ICE Barcelona partnership ‘pivotal’ for Italy’s gaming sector, says IGE founder Alessio Crisantemi

The new partnership between the Italian Gaming Expo & Conference (IGE) and ICE Barcelona marks a “pivotal step” for the country’s gaming ecosystem and will strengthen ties between Italy and the global industry, according to Alessio Crisantemi, founder of IGE and Italian Gaming Awards (IGA).
    
Crisantemi said the agreement with ICE’s organiser, Clarion Gaming, creates a direct bridge between the Italian market and the world’s largest gaming trade show. “The partnership means joining forces with the world's leading player in the sector, creating a direct bridge between the Italian and international markets,” he said.

“The goal is to foster an ongoing dialogue between the two worlds  on one hand, bringing Italy to the global stage; on the other, bringing the global gaming industry to Italy. It's a strategic alliance built on shared values built on shared values - innovation, networking, sustainability, and responsibility,” Crisantemi said.

He described ICE Barcelona as more than an exhibition, calling it the industry’s most influential platform for innovation and strategic thinking. “Its strength lies in its ability to bring together the entire value chain… in a setting that goes far beyond a simple exhibition,” he said, adding that the event is a “natural point of reference” for IGE’s mission of connecting institutions and the industry.

The partnership is designed as a long-term collaboration extending beyond the annual events. Crisantemi said the two organisations will jointly develop editorial content, communication initiatives and projects that link ICE Barcelona’s global operator network with Italy’s domestic sector. Synergies between iGaming Business and Gn Media’s IGE Magazine and ItalianGamingNews.it will help expand Italian participation at ICE and attract more international stakeholders to IGE.

ICE Barcelona, he said, offers a powerful platform to promote Italy’s regulatory and innovation landscape. “We’ll use this opportunity to strengthen the IGE brand, promote our content, highlight the Italian gaming value chain, and create new international connections,” he said.

Crisantemi said Italy remains one of the world’s most mature and regulated gaming markets but still needs regulatory modernisation, stronger alignment between physical and digital channels, and a more informed public narrative around legal gaming. IGE, he said, was created to promote dialogue between policymakers, operators and society with an international outlook.

He stressed that sustainable and responsible gambling is now a “strategic driver of competitiveness”. “An industry that doesn't integrate the concept of responsible gaming into its identity risks losing legitimacy and trust,” he said.

Crisantemi warned that illegal and unregulated gambling continues to threaten both consumers and the legal sector. “Official estimates suggest that the ‘black market’ could be worth as much as €22 billion ($25.57 billion),” he said. Effective action, he added, must go beyond enforcement and involve regulators, operators and the media. “Only a well-informed, well-regulated industry can effectively combat illegal activity.”

IGE aims to serve as a hub for international regulators - a role reinforced by its partnership with ICE Barcelona. Sharing best practices, he said, is essential to building effective models for combating illegal operations.

For Clarion, success will mean a stronger footprint in Italy, while for Gn Media it means consolidating its status as the key international platform for the Italian gaming sector. Crisantemi said future outcomes could include shared formats, new projects and “deeper industrial synergies”.

“The real success will be seeing Italian and international operators, institutions, and stakeholders finally engaging together on the same global platform,” he said.