Day two of SBC Summit Malta is officially underway, and it’s already shaping up to be a jam-packed day filled with exciting conversations.
Today, we’ve got an agenda spanning everything from the future of casino, surviving SEO attacks and building a stand-out World Cup offering, to the shifting affiliate landscape, the growing influence of AI and the trends shaping the iGaming workforce.
Like yesterday, we’ll be keeping you in the know on the major happenings at this week’s SBC Summit Malta – with live news brought to you by ELA Games.
The team on site today includes Martyn Elliott, Ted Menmuir, Craig Davies, Joe Streeter, Jyoti Rambhai ,Viktor Kayed and Luke Miles, who will bring you all the latest from SBC News, iGaming Expert and Affiliate Leaders.
This live coverage is supported by ELA Games.
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16:15: That’s a wrap, folks!
Things are winding down on the conference floor, and what an event it’s been. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed hearing from some of the biggest names from across the iGaming industry on topics ranging from marketing, recruitment, leadership, affiliation and technology – and so much more.
Thank you so much to ELA Games for supporting our live coverage over the last two days.
Now this brings our live coverage to a close, although our night is just beginning as we head over to the SBC Awards Europe and then the official closing party at Open Water. We’re sure we’ll see many of you tonight!
For those of you heading to the awards, good luck!
From all of us at the SBC Media team, we want to say a big thank you for tuning in to our live blog. We hope you’ve enjoyed keeping up to date with the biggest stories direct from the show floor; we’ll see you next year!
16:10: Keeping pace with the speed of technological change
Reporting by Ted Menmuir
Caroline Butler, Head of Global Markets at Initiate International, framed the evolution of careers around a simple reality impacting all industries and workforces:
“Roles are changing faster than the people performing them,” Butler told the audience of her presentation on Future-Proofing Your Career: The Skills, Roles and Opportunities Shaping the Next Workforce
Audiences should accept this blunt reality, she argued, as “future-proofing is no longer about experience alone, but about aligning skills with where roles are heading not where they have been.”
Central to this shift is data literacy, which Butler described as a “non-negotiable across all functions.”
“This is not about becoming a data scientist, but about understanding how individual actions translate into commercial outcomes.”
Employees who can interpret performance metrics, link activity to revenue impact, and communicate results in measurable terms are significantly more valuable than those who just execute tasks.
The significance of data literacy is compounded by the importance of cross-functional thinking as a new career discipline. Butler emphasised that modern organisations no longer operate in silos, and value is increasingly created at the intersection of departments.
“Professionals who understand how marketing, product, CRM and acquisition teams interact — and how each contributes to overall business performance are better positioned to drive impact and progress into strategic roles.”
Generational shifts are also driving the emergence of new role profiles, particularly within marketing and retention.
Positions such as lifecycle growth managers and advanced CRM specialists are becoming central to operator strategy, reflecting a deeper focus on customer journeys, segmentation and long-term value optimisation. The
The roles demand a blend of analytical capability, commercial awareness and multi-funcational execution and are likely to succeed those characteristics of the traditional roles of the marketing manager, campaign coordinator,
Butler’s concluding message is simply forward looking: “The industry is moving away from rewarding effort and towards rewarding impact. Those who can combine data awareness with cross-functional insight — and articulate their contribution in tangible business terms will define the next generation of iGaming talent.”
16:00: what a busy day it’s been!
Reporting by Luke Miles, Multimedia Journalist
Three days of networking, two days of conference sessions, and thousands of steps later – it’s been a busy couple of days here in St. Julian’s, but what an event it’s been!
We’ve been chatting to attendees on the show floor to find out what they’ve thought of the event so far.
15:25: Remember Aquapony? No, neither did we …
Reporting by Viktor Kayed, Senior Journalist at SBC News
Have you heard about the sport called Aquapony? No? Did you know that it was featured in the 2024 Olympics? You were following them closely, but your memory still betrays you?
Well, why not ask AI if you don’t believe me? Perplexity and Copilot will both confirm that I’m right and you are wrong.
And still, I can assure you that your memory is still as good as it’s ever been. Aquapony is a term made up by Alan Cladx, CEO of H1seo, just in time for our SBC Summit Malta event.
In a matter of six months, he managed to create a term and infiltrate the online algorithm with it enough that two of the most used LMs in the world are now swearing by an artificial sport – going as far as claiming it was an official Olympics discipline.
Someone who didn’t watch the Olympics is now being lied to that Aquapony was in the center of the spotlight. But that’s not the worst part when you factor in that millions of people globally trust AI unconditionally – regardless whether it’s about politics or important life decisions. Scary, right?
By managing to manipulate history singlehandedly, Cladx perhaps highlighted one of the most crucial lessons delivered at our SBC Summit Malta Conference – the importance of making an informed decision.
15:00: looking towards the future workforce
Technology continues to shape so many different areas of the iGaming space – and in the last few years, it’s having a growing impact on the skills, roles and opportunities that continue to shape the workforce across our industry.
One of the big topics from today was looking at how technology is reshaping which skills are becoming a requirement for workers and how individuals can upskill to progress within their careers.
14:35: the buzz around live dealer casino continues
Reporting by Joe Streeter, Editor of iGaming Expert
The live dealer tables are a hive of activity on the expo floor, here at SBC Summit Malta.
As iGaming continues to evolve and new technology emerges, the role of live casino within an operator’s portfolio continues to be crucial for player engagement – be it in a retail setting or online.
Throughout the last few days, we’ve heard lots of discussions around how to maximise the social element of live casino and bring them to a new audiences.
Is live casino the future of the industry? Only time will tell …
14:30: Winning hearts and minds
Branding is much more than just a logo – it’s a representation of your brand.
But what does it take to make that logo appeal to your target audiences?
Herbert Gaban dives into the psychology behind the branding within the iGaming space, and how your brand aesthetic can help drive acquisition, retention and long-term growth.
14:20: AI is not the silver bullet to all business challenges
Reporting by Jyoti Rambhai, Editor of Affiliate Leaders
“AI is exposing and amplifying problems in a company,” says Roberta Nicholls, Head of Chapter, AiCollective.
With marketers blindly bringing AI into their workflows more than any other sector, it can raise some issues if the tools don’t “speak to each other”.
Nicholls points out speed is making AI very attractive for marketers, particularly when it comes to creating more content, more reports and even more dashboards.
But more content, doesn’t necessarily mean better or the “best way forward”. Nicholls describes as going to a restaurant, which has a lot choice on its menu – “when there’s a lot of options, I assume it might not be as good”, she said.
Therefore, marketers need to remember that “AI doesn’t fix conversion judgment” and for those using it in abundance, it could be giving an illusion of progress.
13:50: AI – a friend or enemy for affiliates?
Reporting by Ted Menmuir, Editor-at-Large
AI now dominates the strategy of media campaigns. It isn’t replacing affiliates – but it is acting as a powerful enabler. Tasks that once took weeks now take hours, lowering barriers to entry and unleashing a wave of faster, more reactive competitors.
The downside is clear, as Clinton Cutajar, CTO of Media Troopers, observed: “Content is converging, strategies are being replicated at speed, and true differentiation is becoming harder to defend.”
He added: “AI hasn’t replaced anyone – it’s just made everyone faster. What used to take months now takes weeks, sometimes days. That means anyone can become a competitor almost overnight – but it also means everyone starts to look the same unless you bring something more than just output.”
Will operators take control back?
Times are changing and so has the relationship between affiliates and operators. As cost control dominates campaigns, the panel was asked whether operators could simply bypass affiliates and build their own acquisition engines.
The notion, however, was pushed back. Victoria Buttigieg, Marketing & Social Media Manager at Marlin Media, argued that the affiliate model remains difficult to replicate.
“The affiliate channel for iGaming is completely unique. If you have operators trying to rebuild that, I don’t think they have the expertise to do so. The unique angle that journalists and writers bring – I don’t think that’s something operators can easily replicate, and that would be lost.”
13:45: It’s ‘trench warfare’ for affiliates
Reporting by Ted Menmuir, Editor-at-Large
Some call it an adjustment, others a rightsizing – but affiliates in iGaming media recognise that they have entered a “war economy”.
The battlefield is more cut-throat than ever, as SBC Summit Malta audiences were warned that “survival hinges on speed, diversification, and not having your budget quietly torched by bots,” as explained by Vadim Aidlin, CEO of Mamuta Media.
At the whim of Google and whether it applies an algorithm change or geographic shift, agility and speed of response are now dictating strategy.
2024 and 2025 have been years of cold exposure, with Aidlin noting that for many “most campaigns are running just to break even.”
The US remains a high-stakes arena where expensive paid channels can still be rewarded, dependent on negotiation. Copy the same approach in Brazil or the wider LatAm market and you’ll burn cash fast – efficiency and low-cost traffic are non-negotiable.
“If you’re risking all that budget just to stay even, you’re not in control of the risk – you’re absorbing it. And in this market, risk doesn’t hold steady – it almost always moves against you. One shift in traffic quality, a spike in costs, or a drop in conversion, and that fragile balance disappears. Without margin, there’s no protection – just exposure.”
Search is trench warfare.
Search has devolved into a constant battle of “black-hat, grey-hat and parasite tactics,” explains Emma-Elizabeth Byrne, Head of Publishing at Gentoo Media.
“Ranking first is no longer an outright win — it’s an invitation to be attacked,” as competitors drain ad budgets, inflate clicks through bots, and exploit an algorithm that remains unpredictable.
Guarantees on rankings? Not in this market… As Byrne bluntly puts it: “When you’re number one, you’re not happy… you know people will start attacking you sending over those bots and content will be duplicated by parasites. ”
13:30: Picture time!
12:45: Keeping players coming back
Player acquisition is important, but how do you then retain those players and keep them with your brand for the long-term?
In conference room 1 this morning, we dived into why retention is a key driver for profit and how best to stop players from churning.
12:15: It’s all about telling a story
Media and messaging can make or break your brand. And in conference room 1, conversations explored the best ways to create and curate messaging strategies that balance regulation, reputation, and resonance in a rapidly changing media landscape.
12:05: Ironing out the details
Reporting by Viktor Kayed, Senior Journalist at SBC News
With Malta prepping up to become the first country to launch a dedicated AI framework for iGaming, it is an imperative that details are ironed out given the amount of operator data involved in the process.
Representatives from the Malta Gaming Authority have assured that the charter has been drafted with fairness and robust responsibility in mind.
Francois Piccione, Chief Technology Officer, MGA, highlighted that operators will be required to treat the charter as a core priority to ensure that their AI infrastructure is effective.
“In a gaming context, an AI model designed to detect problematic behaviour may begin to disproportionately flag players because they engage with the product differently.
“Over time this will continue to be reinforced by the model.
“A model that appears to be balanced six months ago might be not today.
“The charter makes it clear that operators need to treat fairness as an ongoing responsibility.”
Once the charter is adopted, operators will need to contact the MGA for enquiries about how AI affects the gaming sector.
Meanwhile, the Malta Digital Innovation Authority will be the point of contact for any questions about how Malta’s AI charter fits into the wider EU context.
More details on the charter were promised for next week, starting 4 May.
11:35: a busy show floor
Reporting by Luke Miles, Multimedia Journalist
Day two of the event is off to a busy start this morning … There’s plenty of discussions taking place on the exhibition floor, colleagues catching up with one another, and we’re sure there’s plenty of deals being made too.
Crowds have been gathering around the Betwinner booth on the floor at SBC Summit Malta, with games and prizes going on, with a iPhone 17, on offer.
11:25am: Highlights from day one
The highlights from our first day of networking are out!
From golf and padel in the sun, to sailing the seas with the boat party, and then an evening spent networking with the biggest names from across the industry – SBC Summit Malta got off to a stellar start.
Catch the highlights from Tuesday below.
10:45: what will casinos look like in 2036?
Reporting by Viktor Kayed, Senior Journalist at SBC News
An interesting switch-up at SBC Malta’s Day 2 Conference, where the audience becomes the panel!
Hosted by Arjan Korstjens, Principal at Casino Marketing Academy, and Dan Phillips, CEO at NEL Advisory, audience members were taking turns to share their views of what the casino sector will look like in 10 years’ time.
What will be the biggest market? Well, China surprisingly came in as a suggestion, although historically anti-gambling. However, again due to history, the owner of this prediction likened gambling to a wave which has already passed through the West and is moving towards the East.
Of course, it will all boil down to politics, but the audience member was sure of one thing – all economics factors in China are in favour of that.
Another view pulled the rope in the opposite direction, giving LatAm as an example in large part due to the regulatory landscape in Brazil. In fact, in 2036 the biggest market competition – in the member’s opinion – will be between the US and LatAm.
China, they suggested, is less likely to emerge as a competitor because of theoretically more centralised regulation compared to the segmentation in LatAm, which naturally drives more competition and innovation.
10:30am: AI – the future of affiliation?
Reporting by Jyoti Rambhai, Editor of Affiliate Leaders
Affiliate management is something marketers learn on the job… it’s not taught at university, Elaine Gardiner, Managing Director at TAG Media, points out. As a result, “there’s no uniform terminology… everyone call these things different things”.
Gardiner went out to test how different LLMs would respond to an affiliate prompt. One of the queries she posed was: “I’m looking at my affiliates’ stats. They have 4 NDCs and 5 FTDs. What does that mean? What is the difference?”
“ChatGPT is the most disappointing,” she explains, which is “frustrating as it most common one people are using”.
“It just gave me a lot of fluff,” she says, “[…] It said I should check the IP addresses.”
While Claude “could not understand the small nuances in the industry”.
But “well done Elon Musk (with Grok) and Gemini”, Gardiner claimed, showing how those had the most relevant answers.
10:20am: Scale is a weapon when combatting SEO fraud
Reporting by Joe Streeter, Editor of iGaming Expert
Day two of the conference sessions are underway …
This morning, Ivana Flynn is kicking things off as she dives into the rise of DCMA SEO fraud and its impact on global iGaming markets.
As attackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated it’s vital that legitimate affiliates get ahead of the curve when it comes to the threat of site scraping.
10:00 am: Welcome back!
We’re back and ready to go for day two at SBC Summit Malta!
Yesterday was a brilliant day of conference, exhibition and networking. And to top it all off, the team spent the evening at the VIP affiliate and operator dinners, followed by the official party at Infinity by Hugo’s – what a night it was!
Today is already shaping up to be a fantastic day. The sun is shining, the Intercontinental is buzzing with people, and we’re ready for a great day of conference sessions.
With plenty of workshops and insightful panel discussions, we’ll be bringing you the biggest stories from throughout the day, delivered to you live by ELA Games.
