SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The SBC Digital Summit’s Payments Day will see specialists from William Hill, Kindred, Stars Group, Pinnacle and Parimatch sharing in-depth insights about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the payments functions of betting and gaming operators.
With most operators forced to close their head offices, and concerns being raised about players’ gambling spend and habits during lockdown, payments and compliance teams are having to adapt to new working practices at a time when they are under increased scrutiny.
Taking place on April 30, the fourth day of the groundbreaking online conference and exhibition, the payments track will see experts reveal how they are dealing with the challenges and how that might influence their post-pandemic systems.
It begins with an address by Sam Barrett (Director of Gaming, Trustly) detailing how the payments industry is adapting to the very different business world we are now facing.
The conference sessions then open with ‘Virus check: Payments, fraud and ID’, featuring a panel consisting of Steven Armstrong (Group Director of AML, William Hill), Richard Connolly (Associate Director of Payments Business Development, Stars Group), Rahul Das (Head of Payments, VirginBet) and Roger Tyryzk (Head of Sales UK/I, IDnow), with Joe Streeter (News Editor, PaymentExpert.com) moderating.
Among the key issues the panelists will put under the microscope are what impact the change in working practices necessitated by lockdown regulations has had on the usually stringent regimes of checks and processes, and how to maintain compliance when operators’ staff are working remotely.
Armstrong believes such debates present a great opportunity for operators and suppliers to share knowledge and identify ways to work together to deal with the unexpected issues the sector currently faces.
He said: “The SBC Digital Summit comes at a perfect time for our industry. With the effect of COVID-19 being felt globally, the event gives us a chance as an industry to join forces and show the strength we have even in these unprecedented times.”
The day’s second panel is ‘Banking crisis’, which looks at the relationship between operators and financial services providers. With operators requiring multiple accounts in order to keep player funds separate, but many major banks reluctant to work with gambling businesses, how can online sportsbooks and casinos find the right partners?
Chaired by Andrea McGeachin, CCO of Payments Day sponsor Neosurf, the panel addressing this vital issue includes Mickael Marceau (Head of Payments, Kindred Group), Olga Golikova (Head of Billing, Parimatch), Alfredo Lazcano (Chairman, Lazcano Samano) and Tal Itzhak Ron (Chairman & CEO, Tal Ron, Drihem & Co.)
In the afternoon, attention turns to how operators can enhance their affordability and ID checking processes, and the extent to which technology can streamline the multiple mandatory checks to improve customer experience. Speakers for the ‘Affordability & ID checks – what now for KYC?’ panel include Thees Buschmann (Head of Compliance, Red Rhino), Paloma Gonzalez Mascaraque (Head of Payments / MLRO BetConstruct) and Alex Kaganovich (Head of Compliance, Genesis Global), with Peter Murray (Head of Global Sales, W2) in the moderator’s seat.
The day concludes with the ‘Blockchain payments as a driver in crisis’ session featuring Isabelle Delisle (Head of Payments, Pinnacle) and Max Krupyshev (CEO, CryptoProcessing.com by CoinsPaid), with Becky Liggero Fontana (Lead Reporter, Ayre Media) acting as moderator. The panelists will share their expertise on how blockchain technology can help operators cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether it has a role to play in improved player protection and strengthened compliance procedures in the long term.
The SBC Digital Summit runs from 27 April to 1 May 2020 and features six further conference tracks focused on Leadership in Betting, Leadership in Gaming, the Latin American market, lotteries, 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.
Find full details of the SBC Digital Summit, including information about how to register and discounts available on company group passes at the event’s official website: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-digital-summit/
