US Sports Betting On The Agenda For Upcoming Gaming Conferences In London

Since the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA last May, sports betting has commandeered gaming conferences all across the country.

Next week, America will export the conversation to Europe. The US sports betting industry will be a major focal point of the upcoming ICE and London Affiliate Conference (LAC) events in London.

Rivaled only by the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), ICE is arguably the preeminent gaming conference on Earth. It focuses on the European and global markets, while G2E’s focus is on the US. With the recent developments in sports betting, though, the lines of demarcation are becoming blurred.

These upcoming conferences for ICE (Feb. 5-7) and LAC (Feb. 6-9) will be their first since the SCOTUS decision, and their respective schedules are as US-focused as they’ve ever been.

US sports betting at ICE London

Expect US sports betting to be a topic that arises frequently over the course of ICE. Moreover, three panels will focus exclusively on this emerging market across the Atlantic Ocean.

Opportunities for European operators in the regulated US sports betting markets

The title of the Monday morning session is pretty straightforward. What opportunities exist for European operators in the newly regulated US markets?

A two-member panel from Paysafe will discuss:

• Which markets should operators be paying closest attention to?
• The role of European operators in the US
• Staying competitive with illegal operators
• How payments can be a differentiator
• US consumer and operator attitudes

The State of the States: Sports Betting in the USA

The second US-focused session centers around the current and future legislative landscape. Topics for Monday afternoon include:

• What lessons have the last eight months taught us?
• Which states are in play for 2019? What are the main policy considerations?
• Do we need a federal legislative framework?
• Key points of contention (integrity fees, official league data, taxes, etc.)
• Ensuring sport and wagering integrity
• Centralized bet-monitoring systems

Moderator:

• Daniel Wallach, Founder, Wallach Legal LLC

Panelists:

• Jake Williams: Vice President – Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Sportradar US
• David Miller: Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, PGA Tour
• Senator William Coley (Ohio)

In the post-PASPA esports world, the role of game publishers is set to change dramatically

On Wednesday afternoon, a pair of speakers will take a look at what impact the repeal of PASPA might have on esports in the US. Jeff Liboon from ESP Gaming and Ian Smith of ESIC will discuss:

• Player protection for publishers
• Responsibilities around educating fans
• Publisher/operator relations

US sports betting at LAC

LAC is a sister conference of ICE that focuses on gaming affiliates. It likewise boasts a dedicated US session this year, which I’m fortunate enough to be part of.

The United States of Affiliates: Using the Liberalisation of the US Market to your Advantage

LAC describes this panel in the following way:

“As regulation rolls out state-by-state across the USA, opportunities for affiliates are growing rapidly, but so are potential regulatory pitfalls. Discover how to get a foothold in gaming’s most talked about market, the best ways of promoting your product to the US public, and how to make sure you work within the law in this all-American extravaganza.”

Key topics include:

• Expansion of iGaming in the USA: What does it mean for you?
• Working within state guidelines: What licenses are required?
• What are some of the main ways into the market?
• What content is best for engaging the US market?

Moderator:

• Dan Kustelski: Co-Founder & CEO, Chalkline Sports

Panelists:

• Steve Ruddock: Senior Analyst, Catena Media US
• Seth Young: Chief Innovation Officer, PointsBet
• Rami Yermiya: CEO, Dignotion
• Melissa Blau: Founder & Director, iGaming Capital

A melting pot of ideas

It’s exciting to see the US industry get some exposure at conferences abroad, but the real benefit will be the sharing of ideas.

More so than ever before, ICE and LAC will be overrun with US industry stakeholders, lawmakers, and regulators this year. Similarly, more Europeans have been attending US conferences since the PASPA repeal.

That presents many opportunities for a mixing of ideas. Bringing together the European and American industries is long overdue, as I noted in my LAC interview:

“The US and international industries have long been two ships passing in the night. There needs to be a sharing of ideas to meld the disparate industries into a single, cohesive industry.”