SBC Summit launches new networking initiative connecting delegates with regulators

SBC Summit has launched the Regulatory Gaming Meetups, a new networking initiative that will connect delegates with regulators, market experts, and industry leaders from more than 20 gaming jurisdictions during its 2026 event in Lisbon.

Taking place each day at the Regulatory Gaming Meetup Lounge (F4-17) from 29 September to 1 October, the meetups will provide attendees with the opportunity to discuss market developments, regulatory changes, compliance requirements, and business opportunities with experts and stakeholders operating within the same markets and regulatory environments.

Sessions will be organised by jurisdiction and region, allowing attendees to focus on the markets most relevant to their business interests.

Regional sessions will examine the policy changes, market developments, and growth opportunities shaping gaming businesses across key global markets, including Eurasia, Latin America, Africa, Asia, North America, and European regions such as the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), and the Nordics & Baltics.

Complementing the regional discussions, the programme places a particular focus on Europe’s diverse regulatory landscape, with dedicated sessions covering Italy, Malta, Finland, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany & DACH, the UK & Ireland, Greece & Cyprus, and the Netherlands & Belgium.

Alongside its European market focus, the programme will also feature dedicated sessions on the Emirates, Curaçao, and India, providing further insights into some of the industry’s most closely watched regulatory environments.

To ensure discussions remain practical and market-specific, each Regulatory Gaming Meet Up will be hosted by regulators, industry associations, and subject-matter experts with direct experience of the jurisdictions being explored.

Hosts already confirmed include:

• Charles Mizzi (CEO, Malta Gaming Authority), who will lead discussions on Malta’s evolving regulatory landscape.
• Ricardo Domingues (President, APAJO and Luis Carvalho (Partner, Lektou), who will host the Portugal Regulatory Gaming Breakfast.
• Paul Burns (CEO, Canadian Gaming Association) and Jared Beber (CEO, Bet99) will join the North American Regulatory Gaming Cocktail Hour.
• Panagiotis Trisokkas (President, National Betting Authority Cyprus), who will host the Greece & Cyprus Regulatory Gaming Meetup.
• Alexander Popov (Director of Supervision of Gambling Activities, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria) and Ionut-Valeriu Andrei (CEO, Loteria Romana), who will lead the CEE Regulatory Gaming Meetup.
• Dr Martin Talian (CEO, Kenya’s National Lottery Board), Omer Mohaban (Official Representative, Liberia Online Gaming & Casino Commission) and Ivo Bosukov (Chief Strategy Officer, SportPesa Group), who will host the Africa Regulatory Gaming Cocktail Hour
• Zaza Baramidze (CEO, Random Systems Georgia), who will lead discussions focused on Eurasia.
• Frank Op de Woerd (CEO, CasinoNieuws) and Justin Franssen (Partner, Franssen Tolboom), who will host the Netherlands & Belgium Regulatory Gaming Meetup & Breakfast
• Bojan Scekic (CEO, Balkan Bet), who will lead discussions focused on the Balkans
• Karen Marcela Sierra-Hughes (Vice President of Latin America, Caribbean & Spain, Gaming Laboratories International), who will join the LATAM & Brazil Regulatory Gaming Cocktail Hour
• Quirino Mancini (Partner, WH Partners), who will lead discussions at the Italian Regulatory Gaming Meetup
• Joerg Hofmann (Partner, Melchers Law), who will host the Germany & DACH Regulatory Gaming Meetup
• Patricia Lalanda (Partner, LOYRA), who will lead the Spain Regulatory Gaming Breakfast

“What we’re creating with the Regulatory Gaming Meetups is direct access to the people responsible for shaping, interpreting, and navigating these markets every day. That gives delegates the opportunity to ask better questions, gain practical insights that can’t be found in a report or presentation, and make more informed business decisions,” said Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, on the launch of the new networking initiative at SBC Summit.

The Regulatory Gaming Meet Ups are among the first major initiatives to emerge from SBC’s new partnership with the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) and the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL). Together, the organisations are working to expand access to regulatory expertise through a series of educational and networking initiatives across SBC’s global portfolio.

The Regulatory Gaming Meet Ups form part of SBC Summit’s broader investment in more structured and targeted networking opportunities for its attendees. Alongside this new initiative, the event will feature additional curated experiences and formats such as speed networking and guided show floor tours, both of which were successfully trialled at SBC Summit Americas earlier this year.

In addition to the Regulatory Gaming Meet Ups, attendees will be able to explore regulatory developments through SBC Summit’s conference programme.

Attendees looking to deepen their understanding of regulatory developments can also explore dedicated conference content across two stages:

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

Delegates wishing to partake in the Regulatory Meet-ups will require a Networking, Business or VIP Pass. Access to SBC Summit’s conference is included with a Conference, Business, or VIP Pass.