SBC Summit Lisbon 2025 closes with record turnout, global debates, and a night of celebration

2025-09-19

Portugal

Reading time 4:58 min

The curtains came down on SBC Summit Lisbon 2025 with a packed final day that underscored both the challenges and opportunities shaping the global betting and gaming industry. From debates on the future of M&A and the resilience of regulation in Asia, to Brazil’s uphill battle against fraud, the conversations were as diverse as the 30,000-strong international audience that descended on Portugal’s capital this week.

The third day of the Summit — Thursday, September 18 — proved to be as lively as the opening one, with packed panels, buzzing exhibition halls, and a celebratory close at the SBC Awards and INFINITY Festival.

Conference highlights

M&A optimism meets stark caution

The day featured one of the most anticipated discussions of the week: a panel on mergers, acquisitions, and investments, featuring major names from the gambling and investment sectors.

For Tom Field, Director of Corporate Strategy & M&A at Flutter International — widely regarded as the most active acquirer in global betting — the sector’s track record speaks for itself. “Gaming has proven to be a very resilient sector over many, many years,” he reminded delegates, expressing faith that the industry can weather current macroeconomic headwinds.

Adam Rosenberg, Senior Advisor at Blackstone, offered a US-focused take on the issue. He argued that the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cuts, mirrored by other market regulators, are creating a more favorable environment for investment. “All the signs are good,” he said, pointing to renewed momentum for dealmaking in the US.

But the optimism was tempered by stark words from Klen Kaljulaid of Yolo Investments. Declaring that the sector had “never been in more turmoil than right now,” he cited the enduring tug-of-war between black markets and regulated operators, alongside unpredictable shifts in consumer behavior. He noted the sharp rise of prediction markets like Kalshi, which are blurring the lines between betting and financial speculation in ways investors must closely watch.

Asia’s complex political and regulatory puzzle

If global finance remains uncertain, Asia’s regulatory picture is even more so. Lau Kok Keng, Head of Intellectual Property, Sports & Gaming at Rajah & Tan Singapore, gave delegates a sobering case study in Thailand.

Earlier this year, a long-anticipated casino legalization bill was abruptly shelved just weeks before Senate review. Keng explained that the move was tied not just to recent political developments, but to a chain of historical and constitutional dynamics dating back to 1932. A border skirmish with Cambodia in July accelerated the appointment of an anti-gambling prime minister, effectively killing momentum for the bill.

The bill needs a concoction of perfect conditions to be brought back to life next year, Keng observed, underlining just how volatile and unpredictable the Asian landscape can be.


SBC Summit 2025 featured a packed conference program

India’s regulatory rush under scrutiny

India was also a focal point, with experts weighing in on the government’s recent sweeping ban on real-money games.

Lawyer Ranjana Adhikari was particularly critical, calling the move the product of “confused opinions” that prioritized political optics over consumer protection. She argued that player interests, not government caution, should have taken precedence.

Offering a counterpoint, Japneet Sethi, Chief Growth Officer at iGaming NDA, suggested that the ban may provide clarity. By resolving the years-long skill-versus-chance debate, he said, the laws could ultimately attract investor confidence. Still, he admitted that state-level pushback could complicate implementation.

The panel’s conclusion was sobering: whether or not the national ban holds, unlicensed operators continue largely unchecked, leaving the black market untouched while legitimate firms bear the brunt.

Brazil’s fraud problem

No market drew more candid commentary than Brazil, where panellists spotlighted the difficulty of enforcing Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-fraud measures in the newly regulated landscape.

“Brazilians are very creative, and so KYC service providers need to think about what can happen,” said Laura Beatriz de Souza Morganti, Regulatory Compliance Counsel at BetBoom. She emphasized that fraudsters often find loopholes faster than compliance systems can adapt.

Stake’s Legal and Compliance Director, Barbara Teles, echoed the sentiment: “Every day we see another challenge.” She underscored the need for operators to out-innovate fraudsters by adopting global best practices and adapting tools from mature European markets.

For Brazil, she concluded, the transition is an opportunity to start from scratch with stronger foundations, but only if creativity can be matched with vigilance.

SBC Summit hits 30,000 milestone

If the panels showcased the sector’s challenges, SBC’s afternoon press conference highlighted the industry’s growth and Lisbon’s rising role as host city.

Senior Marketing Director Dennis Algreen confirmed that SBC Summit 2025 drew 30,000 attendees, up 20% from last year’s debut in Lisbon. The audience represented 150 countries, with especially strong growth from Africa (+78% year-on-year). The exhibition footprint expanded to 135,000 sq. m., welcoming 235 new sponsors and nearly 6,000 C-level executives.


SBC Summit 2025 drew 30,000 attendees

Algreen also stressed the event’s increasingly global outlook, pointing to keynote sessions from outside the gaming industry, including Gary Vaynerchuk and Randi Zuckerberg. “We don’t propose to have all the answers for the industry, and that is why we look to source the leading experts,” he said.

On the entertainment side, Managing Director Andrew McCarron discussed the challenges of staging an event the size of the Legends Game, which saw Portugal Legends face off against World Legends on Monday, in support of the goal of raising €1 million for charity.

Asked by Yogonet if the effort paid off, McCarron's answer was a resounding yes. "It was something that helped bring in a lot of wider attention, both locally here in Lisbon and internationally," he said. "We’re not moving away from Lisbon anytime soon, so it’s important for us to think not only about the industry but also about how the city receives us and the positive impact we can bring."

The show was streamed in 19 jurisdictions — with half a million viewers in Spain alone — and major fundraising efforts led by Kaizen Gaming’s €150k contribution.

"I don’t think we’ll fully understand the impact of it for another couple of weeks as results and feedback continue to come in. We went from never organizing something like this before to delivering our biggest event ever, so there’s still a lot to digest," McCarron pointed out. "But at the end of the day, we’re an events company — and this is another string to our bow."


Senior Marketing Director Dennis Algreen (left) and Managing Director Andrew McCarron

Awards and entertainment close the show

The final afternoon also offered inspiration for entrepreneurs, with AIStats named the winner of the First Pitch 2025 competition. Founder Alexey Vorobey secured a €90,000 investment package to accelerate the company’s growth. “Never give up, pursue your idea,” he told fellow founders, reflecting on his journey from a bootstrapped startup.

A few hours later, the last day of SBC Summit closed with celebration rather than debate. At the SBC Awards 2025, hosted at the MEO Arena by Dutch football legend Edwin van der Sar, 37 honors were handed out in front of 1,200 industry leaders.

Kaizen Gaming emerged as the standout winner, retaining its Operator of the Year – Large crown while also securing Sportsbook Operator of the Year. Other notable victories included Betsson Group as Casino Operator of the Year, 1xBet for Marketing Campaign of the Year, and Novibet for Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment.

The Summit’s finale was capped with INFINITY Lisbon, a VIP festival featuring headline performances from Alok and Timmy Trumpet, marking a fitting high-energy close to a record-breaking week.