Leading CEOs to shape post-pandemic future for betting industry at SBC Digital Summit

The opening day of the SBC Digital Summit will see many of the industry’s highest-profile CEOs share their vision of how sports betting operators can survive the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and bounce back stronger than ever.

A selection of visionary leaders from major international operators headline the roster for the Leadership in Betting track on 27 April 2020. Their expertise and reputation for innovation guarantees that the gambling industry’s largest ever online conference and exhibition will begin with a flurry of ideas about how businesses can move forward when the crisis eases.

The day kicks off with a rare conference appearance by Carsten Koerl, the CEO & Founder of Sportradar and Founder of Bwin, who is to deliver a keynote address.

Koerl’s presentation will be followed by the ‘Business continuity in the face of COVID-19’ panel, with George Daskalakis (CEO & Founder, Stoiximan / Betano), Tim Heath (CEO & Founder, Coingaming Group), Jesper Svensson (CEO, Betsson Group) and Shay Segev (COO, GVC) sharing their experience of coping with the lockdown and vision for how businesses can prepare for its end.

A lack of livesports action has seen sportsbooks and punters alike searching for alternative markets. The day’s second panel, ‘Off the bench: what is there to bet on?’, will see Dominik Beier (CEO, Interwetten), Minja Bolesnikov (CEO, MaxBet), Alexander Martin (CEO, SKS 365) and Ebbe Groes (CEO, EveryMatrix) examine which of them have worked and whether they could remain popular when things return to normal.

Another major concern for many operators is the impact of the enforced shutdown of their retail estates and what this means for their shop staff. The ‘An opportunity to revisit the omni-channel approach?’ session will see Fabio Schiavolin (CEO, Snaitech), Per Widerstrom (CEO, Fortuna Entertainment Group), Giovanni Garrisi (CEO & Founder, Stanleybet) and Johnny Hartnett (CEO, Superbet) outline their visions for the future of retail.

Leadership in Betting concludes with an in-depth examination of the opportunity offered by esports, which has been one of the few markets able to continue since the crisis began. The

‘Esports – let’s get digital’ panel is to feature the CEOs of two operators that have enjoyed huge success in the market, Paris Smith (Pinnacle) and Sergey Portnov (Parimatch), along with Pavol Krasnovsky, CEO of specialist odds and trading provider RTSmunity.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, said: “The speaker roster for the Leadership in Betting track is one of the strongest the industry has ever seen, guaranteeing an exciting opening day for our groundbreaking virtual event.

“Whether you work for a sports betting operator or in the supply chain, you are sure to learn something valuable from this group of hugely influential industry executives.

“In between the conference sessions, you’ll also be able to take advantage of exclusive networking opportunities with fellow delegates, providing a much-needed chance to connect with colleagues across the industry – all without having to leave the house.”

The SBC Digital Summit runs from 27 April to 1 May 2020 and also features conference tracks focused on Leadership in Gaming, the Latin American market, lotteries, payments, the US market, and digital marketing.

The thousands of delegates logging in from around the world can also take in a virtual exhibition featuring the latest offerings from the betting and gaming industry’s most innovative suppliers, and make valuable new contacts in the virtual networking lounges.