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SBC Summit Lisbon 2024 Event Report
Slotsoo is back from SBC Lisbon and we are ready to share our findings with you! SBC is dubbed ”the greatest show in gaming” and this was the first time the event was held in Lisbon. In total, there were over 25 000 people working in the business present.
We met with many casino operators and game providers, and got the latest news and gossips from the industry. Read our report about the SBC Summit to find out what changes slot players can expect in the near future!
Photos from SBC Lisbon 2024. Copyright: Slotsoo
Casino Games for the New Generation
There were more than 600 exhibitors at the event and we visited all slot providers’ stands to check out what new they have to offer. More and more game providers are expanding their portfolio to include crash games. And we could also see more of other quick game types, such as tap games and plinko.
King Midas Games showcased their recently launched next-gen game Jackpot Jump, with reminds us of one of the levels in the Netflix series Squid Game. You and other players all pay a fee per game round and then choose if you gonna jump on the left or the right platform. The lucky one(s) who manages to reach the other side will get the pool money. If nobody does, then the casino wins.
When it comes to regular slots, the trend is more volatile slots and elaborate bonus games. Tada Gaming recently launched their Tri-Luck slots, which are thrice as exciting. And the bonus feature in Viking Games by Platipus let you choose between different characters that have different stats and then it is game on!
Interesting Conferences for Slot Enthusiasts
The SBC summit does not only feature an exhibition floor, but also plenty of conferences and panel discussions. According to official numbers from the organizer, this year there were over 450 speakers present, including big names such as Tony Hawk talking about the importance of building a brand.
While we, like any millennial out there, would have loved to listen to the skateboarding legend, there simply weren’t enough time to attend every conference. One simply has to prioritize, and as true slot enthusiasts we of course chose to listen to the slot veteran Lucien Wijsman.
The Dutch gentleman has worked in the casino industry for over 30 years, mainly with land based casinos but also with the online counterparts. Like any true expert out there he also like to play casino games himself.
This wise man highlighted during his talk the importance of volatility in slot games compared to RTP, which is something we would also like to remind our readers. If you choose to play high volatility slots then the risk is big that you will end your session empty handed, even if the theoretical return to player is 98%. The RTP is measured over thousands and thousands of spins after all, and the average player only spend 20 minutes at an online casino each time.
Panel about Grey and Black Market Casinos
International casinos have long been the preferred option for players in many European countries. The main reason is because these casinos offer less restrictions around bonuses and slot play compared to the country’s locally licensed casinos or monopoly status casino.
In the industry, the international options are often referred to as grey market casinos or black market casinos. However, no agreed definition about these terms exist, and during the SBC panel discussion ”Emerging Frontiers: The Future of Casino in Grey and Black Markets”, the participants were debating what the correct definitions are.
The panel was made up by people in different positions in the industry. According to Chris McGowan, COO of the casino Scatters, a MGA casino without Swedish license is considered black market if they accept Swedish players, since then they would operate without a local license. In turn, grey market would be for example sites accepting Finnish players, since the country does not have its own license yet.
George Merodoulakis, COO at Campeon Gaming, disagreed with Chris’ definition and claims that only casinos without any license at all should be considered black market. Calling something black or grey doesn’t make much difference though, and as Max Trafimovich, CCO of Softswiss, commented, the reality is many shades of grey.
The panel agreed that better regulation is the answer and welcomed a balanced Pan-European legislation. It’s crucial that the legislators listen to the industry when they create new laws, and Greece and Denmark are proof that this is the key to success
Stay Tuned for More Casinos before Christmas
The SBC Summit in Lisbon lasted from Tuesday 22nd – Thursday 24th September, but we were in town already on Monday to get a head start (and to have time to eat the famous Portuguese pastel the nata pastries). With all the new contacts from iGaming Club Lisbon and other networking events during the week, you can expect to see many new casinos on Slotsoo before the year ends!
