Other sessions on Wednesday include the Affiliate Leaders Panel sponsored by Intertops. It will see Fintan Costello (Managing Director, Bonusfinder.com) moderate a panel of Tobias Svensen (CEO, CasinoGrounds), Jonathan Edelshaim (CEO, Natural Intelligence), Hamish Brown (VP Casino, Catena Media) and Marcos Oliveira (Chief Affiliate Officer, Clever Advertising Group) as they examine how the changing regulatory climate will alter the way affiliates operate. 

The growing importance of casino platforms to the industry will be in the spotlight during the Platforms & Aggregators panel. Melvin Ritsema (MD, Royal Panda), Rui Pena (COO & Co-Founder, Darwin Interactive) and Stian Hornsletten, CCO of session sponsor EveryMatrix, will assess what the platforms’ influence on the market means for both games studios and operators. 

Concluding the Future of Gaming content for 1 July is Live Casino: At A Crossroads, which is sponsored by Pragmatic Play. A panel consisting of Jeremy Taylor (MD, Genting Online), Christos Mavridis (Live Casino Mgr, Stoiximan / Betano), Sam Brown (CCO, Hero Gaming) and Stefania Mincu (Head of Casino, Ellmount Interactive) will consider how the sector can develop new game concepts, cross sell to slots players and stay up to date emerging technologies. 

On Thursday, attention switches to Gamification, its future role in the online casino industry and whether it is of real value to operators. The panel features Ross Parkhill (MD, Rhino Entertainment), Andy Braithwaite (CCO, Scatters), Uri Admon (CEO, Captain Up) and David Flynn (CEO, Swintt), with Karolina Pelc (Strategic Advisor, Basic Strategy) chairing the discussion.

The resurgent Online Poker sector is the next part of the gaming ecosystem to face scrutiny, as Manuel Lopes (CEO, Pokio/Qufan Technology), Sergii Romanenko (COO, Pokerok) and Ivonne Montealegre (Event Director, Malta Poker Festival) look at how the game can sustain its popularity and become a profitable long-term proposition for operators. 

Concluding the track is Acquisition & Personalisation, which sees a panel including Assaf Stieglitz (Founder, Odds1x2.com) and Tal Itzhak Ron (Chairman & CEO, Tal Ron, Drihem & Co) outline the next generation of strategies for attracting and then optimising the lifetime value of players. 

The CasinoBeats Malta Digital agenda also includes tracks about Working in Malta, Technology & Innovation, Regulation & Compliance, and Payments. 

Away from the conference rooms, the 3,000 industry delegates will have multiple opportunities to make new contacts. In addition to the schedule of themed networking sessions, attendees can take part in workshops with sector experts, join in group discussions in the virtual networking bar or use the event platform’s chat facility for one-to-one conversations. 

There is also a 40-booth interactive exhibition showcasing the latest products from both leading suppliers and innovative start-ups, along with a programme of product presentations running throughout the event.  

Find full details of CasinoBeats Malta Digital, including information about how to register and the discounts available on company group passes, at the event’s official website

To find out more about exhibiting or to discuss the remaining sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected].