The final day of the SBC Summit 2025 was the most action-packed on the agenda. The event featured a series of niche discussions, the SBC Awards ceremony, and the INFINITY festival. Over 30,000 guests, a record number, attended the show.
Key Highlights of the Grand Gathering
On the 3rd day of the meeting, September 18th, the following topics were raised during conference panels:
M&A: Optimism Versus Caution
Speakers at the event included leading figures from the gaming industry and global funding segments:
- Flutter International’s Tom Field;
- Blackstone’s Adam Rosenberg;
- Yolo Investments' Klen Kaljulaid.
The first giant company in the list is considered the most active acquirer of studios in the betting vertical. Based on the corporation’s history and a series of recent successful mergers, the industry, in its current form, is well-prepared to overcome any macroeconomic difficulties.
Blackstone’s spokesperson described 2025 as the best year for funding. The statement is linked to the recent interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve. This decision has created the most favourable environment for all types of commercial deals in the country.
In contrast, Yolo’s representative was less optimistic, claiming that the sphere is on an unprecedented level of chaos.
He identified the following challenges:
- growth of the global shadow segment;
- unpredictable and rapid changes in consumer behaviour;
- prediction markets, which blur the line between bets and financial speculation.
Asia’s Complexities in Politics and Oversight
Lau Kok Keng from Rajah & Tan Singapore led the panel. He proposed examining regional issues using a real-life example: the withdrawal of a long-awaited casino legalisation bill in Thailand. The initiative was abruptly postponed just a few weeks before the Senate session was scheduled to begin.
The reasons for that move included:
- recent political events;
- border clashes with Cambodia in July 2025;
- a chain of historical and constitutional changes dating back to 1932.
This abrupt shift, according to the speaker, best demonstrates the unpredictability of the Asian landscape.
Regulatory Rush in India
The invited panellists discussed the government’s recent comprehensive ban on all forms of real-money entertainment. Ranjana Adhikari, a top lawyer, was particularly critical, attributing the emergence of this initiative to the lack of political consensus in the country. Local legislators prioritise their interests over consumer rights.
iGaming NDA’s Japneet Sethi was less categorical. He believes the ban has brought complete clarity and put an end to years of cultural and societal debate regarding commercial amusement. Difficulties in implementing the law at the state level may arise, but ultimately, local authorities can still utilise tools to stabilise the situation.
Scamming Issues in Brazil
No other global market generated as much commentary. Participants unanimously agreed on the incredible complexity of implementing KYC policies and anti-fraud programs in the country.
BetBoom’s Laura Beatriz de Souza Morganti highlighted the population’s particular creativity in interacting with responsible gaming tools. She emphasised that unscrupulous gamblers and scammers are finding loopholes and vulnerabilities in security systems faster than these protocols can be adapted.
Stake’s Barbara Teles echoed this opinion, admitting that the nation faces new challenges every day. Operators and providers must always be one step ahead in innovation to quickly absorb the best global practices and implement them in the local market.
SBC Summit’s Record-Breaking Edition
The event-organising company’s Senior Marketing Director announced that the Lisbon show attracted over 30,000 visitors, a 20% increase from last year. According to Dennis Algreen's statement, amid participants from 150 countries, Africa’s presence has significantly increased (78% compared to 2024). The expo space expanded to 135,000 sq m, attracting 235 new sponsors and nearly 6,000 senior executives.
SBC’s Managing Director discussed the nuances of organising the large-scale Legends Game, a charity football match featuring top athletes, with the goal of raising €1 million for charity. In Andrew McCarron's opinion, all the efforts were fully justified.
The event was broadcast in 19 jurisdictions (in Spain itself, the competition attracted 500,000 viewers). The largest donation, €150,000, was made by Kaizen Gaming.
The expert stated that it is difficult to fully assess the show’s impact immediately, as feedback continues to pour in. The company’s team has gone from organising small niche meetups to hosting the largest gambling gathering in history. There is a lot to rethink before preparing for future editions.
Results of This Year’s SBC Awards
The day concluded with the presentation of 37 prestigious accolades. The event, held at the MEO Arena, was attended by 1,200 guests. Edwin van der Sar, a former Dutch goalkeeper, served as a host.
The ceremony’s key categories were as follows:
Operator Achievements
Kaizen retained its title of the largest brand in the nomination. It was a double reward, yielding gaming and betting verticals.
Other winners and the fields of their accomplishments included:
- Betsson Group — top-achiever in the casino service segment;
- 8888.bg — leading operator among companies of a small scope;
- Vegas Legends — main giant in a similar sector, but on a medium scale;
- 1xBet — creator of the best-performing marketing campaign;
- Novibet — innovator in the entertainment category;
- BetMGM Europe — rising star in the casino vertical;
- Boomerang — the same title but in the betting area.
Payments and Compliance
Despite their niche nature, these categories attracted the most attention:
- Nuvei took home the accolade for the best financial solution, unseating last year’s nominee, Pay4Fun;
- GeoComply gained the prize for the finest anti-fraud and compliance tools;
- Payhound was recognised for its innovations in payments.
Workplace Leaders and Suppliers
Softswiss became the «Employer of the Year». Meanwhile, the title of the most inspiring and successful figure was shared between Natalia Nogues, Control F5's Chief Executive, and Vigen Badalyan, BetConstruct's Co-Founder and CEO. The latter corporation gained one more reward for White Label solutions.
EveryMatrix retained its leadership in the omni-channel vertical, which it also held last year. Additionally, the developer was recognised for its socially responsible initiatives.
Sportradar received 2 accolades, praising its products in the sports data and offline gambling fields. Optimove had 2 prizes as well. Its marketing services, alongside acquisition and retention strategies, attracted a lot of attention.
Casino and Gaming Products
The «Slots Developer of the Year» award was presented in 3 categories for different project scopes. The absolute leader among Large businesses became Pragmatic Play. BGaming topped the Medium category, and Kendoo won in the Small section.
Other studios that were recognised for outstanding accomplishments:
- Blask;
- Spribe;
- Evoplay;
- Playtech;
- Data.Bet;
- GR8 Tech;
- Wazdan, etc.
The overall show concluded with the VIP festival INFINITY Lisbon. That evening, the main highlight was the performance of the Alok & Timmy Trumpet band.
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