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Loto-Québec reports small revenue uptick amid election push to expand iGaming

As the premier candidates leading the Quebec election polls pursue opening up iGaming in the province, the governmental gaming operator Loto-Québec reported a modest uptick in revenue.

In a Sept. 17 press release, the crown corporation said that it posted total revenues of $782.6m for the three months ended June 30, a 2.1% increase of $16.1m on the same period last year. Consolidated net income reached $398.1m, up 3.6%. Loto-Québec said that return exceeded the target it was set.

As usual, the casino sector was the strongest-performing segment. Loto-Québec’s revenue breakdown was:

  • $337.6m from the casino and gaming hall sector (up 4.4%)
  • $241.1m from the lottery sector (up 2.1%)
  • $208.4m from gaming establishments (down 1.8%)

Loto-Québec sports betting is part of its lottery segment, while online casino is classified under the casino segment. The gaming establishments sector includes video lottery terminals (VLTs), bingo and Kinzo gaming.

Loto-Québec President and CEO Jean-François Bergeron said the crown corporation benefited from increased activity at both brick-and-mortar casinos and gaming halls and online, as well as the benefits of the late-spring and early-summer season. The organization also referred to the NHL playoffs and the Montreal Canadiens‘ run to the Conference Finals, as well as the FIFA World Cup.

“We are continuing to build on our momentum and once again seeing higher results,” he said. “The casino sector performance attests to the relevance of the offer. We will continue to strive to offer a responsible, engaging and diverse entertainment experience.”

Loto-Québec adds new iGaming supplier partners

At the time of Loto-Québec’s previous quarterly update in June, Bergeron recognized that the government gaming operator needs to work to expand and improve its online gambling offering.

“We have continued to enhance our offerings by leveraging the synergy between our various channels,” wrote the CEO at the time. “We have upgraded our online gaming site and mobile apps, and expanded our in-store offerings, particularly by focusing on a variety of entertainment options that encourage social interaction.

“It is essential that Loto-Québec strengthen its presence in the online gaming sector, including sports betting, to ensure better oversight and guarantee that profits benefit the people of Québec. We prioritize a responsible approach aimed at capturing the market rather than stimulating growth.”

loto-quebec-casino-and-gaming-growth
Image: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

Since the end of the most recent reporting period covered by Loto-Québec’s new report, the operator has brought on new online casino supplier partners.

In July, it added Aristocrat Interactive content to its portfolio, including a range of the supplier’s leading games and titles from the subsidiary NeoGames Studio. The lottery will also leverage the company’s Fusion aggregation platform to facilitate access to third-party content.

Just last week, it also struck a deal with Sweden-based Gaming Corps to add the provider’s content in the fourth quarter of 2026 via Gaming Corps and Loto-Québec’s mutual distribution partner, Light & Wonder.

Looming election could have huge Quebec iGaming repercussions

Meanwhile, all eyes are on the Quebec provincial election on Oct. 5.

The respective leaders of the Quebec Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois both expressed their support for the idea of following Ontario and Alberta by opening a regulated private-sector iGaming market and ushering in competition to Loto-Québec’s online gaming platform.

The latest Leger election poll published on Sept. 22 rates the Parti Québécois as the leader with 29% of the voting share, followed by the Liberals at 23%. The governing Coalition Avenir Québec, which does not support expanding iGaming, is third with 20%.

Industry lobbyists have been pushing for Quebec to launch a commercial iGaming market for years, citing perceived flat performance from Loto-Québec and the need to capture grey-market activity. The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC) estimates that opening an Ontario-like market would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue each year for the province.

The plan to overhaul iGaming in Quebec is backed by other parties including the Canadian Gaming Association and former Loto-Québec Chair Helene Fortin.

Alberta government gives $2.4m to gambling treatment provider

After welcoming commercial online casinos and sportsbooks to the province this summer, the government of Alberta has pledged new funding to expand gambling addiction treatment and related services.

The government announced in a press release on Thursday, Sept. 24, that it will provide approximately $2.4m to Brick House Recovery Centre in an effort to ensure provincial residents have access to specialized care to address gambling issues.

Brick House is an Alberta-based addiction service provider that offers evidence-based treatment and support. The government said that its funding will help the centre deliver a flexible outpatient program consisting of four weeks of outpatient treatment and up to eight weeks of subsequent individualized aftercare to support ongoing recovery.

Treatment is available in-person at centres in Edmonton and Calgary or online across the province.

“Gambling can ruin people’s lives and livelihoods,” said Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally, the minister in charge of overseeing the province’s iGaming market. “If you don’t gamble today, you absolutely should not start tomorrow.

“For Albertans who choose to gamble and are struggling, we have your back, and we’re making sure real help is there when you need it.”

Alberta will select other funding recipients

Earlier this year, the provincial government began seeking proposals from qualified organizations for new gambling addiction services and supports to coincide with the July 13 launch of its regulated iGaming market. Officials told CBC News that the government was looking to fund services to offer in addition to pre-existing supports like Recovery Alberta and the 211 Alberta hotline.

Brick House Recovery Centre is the first organization to receive funding through that process. Additional recipients will be selected later this fall.

“As a leading provider of addiction and mental health treatment in Alberta, we are committed to helping individuals and families affected by gambling addiction access high-quality, recovery-focused care,” said Brick House Chief Medical Officer and co-founder Dr. Lovneet Hayer. “Our goal is to offer hope, practical support and a path toward lasting recovery.”

iGaming tax revenue will fund services in long run

The government said in August that the programs will be funded via revenue from Alberta’s regulated iGaming market. Alberta taxes online gambling operators at 20%, but that split only applies after the government has already deducted 2% of revenue to dedicate to First Nations communities and another 1% to put towards social initiatives and responsible gambling measures like addiction treatment.

The province and the Alberta iGaming Corporation publicly estimated that the government will reap $76m in iGaming tax revenue in the first year of the market.

Nally told the Edmonton Journal that the government has paid the $2.4m grant to ensure new services are being funded before the province starts to see the benefit of iGaming tax revenue.

Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Rick Wilson added in Thursday’s press release that the United Conservative Party (UCP) government is focused on ensuring that Albertans have access to recovery-focused supports that help people in the long term.

Slow August drags down Ontario sportsbooks’ revenue

Online gambling is almost a $10bn monthly market in Ontario these days, but August was the lowest-revenue month since March as Ontario sportsbooks suffered.

In terms of actual gambling activity, it was the second-biggest month on record. iGaming Ontario’s latest reporting shows that gamblers placed $9.74bn in cash wagers in the 31-day period, down 1.5% from July’s all-time record of $9.88bn but above every other month since the market opened in April 2022.

That total handle represented an almost 20% year-over-year increase from August 2025.

But operators’ total non-adjusted gross gaming revenue dipped below $400m for the first time in five months, coming in at $396.3m. That was the lowest total since March’s $387m, although it was still 18% more than licensed Ontario sportsbooks and casinos took in the same month last year.

The number of active player accounts also dropped significantly in August, down to around 1.21 million. That was the smallest number since September 2025 and down 11.5% from July 2026’s record of more than 1.36 million.

Those active accounts produced an average of $328 in gross gaming revenue for operators.

Ontario sportsbooks suffer worst month in a year

With the FIFA World Cup over, the Toronto Blue Jays struggling, and the new football and NHL seasons yet to begin, Ontario sportsbooks suffered notably:

  • Sports wagering was at its lowest level in a year at $843m in cash wagers, the first time it had been below $900m since August 2025.
  • Sports betting accounted for just 9% of total Ontario online gambling activity on licensed commercial platforms last month.
  • Ontario sportsbooks made just $54.4m in gross gaming revenue from sports betting, the lowest total since September 2025.
  • Although August 2026’s sports betting handle was up 10% year over year, sports wagering revenue was down 10% in the same period.

It’s worth noting that a significant number of the 50 authorized operators currently doing business in Ontario do not offer sports betting, while virtually all of them offer online casino even if they are best-known as a sportsbook.

Online casino revenue keeps setting new records

Speaking of online casino, that vertical in Ontario keeps going from strength to strength.

In contrast to sports betting, online casino handle set a new monthly record of $8.78bn in July and held firm at the same total in August, while iCasino revenue climbed to a new all-time high of $336.3bn. The GGR total for online casino was up almost 26% year over year, as that vertical continues to be by far the biggest moneymaker for licensed Ontario iGaming operators.

Online casino accounted for 90% of total Ontario iGaming handle and 85% of total GGR in August.

Meanwhile, peer-to-peer poker wagering was at $122m for the month, resulting in $5.6m in revenue for the operators that offer it. Those games remain limited by Ontario’s current liquidity limits, which mean that players in Ontario can only compete against other players in Ontario. That could change in the future; a Supreme Court hearing in early October will discuss the idea of allowing cross-border play.

Ontario closing in on $3bn in all-time iGaming tax revenue

Year to date, Ontarians have wagered more than $75bn on regulated iGaming platforms, while licensed Ontario iGaming operators have taken a total of $3.16bn in gross gaming revenue.

Ontario’s 20% tax rate on iGaming means the provincial government has reaped $632m in tax revenue from the market so far in 2026 and not far short of $3bn since the province first began offering regulated online gambling.

New operators continue entering Ontario

At the time of writing, the regulated Ontario iGaming market hosts a total of 50 authorized operators (including the government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming, which reports separately). The 49 iGaming Ontario-managed operators run a total of 84 online casino, sports betting, and/or poker sites.

Even four and a half years into Ontario’s market, big names continue to make their debut in the province.

The Ontario iGaming numbers will likely show big increases when September’s data is released in late October, as the new football season got into full swing.

iGaming Ontario, Responsible Gambling Council expand gambling education to 40 campuses

Ontario’s online gaming agency iGaming Ontario (iGO) has teamed up with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to expand the latter’s gambling harm education for college-aged students in the province.

The organizations announced on Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the non-profit RGC is doubling its gambling harm prevention program to encompass 40 publicly funded college and university campuses across the province for the current academic year.

Previously aimed at 20 campuses across the province through an initiative funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health, RGC said that iGO’s new support will double the program’s footprint and target 10,000 in-person student interactions.

Now in its 25th year, RGC’s post-secondary campus tour offers in-person education, supports, and resources and an interactive education program delivered by RGC-trained peer-aged ambassadors.

This year, a Random Tower installation features a life-sized Jenga-style activity customized with important messages about harm reduction. iGO’s contribution also funds the brand-new introduction of a minimum of 10,000 Student Education Kits to be distributed over the year through institutions’ campus health services, residence life, and wellness teams.

“Young adults are growing up in a world where betting is woven into how they watch and talk about sports,” said RGC CEO Sarah McCarthy. “Meeting students on campus, in the moments that matter, is how we help them understand the risks and know their options.

“With iGaming Ontario’s support, we can now do that on almost all publicly funded campuses in the province.”

Studies say college-aged Ontarians most vulnerable

iGO and the RGC noted that young adults aged 18 to 24 are consistently shown by research to be one of the most vulnerable demographics at high risk of gambling harm. About 70% of that age group in Ontario attend college or university, so campuses are one of the most direct ways to reach them.

One such study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal earlier this year stated that the rate of young men contacting the ConnexOntario mental health helpline for gambling-related problems increased more than 300% between January 2012 and September 2025. Canada legalized single-event sports betting in 2021 and Ontario opened its commercial online gambling market in 2022.

An even more recent report suggested that visits to Ontario’s emergency departments for gambling disorders have almost doubled since the province opened for business to private online gambling operators in April 2022.

In both of those studies, young men were the demographic most often reaching out for help.

Bringing BetGuard tool to campuses

iGO’s BetGuard centralized self-exclusion tool, which allows gamblers in Ontario to opt out of all regulated online gambling in the province, will be a central feature of the campus program and its branding.

Each Student Education Kit offers not only gambling harm prevention information but also a BetGuard information card and QR code to allow students to learn more and understand how they can opt out of regulated online gambling in the province.

Image: iGaming Ontario

“We are excited to partner with the Responsible Gambling Council to bring meaningful gambling education to 40 of Ontario’s publicly funded post-secondary campuses,” said iGO President and CEO Joseph Hillier.

“We’re proud to have recently launched BetGuard, which gives Ontarians a simple option to take a break from all regulated online gambling. This is just one part of our comprehensive responsible gaming approach that includes ongoing education on risks and knowing where to get support when you need it.”

‘Thousands’ of Ontarians using BetGuard

iGO unveiled BetGuard in April at RGC’s Discovery conference and officially launched the tool in May.

A spokesperson for the provincial government agency told Canadian Gaming Business recently that thousands of users opted out of iGaming platforms using the system within the first two months of it becoming available.

“BetGuard is helping players manage their gaming practices by providing a new layer of protection in Ontario’s regulated iGaming market. As a result of this program, iGaming Ontario has seen thousands of users successfully opt out of the regulated online gambling market,” said the spokesperson in July.

“Over the coming months, iGaming Ontario will continue to work with our partners and operators to increase public awareness of BetGuard as well as the safeguards it provides.”

iGO warns of BetGuard fraud

Now, the Ontario government and RGC are ramping up awareness of the BetGuard tool.

That comes after iGO warned earlier in September that the government of Ontario had noticed that some unlicensed third parties had been fraudulently using the BetGuard name and branding. iGO reminded the public that people looking for information about self-exclusion, BetGuard, and Ontario’s regulated iGaming market should rely on information found on:

  • BetGuard.ca
  • Licensed operators’ websites that are listed in iGO’s directory, as well as Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG)
  • Key partners’ channels including Connex Ontario and the RGC

SBC Summit returns to Lisbon for record-breaking year, headlined by historic keynotes & biggest wave of new additions

SBC Summit, the betting and iGaming industry’s flagship conference and exhibition, is on track to welcome 40,000 delegates to Lisbon next week for its third consecutive year in the Portuguese capital, and its most ambitious edition to date.

Taking place Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and MEO Arena, this year’s event arrives with a wave of new additions: a standalone Affiliate Leaders Summit, two brand-new specialist forums, a dedicated Product Innovation Showcase Stage, a completely rebuilt networking program, and the biggest, most historic keynote lineup a European event in this space has ever hosted.

Delegates are expected from over 150 countries, with more than 11,000 operators confirmed to attend, a clear sign of the buyer-side strength fuelling this year’s growth. Regulators and lotteries are also showing up in greater numbers, alongside a surge in affiliate marketing professionals, driven directly by this year’s overhaul of the Affiliate Leaders Summit.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the industry back to SBC Summit,” said SBC founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark. “Our number one goal has always been growing the value for attendees, and I think everyone attending this year is going to feel that big time. 

“Everything we’ve done reflects that goal. We looked closely at the five main pillars of the event, whether that’s conference, expo, networking, education or experience, and made sure to tick every box and go all in on each one. I can’t wait to have the entire industry there to experience what we proudly call the Greatest Show in Gaming.”

What’s new at SBC Summit for 2026?

Among the biggest changes this year is the Affiliate Leaders Summit, which will welcome 10,000 attendees from the affiliate and performance marketing world. For the first time, it will operate as a standalone event co-located with SBC Summit, complete with its own ticketing, conference program, expo, and awards ceremony, a change driven by the ecosystem’s own growing success and its need for a space and platform to match. 

SBC has also brought on a new partner for Affiliate Leaders Summit this year, Conversion Conf, strengthening the summit’s ability to bring together the entire affiliate and performance marketing community, from the affiliate ecosystem itself to the operators and suppliers that power it.

Alongside Affiliate Leaders Summit, SBC Summit adds two brand-new forums this year. 

  • The Global Prediction Markets Forum lands at a pivotal moment for one of the industry’s fastest-growing and most closely-watched sectors, as prediction markets increasingly blur the lines between trading, betting, and forecasting and attract major new capital and regulatory attention worldwide.
  • The African Gaming Forum has been developed in close collaboration with the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF), iGaming Afrika, and the Ghana Association of Sports Betting Operators (GHASBO), strengthening the continent’s representation at the event and reflecting Africa’s rapidly developing gaming markets, each with its own distinct regulatory framework, priorities and challenges. 

Also new this year is the Product Innovation Showcase Stage, a dedicated platform for companies to run live product demonstrations in front of the exact audience they’re trying to reach, giving attendees a first look at the technology set to shape the industry’s next chapter. 

More ways to network than ever before

The networking program has also been rebuilt for 2026, giving attendees more ways to connect with the right people. New additions include speed networking sessions, show floor tours, and 20 Regulatory Gaming Meetups delivered in partnership with the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) and the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), alongside Smart Connect, a highly curated matchmaking service that pairs buyers and sellers directly.

Rounding out this year’s innovations is the introduction of Bruna, an AI concierge developed by InsightPlay AI to help attendees navigate onsite questions throughout SBC Summit.

Star-studded headline acts

The SBC Summit keynote lineup is headlined by basketball icon Michael Jordan, appearing alongside Carsten Koerl, founder and CEO of Sportradar, and Jason Robins, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of DraftKings. This combination alone makes this the most star-studded stage the industry has ever seen in Europe. 

Soccer transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, whose “Here we go!” has become one of the most recognizable phrases in the game, will also take to the Super Stage. Another superstar set for the Super Stage is UFC champion Charles Oliveira, appearing as Aviator brand ambassador for Spribe.

A wide range of panels, programs, and events

Beyond the headline names, the summit will host dedicated programming addressing regulation and compliance, global and emerging markets, technology and innovation, and payments and fintech. Combined with the forum-specific stages, the two Affiliate Leaders Summit stages and the new Product Innovation Showcase Stage, the event will bring together more than 600 speakers, drawn from inside the industry and well beyond it.

That reach is on full display this year, with representation from major global technology companies including AWS, Google, Meta, OpenAI, TikTok, Tinder, and Snapchat, a clear sign of just how far the betting and iGaming industry’s orbit now extends. Adding further weight to the programme, both the conference and education tracks are CPD-certified for the first time, giving attendees a formally recognized return on the time they invest at the event.

For attendees seeking hands-on, practical learning, four add-on Tech Academies will cover AI, Player Experience, Digital Marketing and CRM, and Web3 and Crypto, alongside three specialist Masterclasses focused on trading, casino operations, and responsible gaming.

On the show floor, 800 exhibitors and sponsors will make this one of the largest and most diverse showcases of products and platforms the industry has ever seen. New this year, Festival Square will offer a dedicated outdoor networking space available during and after event hours, while the Food Festival returns to introduce attendees to local and global flavours from over 50 vendors.

In the evenings, the event has raised the bar further still, with two of its parties headlined by global superstars.

  • The SBC Summit Opening Party, powered by 1xBet, kicks off the week with a headline performance from The Script
  • INFINITY Lisbon closes the week headlined by DJ Tiësto.
  • The celebrations will also include two dedicated industry awards ceremonies, the SBC Awards and the Affiliate Leaders Awards, recognizing the very best of the betting, iGaming and affiliate marketing sectors.

Attendees can manage the entire experience from their pocket: full event scheduling, ticket add-ons and meeting bookings are all available via the SBC Connect app.

Michael Jordan, Carsten Koerl, Jason Robins, Fabrizio Romano and Charles Oliveira to headline SBC Summit 2026 Super Stage

Basketball icon Michael Jordan, football journalist Fabrizio Romano, UFC star Charles Oliveira, Sportradar Founder and CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings Co-Founder and CEO Jason Robins are among the headline names set to take over SBC Summit’s Super Stage in Lisbon this September.

Hosted inside the MEO Arena, the Super Stage will bring together some of the biggest names in global sport with leading founders, CEOs and decision-makers from across the gaming industry. Across two days of headline sessions, delegates will hear first-hand perspectives on leadership, performance, innovation, business growth and the forces reshaping sport and gaming.

Since launching in 2024, the stage has welcomed figures including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Tony Hawk, Oleksandr Usyk and Gary Vaynerchuk, establishing itself as one of SBC Summit’s most high-profile conference experiences.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said: “What makes the Super Stage special is the people you get to hear from. These are people who have reached the very top of their fields, and there is something really valuable about hearing them speak openly about the decisions, challenges and experiences that shaped them.

“That is what the Super Stage is about: giving people access to those stories, lessons and moments of inspiration.”

Leadership in sports business opens the Super Stage

SBC Summit’s Super Stage will open on Tuesday, September 29, from 12-1 pm with the session Leadership in Sports Business. Bringing together basketball icon, investor and philanthropist Michael Jordan, Sportradar Founder and CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board Jason Robins, the conversation will explore the evolution of sport, technology, media, data and fan engagement through the perspectives of three leaders who have helped shape the modern sports ecosystem. The session will be hosted by broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Gallacher.

Gaming’s biggest decisions take center stage

Following this will be the Super CEO Panel: The Industry Speaks, taking place from 12:30-1:20 pm, the session will bring together some of gaming’s most senior decision-makers for a rare opportunity to hear strategic debates usually reserved for the boardroom.

The panel will feature Aris Dimarakis (Deputy CEO, Kaizen Gaming), Dieter John (Group CEO, FEG), Albert Simsensohn (CEO, Super Technologies), Kresimir Spajic (CEO, Allwyn Digital), Jesper Svensson (CEO, Betsson Group) and Tom Bowry (Chief Strategy Officer, Flutter International), with Dinos Stranomitis (Director & CEO, Altenar) moderating the discussion. The group will tackle some of the biggest strategic questions facing the industry, from AI and regulation to prediction markets, responsible growth, and expanding into new markets. 

Charles Oliveira brings championship mentality to the Super Stage

On Wednesday, September 30 at 12 pm, UFC star Charles Oliveira will take to the Super Stage as an Aviator brand ambassador, courtesy of award-winning game developer SPRIBE.

The former UFC lightweight champion will draw on his experience competing at the highest level of professional sport, exploring performance under pressure, resilience and the routines behind sustained success. The session will also look at the future evolution of UFC, MMA and wider sport, alongside how authentic athlete-brand partnerships can help businesses connect with new international audiences. 

Here We Go: Fabrizio Romano takes to the Super Stage

Also on Wednesday, September 30, football journalist and transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano will headline the Super Stage in the session Here We Go: Trust, Speed and the Business of Breaking News. Joined by Lasha Machavariani (Founder, SMH Global), Romano will explore how he has built one of football’s most recognizable media brands around speed, accuracy and trust, while also examining creator partnerships, the relationship between football audiences and betting brands, and where fan attention is heading next. The session will begin at 1:15 pm at the MEO Arena.

Founder stories from the top of the industry

The Super Stage will also put entrepreneurship in the spotlight through a series of Founder Stories, giving delegates an inside look at the journeys behind some of gaming’s best-known businesses.

  • David Natroshvili (Founder & CEO, SPRIBE) will trace an entrepreneurial journey spanning Georgia, Estonia and the US, culminating in the creation of one of the industry’s leading game developers.
  • Gustaf Hagman (CEO & Co-Founder, LeoVegas Group) will reflect on his entrepreneurial journey, from building LeoVegas into a leading Swedish gaming business to launching his latest venture, Avantii Studios.
  • Vigen Badalyan (Co-Founder, SoftConstruct) will explore how the creation of SoftConstruct became the foundation for dozens of further businesses, developing into an entrepreneurial ecosystem of its own.

Building a global football brand with the Argentine Football Association

The Super Stage will also turn to sports brand expansion during the session The Global Expansion of the AFA Brand. Featuring experts Sergio Goycochea (AFA Legend, Argentine Football Association) and Leandro Petersen (Former Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, Argentine Football Association), the session will explore how the organization has grown its international presence since 2017 and the lessons other sports brands can take from its expansion into new regions and markets.

The discussion comes at a particularly significant moment for the Argentine Football Association, with the national team having won the 2022 FIFA World Cup before returning to the final in 2026, where they finished runners-up.

How to access the Super Stage

Access to all Super Stage sessions is included for Conference, Business and VIP Pass holders. Attendees without one of these ticket types can also purchase a dedicated Super Stage Pass or Super Stage Golden Circle Pass.

The Super Stage Pass, priced at €199, includes access to all Super Stage sessions alongside the SBC Summit exhibition floor. The Super Stage Golden Circle Pass, priced at €499, includes the same access with seating in one of the exclusive front rows, as well as entry to INFINITY Lisbon, headlined by Tiësto and Blasterjaxx.

Taking place from September 29 to October 1, 2026 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena, SBC Summit will bring together more than 40,000 professionals from across betting, gaming, payments, affiliation, marketing, technology and media.

Explore Super Stage ticket options here.

Here We Go! Superstar transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano to headline SBC Summit

Fabrizio Romano, the world’s most-followed football transfer journalist, will take to the SBC Summit 2026 Super Stage for a headline session on building a sports media brand in the age of social media.

Known globally for his signature “Here we go!” transfer confirmation, Romano has built an audience of more than 70 million followers across social media, transforming himself from a football reporter into football’s most influential independent media brand.

Romano will appear on the Super Stage at the MEO Arena on Wednesday, September 30 at 1:15p for the session Here We Go: Trust, Speed and the Business of Breaking News.

He will be joined by Lasha Machavariani, Founder of SMH Global, for a conversation on how Romano built a global media brand on speed, accuracy and trust.

For operators, affiliates and marketers, the session will also explore what makes creator partnerships work. Romano will discuss what he looks for in betting and affiliate brands, and why access to a large audience doesn’t always translate into genuine engagement.

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC Events, said: “Signing a new player is one of the most exciting moments for any football fan. It’s a time of pure anticipation, the kind that has you refreshing your phone every few minutes hoping for an update.

“Every fan knows it’s only when Fabrizio delivers his ‘Here We Go’ that they can finally relax, certain the deal is as good as done. Where fans once relied on traditional media for that confirmation, Romano took the bold step of bringing it to them directly, and kept doing it.

“Building a brand around direct fan engagement might look obvious now, but Romano was the first to do it, and that makes him one of the best people in sport to learn from when it comes to building an audience. We’re thrilled he’ll be joining us on the Super Stage.”

Romano will join a Super Stage program featuring major names from across global sport, business and gaming. Leadership in Sports Business will see basketball icon, investor and philanthropist Michael Jordan, Sportradar Founder and CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings Co-Founder and CEO Jason Robins come together for a candid conversation about the intersection between sports and business. Also joining the Super Stage will be UFC superstar Charles Oliveira, while the Argentine FA will deliver a keynote on building a globally recognizable sports brand. 

SBC Summit 2026 will take place from September 29 to October 1 in Lisbon, bringing together more than 40,000 industry professionals for three days of conference content, exhibition, networking and entertainment.

Conference, Business, and VIP Pass holders will be eligible to attend Fabrizio Romano’s keynote speech alongside all other sessions on the Super Stage. 

If your ticket does not have Super Stage access, you can purchase a Super Stage Pass here for €199. 

Attendees who want to guarantee a view in the golden circle front rows of the Super Stage can purchase a Super Stage Golden Circle pass here. 

Affiliate Leaders Summit to examine the future of SEO, search and discovery

The Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026 will examine how affiliates can adapt their search strategies to keep their content visible and attract new audiences through the dedicated Content & Discovery conference track.

Taking place on Thursday, October 1, the track brings together SEO specialists, affiliate experts and performance marketers to discuss the future of organic search, content strategy and paid acquisition.

The track completes three days of content on the Affiliate Leaders Summit Stage, following Platforms & Performance on Tuesday, September 29, and Future of Affiliate Strategy on Wednesday, September 30.

Sessions will explore how affiliates can recover content removed from search results, balance investment between SEO and paid advertising, and prepare for changes in how audiences discover businesses.

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “When you’ve spent years building an audience, it’s frustrating to see the approaches you’ve relied on start to lose ground. You’re still creating content and investing in your business, but getting people to find you is becoming a different challenge.

“We want affiliates to leave Lisbon with a clearer idea of where to invest their efforts. What needs changing? What still works? And what can they stop worrying about? Those are the questions we’re bringing experienced people together to tackle.”

The track will open by examining how affiliates can protect their search visibility when faced with repeated copyright complaints in Trapped by the System: How DMCA Stacking Creates an Endless Loop. SEO consultant Ivana Flynn will explore how overlapping takedown notices can disrupt legitimate websites, offering practical guidance on managing complaints and getting affected pages back into Google’s search results once restrictions are lifted.

Attention will then turn to the opportunities still present within the changing world of search in the presentation Gaming the Algorithm: The SEO Loopholes Still Working. SEO expert and YouTuber Stewart Vickers (SEO Jesus) will explore the gaps in how search engines rank and surface content, examining the tactics SEO teams are using to get ahead and how long these opportunities could remain open.

As advertising takes up more space in search results, can affiliates still attract visitors without paying for them? That question will drive the panel SEO vs Paid: The 2026 Power Shift. Can Affiliates Survive Without Paying to Play?. Experts Sander Delabie (CEO & Founder, Clovio), Heitor Fonseca (Director of Marketing, F5 Media), Julia Logan (Head of SEO, AICT Media), Jonathan Olsson (CMO, Match2One), and moderator Russell Yershon (Founder, Connectingbrands) will discuss where affiliates should invest as search visibility becomes harder to secure and advertising costs rise. The panel will explore when to invest in SEO, when paid advertising is worth the expense and how combining the two can help affiliates attract customers without eroding their profits.

The track will close with What to Expect and How to Prepare for SEO in 2027: The Good, the Bad and the Crazy. Experts Udit Bali (Founder, AdHook Media), Ivana Flynn (SEO Consultant), and Stewart Vickers (YouTuber, SEO Jesus) will analyze how affiliates should prepare for next year, from AI-powered answer tools to new ways people are finding businesses beyond Google.

Taking place from September 29 to October 1, 2026, the Affiliate Leaders Summit will welcome 10,000 industry professionals to Lisbon’s Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and MEO Arena for three days of networking, exhibition and education.

Attendance at the Content & Discovery track is reserved for Affiliate Leaders Summit VIP Pass holders. Affiliates and regulators may be eligible for a complimentary pass. Find out more about the summit here.

60 days live: 5 things we’re learning from Alberta

As the industry gets an early glimpse into how player behaviour is developing in Alberta, Will Whitehead, Commercial Director at mkodo – responsible for developing GeoLocs – reflects on the early trends emerging from the province and what they could reveal about the market’s next phase of growth.

Alberta’s regulated iGaming market has been live for 60 days, with more than 50 operators registered and around 24 sites already live in the province. In the lead-up to launch day on July 13, 2026, industry attention was understandably concentrated on licensing, customer acquisition and operational readiness. 

Sixty days on, the conversation can begin to evolve.

While it may be too early to draw definitive conclusions, Alberta is already beginning to reveal characteristics that make it distinct. From how the market responds to local events to how players engage with regulated platforms, the first two months are providing valuable insight into how it’s taking shape. 

For GeoLocs, Alberta is not a new market, so those insights come with valuable context. We have been providing geolocation technology to the provincial lottery operator in the province for more than five years, giving us a unique perspective on how player activity, connectivity patterns, and location verification behaviour have evolved before and after regulation. 

That experience provides a useful benchmark as Alberta enters its next phase of growth.

1. Alberta is establishing its own identity

Before launch, comparisons with Ontario were inevitable.

Alberta adopted many of the same structural principles that underpin Ontario’s model, while also introducing its own approach to areas such as responsible gaming and market oversight. The result is a framework that shares similarities with Ontario but has been tailored to Alberta’s priorities and player base.

That distinction matters because one of the clearest observations from the first 60 days is that player behaviour develops locally.

Markets may share regulatory foundations, but players do not automatically behave in the same way from one jurisdiction to another. Understanding those differences early can provide operators with a significant advantage as the market matures.

2. What affects player demand?

One of the clearest observations from Alberta’s first 60 days is how quickly player activity can respond to events and move beyond the average benchmarks. 

During Alberta’s first 60 days, verification activity increased by as much as 60% on individual days, with additional spikes of 30% and 21% occurring around long weekends, Alberta Day celebrations, and periods of heightened sporting activity. There isn’t enough evidence to attribute these increases directly to any individual event. What the data does suggest, however, is that player demand doesn’t exist in isolation from what is happening around them.

Long weekends, local events and major sporting moments all influence when players choose to engage. As Alberta moves into its first regulated NFL season and first full NHL season under the new framework, it will be interesting to see how these patterns continue to develop.

Calgary, Alberta
Calgary, Alberta. Image: Sergii Figurnyi / Shutterstock

For operators, the takeaway isn’t simply that activity increases around major events. It’s that understanding the local rhythm of a market matters.

The moments that drive engagement in one jurisdiction will not necessarily be the same in another. Alberta’s player base, sporting interests, and seasonal patterns are not identical to Ontario’s, and future regulated markets are unlikely to be identical to Alberta’s.

3. New markets create new opportunities 

Alberta has also demonstrated something that is often overlooked during new market launches. 

In established jurisdictions, many operators are competing to win players away from existing brands. In Alberta, many players are still forming preferences, exploring platforms and deciding which operators best meet their needs. 

This creates opportunities for operators of all sizes. While large brands benefit from strong recognition and marketing investment, early-stage markets reward operators that understand local audiences, respond quickly to player behaviour and create experiences that reflect how players actually engage with their products. 

Success is not determined solely by scale. It is also influenced by how effectively operators adapt to the characteristics of the market in front of them.

This is where local experience can become particularly valuable. Geolocation may be viewed primarily as a compliance requirement, but in newly regulated markets it can also provide some of the earliest indicators of player behaviour and engagement patterns.

Working with a geolocation partner that understands the connectivity landscape, regional nuances and evolving player trends within a market can help operators move beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements and gain a deeper understanding of how players are interacting with their platform and regulated gaming. 

4. Player behaviour doesn’t always match industry assumptions

The first two months have also provided an early indication of how players are accessing platforms. 

Across Alberta, 47% of GeoLocs verification requests originated from web, compared with 28% from iOS and 25% from Android. With almost half of requests coming through web-based journeys, the data provides a useful reminder that, despite the prominence of native apps, browser-based journeys remain an important player access point. Optimizing app performance alone therefore doesn’t necessarily mean optimizing the experience for the entire player base.

For web-based journeys, optimization may involve reducing unnecessary verification steps by providing clearer location-permission guidance, identifying browser-specific issues and ensuring players receive actionable feedback when a verification attempt fails. Small improvements to the user journey can have a meaningful impact when applied across a large player base.

More broadly, the finding reinforces what Alberta’s first two months are beginning to tell us: every newly regulated market develops its own characteristics. Operators that take the time to understand how local players engage, rather than assuming behaviours will mirror those of other jurisdictions, will be better positioned as the market matures.

5. Alberta may be a preview of what’s next

Perhaps the most valuable lesson from Alberta’s first 60 days extends beyond the province itself.

Discussions around regulated online gaming continue elsewhere in Canada. Most recently, the topic has emerged as part of the political conversation in Quebec, where multiple parties have expressed openness to exploring a regulated gaming market.

Whether Quebec ultimately follows Alberta and Ontario remains uncertain. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that future regulated markets are unlikely to be simple replicas of those that came before them.

Alberta has already shown that regulators will tailor frameworks to local priorities and that player behaviour develops according to local conditions. For operators, that means future expansion should be approached as an opportunity to learn and adapt, rather than as a repeatable rollout exercise.

Sign that reads 'welcome to Alberta'
Source: Shutterstock / Habanero Pixel

Looking beyond the first 60 days

Sixty days is only the beginning of Alberta’s regulated market story.

Yet even at this early stage, the market is providing useful signals. We’re seeing player activity respond to local moments, evidence that market-specific behaviours are beginning to emerge, and confirmation that every regulated jurisdiction develops its own characteristics over time.

Having entered the regulated market with more than five years of Alberta experience already behind us, GeoLocs has an established point of comparison as those patterns continue to emerge. And perhaps the most important insight is that geolocation data has the potential to offer far more than a compliance decision. It provides an early window into how markets evolve, how players engage and what makes each jurisdiction unique.

As Alberta continues to mature and other provinces evaluate their own regulatory futures, those insights may become just as valuable as the location decision itself.

SBC Summit puts future of gaming on stage with Product Innovation Showcase

From live product showcases and investment discussions to the industry’s next generation of startups, SBC Summit 2026 will spotlight the products, ideas, and businesses shaping the future of global gaming through its new dedicated ‘Product Innovation Showcase Stage’. 

Taking place Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa during SBC Summit, the stage will combine live product showcases on days one and three, a dedicated innovation conference program on day two, and the return of SBC’s First Pitch competition.

Across the three days, delegates will be able to discover new products, explore how innovative ideas are funded, launched and scaled, and meet the startups aiming to become the industry’s next major success stories.

“Innovation can be found everywhere in this industry. It can be a product, an idea, a strategy or even a way of thinking. But its scope also means the word is used so often that, in some ways, it has lost some of its power,” said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC. “This stage is about bringing that power back. We have an exciting mix of established companies, emerging businesses and new ideas, all on one stage and all showcasing what innovation truly means.”

Putting new products in the spotlight

Across the opening and closing days of SBC Summit, the stage will put the spotlight directly on companies showcasing new products, technologies, and concepts, giving delegates a first-hand look at the solutions emerging across the industry.

Tuesday, Sept. 29 will feature showcases spanning AI-powered customer support, digital asset management, live casino, and more from:

  • Algosport
  • Comm100
  • In Game Media
  • Oddin.gg
  • Top Premier Cloud

The showcases will return on Thursday, Oct. 1, with three more firms taking to the stage to present their latest products and solutions:

  • PYMSTR
  • Pyramid Gaming
  • Stellar Bets

Investments: From building ideas to scaling them

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the stage will host the dedicated ‘Investments’ track, bringing together startup founders, investors, and industry leaders to explore how emerging ideas are funded, brought to market, and scaled across the betting and gaming industry.

Sessions will examine the emergence of new betting categories, where investors see the next opportunity for growth, the challenges facing early-stage businesses, how operators evaluate and adopt startup technology, and what it takes to scale effectively. 

Sessions include:

Experts taking the stage across the day include Jack Everitt (co-founder, thndr), Harry Collins (founder & CEO, Network Gaming), Travis Geiger (co-founder, WagerWire), Paris Smith (founder, Life Winning/Defy The Odds), David Williams (partner, Discerning Capital) and Dmitry Belianin (entrepreneur, founder & CEO, Belianin.com), amongst others. 

First Pitch: The next generation of innovation 

The stage will conclude on Thursday, Oct. 1, with the return of First Pitch, SBC’s startup competition. Held in partnership with BettingStartups, the competition gives five emerging businesses the opportunity to pitch their products in front of a panel of investors, operators and industry decision-makers. 

SBC Summit First Pitch
Image: SBC

Each finalist will receive three minutes to pitch, followed by a three-minute Q&A with the panel, as they compete for a prize package valued at €139,400 (approximately C$224,000), designed to help accelerate the winning company’s next stage of growth.

Competing in this year’s final will be:

  • Betsy: a social prediction gaming platform that turns bets and predictions into shareable content. 
  • Gmonitor: an AI-powered competitive intelligence platform tracking promotions, games, advertising, rankings, regulation and wider market activity.
  • InsightPlay.ai: an AI workforce for player engagement, using autonomous agents across acquisition, retention, reactivation and customer support.
  • Safefy: an AI-powered platform that monitors transactions to help identify suspicious activity and prevent losses.
  • Whizgen AI (Whizdom AI): a suite of interconnected AI tools helping operators manage player support, deliver personalized game recommendations and identify players at risk of churning.

About SBC Summit 2026

Taking place Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2026, at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena, SBC Summit will bring together more than 40,000 industry professionals for three days of conference content, exhibition, and networking.

The Product Innovation Showcase stage will feature as part of SBC Summit’s wider conference program, available to those with a Conference, Business, or VIP Pass.