The gambling industry faces growing pressure to detect signs of harm earlier and deliver more meaningful interventions as expectations around player safety continue to evolve globally.
The Player Protection Symposium at SBC Summit will examine the tools, policies, and partnerships operators need to strengthen their player protection efforts across regulated markets.
Taking place on Wednesday, 30 September, the symposium will bring together operators, regulators, responsible gambling specialists, and technology providers for a series of expert-led discussions.
The event will focus on three key areas: balancing regulatory objectives with efforts to combat the black market, the role operators play in safeguarding players, and the growing use of technology to identify at-risk players.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said: “Gambling harm prevention is a challenge shared by every regulated market. While different jurisdictions may take different approaches, the goal remains the same: protecting consumers and creating safer gambling environments.”
Sojmark added: “SBC Summit provides a platform to bring those perspectives together, share lessons from around the world, and help delegates understand what effective player protection looks like in practice. Ultimately, sustainable growth is only possible when player protection sits at the heart of the market.”
The opening session, Innovation in Tech: How Can Technology Keep Players Safe from Harm?, will feature Scott Burrows, Rupert Ecker, Paula Murphy, and Larrie York examining how AI and data analytics are reshaping how operators identify and support at-risk players.
A second panel, Whose Shoulders Does Responsible Gaming Fall On?, will bring together Matt Burgiss, Christopher Dalli, Savvas Iliopoulos, Adam Warrington, and Peter Wilson to debate where responsibility should ultimately lie between operators, regulators, and players.
The session titled The Ethical Tension in Gaming Advertisements will see Floris Assies, Nicolas Fleiderman, Jesper Kärrbrink, Peter Marcus, and Rian Overy explore how operators can market products in a way that is both commercially effective and ethically sound.
A further session, Regulations Are Getting Stronger: What It Means for the Black Market, will feature Pierre Tournier, Ivan Kurochkin, Carmelo Mazza, Katie Reynolds-Jones, and Eric Sjöden examining whether stricter regulations strengthen the legal market or drive consumers toward unregulated alternatives.
The symposium will also feature Regulatory Meet-ups, a new 2026 networking initiative organised in partnership with the International Association of Gaming Regulators and the International Masters of Gaming Law, covering jurisdictions across Asia, Africa, LATAM, Eurasia, and the Balkans.
Market-specific discussions focused on the UK, UAE, Finland, Italy, Greece, and Portugal will also take place, giving attendees direct access to legal experts, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
SBC Summit runs from 29 September to 1 October 2026, welcoming 40,000 industry professionals to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena in Lisbon for three days of networking, exhibition, and education.
