SiGMA East Europe 2024 kicked off today with great expectations

SiGMA brings the best in industry to East Europe, featuring a wide variety of operators and suppliers from across multiple sectors.

Hungary.- With more than 9,000 delegates, over 200 speakers and 5,000 new affiliates in attendance, SiGMA East Europe kicked off today in Budapest, Hungary.

The event, which has Focus Gaming News as main media partner, is being held at the Hungexpo until 6 September and is packed with immense opportunities for professionals and brands to make their mark.

From very early in the morning, people began to arrive at the event and visit the different stands, in the prelude to the many keynotes, conferences and panels prepared for this year’s edition.

The opening panel discussion focused on insights into responsible gambling in Eastern Europe. Rossi McKee, an entrepreneur and founder of the Responsible Gaming Foundation, teamed up with Viktor Radics, partner and head of dispute resolution at DLA Piper Hungary, and Renata Kozak, business development director at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, to discuss the changing landscape of responsible gambling.

Christos Zoulianitis, director of market strategy of Playson, moderated the panel powered by igaming Academy, which delved into the regulatory trends, challenges, and opportunities facing the gaming sector in Eastern Europe.

Around midday, the igaming industry took centre stage with a keynote entitled “How to Captivate the Next Generation of Players” and continued with a panel discussion on “The Growing Eastern European gambling market and its opportunities.” Industry experts, including Martin Collins, chief business development officer at Soft2Bet, spoke about the growing online gambling markets in Eastern Europe, new licensing systems and regulatory trends, including advertising restrictions.

In the afternoon, there will be space for start-ups to showcase their projects at the event and participate in the popular Pitch competition which will be held live on stage.

Day two will feature several high-calibre keynotes including future trends in mobile and real-time payments, and how the use of mobile platforms and cryptocurrencies are driving innovation in igaming and driving traffic through apps.

There will also be different conferences and discussions around affiliate programmes and marketing. Visitors will be able to learn about the latest trends in this area and delve into the impact of AI on campaign optimisation.

The agenda will go on with a dedicated space for women in the industry with keynotes and a panel focused on how to lead change and drive diversity by taking into account regulatory changes and overcoming gender and racial barriers.

In this section, Elvira Lan, chief network officer at 1win, will be in charge of a keynote titled “Empowering Women Leaders in igaming” where she will dive into breaking down stereotypes, fostering gender-neutral leadership, and creating inclusive environments that unlock the full potential.

Among the companies with a stand at this year’s show are Alpha Affiliates, Altenar, Amusnet, BetConstruct, Digitain, EGT Digital, Fast Track, PIN-UP Global, Soft2Bet, Tada Gaming, 1xBet and 1xSlots Partners.

SiGMA East Europe powered by Soft2Bet

For the second consecutive year, SiGMA East Europe has Soft2Bet as its main partner. The company is currently celebrating its 8th anniversary and, as part of the celebrations will be hosting a special two-day event for partners that will include: 

• A Royal Gala Dinner complete with singers, DJs and a superb atmosphere that will celebrate their fantastic collaborations and successful partnerships. 
• A “Royal Garden Day” that will offer an exclusive experience at Budapest’s world-famous Botaniq Castle with unique activities, performances, networking, welcome drinks and DJ sets.

Eman Pulis, founder of SiGMA Group, commented: “SiGMA is delighted to welcome Soft2Bet as its headline partner. As corporate entities we have so much in common and Soft2Bet’s support aligns with our strategic aims of constantly searching for innovation and productive partnerships. The event promises to be another stand-out success and we’re delighted to be partnering with such an outstanding igaming leader as Soft2Bet.”

SiGMA East Europe Awards

Yesterday night, delegates gathered in the ballroom of the Intercontinental Budapest, a hotel located on the banks of the Danube, for the SiGMA East Europe Awards. Among the companies that won a prize were: Altenar (awarded “Most Innovative Sportsbook Feature 2024” at the SiGMA Awards), Amusnet (“Best Game Studio 2024”), BetConstruct (“Best Online Sportsbook Provider 2024”), EGT Digital (“Best Game Soundtrack 2024 – Sugar Duke”), Fast Track (“Innovative Gamification Feature 2024”), Imagine Live (“Best Live Table Game Provider 2024”), Soft2Bet Invest (“Outstanding Contribution to Gaming 2024”), 1xBet (“Best Online Sportsbook 2024”) and 1xSlots Partners (“Best Affiliate Program 2024”).